IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Papworth Parsons, of Elsworth, in the County
of Cambridge, Farmer, for an Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Papworth Parsons at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd February 1880.
RICHARD PAPWORTH PARSONS, of Elsworth, in the County of Cambridge, Farmer.
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER."
The object of this Invention is to impart a to and fro motion to cultivators from
one stationary engine, and thereby to reduce the cost of the machinery required for
steam cultivation, and the expense of working the same.
The engine which I employ is provided with two drums for receiving the wire
rope, or a windlass may be connected with the engine. The drums of the engine or
windlass are put into geer alternately for the purpose of reversing their motion and
traversing the rope in opposite directions.
The wire rope passes from the driven drum, or that which is in geer to, say, a
fixed anchor placed opposite the engine at the further end of the field, and thence
in a diagonal line to the cultivator, which at starting will be, say, on a level with
the engine, but at a distanco therefrom equal to, say, the breadth of the field. The
rope when brought to the cultivator is lapped around a vertical drum mounted on
the frame of the implement, and it passes thence to the second winding drum on
the engine or windlass. The drum of the cultivator is brought into connection by
means of geering with a pair of travelling wheels, on which the implement is
mounted, and it is thereby caused to drive those wheels and impart a traverse
motion to the implement. By means of a steering wheel the implement is kept in
a straight course parallel to a line drawn from the engine to the anchor. When the
implement has made one traverse the action of the winding drums on the engine or
windlass is reversed, and the return motion of the cultivator immediately takes
place.
In order that the travelling wheels may retain a good bite of the ground they
may be provided on their periphery with projections like the wheels of traction
engines, travelling anchors, or equivalent mechanism.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Papworth Parsons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd August 1880.
RICHARD PAPWORTH PARSONS, of Elsworth, in the County of Cambridge, Farmer.
*IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CULTIVATING LAND BY STEAM POWER."
The object of this Invention is to impart a to and fro motion to cultivators from
one stationary engine, and thereby to reduce the cost of the machinery required for
steam cultivation, and the expense of working the same.
The engine which I employ is provided with two drums for receiving the wire
rope (or a windlass may be connected with the engine). The drums of the engine
or windlass are put into gear alternately for the purpose of reversing their motion
and traversing the rope in opposite directions. The wire rope passes from the
driven drum or that which in gear to, say, a fixed anchor placed opposite the
engine at the farther end of the field, and thence in a diagonal line to the cultivator,
which at starting will be, say, on a level with the engine, but at a distance there-
from equal to, say, the breadth of the field. The rope when brought to the
cultivator is lapped around a drum mounted on the frame of the implement, and it
passes thence to the second winding drum on the engine or windlass. The drum
of the cultivator is brought into connection by means of gearing with a pair of
travelling wheels, on which the implement is mounted, and it is thereby caused to
drive those. wheels and impart a traverse motion to the implement. By means
of a steering wheel or wheels the implement is kept in a straight course parallel to
a line drawn from the engine to the anchor. When the implement has made one
traverse the action of the winding drums on the engine or windlass is reversed, and
the return motion of the cultivator immediately takes place.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings I have shewn at Fig. 1 a diagram
plan illustrating the mode of working a cultivator according to my Invention, the
cultivator being represented by the travelling carriage A; B is the engine for
giving a traverse motion to the rope C, and D is the anchor situate opposite to
to the engine, round which the rope C passes to the drum of the cultivator.
Fig. 2 shews in diagram the mode of adapting my Invention to the working of a
balanced plough. In this example the balance plough or cultivator A is provided
with two drums (which are alternately in gear) for receiving the rope from the
engine. The rope C passing from the engine B is laid around the drum a of the plough.
It is then led to a fixed anchor E at one corner of the field in a line with the engine.
From this anchor the rope passes to a fixed anchor F opposite to E, and at the
further corner of the field. The rope is then led from the anchor F, laid around
the drum a¹ of the plough, and passing round the anchor D it is led to the engine
as before.
Before entering into the details of the construction of this.implement, which is
intended to traverse the field and act like an ordinary balance plough, I will explain
the means whereby a to and fro traverse motion is given to the travelling carriage A,
Fig. 1, notwithstanding that the draught rope is putting a diagonal pull upon the
carriage.
In Sheet II. of the Drawings Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, and
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the travelling carriage A, the frame of which may be fitted
with cultivating instruments, or may be attached to and caused to draw behind it
a cultivator of any approved construction.
In these Figures a is a rigid framing mounted on a pair of driving wheels b, and
fitted in front with steering wheels c, the axle of which is carried by a turn plate d
pivotted to the framing. The wheels b are loose on their shaft b', and they are
fitted with clutch teeth which take into sliding clutches for the purpose of locking
the wheels to their shaft. This driving shaft is fitted loosely with a pair of bevil

page_text: wheels e, which are alternately locked to their shaft by means of a double sliding
clutch e. Into these wheels e gears a bevil wheelf carried by a longitudinal
shaft f, having its bearings in the framing a. Keyed to the forward end of this
shaft is a second bevil wheel f%, which gears into a bevil wheel g keyed to the
lower end of a vertical shaft g', on which is mounted a drum g. It is this drum gª
which receives the wire rope C from the engine or windlass, as above explained,
and from this drum, the rope having been laid one or more times around it to
secure a good bite of the drum, passes to the anchor D and thence back to the
engine. When the engine is set in action it will cause the wire rope C to impart a
rotary motion to the drum g, and through the gearing already referred to drive
the travelling wheels B in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3. To ensure the
implement travelling in a direct course across the field the attendant, who is
mounted on the carriage, will operate the steering wheels c, which are provided
with cutting discs to enable them to take a firm hold of the ground.
On the under side of the turn plate d is fitted a chain wheel d', round which is
laid a chain d² that is coiled in opposite directions on a transverse shaft or barrel D³,
its ends being secured thereto. On this barrel is mounted a worm wheel d*, into
which gears a worm d' carried by a longitudinal shaft do, which extends rearwards,
and is fitted with a hand wheel d² for imparting rotary motion thereto.
By means of this arrangement of gearing the attendant, who is seated at h, will
readily control the course of the implement, and ensure its travelling in a direct line
across the field, notwithstanding that the angle of the draught rope is constantly
changing as the implement moves across the field. i, i, are guide pullies mounted
on levers, which have for their fulcrum the axle g' of the drum g². These levers
are fixed in position either on one side or the other of the carriage frame by means
of locking pins, according to the direction of progress of the implement. When
one bout is completed the travelling carriage is turned round by the attendant,
first unclutching the wheel b, which is to form the pivot wheel, and then operating
the steering wheels in the well known manner. The engine being now reversed
the implement will be ready to commence its return motion.
To provide however for this the travelling wheel which was thrown out of action
must be again locked to its axle b', and the sliding clutch 6' must be shifted so as
to engage with the opposite bevil wheel to that which it formerly locked to the
axle b¹.
Referring now to the diagram, Fig. 2, it will be readily understood that if the
two drums a, a', which are mounted in the rocking frame, are each connected by
gearing with the shaft of the carrying wheels, and these trains of gearing are alter-
nately thrown in and out of action as the plough frame is rocked, a traverse motion
in opposite directions will be imparted to the plough in the same manner as to
the implement in Fig. 1, and that without the necessity for turning round the
implement.
In Sheet III. I have shewn a slight modification of the mechanism described
with reference to Sheet II., Fig. 5 being a partial sectional elevation, and Fig. 6 a
plan view of the travelling carriage. In this instance the drum g² is situate
immediately over the shaft b' of the carrying wheels, and its bevil wheel g is
brought directly into gear with the bevil wheels e on that shaft.
By this
arrangement the mechanism is somewhat simplified. In other respects the
fittings of the carriage are substantially the same as those described with reference
to Sheet II.
In order that the travelling wheels may retain a good bite of the ground I provide
them on their peripheries with projections like the wheels of traction engines,
travelling anchors, or equivalent mechanism.
The Figures in Sheet IV. shew a further modification of the means which I
employ for driving the carrying wheels of the cultivator through the draught rope
of the stationary engine, Fig. 7 being a side elevation partly in section, and Fig. 8
a plan view of the travelling carriage or implement. In this modification the
drum g which receives the rope is keyed to the shaft b' of the carrying wheels,

page_text: and these wheels are locked to their shaft by means of clutch teeth, as before.
When a drag is put on either end of the rope C the drum will be caused to turn
and impart through the clutches a travelling motion to the wheel b, thus ensuring,
by the aid of one or other of the steering wheels c with which the carriage is fitted,
a traverse motion to the implement in a direct line across the field parallel to a line
drawn from the engine B to the anchor D. The implement will in this case not
require to be turned round, as by providing the frame with steering wheels at its
opposite ends and tipping the frame (which will be effected by reversing the pull
of the rope) the attendant sitting on a central pivotted seat at h can direct the
course of the implement in either direction.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improved Apparatus for
Cultivating Land by Steam Power," and explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim, transmitting rotary motion to the travelling wheels of
cultivators through a drum or pulley on the cultivator or its attendant carriage,
such drum or pulley being actuated by the draught rope of a stationary engine, in
the manner and for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Papworth Parsons, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.