IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Newzam Nicholson and William Mather, both of
Newark-upon-Trent, in the County of Nottingham, Agricultural Engineers, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS."
Sealed the 4th February 1879, and dated the 20th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Newzam Nicholson
and William Mather at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
20th August 1878.
WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON and WILLIAM MATHER, both of Newark-upon-
Trent, in the County of Nottingham, Agricultural Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HARROWS."
In the manufacture of iron harrows, the plan commonly adopted has been to
punch holes through the longitudinal and transverse bars where they intersect, and
having shouldered and threaded the upper part of the teeth to pass them through
the holes where they are held fast by nuts. The obvious disadvantages of this
method are that the bars are weakened by the holes, and the teeth are liable either
to work loose or to become fast by corrosion of the screws and nuts, when they are
difficult to remove for repairs or sharpening.
It is customary to call the longitudinal bars of harrows, beams, and the transverse
bars, bulls.
In our improved harrow, instead of shouldering the teeth, we turn or bend the
top of each tooth at right angles with the shank in the form of an inverted L.
We form clips of wrought or malleable iron, which pass over and clasp the beams;
these clips have mortices in the lower part through which the bulls are threaded.
Sufficient space is left in these clips to allow the L head of the tooth to pass between
the beam and the bull and for wedges to pass between the beam and the upper part
of the clip. When each tooth is put in its place and the wedges tightened the
teeth are firmly fixed. By slackening or removing the wedges, the teeth can be
taken out for the purpose of sharpening, and replaced with the greatest ease,

page_text: This plan may be varied by making the clips in the form of loops, and passing
the head of the tooth over the lower part of the loops, the bulls and the beams
passing above the teeth, and the whole secured by wedges as described.
For the purpose of relieving the harrow from weeds, we place a transverse bar
over each section of the harrow so that it can revolve; on the outer ends of this bar
are fixed legs or prongs, which can either trail in rear of the harrow or be thrown
over to the front. When it is wished to relieve the harrow from the accumulated
weeds, the legs or prongs are thrown over to the front, and, coming into contact
with the ground, lift the harrow by the forward motion of the horse, so clearing it
of the weeds; the legs or prongs then resume their trailing position behind the
harrow,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Newzam Nicholson and William Mather in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 18th February 1879.
WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON and WILLIAM MATHER, both of Newark-upon-
Trent, in the County of Nottingham, Agricultural Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
HARROWS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in harrows.
The first part consists in a new method of securing the teeth or tines of harrows
to their frames.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,―
Figure 1 represents a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of a complete harrow,
manufactured in accordance with our improvements.
Figure 3 shows a side elevation and Figure 4 an end elevation of a single tine or
tooth and its attachments, drawn to an enlarged scale.
"
The clips A are of malleable or wrought iron and are formed as a loop with
transverse mortices through their lower extremeties to receive the cross bars, called
bulls" B upon which they are threaded. The longitudinal bars or "beams" C
pass through the upper part of the looped clip, and the L shaped heads of the teeth
or tines D are clasped between the beams C and the bulls B. A key or wedge E is
driven tightly between the beams C and the upper part of the looped clip A, so
drawing the whole together and holding the several parts firmly in their places.
By driving back its key E, any one of the teeth D can be removed and replaced at
pleasure.
A modification of the above can be made by placing the bulls B above the
beams C with the teeth D below. The looped clips are then used inverted and the
tightening wedge or key driven between the bull B and the upper part of the
transverse mortice of the clip, which mortice is enlarged for this purpose. This
modification is shown in Figure 5.
The second part of our Invention consists of an improved method of lifting
harrows to releive them from weeds or other accumulations, and is illustrated in
Figures 1 and 2.
F is a transverse bar which can rotate in the bearings G which are fastened to
the frame of the harrow. Legs or prongs H are attached to the transverse bar, and
when out of use trail behind in the position shown. When it is wished to lift the
harrow, these legs or prongs are thrown over to the advancing side of the transverse
bar F and come to the position shown by the dotted lines, bringing their points in
contact with the ground. The forward motion of the horses then causes the harrow
to turn round the outer points of the legs or prongs in contact with the ground as a
centre, so lifting the harrow clear, and allowing weeds or other accumulation to fall
off the teeth. When the teeth come to the ground again, the legs or prongs resume
their trailing position.
The bearings G are made with slots, as shown in Figure 1, for the transverse
bar F to work in, so that one transverse rod may cross a set of three or more
harrows, and yet allow each to have a certain amount of independent vertical
motion, whilst the legs or prongs on the outside will lift the whole set, when
required.
Having now stated the nature of our Invention and the manner in which the
the same is to be carried into effect, we would have it understood that what we
claim is,
First. The method of securing the teeth of harrows to their frames by means of
looped clips and keys or wedges, substantially as shown and described, or any mere
modification thereof.

page_text: Second. The means of lifting harrows from the ground by the forward motion of
the horses, substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Newzam Nicholson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
WILLIAM NEWZAM NICHOLSON. (L.S.)