IMPROVE- MENTS IN PLOUGHS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gray, of Uddingston, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Agricultural Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PLOUGHS."
Sealed the 12th October 1858, and dated the 14th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gray at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th April
1858.
I, JOHN GRAY, of Uddingston, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Agricultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
ploughs, the objects of which are increased strength and durability, together
with other advantages. According to one of the said improvements, the body
of the plough and the head are made in one continuous forging, instead of in
separate pieces united by bolts or otherwise, as hitherto, and the beam and
slit, or either of them, may also be made in the same piece. The body of the
plough, and the parts formed in the same piece with it, are made either of
wrought iron or steel, and either solid or cellular.
According to a second improvement, the sock or point of the share is made
of cast iron or steel, and fits on an intermediate piece of wrought iron or steel,
which last is itself fitted upon the head of the plough body, and in this way

page_text: the part which has the greatest strain to bear, is made of sufficient strength,
whilst the sock or point, which wears rapidly, is easily and cheaply renewed.
According to a third improvement, the coulter is fixed to the beam of the
plough by means of a loose clamp or fastener formed to receive a wedge at
the side, by means of which it is tightened.
According to a fourth improvement, an adjustable bridle is formed by
means of a bar arranged to slide in a socket in the end of the beam, the part
of the bar to which the draw hook is jointed being connected by a link or
chain to a point in the beam, a short distance behind the link or chain, having
a screw-tightening adjustment. With this arrangement a considerable portion
of the draught strain takes effect through the connecting link or chain, and the
beam is thereby much strengthened.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Gray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GRAY, of Uddingston, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Agricultural
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Gray, Her special licence that I, the said John Gray, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Gray,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Gray, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Gray, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of
ploughs, the objects of which are increased strength and durability, together
with other advantages. And in order that my said Invention may be properly
understood and carried into effect, I shall particularly describe the same,
having delineated upon a Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended, various
explanatory Figures to which I shall refer as I proceed; the same reference
letters mark the like parts in the several Figures.
One improvement comprehended in my said Invention consists in forging
or welding the body or body frame of the plough and the head in one piece,
instead of in separate pieces, united by bolts or otherwise as hitherto. The
beam and stilt or either of them may also be made or forged in the same
piece. The body and body frame of the plough, and the parts formed in the
same piece with it, are made of either wrought iron or steel.
Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of the land sides of forgings, each comprising
the head A, the body B, the beam C, and the stilt D, of a plough, as formed
with these parts all in one piece, aecording to my said Invention. Figure 3
is a land side elevation of the head A, body B, beam C, and stilt D, of a
plough, also as constructed according to my said Invention, but having the
stilt D bolted to the forging A, B, C, comprising the head, body, and beam.
In Figures 1, 2, & 3; three different shapes of the body or body frame B
are shown; that in Figure 1 having an opening E, and those in Figures 2
and 3 being without such opening; the latter may, however, be formed with
openings, as indicated by dotted lines, and that shown in Figure 1 may be made
without the opening E.
According to a second improvement comprehended in my said Invention,
an intermediate piece, which I term a socket, and which is made of wrought
iron or steel, is introduced between the sock or share of the plough and the
head, the sock or share being made of cast iron, wrought iron, or steel.
Figure 4 is a land side elevation of a plough constructed as hitherto, except
as far as regards the bridle and coulter fastener; it is referred to here as
showing the ordinary mode of fixing the sock or share F directly on the head,
the latter with the body or body frame being indicated by dotted lines.
Figure 5 is a land side elevation, and Figure 6 is a plan of my improved
sock or share F, and intermediate piece or socket G as united, the sock or

page_text: share Ffitting upon the socket G, and the latter being formed with a socket
to fit on the point of the head. Figure 7 is an elevation of the back edge of
the sock or share F; and Figure 8 is an elevation of the back edge of the
socket G; the sock F and socket G are shown in position in Figure 1.
According to this improvement, the part which has the greatest strain to
bear is made of sufficient strength, whilst the sock or point, which wears rapidly,
is easily and cheaply renewed.
According to a third improvement comprehended in my said Invention, the
coulter H, Figure 4, is fixed to the beam C of the plough, by means of a loose
wrought-iron clamp or fastener I, shown detached in edge and face views in
Figures 9 and 10. The mode of using this fastener is shown in Figure 4; it
is tightened by means of a wedge or wedges J adjusted in a groove or grooves.
K, formed in the side or sides of the fastener, as shown in Figure 10.
A fourth improvement comprehended in my said Invention consists in the
application and use of an adjustable bridle adapted to the bar to which the
drag plate is jointed. This adjustable bridle is represented in side elevation
in Figure 4, and in plan in Figure 11. The bar L is adjustable in a socket
in the end of the beam C, and has the drag plate M jointed to it. The bridle
consists of a double-eyed bow N jointed upon the bar L, and having swivel-
jointed to it a rod O formed with an eye P to receive a lever for the purpose
of adjusting it; the back end of the rod O is screwed into a double-armed
link Q, which is jointed upon the beam or body of the plough. When the
coulter is attached by means of my improved fastener, the link Q may be
single-armed with a short double eye fork formed for attachment to the beam
or body. When this improvement is applied to a plough a considerable portion
of the draught strain, takes effect through the bridle, and the beam is thereby.
much strengthened. The construction of the bridle is susceptible of various.
modifications, but it is essential to render it adjustable, so that it can always be
tightened up to take part of the draught strain.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be used, applied, or carried into effect, I have to
state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein-before de-
lineated or described, that I do not claim to have invented every separate
detail herein-before delineated or described, and that what I consider to be
novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the welding of the head upon the body or body frame, or the forming
of the head and body or body frame of a plough in one forging, as herein-
before described.

page_text: Second, the welding of the head and beam, or of the head, beam, and
stilt, upon the body or body frame of a plough, or the forming of these parts.
in one forging, as herein-before described.
Third, the adaptation to ploughs of an intermediate piece or socket, between
the head and sock or share, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of attaching the coulter to the plough beam by
means of a loose clamp or fastener fixed by a wedge or wedges, as herein-
before described.
Fifth, the adaptation to ploughs of an adjustable bridle, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gray, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT, Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square, Glasgow.
JOHN GRAY. (L.S.)