IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DIGGING, EXCAVATING, AND REMOVING EARTH
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for
Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR DIGGING, EXCAVATING, AND REMOVING EARTH."-A
communication.
Sealed the 29th September 1858, and dated the 15th July 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward
Newton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 15th July 1853.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
DIGGING, EXCAVATING, AND REMOVING EARTH," to be as follows:-
The machine or apparatus which forms the subject of the pre-
sent Invention is intended more particularly for digging or cutting
ditches or drains, and removing the earth therefrom, and consists
principally of a rotating wheel, to which a number of shovels are
attached. This wheel is mounted in a frame, and the hinder part

page_text: of the wheel is enclosed in a box or chamber. To the lower part of
this chamber a share and mould board are fixed. The share cuts away
or loosens the earth for a subsequent operation, when the rotating
shovels will raise the loose earth and throw it on to wing pieces
which are attached to the sides of the apparatus, and from which wings
it will fall into 'carts, whereby it may be removed to any convenient
place for deposit. The apparatus is to be drawn forward by horses,
and the onward progress thereof causes the wheel with the shovels
attached thereto to rotate, and scoop up the earth that has been
loosened by a previous operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said. William Edward Newton in. the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 14th January 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seventeenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence
that I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DIGGING, EXCAVATING,
OR REMOVING EARTH," being a communication from abroad, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly

page_text: 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 Edward Newton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thercon (that is to say):
The machine or apparatus which forms the subject of the present
Invention, although applicable for digging, excavating, and removing
earth for various purposes, is intended more particularly for digging or
cutting ditches or drains, and removing the earth therefrom. The
machine consists principally of a rotating wheel, to which a number of
shovels are attached. This wheel is mounted in a frame, and the
hinder part of the wheel is enclosed in a box or chamber. To
the lower part of this chamber, or to some convenient part of the
framework, a share and mould board are fixed, and as the machine
is propelled or drawn forward the share cuts away or loosens
the carth for a subsequent operation, when the rotating shovels
will raise the loose earth and throw it on to wing pieces which are
attached to the sides of the apparatus, and from which wings it
may be made to fall into carts, whereby it [may be removed to any
convenient place for deposit. The apparatus is to be drawn forward
by horses, and the onward progress thereof causes the wheel with
the shovels attached thereto to rotate, and scoop up the earth that has
been loosened by a previous operation.
In order, however, that the construction and operation of the
machine may be properly understood I have shewn in the accom-
panying Drawing various views of a machine intended for digging or
cutting ditches or drains for agricultural or other purposes. Fig. 1, is
a plan view of the machine complete. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal vertical
section; and Fig. 3, is an end elevation of the same. a, a, is the main
The digging
framing, which is mounted on running wheels b, b.

page_text: cylinder c, c, is mounted in suitable bearings attached to the main
framing, and is provided with scoops or shovels d, d, which are affixed
to its periphery, as shewn best in the sectional view, Fig. 2. The
hinder part of the drum or cylinder c, c, with its scoops or shovels d, d,
is enclosed in a close casc e, e, the lower edges of which are made sharp
so that they may cut or dig into the ground, and gather up the earth
or soil as the machine advances. A ploughshare f, or other similar
cutting tool is attached to the hinder or other convenient part of the
framing, or to the back part of the close casing e, e, as shewn in the
Figures; its use being to cut away or loosen the earth or soil for a
subsequent operation as the machine advances. It will now be seen
that in order to form a ditch or drain it will only be necessary to draw
the machine forward, and the scoops or shovels d, d, and the casing e, e,
will gather up the loose earth, while the share f, following immediately
after, will loosen the earth for a second operation, and these operations
may be repeated until the required depth is obtained. A coulter may,
if required, be fixed in front of the digging wheel, as at g, Fig. 2, for
the purpose of assisting in breaking up tlie soil or earth. That part of
the frame to which the drum c, and casing e, are attached is made
moveable on a hinge h, behind, so that they may be adjusted to any
height by means of the rack i, i. As the machine is drawn or pushed
forward the scoops or shovels will of course stick into the ground,
and thereby cause the drum c, to rotate, and carry up with it all the
loose earth, which, when the shovels leave the upper part of the
casing e, will be deposited on the inclined side wings j, j, from
whence it will fall into a cart, barrow, or other receptacle, or on to the
ground alongside the ditch or drain. An axle or shaft k, armed with
spikes or teeth, is mounted at the upper part of the framing, for the
purpose of assisting to clear the scoops or shovels d, from any dirt or
earth that might adhere to them. For some purposes it has been
found advisable to adapt two digging wheels, side by side, to work
in one case; and for deep ditches or drains it will not be necessary to
have the running wheels b, b, which may therefore be dispensed with
occasionally; it will, however, be generally found convenient to use them
for shallow ditches.

page_text: Having now described the Invention that has been communicated
to me as aforesaid, and the best means with which I am acquainted
for carrying the same into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I
do not claim exclusively the use of a rotating pick or digger, imple-
ments of a similar kind having been heretofore employed for similar
purposes; but that which I consider to be new in the above-described
Invention, and therefore wish to claim as the Invention secured to me
by Letters Patent as aforesaid, is, the use of a rotating drum or wheel
armed or provided with scoops or shovels, in combination with a close
case or chamber, in which the scoops or shovels are made to rotate, so
that the loose earth or soil, when collected or gathered by the lower
end of the case, may be carried up to the upper part of the close case,
from whence it is thrown out, either on to inclined side wings as shewn,
or otherwise.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-four.
0 Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)