IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SOWING GRAIN OR SEED
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SOWING GRAIN OR
SEED," a communication to me from abroad by George Woolnough and Friedrich
Debne, both residing at Halberstadt, Prussia, German Empire, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to sowing-machines provided with scoop-wheels or other
like means for conveying the grains from the grain-box into a series of funnels,
and its object is to keep the said funnels in the same position relatively to the
plumb-line, whichsoever may be the variations in the angular position of the
grain-box due to the varying inclination of the ground on which the machine is
working.
For this purpose the funnels are all secured to a frame adapted to oscillate about
an axis coinciding with the axis of the shaft carrying the scoop-wheels. This
frame is so connected to a pendulum pivoted to the grain-box about at a level with
the axis of oscillation of the said frame that the pendulum, always tending to
maintain its vertical position independently of the angular displacement of its
fulcrum, will keep the frame with the funnels in their normal position. If preferred
the pendulum may be formed on the frame itself by an arm extending from the
same downward and carrying a suitable bob.
For preventing undue oscillations of the pendulum the following arrangement may
be adopted. The bob of the pendulum is made with a circular cavity whose axis is
parallel to the axis of oscillation. Through the centre of this cavity is passed an
axle, having outside of the bob an arm, extending upward and pivoted at a point
below the centre of the pendulum, to a short link connected to the grain-box,
while inside of the bob the said axle is provided with a flat arm extending nearly
to the periphery of the cavity. Into the latter is put a quantity of small balls,
shot, or other like bodies. When under these conditions the grain-box changes its
angular position, the position of the said inside arın relatively to the pendulum-bob
will also be changed; but while this change takes place, the frictional resistance of

page_text: the said bodies on the inner surface of the cavity of the bob has to be overcome,
in consequence whereof the oscillations of the pendulum will be rendered less
rapid, and undue oscillations checked. The said inside arm may be made to
terminate in two branches adapted to hold the balls between them. Moreover, the
outside arm may be otherwise connected to the grain-box in such a manner that
the inside arm will be displaced within the bob, when the grain-box alters its
position in respect to the pendulum. Other means may, however, be employed for
checking the oscillations of the bob.
Another method of keeping the frame with the funnels in vertical position is, to
combine therewith some kind of adjusting gear that may be manipulated by hand,
as for instance a toothed' sector attached to the frame and a worm gearing with
the sector and having on its axle outside of the grain-box a handle for turning
the same.
חנות
....
1007

page_text: of seed.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, 45 Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, as communicated to me from abroad by George Woolnough and
Friedrich Deline, both residing at Halberstadt, Prussia, German Empire, to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to machines for sowing grain or seed which are provided
with scoop-wheels or other like means for conveying the grain from the grain-box
into a series of funnels, and its object is to keep the said funnels in the same
position relatively to the plumb-line, whichsoever may be the angular variations in
the position of the grain-box arising from the varying inclination of the ground on
which the machine travels.
Whenever sowing-machines work on uneven ground, the quantity of seed thrown
out is apt to vary according as the machine travels up or down hill, or on a level
surface. In order to obviate this deficiency various devices have already been
contrived. Thus for instance the grain-box has been mounted on pivots and
provided with mechanism for adjusting it to horizontal position by hand, or with
a weight for keeping it automatically in such position. But these and other known
means employed for the same purpose are either not adapted to produce a quick.
adjustment, or they present other inconveniences in practice.
A portion of a sowing machine to which the present invention is applied, is
shown on the annexed sheet of drawings by Fig. 1 in longitudinal sectional view
and by Fig. 2 in transverse section. Figs. 3 and 5 represent modified arrangements.
Fig. 4 is a part in detail.
In these figures a are the funnels which receive the grain from the scoop-wheels.
According to Figs. 1 and 2 the said funnels are secured by bows b to a bar c
extending lengthwise through the grain-box, and forming together with bars, such
as e, a frame, adapted to oscillate about an axis coinciding with the axis of the
shaft & carrying the scoop-wheels u. As is shown by the drawing, the said
frame, ce, is centred on bosses v fixed to the grain-box so as to be concentric with
the shaft d. Outside of the grain-box a pendulum, consisting of the bob fand
bar h, is suspended to the box at a point q, being about at a level with the axis of
oscillation of the frame ce, and the pendulum is connected to the said frame by
means of a bar g, jointed with one end to the bar h and with the other to a bar et.
fixed to the bar c, and which is preferably also centered on a boss v, alike to the
bars e.
On account of this connection, the pendulum, always tending to hang vertical,
will keep the frame ce and the funnels a in their normal position, whichsoever may
be the variations in the angular position of the grain-box occurring when the
machine travels on inclined ground. In order to allow the bar c to oscillate
relatively to the grain-box, any partition-walls of the latter, such as the wall i, are
provided with a circular slit k for the bar to move in.
In view of preventing undue oscillations of the pendulum and the grain-funnels,
when the box alters its position, or in case it is exposed to shocks, the following
arrangement has been adopted. The bob f is made with a circular cavity whose
axis is parallel to the axis of oscillation of the pendulum. Through the centre of
this cavity is passed an axle m having outside of the bob an arm l, extending

page_text: upward and pivoted at a point s, being below the centre q of the pendulum, to a
link n, jointed to the grain-box. Inside of the bob the axle m is provided with a
flat arm or wing », extending nearly to the periphery of the cavity, and into the
latter is put a quantity of small balls, shot, or other bodies adapted to cause a
certain frictional resistance against the motion of the arm r within the bob f.
When, under these conditions, the grain-box is tilted, the position of the arm or
wing relatively to the pendulum-bob will be changed, because the rod 7 being
shorter than the pendulum, moves by a greater angle than the latter. But, while
this relative motion takes place, the frictional resistance of the said bodies on the
inner surface of the cavity of the bob has to be overcome, in consequence whereof
the oscillations of the pendulum will be rendered less rapid, and undue oscillations
will be checked. The arm or wing r may be made to terminate in two branches
adapted to hold the balls or other bodies between them, as shown by Fig. 2 in
dotted lines. Moreover, the arm 7 may be connected to the grain-box by a link
being above the point q, or the connection is made otherwise so that the. arm or
wing will be displaced within the bob when the grain-box alters its position in
respect to the pendulum. Different means may, however, also be employed for
checking the oscillations of the pendulum.
Fig. 3 shows a modification of the described arrangement in which the bob fis
fixed to the arm c¹ of the frame ce, the said arm being suitably lengthend for
this purpose. The undue oscillations of the pendulum and the grain-funnels may,
in this case, be prevented in like manner as described in respect to the first arrange-
ment. In the modified dispotion the grain-funnels are shown as being fastened
to the bar c differently from Figs. 1 and 2, by a screw-bolt t; (see also Fig. 4).
Another mode of keeping the frame ce with the funnels a in normal position is,
to combine therewith some kind of adjusting gear that may be manipulated by
hand. Thus in Fig. 5 is shown for this purpose a toothed sector p attached to the
bar c of the said frane, a worm o gearing with the sector p and having on its axle,
outside of the grain-box a handle for turning the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
correspondents, I declare that what I claim is
1. In machines for sowing grain or seed, the attachment of the grain-funnels a
to a frame c e adapted to turn about the axis of the shaft & carrying the scoop-
wheels, and means for adjusting the said frame in rotative sense relatively to the
grain-box, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The combination with the frame ce carrying the grain-funnels a and adapted.
to turn about the axis of the shaft d, of a pendulum so connected or attached to
the frame ce that the oscillations of the pendulum will be conveyed to the said
frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. The combination with the oscillatory frame c e carrying the funnels a, of a
pendulum connected or attached to the frame c e, substantially as described, and
having a hollow bob f with axle m, provided inside of the bob with the arm or
wing r, and outside thereof with the arm , connected to the grain-box, and balls
or other bodies adapted to produce a certain amount of frictional resistance and
contained in the hollow bob f. substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
set forth.