IMPROVE- MENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATING THE LAND BY STEAM AND OTHER POWER
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Steevens, of Godolphin Road, Hammer-
smith, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATING THE
LAND BY STEAM AND OTHER POWER."
Sealed the 11th March 1862, and dated the 12th September 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Steevens at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
September 1861.
I, WILLIAM STEEVENS, of Godolphin Road, Hammersmith, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATING THE
LAND BY STEAM AND OTHER POWER," to be as follows:-
I have a strong frame of wood or iron of suitable size for the number of
ploughs or implements to be worked. Across the centre of this frame is fitted
a strong wrought-iron shaft, which is made secure to each side of it, and upon
this shaft is fitted a strong wrought-iron boss, having two projections, one on
each side, for the purpose of fixing the main beams to. In order to carry the
ploughs, grubbers, harrows, or any other implements, the frame is so arranged
as to allow of the ploughs being "put to " or removed at pleasure, or any other
kind of implement being used in the same way.
The frame with its central shaft supports the whole of the plough framing,

page_text: and allows it to work freely by means of slides at each corner, which slides
guide and keep it in its place as it rises and falls, by a rack and pinion fixed
at each end of the plough for that purpose in connection with a lever, also
answering the same purpose, and which is made use of in light soils where a
great power is not required to raise the ploughs out of the ground. The whole
of the frame and the ploughs are supported by one axle in the centre, but this
axle is entirely independent of the frame and also the centre shaft upon which
the ploughs are made to rise and fall, it being an ordinary axle with a drop pin
in the centre similar to the common carriage arrangement. Upon this pin the
wheels are made to steer by means of lever or any other mechanical
apparatus.
On the top of the main beam I purpose to place a moveable box cistern
or reservoir to contain liquid manure, water, or any other mixture that will
act as a temporary lubricator, with india-rubber or other tubes, that a small
quantity may continue to fall on the breast or mould boards when in stiff clay
or heavy land, thereby causing them to pass through the land with much less
power or draught; also the manure will be properly spread on the soil. The
steel rope or chain passing through an eye or socket fixed on the cap of the
centre wheel will pull the slack rope out on the unbroken ground into its
place for the next draught or pull back.
The rope porters are so formed that the steel rope can pass over them
without being lifted, there being a guide iron from the front and a handle fixed
to pull them back and forward fixed on a wood frame.
The foregoing is a description of the nature of this Invention, which may
probably be varied in its practical details.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Steevens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
STEEVENS, of 6, Godolphin Road, Hammersmith, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Steevens, Her special licence that I, the said William Steevens,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said William
Steevens, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATING THE LAND BY STEAM
AND OTHER POWER," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Steevens, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Steevens, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in mechanism or apparatus
for ploughing and cultivating the land by steam and other power.
My improvements, firstly, consist in the construction of a strong carriage
made of wood or iron, supported on wheels to travel from one end of the field to
the other in a horizontal position, to which ploughs, cultivators, harrows, or
rollers, or any machinery for the cultivation of land can be attached, the whole
supported on a main shaft across the centre, from which the implements swing,
and rise and fall to the land as may be required, by the rotating of the
main shaft that is worked by rack and pinion or lever, and forced into the
earth at any depth required when in motion. The ploughs or implements are
not fixed to the upper carriage, but swing parallel without any tip or tipping
motion. The lower frame or under carriage is so constructed that by a very
simple arrangement ploughs, land rollers, harrows, cultivators, or broadshears,
or any other implement used for tilling the land, can be easily fixed to enable
the farmer or agriculturist to use this implement for general purposes by
steam or other power. I also propose to cultivate meadow or grass lands by
cutting a deep seam and lifting the top without turning over the grass turf, so
as to ventilate and allow the water and air to percolate through the earth
without damaging the upper surface. The implement I use for this purpose
has a projection at each side and a cutting part at the bottom that forms a

page_text: drain and lifts the land as they pass through; they are also fixed to the lower
frame or under carriage, and placed two feet apart or what width may bo
required. In the case of ploughing a strong or heavy clay lands, I propose to
place a box, cistern, or reservoir, that shall contain liquid manure, water, or
any other mixture, that a small quantity may continue to fall on the breast or
mould boards when at work, thereby causing them to pass through the land
with much less power or draught, also the manure will bo properly spread over
coil
drain and lifts the land as they pass through; they are also fixed to the lower
frame or under carriage, and placed two feet apart or what width may bo
required. In the case of ploughing a strong or heavy clay lands, I propose to
place a box, cistern, or reservoir, that shall contain liquid manure, water, or
any
other mixture, that a small quantity may continue to fall on the breast or
mould boards when at work, thereby causing them to pass through the land
with much less power or draught, also the manure will bo properly spread over
Lcoil.
Having described tho nature of my Invention that it may be properly
understood, and also how and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I
will now proceed to explain the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the implement I propose to work by steam
power for ploughing, cultivating, or otherwise tilling the land; Fig 2. a
section of the same; Fig. 3, a perspective or end view of one part of the
machine or implement when at work.
a, a, is a strong frame or carriage made of wrought iron, bolted firmly
together with strong wrought-iron stays in the centre; b, b, are the under
frames with five wrought-iron bars fixed together with bolts; they rise and
fall parallel with the upper frame a, a. On these frames b, b, are fixed the
ploughs, cultivators, harrows, broad shears, or any description of implement
that may be required for tilling the land. c, c, c, are the ploughs, which are
fixed to the lower frame b, b, and raised or lowered to and from the earth by
rack and pinion or lever by the ploughman; d, d, are strong iron stays that
carry the crank beams e, e, which supports the under frame b, b; f, f, are slides
or guides to regulate the depth, having holes through them for the purpose;
9 is the axle working from the centre, which supports the whole on two
wheels h, h; i, i, are two small wheels placed at each end of the frame a, a,
to keep the carriago horizontal and to regulate the depth of the ploughs, culti-
vators, or other description of implement; r, are strong centre brackets that S
support the main shaft p, on the which the implements revolve or rise and
fall; m, m, is a strong wrought-iron bos, having two projections or arms that
assist in raising and lowering the frame b, b, to which the implements are
attached; is an upright lever fixed on the main shaft with two connecting
rods o, o, at the top, and form a scale balance from one end of the implement S
to the other; n, n, is a rack and pinion that works the machine for raising and
lowering the under frames b, b; q is a seat for the ploughman to steer the
implement when at work; r are two iron stays with slots in the centre, upon

page_text: which the axle of the small wheels i are fastened; s are coulters placed in
front of the ploughs; t are the draught hooks; u is a centre transon plate for
the locking; v is the centre bolt or drop pin upon which the wheels h, h,
are made to steer by the lever handle; at w is a box or cistern that can be
placed on or off as may be required.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I wish here to state that I do not claim any of
the parts described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings, except when
combined as herein described and illustrated by the Drawings; what I claim
being the construction of such mechanism as is herein described and illus-
trated by the Drawings, or any colourable imitation or variation thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Steevens, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.