In- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATING LAND
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Speir, of Blackstone, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Spoir at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th December 1868.
I, THOMAS SPEIR, of Blackstone, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "In-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATING LAND,"
to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for
cultivating land, and consists in placing one or more pairs of plough-
shares, mould boards, and bodies upon a series of transverse shafts carried
upon an oblong frame. The ploughshares, mould boards, and bodies
are fixed on opposite sides of the shafts, an equal number being placed
on each side so as to cut an equal number of furrows in advancing or

page_text: returning across a field. On each of the transverse shafts a pitch wheel
is fitted and actuated by a pitch chain from the central transverse shaft
which may be fitted with a double pitch wheel so as to actuate the
transverse shafts which are situated on each side of it by separate chains,
or an endless chain may be used for that purpose. By means of a hand
wheel the shafts are turned on arriving at each side of the field being
cultivated so as to bring the proper set of ploughs into position according
to the direction in which the apparatus is to travel. The apparatus is
provided with racks at each end for the purpose of raising and lowering
the frame to admit of the transverse shafts being turned and also to
regulate the depth of furrow. The transverse shafts are kept in position
while ploughing by micans of a catch, lock, or clutch fitted on the end
of each shaft, which abuts against a fixed clutch or stop fitted on the side
of the oblong frame herein-before referred to. The apparatus is supported
on wheels and provided with suitable steering gear for guiding it. The
plough bodies are fitted on the transverse shafts in such a manner that
they may be removed and replaced by cultivating tincs or double
breasted drill plough bodies, or these may be mounted on a separate
frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Speir in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 8th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SPEIR, of Blackstone, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Speir, Her special
license that I, the said Thomas Speir, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Speir, my executors,
administrators, or 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, usc, excrcise, and

page_text: 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 PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATING LAND," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Speir, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE,. that I,. the said Thomas Speir, 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 relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus
for cultivating land, and consists in placing one or more pairs of
ploughshares, mould boards, and bodies upon a series of transverse shafts
carried upon an oblong frame. The ploughshares, mould boards, and
bodies are fixed on opposite sides of the shafts, an equal number being
placed on each side so as to cut an equal number of furrows in
advancing or returning across a field. On cach of the transverse shafts.
a pitch or chain wheel is fitted actuated by a pitch chain. or an ordinary
chain from the central transverse shaft which may be fitted with a
double pitch. or chain wheel so as to actuate the transverse shafts which
are situated on each side of it by separate chains or an endless chain
may be used for that purpose. By means of a hand wheel. the shafts.
are turned on arriving, at each side of the field. being cultivated so as
to bring the proper set of ploughs into position according to the
direction in which the apparatus is to travel. The apparatus is provided
with racks at each end for the purpose of raising and lowering the
frame to admit of the transverse shafts being turned, and also to
regulate the depth of furrow. The transverse shafts are kept in position.
while ploughing by means of a catch, lock, or clutch fitted on the end
of each shaft which abuts against a fixed clutch or stop fitted on the
side of the oblong frame herein-before referred to. The apparatus is
supported on wheels, and provided with suitable steering gear for
guiding it. The plough bodies are fitted on the transverse shafts in
such a manner that they may be removed or replaced by cultivating

page_text: tines or double-breasted drill plough bodies, or these may be mounted
on a separate frame.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to specify the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used, or practically carried into
effect, reference being had, for the sake of more complete elucidation,
to the several Figures upon the two explanatory Sheets of Drawings
which I have hereunto appended, that is to say :-
On Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2, a plan, and
Figure 3 an end elevation of a three-furrow plough, constructed in
accordance with my said Invention.
The framing A is rectangular, and at each end brackets B arc
attached to it by means of which the plough framing and parts held.
therein are carried on the wheels C. The wheels C are carried on an
arm at the lower end of the vertical shafts D, these pass up through the
hollow racks E. The upper ends of the brackets or arms B are
constructed so as to embrace or surround the racks E, and in them the
pinion shaft F, more particularly scen in plan at Figure 2, is also carried.
Toothed pinions not seen in the Drawings gear into the teeth of the
racks E, these being actuated by the handles G rotating the pinion a
which gears into a toothed wheel b on the pinion shaft F. From this
arrangement of gearing now last specified it is obvious that by turning
the handles G in one of two directions the plough frame and parts
attached to it are either raised from the ground to any required height
or may be lowered thereto for ploughing to any required depth. At
either end of the plough frame a bracket H with an adjustable shackle I
coupled to it is situated; by means of this shackle the plough is
connected to the hauling rope or chain. On to the plough frame A
bearings K for carrying the cross shafts L are fixed. On these shafts L
the plough bodies S are carried as well as the chain wheels N. The
centre shaft L also carries a worm wheel O into which the tangent
screw P engages. The tangent screw being turned by the hand
wheel Q; on the same shaft R also rotates the worm wheel O, and
together with it the shaft K, on which it is fixed. As the shaft K is
thus rotated the lower plough body S is clevated, and the upper plough
body S' is depressed; and the other shafts K being coupled to the centre
ones by the chains and links T it is obvious that they also have imparted
to them motions similar to those which the centre shaft receives.

page_text: The plough, as shown in the side elevation, Figure 1, has the plough.
bodies S set for ploughing in the direction of the arrows shown above:
the Figure, and when the extremity of the ground being ploughed is
reached the attendant who sits on the seat U reverses the plough.
bodies by turning the hand wheel Q which brings the set of bodies which
were previously uppermost into position for ploughing in the opposite
direction. The coulters V for the leading or front plough bodies arc
carried upon the arms W attached to the framing A, and the coulters X.
for the centre and after plough bodies are carried upon the leading and
centre cross shafts K. When the worm wheel and tangent screw O and
P respectively are employed the catch locks or clutches on the end of
each shaft herein-before mentioned may be dispensed with, as the screw
and worm wheel are sufficient to maintain the plough bodies firmly in
position.
For the purpose of steering the plough one of the upright shafts D
at each end of the plough which carry the supporting wheels C is
mounted at its upper extremity with a horizontal lever c, this being
The
again coupled by a rod d to the shorter arm of the hand lever c.
lever e has also formed at right angles to it a shorter lever f which is
coupled by the cross bar or link g to another lever on the upper end
of the upright shaft D; thus it is obvious that as the attendant
moves the hand lever so the wheels O are regulated according to the
position in which it is desired the plough should travel; and in place of
having the steering gears at each end of the plough frame independent
and separate from each other the two sets of gear may be connected by
joining the rods d at the centre.
On Sheet 2 of the Drawings a framing and arrangement of cross shafts
similar to what are herein-before described in reference to Sheet 1 is
shown, but in this case in place of the plough bodies being fixed to the
cross shafts, they are dispensed with.
Figure 1, Sheet 2, of the Drawings is a side clevation of the culti-
vating apparatus now last referred to; Figure 2 is a plan of the same;
and Figure 3 an end elevation thereof. The framing, the means for
elevating or lowering the apparatus, the steering gear, as well as the
mechanism for rotating the three shafts L are all similar to what is
herein-before described in reference to the Figures on Sheet 1 of the
Drawings, and therefore need not be repeated, but for the sake of

page_text: facilitating the understanding thereof similar letters of reference arc
affixed to corresponding parts in both Sheets of Drawings.
The cultivating apparatus as shown constitutes a double-breasted drill
plough, and the parts are in the position required for traversing in the
direction of the arrows shown above, Figure 1. On the leading cross
shafts L the cultivating tine is carried, and on the centre cross
shaft L the drill plough bodies i are carried, whilst on the after cross
shaft L is fixed the cultivating tine k, which is lowered, together with
the other plough body correspondingly with the elevation of the tine
and plough body shown in action on the Drawings, when the
apparatus is required to travel in the opposite direction. In place of
using two sets of tines and plough bodies any other number of sets may
be used.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used
or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that
what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting
the apparatus or mechanism for cultivating or ploughing land, as herein-
before described and shown upon the two accompanying Sheets of
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The carrying of plough bodies upon cross shafts arranged in
a frame, and by turning which the set of plough bodies required for
for operating in either direction are brought into action, substantially
as hercin-before set forth and illustrated on the annexed Sheets of
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Speir, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine