IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ISAAC WILDERSPIN of Elsworth, St. Ives in the county of Cambridge,
Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a combination harrow which may be used both for
arable and grass land and also for breaking the clods preparatory to planting land
harrowing stubbles &c and is also much stronger than ordinary harrows and easier
to repair. The harrow is made in rectangular sections, each independent of the
other, the sections being connected together in rear by coupling links and attached
to the same swing-tree in front, so as to be readily connected and disconnected.
Each section of the harrow is composed of a rigid metal frame formed of a series
of parallel longitudinal beams or bars held apart by stay rods at either end of the
bars and at intermediate points thereof. These parallel bars carry the teeth or
tines which are provided with shoulders on the rear side to embrace the frame
between them, and thus prevent any possible loosening of the tines in use. The
tines are secured to the frame by bolts and nuts, and in some cases, (according to
the position of the tines) the end of the stay rod may pass through both the frame
and tine and the whole be secured together by a nut screwing on said end. The
root ends of the tines are made to project beyond the level of the frame so as to
form short tines or teeth which may be used for harrowing grass or plant land by
simply reversing the harrow, so as to bring the short tines undermost, the long
tines or teeth in this case being out of action and projecting above the level of the
frame.
In order to allow the harrow to work on high ridged land, the end stay rods
connecting the intermediate bars of each section are jointed to the ends of the
middle bar, so that each half section may move on it as a centre, and thus enable
the harrow to adapt itself to the conformation of the land.
The harrow can be at once rendered rigid by passing a screw locking bolt down
through each of the joints on the ends of the section. The locking belts would
be removed when the harrow is to be used for grass land.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
1 ISAAC WILDERSPIN, of Elsworth, St Ives in the County of Cambridge
Implement maker, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN HARROWS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
My Invention relates to a reversible or combination harrow suitable both for
arable land and for grass land and plant land (i: e: for breaking the clods pre-
paratory to planting) also for separating the long manure and for harrowing
stubbles after harvest. This improved construction of harrow is both stronger and
easier to repair than common harrows.
The teeth or tines are double pointed and project both from the top and bottom
sides of the harrow so that either side may be used as required.
Each section of the harrow is of the ordinary zigzag form and is composed of
two half sections jointed together by joints provided with locking bolts whereby
the harrow may either be made flexible or rigid as desired. Each section or part
section is constructed of parallel cross bars connected by tie bolts and distance
pieces, the tines being notched to embrace the crossbars and secured thereto by the
same tie bolta.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood, I have illustrated
it in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2
a plan of one section of the harrow as used for arable land; Figure 3 is a part
side elevation of the harrow reversed as for grass land; Figure 4 shows details of
the mode of fixing the tines, and figure 5 details of the hinge joint.
The sections of the harrow, three in number, are yoked to a long master
swingtree and are loosely coupled together at rear, all as usual.
с
Each half section is constructed of cross bars a connected by straight and
inclined tie bolts 6 passing through distance tubes c and secured by nuts d and the
two half sections are connected together by stays e rigidly fixed to the rear cross
bar of the first half section and terminating in eyes which take hold of the pro-
jecting ends of the front cross bar of the rear half section. The two part sections
are thus hinge jointed together but are made rigid when used for arable land as in
Figures 1 and 2 by locking keys or pins g inserted in the joints as in Figure 5 and
secured by nuts.
Each section is provided with draw hooks h h at both ends, so that the machine
can be drawn backwards when it is not required for the tines to penetrate so
deeply into the ground, owing to their form, as when the machine is drawn
forwards. In this manner a difference of one horse in draught is obtained.
The tines are of the form shown in Figure 4 and are notched or shouldered to
embrace the cross bars a to which they are bolted.
The tines project unequal distances from the opposite sides of the frame the
long points being used for arable land and the short points for grass land as in
Figure 3, the harrow being made flexible by withdrawing the pins g to enable
it to adapt itself to the conformation of the land.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st A reversible harrow having double pointed tines projecting unequal
distances above and below the frame substantially as herein described and shown
for the purpose specified.
2. A reversible harrow constructed as specified in claim 1 and in which, each
section is composed of two parts connected together by joints provided with
locking keys or pins whereby the section may either be made rigid or flexible as
required.