IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR GRUBBING OR CUTTING UP WEEDS, AND OTHERWISE SCARIFYING AND CULTIVATING LAND
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Clay, of Walton, near Wakefield, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR GRUBBING OR CUTTING UP WEEDS, AND OTHERWISE SCARIFYING AND
CULTIVATING LAND."
Sealed the 1st April 1858, and dated the 4th November 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Clay at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th
November 1857.
I, CHARLES CLAY, of Walton, near Wakefield, in the County of York, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHI-
NERY FOR GRUBBING OR CUTTING UP WEEDS, AND OTHERWISE SCARIFYING AND
CULTIVATING LAND," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for grubbing
or cutting up weeds, and otherwise scarifying and cultivating land. For these
purposes a frame of iron is constructed, which at the hinder angles is sup-
ported by two uprights or standards, which are capable of adjustment so as
to permit of the frame (at different times) being brought nearer to or farther
from the surface of the land. At the lower end of each of these uprights or
standards is a wheel. At the fore end of the frame is an upright spindle,
which has at its lower end a wheel, and such spindle can be adjusted so as to

page_text: T
allow the fore part of the frame to come nearer to or farther from the land at
different times; the spindle is also capable of turning in its bearing. The
horses or other power used for drawing the implement will be connected with
the fore part of the implement. Transversely of the frame are a series of
parallel bars or axes, each turning in bearings carried by the framings on each
side of the implement. To these bars or axes are affixed the stems of tines,
the forms of which tines are varied according to the class of work to be per-
formed. The stems of the tines are each.bent back and then downwards, by
preference-in-a-curved form, to the point or end, and such stems are capable
of adjustment on their bars or axes, and also of being readily removed to
admit of others being applied in their places. Each of the transverse parallel
bars or axes has a projection or arm at the upper part thereof, which arms or
projections are by links or connecting rods attached to a lever having its
fulcrum or axis at the hinder part of the implement, by which means the
several tines may be readily raised from and lowered to the earth, and pro-
'vision is made for guiding the lever and for fixing it in position

page_text: 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 immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
...NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Clay, do hereby declare, the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed; to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for grubbing
or cutting up weeds, and otherwise scarifying and cultivating land.. For these
purposes; a frame of iron is constructed, which at the hinder angles is sup-
ported by two uprights or standards, which are capable of adjustment, so as
to permit of the frame (at different times) being brought nearer to or farther.
from the surface. of the land. At the lower end of each of these uprights or
standards is a wheel.: At the fore end of the frame is an upright spindle,
which has at its lower end a wheel, and such spindle can be adjusted so as to
allow the fore part of the frame to come nearer to or farther from the land, at
different times; the spindle is also capable of turning in its bearing. The
horses or other power used for drawing the implement will be connected with
the fore part of the implement. Transversely of the frame are a series of
parallel bars or axes, each turning in bearings carried by the framings on each
side of the implement. To these bars or axes are affixed the stems of tines,
the forms of which tines are varied according to the class-of. work to be
per
formed. The stems of the tines are each bent back and then downwards, by,
preference in a curved form, to the point or end, and such stems, are capable
of adjustment on their bars or axes, and also of being readily removed to admit
of others being applied in their places. Each of the transverse parallel bars
or axes, has, a projection or arm at the upper part thereof, which armis or pro-
jections are, by links or connecting rods attached to a lever having its fulcrum
or axis at the hinder part of the implement, by which means the several tines
may be readily raised from and lowered to the earth, and provision is made
fór guiding the lever and for fixing it in position.
And in order that, my said Invention may be most fully understood; and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing, hereunto
annexed...
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1. is a side viewi of a machine for grubbing or cutting-up weeds, and
otherwise scarifying and cultivating land, and which machine is constructed;

page_text: according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a front view and Figure 3 is a plan:
a, a, is the frame of the machine, which is of an
of the same machine.
irregular triangular form. At the hinder angles of the frame it is supported
by two standards b, b, each carrying a wheel c at its lower end. The length of
the standards.b, b, below the frame is adjusted by sliding them up and down.
The construction of one of the hinder angles of the frame is shewn in side
view and plan at Figures 4, the standard b slides in an opening at the end
of the frame, and is locked in its place by the clamp d, which is caused. to.
jamb it by the binding screw e at the back. The fore part of the frame is
bolted to the neck. f, at the end of which is a forked socket; 9 is a vertical
spindle, passing through this socket, and also through the eye of the hook h,
and this hook is made fast to the spindle g by the set screw h¹, which affords
the means of adjusting the length below the axis of the spindle g; i is a small
wheel, carried by the fork g', which is formed at the end of the spindle g. To
the side frames of the machine bearings j, j, are bolted, and these receive the
ends of the bars or axes k, l, and , or the ends of these bars or axes: may
turn in holes formed in the frame, if preferred. The tines 1, 1, are fixed to the
bars k, k', and k², and for this purpose their stems are turned round so as to
fit three sides of the bars or axes, as is shewn at Figures 5, and against the
fourth side of the bar or axis a key, passing through key ways in the stem of
the tine rests. This method of fixing the tines to the bars or axes which carry
them, admits of their being readily shifted along these bars or axes, or of
their being removed from them, if required. On to the bars or axes k and k
arms m and m' are keyed, and these arms are connected at their upper ends
with a horizontal connecting rod n, so that when one of the bars or axes
revolves, carrying its tines with it, the other bar or axis with its tines must
revolve to the same extent. These motions of the tines are governed by a
lever handle o, keyed on the axis in the same manner as the arms m
and m¹ are keyed to their axes. A side view of one of these connections is
shown at Figure 6. The lever o is also jointed to the connecting rod n,
and p is a link by which the end of the lever and the rod are connected. The
lever o in its motions round its axis is supported by the guide 2, which is
attached to the back bar of the frame a by keys or wedges, as is shewn at
Figures 7. Wlien the machine is at work, the lever handle o is kept from
rising by the projection q¹ of the guide, which is so set on the frame that the
lever handle o has a tendency when brought opposite to it to spring of itself
under this projection.
The red lines in the Drawing show the position the parts assume when the
lever handle o is raised, so as to lift the tines off the land;, and the parts may

page_text: be kept in this position by a pin passed through the hole near the upper end of
the guide q. Each of the wheels is furnished with a scraper to keep it free
from earth.
Sometimes, when I wish to make broad surface cuts in the land, I place
shares on the ends of the tines, as is shown at Figure 8.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the exact details described, but what I claim is, the mounting the
tines 1, 1, on axes k, k¹, and , combined with arms m and m³, a connecting rod
n, and a lever handle o, capable of being fixed in position, as herein described.
In witness whereof I, the said Charles Clay, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
RICH BOLD,
Clerk to Mr. H³ Brown,
Sol, Wakefield.
CHARLES CLAY. (L.S.)