Improvements in Disc Harrows.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 4th Dec., 1897.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Disc Harrows.
FREDERICK ISAIAH MASSEY, Merchant, of 54 & 55 Bunhill Row, London E.C., a
communication from William F. Johnston Manufacturer, and William John Clokey,
pattern maker, both of the City of Toronto, province of Ontario, Canada. do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to improvements in Disc Harrows and the object of the
invention is-first-to design a positive and effectual support for the forwardly
extending ends of the disc gangs, so as to prevent such ends from diving too deep in
the soil, thereby causing the rear ends to rise and leave the ground and not perform
their function--secondly-to provide for the adjustment of each gang according to
the nature of the ground it is desired to operate upon-thirdly-to provide for the
handy adjustment of the scrapers by the foot or hand-fourthly-to provide
for an easy and simple reversing of the gangs and-fifthly-to provide for more easy
angling of the gangs and it consists essentially in the construction and arrangement
of the independent swivelled arms, operating levers and draft rods as hereinafter more
particularly explained.
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of our improved harrow showing the gangs angled
and arranged to throw the soi! outwardly.
Fig. 2, is a view of our improved harrow showing the gangs arranged to throw the
soil inwardly.
Fig. 3, is a detail of the inner chain support.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.
A is the tongue of the harrow. B is the driver's seat which is secured to the rear
of the tongue. C is a bracket-U-shaped in cross section, secured to the rear end of
It will be noticed
the tongue A and provided with the upright sleeves C¹ and C².
that the sleeve C¹ is located forward of the sleeve C2 and extends below the tongue A
farther than the sleeve C2, so that when the horses are attached to the tongue the
bottom of the sleeves are practically on a level.
D and D are substantially L-shaped arms, the upper vertical portions of which
are journalled in the sleeves C¹ and C. The lower portions of the arms D and D¹
extends through eyes e formed at the front end of the bearings E of the gangs F.
The gangs F consist of the discs F¹ connected together by a central rod and
intermediate sleeves.
G are the scraper beams, which are each supported behind its respective gang by
the standards H H, which are attached to or form part of the end journal boxes of
the gangs A portion h of the standard extends directly across the front of the scraper
beams. I are the scraper bars, which fit into a groove h¹ at the front side of the
scraper beams.
Jare brackets, which are fastened to the outside of the outer angle of the
arms D and D' by the staple bolts j. K are supplemental arms, which are screwed
in to the bracket J and extend outwardly on a line with the upper end of the.
arms D and D¹. The arms K are provided with forked ends k, which are braced by
the rods k¹ to the upper ends of the arms D and D' above the sleeves C¹and C2, a

page_text: split pin serving to hold the eye-shaped inner end of the rods and the
arms D and D¹ in position.
Lare L-shaped levers, which extend through the eye in the top of the bracket J
and backwardly at a slant into the bracket g on the scraper beam in which the rear
end is journalled. is a depending arm secured to the lower end of the lever L and
depending as shown. The lower end of the arm is provided with a forked end,
which straddles the pin h² extending forwardly from the scraper bar I.
It will now be seen that by means of the lever L the scrapers h³ attached to the
scraper bar I may be adjusted laterally to and from the discs of the gang as required.
M is a chain which is provided with an enlarged lower ring mi, the chain being
designed to be passed up through the eye of the journal box (see Fig. 1) and
through the curved forked end k of the rod K, so that the cross links engaged with.
the forks and hold the outer end of each of the gangs in position, so as to prevent
them from diving too deep into the soil, whereby the rear end would be caused to
rise or leave the ground and not perform its function.
The chain M when the harrow is reversed as shown in Fig. 2, so as to throw the
soil inwardly is passed through the eye and extends upwardly between the pair of
lugs 3, which have inclined nibs 4 (see detail figure 3), the cross link engaging on
the ribs and sinking to the inner and lower side of them securely holds the inner ends
of the gangs from dipping or diving into the soil, whereby the now outer ends of the
gangs are prevented from rising or leaving the ground and not performing their
function. The chains and their corresponding supporting lugs and arms are exactly
the same on each side of the machine and as to each gang.
N are the draught rods, which are connected at the rear end to the eye e¹ of one of
the journal brackets and at the forward end are connected as shown in Fig. 1, to the
ends of the bolt 5, which pass through the forward end of the U-shaped link 6.
O are the tie rods, which are connected at the rear end to the eye f formed on the
inner bearing journals of the gangs and at the outer end to eyes in the lower end
of the depending arm P¹ of the bracket P. The bracket P is secured underneath
the tongue A by suitable bolts p passing through the tongue. Q is a lever pivoted
at q on the hangers p¹ forming part of the bracket l' and extending into the open
portion thereof. The lever Q is provided with the usual spring actuated plunger,
which is designed to mesh with the toothed quadrant P2 formed at the lower side of
the open portion of the bracket P. The lower end of the lever Q is U-shaped in
form as shown in Fig. 1, is connected to the rear end of the U-shaped link 6 by the
bolt 7. 8 are hangers pivotally connected to the upper portion of the bracket P and
the tongue by the bolt 9 and pivotally connected at the lower ends to the bolt 5 on
each side of the U-shaped link 6.
It will be noticed on reference to Fig. 1, that the cultivator is set so that the gangs
are arranged to throw the soil outwardly. By manipulating the lever Q, the rods N
may be thrown rearwardly or forwardly, so as to throw the gangs at any desired angle,
the arms D and D₁ being likewise thrown to the same angle and always remaining in
alignment with the gangs. The arms D and D¹ being swivelled in their respective
sleeves C¹ and C2 permit of the adjustment of the angles of the gangs with the
greatest ease.
The chains M in this figure serve to support the forward and in this case the outer
ends of the gangs and prevent them dipping too deep in soil, thus effectually.
keeping the inner or rear ends of the gangs from rising or leaving the ground and
not performing their function.
In Fig. 2, it will be noticed that the draught bars N have their forward ends
removed to the bolt 7 passing through the link 6. The gangs are reversed so that
the concave side is to the inside and the soil consequently will be thrown inwardly.
To reverse the harrows it is simply necessary to remove the lower ends of the
arms D and D¹ from the eyes e, the chain from the eye f¹, and the forks k of the rod K
and to place them as shown in Fig. 2 with the chains M having the lower end
extending through the eyes f and the upper end held by the inclined ribs formed on
the lugs 4.

page_text: It will be noticed that the chain M in this instance also serves to support the
forward and inner ends of the gangs and thereby prevent the discs at this end from
diving too deep into the soil. The outer or rear end of the gang is consequently
prevented from rising or leaving the ground and not performing its function.
The harrow shown in the drawings is a reversible harrow but in a non-reversible
harrow the rods K might be entirely dispensed with as it will only be necessary to
support the gangs from the inside by the chain M.
The chain M it will be seen serves as shown in Figs. 1 & 2 to keep the gangs in
alignment with the arms and yet form a flexible connection directly underneath the
sleeve or pivot point upon which the gangs are swung. In a former machine of this
class it was attempted to hold down the gangs by pressure but from experience in the
past this has been found to be unsuccessful.
By our device, however, the distance from the gang to the pivot point of the swing
always remains the same and consequently the outer and inner ends of the gangs are.
supported positively without any variation. Both gangs, however, are independent
of each other to this extent that one or the other may be let down by the chain
according to the nature of the ground it is desired to till. The form of lever utilised
in our construction also is much more advantageous than that heretofore employed
as a much greater leverage can be obtained by the driver in order to vary the angles
of the gangs into any position he may desire.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a disc harrow, a frame having laterally extending independent arms arranged
to swing with the gangs and a flexible connection with the arms at or near the centre
of the gangs to allow of vertical action to each gang as and for purpose specified.
2. In a disc harrow, a frame having laterally extending independent arms arranged
to swing with the gangs and a flexible connection with the arms at or near the centre
of the gangs to allow of vertical action to each gang and a chain connection between
the concaved end of each disc gang and a suitably relative point of the arms as and
for the purpose specified.
3. In a disc harrow, in combination the pole or tongue, the gangs, the vertical
sleeves suitably secured to the rear end of the pole, the independent arm journalled
at the inner end in the sleeves and having a flexible connection at the outer end to
the centre of the gangs as and for the purpose specified.
4. In a disc harrow, in combination the pole or tongue, the gangs, the bracket
embracing the rear end of the pole and provided with two vertical sleeves one forward
of the other and at opposite sides of the pole, the L-shaped arms journalled at the
inner end in the sleeves and having the outer vertical en flexibly connected to the
centre of the gangs as and for the purpose specified.
5. In a disc harrow, in combination the pole or tongue, the gangs, the vertical
sleeves secured to the rear end of the pole, the independent arms journalled at the
inner end in the sleeves, and having a flexible connection at the outer end to the
centre of the gangs, and flexible means for connecting the inner ends of the gangs
when they are arranged to throw the soil inwardly to a point beneath the pivot or
hinging point of the arms as and for the purpose specified.
6. In a disc harrow, in combination, the pole or tongue the gangs, the vertical
sleeves secured to the rear end of the pole, the independent arms journalled at the
inner end of the sleeves and having a flexible connection at the outer end to the
centre of the gangs, eyes on the inner end of the journals, retaining lugs having
inclined interior ribs and a chain connection extending through eyes formed on the
journals at the inner end of the gangs and held at the upper end within the inclined
ribs of the lugs as and for the purpose specified.
7. A disc harrow comprising a stationary centre frame, upright sleeves forming
part thereof, laterally extending arms journalled at the centre in such sleeves and
the gangs flexibly connected at or near the centre to the outer ends of the arms and
means for angling the gangs as and for the purpose specified.

page_text: 8. A disc harrow comprising a stationary centre frame, upright sleeves forming
part thereof, laterally extending arms journalled at the centre in such sleeves, the
gangs flexibly connected at or near the centre to the outer ends of the arms, a
bracket on the tongue provided with an open centre and an internal quadrant, the
tie-rods flexibly connected to eyes on the inner ends of the gangs and eyes on the
lower rear ends of the bracket, the draught rods flexibly connected at the rear end to
eyes in the centre of the gangs, the adjusting lever having a plunger designed
to engage with the internal quadrant of the bracket and having a U-shaped lower
end, a U-shaped link, hangers supporting same from the tongue and a bolt extending
through the rear of the U-shaped link, U-shaped lower end of the lever and the
forward ends of the draught ends as and for the purpose specified.
9. In a disc harrow, in combination, the pole or tongue the gangs, the vertical
sleeves secured to the rear end of the pole, the independent arins journalled at the
inner end in the sleeves and having a flexible connection at the outer end to
the centre of the gangs, the supplemental arms laterally extending outwardly from the
ends of the main arms and a chain connection between the outer end of such
supplemental arms and the outer ends of the gangs when such gangs are arranged
to throw the soil outwardly as and for the purpose specified.
10. In a disc harrow in combination the pole or tongue, the gangs, the vertical
sleeves secured to the rear end of the pole, the independent arms journalled at the
inner ends in the sleeves and having a flexible connection at the outer end to the
centre of the gangs, a bracket secured at the outer angles of the arms by a staple
bolt, supplemental arms secured at the inner ends in such brackets and having forked
ends, bracing rods connecting the outer ends of the supplemental arms to the inner
ends of the main arm over its pivot point and a chain connection extending at the
lower end through eyes in the journal box and held in the forks of the supplemental
arms at the upper end when the gangs are arranged to throw the soil outwardly as
and for the purpose specified..
11. In a disc harrow, in combination, the pole or tongue the gangs, the vertical
sleeves secured to the rear end of the pole, the independent arms journalled at the
inner end in the sleeves and having a flexible connection at the outer end to the
centre of the gangs, the scraper beams and standards connecting them to the gangs,
the scraper rods and scraper L-shaped lever suitably journalled at the outer angle of
the arms, the bracket on the scraper beam to receive the rear end of the lever, the
fork-shaped hanger secured to the lever and the pin on the scraper rod, which such
fork-shaped hanger straddles as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this twenty ninth day of September, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven.