IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DIGGING, REAPING, AND MOWING."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Parker, of Springfield, in the County of Essex,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DIGGING, REAPING,
AND MOWING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Parker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th February 1881.
JAMES PARKER, of Springfield, in the County of Essex.
MACHINERY FOR DIGGING, REAPING, AND MOWING."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention consists of improvements in machines for digging, reaping, and
mowing, and these operations can both be carried on at the same time or separately
as may be considered desirable.
My improvements in digging implements consist in making them more simple by
using an ordinary portable engine as the motor, and said improvements consist of
a wrought iron frame mounted on wheels. At the end of this frame I mount my
digging tools, the other end being used for steering the implement, and said frame
also has the reaping and mowing movement fixed thereon. When the two
operations of reaping and digging are performed at once the digging frame consists
of one or more forks mounted on revolving frames or wheels; the fork consists of
a metal bar or beam having tines mounted or fixed thereon. This fork head or
row of tines is made to considerably extend beyond or overlap the width of the
machines as measured across the wheels. On one end of this fork head or beam I
mount a short arm or crank, which crank moves in a cam shaped slot formed in
such a manner as to make the tines enter the ground vertically or nearly so, and
when the requisite depth is reached for digging to rapidly resume its circular
movement and cause the earth to be turned over. In addition to this fork I mount
a row of tines across the implement in such a position that as the earth is lifted
by the first row they catch the spit and turn it completely over, besides breaking
it into pieces. I drive the revolving frames which carry my forkhead or beam by
eccentric wheels so arranged that the movement is very slow while entering the
ground, and consequently more powerful and very rapid while turning out of the
ground; and, further, the frames are mounted in blocks at each end which slide in

page_text: slots to enable me to alter the depth of digging at will, but I do not claim this as
part of my Invention.
The whole of the digging or wider part of my implement I attach by hinges in
such a way that the whole of it can be lifted clear of the ground, sufficiently high
to go over gate posts, &c., and thus a machine of 12 feet can go through a
7'6" gate way.
I further arrange gear in such a way that while the engine always works or
turns in one direction the implement can be made to travel in either, and the large
wheels are connected with the driving gear by pins or clutches, which clutches are
worked from the steering end of the machine by levers; and, further, on the front
or steering wheel I mount an angle iron ring, which is only used in the field, so as
to ensure the machine following when both the hinder wheels are in gear.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Parker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th August
1881.
JAMES PARKER, of Springfield, in the County of Essex.
MACHINERY FOR DIGGING, REAPING, AND MOWING."
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
My Invention consists of improvements in machines for digging, reaping, and
mowing, and these operations can both be carried on at the same time or
separately, as may be considered advisable.
My improvements in digging implements consist in making them more simple
and effective, and are especially designed for digging unequal surfaces, and in using
an ordinary portable engine as the motor. Said improvements consist of a wrought
iron frame mounted on wheels. At one end of this frame I mount my digging
tools, the other end being used for steering the implement, and said frame also has
the reaping and mowing movement fixed thereon when required.
In describing my digging arrangements I have for convenience divided them
into two methods; the first I call the unequal or uneven ground digger, the second,
my arrangement for digging flat land or where it is not put on the stetch.
The first arrangement consists of a series of forks, preferably three in number,.
driven in the ordinary way by cranks or eccentrics, and my improvement consists
in making each forkhead and its driving crank or eccentric separate from the
other; they are supported or held in their position by rollers or small wheels in
such a manner that as each of these said rollers or wheels travel over the ground
the inequalities thereof raise or allow said rollers to fall, and by so doing the forks
are made to enter the ground always to the same depth however unlevel it may be.
For the further describing my Invention Drawings are annexed. Fig. 6 shows a
side view, A being the forkhead with tines attached; b, the crank or eccentric.
The long end of the forkhead A is connected by a link C to a short arm or lever D.
The position of this lever alters the depth of the digging, and is connected by
rods E to the axles of the rollers or small wheels F. The rods E as they pass the
radius arm H which hold the driving gear in position are connected thereto if
preferred by a slot bolt h¹. These radius arms H are free to turn on the centre of the
gear wheels J by which motion is transmitted to the travelling wheels as shewn.
The lower or crank end of the forkhead A is connected to the bar or tine carrier
by a hinge so that when the machine moves the reverse way the tines can of
themselves rise into position as shewn by dotted lines. The rollers F are held in
position by radius rods K, and as I use several forks they can each be worked
separately.
My second method consists in mounting one or more forks in revolving frames
or wheels. The forkhead consists of a metal bar or beam having tines mounted or
fixed thereon. This forkhead or row of tines is made to considerably extend
beyond or overlap the width of the machine as measured across the wheels; the
same applies to the previous method. On one end of this forkhead or beam I
mount a short arm or crank, which crank moves in a cam shaped slot formed in
such a manner so as to make the tines enter the ground vertically or nearly so, and
when the required depth is reached for digging to rapidly resume their circular
movement, and thus cause the spit of earth to be turned over. In addition to this
row of revolving tines I can mount another row over the same to give an additional
tip or blow to the earth while in the act of being turned up by the former, so as to
break or pulverize it at the same time, but this is not necessarily used always.
The short arın or crank, as before mentioned, is attached to the forkhead or beam
holding the tines in such a manner so that the tines are at liberty to make a

page_text: quarter turn without moving the crank, so that in the act of going backwards the
tines are not forced into the ground at all, or I may employ hinges the same as in
my previous arrangement. The revolving drum I preferably drive with eccentric
gearing so that the movement is slow when the tines are entering the ground, and
more rapid when in the act of turning it over.
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 illustrate this method, Fig. 1 being a plan; Fig. 2, side
elevation; Fig. 3, back end view; Fig. 4, enlarged details of tines and driving
gear. In all these Figures like letters represent like parts. A. is the locomotive
frame; B, the combination of said frame for holding diggers; C, hinged lifting
rod; E, forkhead in which the tines e are mounted; F, crank on end of forkhead E;
G, spindle; H is the gear frame; I, toothed wheel driving by gearing J by which
motion is transmitted to the wheels M by gear K and L; N, is a steering wheel,
one or more of which may be used; O is an arrangement for steering the wheel N ;
P is a clutch for putting L in or out of gear with road wheels M. The front
steering wheels have an angle iron strip mounted on them when digging in the field
to cause the machine to follow when both of the hinder or drawing wheels are in
gear. The whole of the digging or hind part of my machine I attach by hinges in
such a way that the whole of it can be lifted clear of the ground sufficiently high
to go over gate posts, &c., and thus a machine 12 feet wide can go through a 7'6"
gateway.
I further arrange gear in such a way that while the engine works or turns in
one direction the implement can be made to travel in either.
Now what I claim is,-
1st. The combination of an ordinary portable engine with a digging implement,
substantially as described.
2nd. The arrangement of gear allowing the combined machine to go either way,
the engine always turning in one direction.
3rd. The arrangement of digging tools when driven by cranks or eccentrics with
supporting rollers to follow the inequalities of the ground.
4th. The hinged forkheads for facilitating the backward movement of the
implement.
5th. The driving of the forkheads by eccentric gear.
6th. The arrangement for hinging and lifting the digging tools.
7th. The moveable rim of angle iron on the steering wheels of diggers,
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Parker, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourth day of August, A.D. 1881.
ביגוד
DIAKAN