IMPROVEMENTS IN CORN AND SEED DRILLS AND SOWING MACHINES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Josiah Smyth, of Peasenhall, in the County of
Suffolk, Drill Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORN
AND SEED DRILLS AND SOWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 20th September 1878, and dated the 11th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Josiah Smyth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th April 1878.
JAMES JOSIAH SMYTH, of Peasenhall, in the County of Suffolk, Drill Manufac-
turer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORN AND SEED DRILLS AND SOWING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in corn and seed drills and sowing
machines, to facilitate the removal of the cup barrel, to simplify the changing of the
gear wheels, and to give a more ready means of slightly varying the speed of revo-
lution of the cup barrel when working on hilly land.
Hitherto the spindle of the cup barrel has rested at each end of the seed box in
a fixed support bearing, and slots have been formed in the ends of the box to allow
of the spindle being lifted out of the bearings, and drawn backwards to remove the
cup barrel from the box, and it has also been usual to have loose blocks to place
into the grooves or slots in the ends of the box to close the groove when the spindle
is in its place. Instead of this I mount my support bearing in such a way that
when the barrel is required to be taken out the bearings can turn down on pin
joints and drop out of the way, leaving the spindle free to be drawn out backwards.
I also attach to each support bearing a plate, which serves to close the slot or
groove in the box end whenever the bearing is brought into position to support the
spindle. When the bearing is supporting the spindle it is retained in position by a
catch.
To transmit motion to the cup barrel I make use of a countershaft, placed by
preference under the seed box, and passing from one end of the box to the
other

page_text: The shaft receives motion at one end from one of the travelling wheels, and at
the other end communicates motion through change gear to the axis of the barrel;
this gives great facility. for changing the gear wheels whenever required.
When drilling on hilly lands the difference in speed of the horses when going up
hill and when going down hill causes a variation in the quantity of seed delivered.
To obviate this it is usual to have a change wheel on each end of the cup barrel
spindle, by which the barrel is driven alternately, so as to drive the barrel at a
different speed when going up hill to what it is driven when going down hill.
I effect the same object by placing two driving toothed wheels on the nave of
one of the travelling wheels, one toothed wheel having more teeth than the other,
and I cause the pinion on the end of the countershaft to gear with one or other of
these pinions, according to the speed of driving required. For this purpose I make
the shaft telescopic to allow of the pinion being thus shifted endwise.
When going down hill the shaft is shifted endwise to bring the cog wheel upon
it into gear with the smaller toothed wheel on the nave of the travelling wheel; and 1
when going up hill it is shifted into gear with the larger toothed wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Josiah Smyth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
October 1878.
JAMES JOSIAH SMYTH, of Peasenhall, in the County of Suffolk, Drill Manufac
turer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CORN AND SEED DRILLS AND SOWING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in corn and seed drills and sowing
machines, to facilitate the removal of the cup barrel, to simplify the changing of the
gear wheels, and to give a more ready means of slightly varying the speed of revo-
Jution of the cup barrel when working on hilly land.
Hitherto the spindle of the cup barrel has rested at each end of the seed box in a
fixed support bearing, and slots have been formed in the ends of the box to allow
of the spindle being lifted out of the bearings, and drawn backwards, to remove the
cup barrel from the box, and it has also been usual to have loose blocks to place
into the grooves or slots in the ends of the box to close the groove when the spindle
is in its place. Instead of this I mount my support bearings in such a way that
when the barrel is required to be taken out the bearings can turn down on pin
joints, and drop out of the way, leaving the spindle free to be drawn out backwards.
I also attach to cach support bearing a plate, which serves to close the slot er groove
in the box end whenever the bearing is brought into position to support the
spindle. When the bearing is supporting the spindle it is retained in position by a
catch.
To transmit motion to the cup barrel I make use of a countershaft, placed
by preference under the seed box, and passing from one end of the box to the
other

page_text: The shaft receives motion at one end from one of the travelling wheels, and at
the other end communicates motion through change gear to the axis of the
barrel; this gives great facility for changing the gear wheels whenever required.
When drilling on heavy lands the difference in speed of the horses when going
up hill and when going down hill causes a variation in the quantity of seed
delivered. To obviate this it is usual to have a change wheel on each end of the
cup barrel spindle, by which the barrel is driven alternately, so as to drive the
barrel at a different speed when going up hill to what it is driven when going
down hill.
I affect the same object by placing two driving toothed wheels on the nave of
one of the travelling wheels, one toothed wheel having more teeth than the other,
and I cause the pinion on the end of the countershaft to gear with one or other of
these pinions, according to the speed of driving required. For this purpose I make
the shaft telescopic to allow of the pinion being thus shifted endwise.
When going down hill the shaft is shifted endwise to bring the cog wheel upon
it into gear with the smaller toothed wheel on the nave of the travelling wheel, and
when going up hill it is shifted into gear with the larger toothed wheel.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a corn and seed sowing machine
constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a back view, partly in section,
of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 show separately end views of the seed box.
And Figure 5 shows in plan the hand lever, by means of which the speed of
delivery is regulated in going up and down hill, to render the delivery more even
than it otherwise would be.
Figures 3 and 4 show especially the arrangement of the bearings which carry the
spindle of the cup barrel. A is the spindle, and B, B, are the bearings in which it
is carried; they are mounted so as to be capable of turning on pins B₁ fixed in the
ends of the seed box C. When the machine is at work the bearings are held by
the catches D in the position represented in Figure 3, but when it is wished to
remove the spindle A the catches are raised, as is indicated in Figure 4, and then
the spindle is free to be drawn out along the slots C¹ in the seed box ends; theso
slots at other times are covered, as is seen in Figure 3, by plates or covers B",
forming part of the bearing B. The bearings B might be arranged to fall away
from the spindle otherwise than by turning about pins or axes B', but the arrange-
ment shewn is preferred.
In Figures 1, 2, and 5, E, E¹, is the countershaft, through which motion is trans-
mitted to the cup barrel on the spindle C. This countershaft is made in two parts,
and the part E can slide endwise in the part E', which is tubular; E' is slotted,
and a pin E" fixed in the part E works in the slot so that the part E' always turns
with the part E; F is a pinion at the end of the countershaft; and G, G¹, are two
toothed wheels or rings of teeth on the nave of the travelling wheel H, of which O,
the inner one, has a tooth or so less than G'; Ex, Ex, are collars on the part E of
the countershaft; and between them, as is seen in Figure 5, there is a loose sleeve
E, which is connected by a pin joint to the forked inner end of the hand lever I.
This lever I is mounted upon a pin upon a plate K, which is fixed to the under sido
of the seed box C, and it can be shifted from side to side, and secured in either of
two positions, one of which is represented in full lines and the other in dotted lines
in Figure 5. By this means a small variation may be made in the speed of the
countershaft without in any way interfering with the change wheel arrangement
at the other end of the countershaft. Lis a toothed wheel mounted on the part E'
of the countershaft; it can, when desired, be changed for a larger wheel L' indicated
in dotted lines. The wheel L or L' gears with an intermediate wheel M carried

page_text: upon a stud fixed on the forked arm N. This arm at its lower end embraces the
box support, and at its upper is locked by a bolt to the index plate O, fixed to the
side of the seed box C. There are two grooves 01, 0", in the index plate, one to
receive the bolt when the wheel L is in use, and the other when this wheel is
changed for the wheel L'.
The wheel M. drives the wheel P on the spindle A of the cup barrel, and this
wheel P is capable of being changed and replaced by other wheels of various sizes;
for each size a different position of the arm N is requisite, and the figures upon the
index plate indicate in each case the position in which the arm should be placed,
according to the number of teeth in the wheel applied to the spindle of the cup
barrel.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The method of carrying the spindle of the cup barrel so as to admit of its
easy removal, substantially as described.
Second. The arrangement of the gear for transmitting movement to the cup
barrel, so that it may be made to take its motion from either of two wheels or
rings of teeth carried upon the nave of the travelling wheel, substantially as
described.
Third. The construction of corn and seed drills and sowing machines, substan-
tially as herein described, and represented in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Josiah Smyth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.