IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE HOES AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND DRESSING TURNIPS, TO PRESERVE THEM FROM INSECTS AND TO PROMOTE THEIR GROWTH
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HUCKVALE, of Over Norton, in the County of Oxford, Farmer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present Most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twentieth day of September, in the fifth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Huckvale, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Thomas Huckvale, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Thomas Huckvale, my exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE HOES AND
APPARATUS FOR TREATING AND DRESSING TURNIPS, TO PRESERVE THEM FROM INSECTS
AND TO PROMOTE THEIR GROWTH;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that. I, the said Thomas Huckvale, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being, thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Huckvale, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked 5
α, a,
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a side view, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a front
view, partly in section, of a horse hoe, constructed according to part of my
improvements, such horse hoe being suitably arranged for hoeing at the
sides and at the top of the ridges, and by means of a rotatory frame of holes
is also capable of thinning the rows of turnips at measured intervals apart.
, is the framing, the nature of which is clearly shewn in the Drawings;
b, b, are the wheels, which are affixed to the square ends of the axis c
by means of screws d, the axis c turning in suitable bearings e, e, affixed
to the framing a. And in order to accommodate the wheels to the width of the
ridges, the wheels are capable of sliding on their axis c, so as to be set
nearer to or further from each other; f. f, is the draught chain to which the
horse is attached, but in such manner that the horse may walk in the furrow.
On the axis c is affixed the bevilled cog wheel g, which takes into and drives
the pinion h, which is affixed to the shaft or axis i, which turns in bearings
jj, affixed to the framing a of the machine, as is shewn. On the axis or
shaft i is affixed the rotatory frame k, on to which are affixed the four arms
1, 1, each having a cutter or hoe m formed thereon. Hence, as the frame k
revolves, the cutters m will pass across the ridge and remove a portion thereof,
together with the turnips growing thereon, and the space between each
cut of the cutters m will depend on the speed at which the cutters m revolve
in respect to the onward progress of the wheels, and the space may be en-
creased or diminished by varying the relative speeds of the axes c and i, and
by removing two of the cutters m; without changing the relative speed of
the axes c and i, the space between each cut on a ridge may be doubled. n, n,
are two hoes, which hoe the land on the upper surface of a ridge on either
side of a row of turnips, such hoes being capable of being set nearer to or
further from each other by means of the sliding sockets n which, sliding on
the part of the framing a to which they are applied, may be fixed by means
of the set screws n³, n³; and in order to hoe the side of the ridges, the hoes
0, 0, are applied, which are also capable of being set nearer to or further from
each other by means of their sliding sockets o¹, o, and be securely affixed

page_text: by means of set screws of in the position desired. p, p, are handles to guide
and to lift the hoes. Figure 4 shews a side view, Figure 5 a plan, and
Figure 6 a back view, partly in section, of another arrangement of horse
hoe for thinning turnips, and differs from the previous one inasmuch as the
using oscillating hoes in place of rotatory cutters. In this arrangement of
machinery I have not thought it necessary to shew the hoes n, n. For hoeing
the upper surface of the ridges on either side of the rows of turnips, they
will be applied, when desired, in the same manner as is shewn and described
in respect to the previous Figures, and such is the case in respect to the hoes
o, o, for the sides of the ridges. In these Figures, and the previous ones,
a, a, represent the frame, b, b, the wheels, and c the axis on which the wheels
are attached. In this case the machine is suitably arranged for hoeing
two ridges at the same time; a machine may be made for hoeing only one
ridge at a time. is a bevilled cog wheel affixed on the axis c, which takes
into and drives the cog wheel h, affixed on the axis or shaft i, which turns
in bearings j, j. The shaft or axis i has two cranks formed thereon, to which
two connecting rods are attached, the other ends of the connecting rods
being attached by pin joints to the swinging frames 1, 1, which move on
axes at P, F, as is shewn, the lower bars of the swinging frames carrying
hoes or cutters m, m; and it will be seen that the positions of the axes of the
swinging frames can be varied by placing them in the different holes formed
in the framing for that purpose, and the positions of the pin joints of the
.connecting rods can also be varied. By this means the cutters or hoes m, n,
may be varied to accommodate them to the positions of the ridges; and it will
readily be seen that, as the wheels revolve, an oscillating motion will be
communicated to the cutters or hoes m, which in swinging to and fro cuts
away parts of the ridge with each cutter or hoe, together with the turnips
growing thereon, and thus thin the rows at regulated intervals apart, which
may be varied by changing the relative speeds of the axes c and i.
I will now describe the third part, which has for its object the mode of
arranging hoes for thinning turnips, such hoes or cutters being applied to a
revolving frame, the axis of which in this case is vertical. Figure 7 shews a
side view, Figure 8 a plan, and Figure 9 a back view of a horse hoe,
constructed according to this part of my Invention. In these Figures the
same letters are used for indicating those parts which are similar to those
before described, and in fact this machine differs only inasmuch as having the
rotatory cutters to act horizontally, by which the horse may walk between two
rows or ridges, and the cutters or hoes cut away portions at intervals of two
ridges, together with the turnips growing thereon. In this machine the axis

page_text: or shaft i gives motion to a vertical axis a by means of the bevilled cog wheels
x', the axis x turning in suitable bearings as is shewn, and the arrangement of
the framing is also clearly shewn. On the axis a is affixed the frame and
-arms, which carry the cutters or holes m; hence as the carriage moves
rotatory motion will be given to the frame I, and thus will the holes cut away
portions of the ridges at intervals apart, and thus thin the rows of turnips; and
the intervals apart will as before depend on the relative speed of the rotatory
cutters, and the wheels b, b, as above explained. I have not thought it
necessary to shew the hoes for hoeing the tops and sides of the ridges; they
will be applied and fixed in a similar manner to what was explained in respect
to Figures 1, 2, and 3. I would, however, remark, that it is not necessary to
my Invention that such other hoes should be applied to either of the three
horse hoes above described; but I prefer that those parts should be capable
of being applied or omitted according to the desire of the parties using a
horse hoe.
I will now describe that part of my Invention which relates to improvement's
in apparatus for treating and dressing turnips, to preserve them from insects,
and to promote their growth; and I would here state, that this part of my
Invention has for its object so to arrange apparatus that suitable liquids for
preserving the young turnip plants from the attacks of insects, more particularly
those commonly known by the name of turnip flies, may be projected in jets
against the leaves of turnips growing in rows. Fig. 10 shows a longitudinal
section, Fig. 11 a plan, and Fig. 12 aj back end elevation, partly in section,
of this machine, which consists of a cask or other shaped vessel A, mounted on
a suitable carriage or frame B, having two wheels C affixed by set screws on
the axis D. On the axis D is affixed the pulley E, which, by means of an
endless strap or chain, drives the pulley F, affixed when desired on the axis G
by a clutch box, as is shewn, such axis G moving in bearings carried by the
framing H, as is shewn. I is a wheel affixed on the axis G, such wheel
having recesses formed into its periphery, which, becoming full of the liquid
used, project it with force against the plants on the ridges. J is a trough
into which the liquid flows from the cask or other vessel by means of the pipe
K, there being a stopcock to stop or regulate the flow of liquid into the trough
L being a shield which encloses some part of the wheel I, and thus is the
liquid prevented flying off till the recesses pass beyond the shield. Or, in place
of using the revolving wheel I, a rose-head may be affixed to the pipe M, in
such manner as to project the liquid in small jets against the plants on the
ridges; or the pipe M might be fixed into the cask or vessel containing the
liquid, and thus dispense with the trough and the wheel I. The liquid used

page_text: may be lime and water, or in fact any liquid which is known to be destructive
to insects, or such liquids which, being on the leaves of plants, will prevent
insects eating them, yet without being injurious to the turnip plants. N is a
lever handle for moving the clutch box to stop the rotation of the wheel I
when desired. I would remark that many variations may be made in this
machine without departing from this part of the Invention, which consists in
combining suitable parts or apparatus into a machine to move on wheels, to
carry liquids, and to cause such liquids to be delivered in small jets against the
growing plants of turnips planted in rows.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details, provided the peculiar character of either part of
my Invention be retained. But what I claim is,
First, the mode of constructing horse hoes for thinning turnips by hoeing
them with rotatory cutters, as described in respect to Figures 1, 2, and 3.
Secondly, I claim the mode of constructing horse hoes for thinning turnips,
by applying oscillating hoes as above described in respect to Figures 4, 5, and 6.
Thirdly, I claim the mode of constructing horse hoes with horizontal
rotatory cutters, as described in respect to Figures 7, 8, and 9.
And fourthly, I claim the application of machinery, suitably arranged, as a
means of applying liquids to the leaves of turnips to prevent the turnip fly and
other insects eating the plants, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Huckvale, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty two