IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR THINNING AND HOEING TURNIPS AND OTHER CROPS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Huckvale, of Choice Hill, Chipping Norton,
Oxon, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR THINNING
AND HOEING TURNIPS AND OTHER CROPS."
Sealed the 8th July 1856, and dated the 6th May 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Huckvale at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
May 1856.
I, THOMAS HUCKVALE, of Choice Hill, Chipping Norton, Oxon, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR
THINNING AND HOEING TURNIPS AND OTHER CROPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in implements for thinning
and hoeing turnips and other crops. For these purposes a carriage is con-
structed, consisting of a framing having at its hinder end handles. This
framing, when the machine is to be moved by human power, is preferred to
be rectangular; near the hinder end of the framing there are a pair of wheels
fixed to an axle which turns in suitable bearings; on this axle is fixed a
bevilled tooth wheel, which takes into and drives another bevilled toothed
wheel on another axle, which is at an angle to the first-mentioned axle. On
this second axlo is fixed a disc or frame to receive the cutters, which are

page_text: arranged at the periphery, so as to admit of adjustment. These cutters are
pointed at their ends, and bent forwards in such manner as to pass into the
earth (as the disc or frame revolves), and thus remove the plant or plants of
a row of turnips or other crop, and the cutters act in succession in consequence
of the onward movement of the carriage, and the constant revolution of the
dise or frame obliquely across the row of plants. In order to regulate the
depth of cut there are two small wheels at the hinder part of the frame, which
are carried by vertical bars, which are capable of adjustment in their length
below the frame. If more than one row of plants are to be hoed at the same
time by one carriage, then there are two frames combin'd in the same carriage,
each frame having its revolving disc or frame with cutters or hoes, and such
carriage may be arranged to be drawn by a horse or other animal; and it is
preferred, in thus constructing a double carriage, that each frame should have
its handle, and capable of being raised separately. In constructing hoes in
some cases the frame of a hoe is arranged to keep its proper place whilst
the wheels have direction given to them, which is done by a lever handle, and
by rods uniting the axles of the wheels in order that they may be turned by
the handle in the required direction, to prevent the hoe sliding down an incline.
In order to cleanse off weeds and other refuse from the stems of hoes, a bent
piece of iron or wood is used, working on a pivot, so that by depressing the
handle the bent part cleans the stem; or revolving prongs, put in motion by a
band, may be used; or a revolving piece of iron or wood, working in front or
on one side of the stem, and kept in motion by a band, may be used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Huckvale in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th November 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HUCKVALE, of Choice Hill, Chipping Norton, Oxon, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Thomas Huckvale, Her special licence, that I, the said Thomas Huckvale,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas

page_text: Huckvale, 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 IMPLEMENTS FOR
THINNING AND HOEING TURNIPS AND OTHER CROPS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Huckvale, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Huckvale, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
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 implements for thinning
and hoeing turnips and other crops. For these purposes a carriage is con-
structed consisting of a framing, having at its hinder end handles. This
framing, when the machine is to moved by human power, it is preferred to
be rectangular; near the hinder end of the framing there are a pair of wheels
fixed to an axle, which turns in suitable bearings; on this axle is fixed a
bevilled toothed wheel, which takes into and drives another bevilled toothed
wheel on another axle, which is at an angle to the first-mentioned axle. On
this second axle is fixed a disc or frame to receive the cutters, which are
arranged at the periphery so as to admit of adjustment. These cutters are
pointed at their ends, and bent forwards in such manner as to pass into the
earth (as the disc or frame revolves), and thus remove the plant or plants of a
row of turnips or other crop, and the cutters act in successiou in consequence
of the onward movement of the carriage, and the constant revolution of the
disc or frame obliquely across the row of plants. In order to regulate the
depth of cut there are two small wheels at the hinder part of the frame, which
are carried by vertical bars, which are capable of adjustment in their length
below the frame. If more than one row of plants are to be hoed at the same
time by one carriage, then there are two frames combined in the same carriage,
each frame having its revolving disc or frame with cutters or hoes, and such
carriage may be arranged to be drawn by a horse or other animal; and it is
preferred, in thus constructing a double carriage, that each frame should have

page_text: its handle, and capable of being raised separately. In constructing hoes in
some cases the frame of a hoe is arranged to keep its proper place whilst the
wheels have direction given them, which is done by a lever handle, and by rods
uniting the axles of the wheels in order that they may be turned by the
handle in the required direction, to prevent the hoe sliding down an incline.
In order to cleanse off weeds and other refuse from the stems of hoes, a bent
piece of iron or wood is used, working on a pivot, so that by depressing the
handle the bent part cleans the stem; or revolving prongs, put in motion by a
band, may be used; or a revolving piece of iron or wood, working in front or
on one side of the stem, and kept in motion by a band, may be used.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a plan, and Figure 2 a side view, of a hoeing or thinning
machine, constructed according to my Invention. a, a, is the framing of the
machine; b, a shaft or axle (turning in suitable bearings on the side framings),
on which the carrying wheels 6, 61, are fixed; 63 is a bevilled toothed wheel,
fixed on the axle b, which takes into and drives the bevilled toothed wheel c',
fixed on the shaft or axis c, which is placed at an angle to the axis b, and
is supported and turns in bearings on the framing, as shewn; c is a disc or
frame fixed on the axis c, upon which disc the cutters or thinners c³, c³, are
fixed, so as to be capable of adjustment; d, d, is a pair of small wheels
carried by upright bars d', capable of adjustment in their length below the
frame to vary the depth of cut of the cutters, c³; e, e, is a curved bar, fixed
to the front framing, to which the draft chain is attached when horse or other
power is applied; and e¹, e', are adjustable stops on the bar e, by which the
position of the draft chain is controlled on the bar, in order to admit of the
horse walking in front of either pair of wheels; f, f, are handles for propelling
the machine by hand power.
Figures 4 and 5 show plans of two other machines, suitably arranged for
hoeing two rows of plants at the same time, in which arrangement two frames
a, a, are so combined that they can be adjusted to hoe rows of plants of
different widths. The frames a, a, are connected
the bar b, which passes
through openings formed in the frames a, which admit of the frames a. rising
or falling independently of each other, and the frames are capable of being
set at different distances apart by the adjustable stops b*, 6*, which slide upon
the bar b. The parts for giving motion to the revolving disc with cutters, and

page_text: for adjusting the depth of cut being similar, and marked with the same letters
of reference as those described in respect to Figures 1 and 2, no further
description will be required. I would remark that when the cutters or thinners
are placed in front they are raised by depressing the handles f, f, and when
placed behind they are raised by lifting them.
Figure 3 shows separate views of one of the cutters c³ and disc c² detached.
The angle of the axis c may be varied in order to vary the line of cut of the
cutters or thinners, by the end of the axis c being supported in a cup bearing,
fixed to the framing as shown. The arrangement of the machines for hand or
horse power are similar, the only difference being that those worked by hand
are to be used on soils of the lightest description, and are of much lighter
construction than those to be used on heavy land, and which are intended to
be drawn by horses or other animals.
Figure 6 shows a plan of a machine suitable for hoeing on the side of a
hill. The frame a, a, of the machine is fastened to the axles of the carrying
wheels by two pins a', a', and the axles are connected by two iron rods b, b,
one on each side of the frame a. c, c, is a curved or bent bar fixed to the
ends of the hinder axle; and c' is a lever handle fixed to the bar c, which
drops into notches or projections on the bar c³, fixed to the handles of the
machine, so that by varying the position of the lever handle c', the direction of
the wheels will be altered in the direction required; d, d, are hoes for hoeing
the surface of the ground, and fixed to the cross bar d' of the frame a.
Or. in place of the plan just described, when hoeing on hill sides, I
employ two rudders fastened to the frame, the stems of which rudders
are fixed in fastenings on the frame, which allow the stems to turn round
so that the points of the rudders may be turned to the right or to the left.
Figure 7 shows part of a side view of a machine constructed according to
this part of my Invention. a is one of the rudders fixed to each side of a
hoe; b, a handle to turn the rudder in the required direction. The rudder a
is a flat piece of iron, which passes edgeways through the soil, and by moving
the lever handle b, the pointed end of the rudder a is turned in the required
direction, and the hoe is prevented from sliding down the incline.
I will now describe the apparatus for cleaning the stems of the hoes.
Figure 8 shows a side view of a hoc, and its stem a is the hoc. b is a lever
moving on a pin joint at ', and by depressing the lever arm & the clearing
part of the lever will be moved forward, as indicated by dotted lines, and will
thus remove any accumulation of weeds from the stem of the hoe.
Figure 9 shows another arrangement of apparatus for cleaning the stems of

page_text: hoes, and consists in fixing a revolving piece of metal or wood in front of the
stem of the hoc, which revolving piece is kept in motion by a pulley and band
driven by one of the shafts of the hoe.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Huckvale, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
THOMAS WOODWARD,
Little Rollright,
THOMAS HUCKVALE. (L.S.)
Near Chipping Norton,
Oxon.