Ax IMPROVEMENT PLAGS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Robert Dickson, of the City and County of
New Haven, State of Connecticut, United States of America, Engineer,
for the Invention of "Ax IMPROVEMENT PLAGS"
Sealed the 15th November 1864, and dated the 20th May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Robert Dickson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th May 1864.
I, SAMUEL ROBERT DICKSON, of the City and County of New Haven, State
of Connecticut, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PLOUGHS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in one or more plough shares or mould boards
formed spirally on a shaft, and made to revolve in combination with an
advance or forward movement, the axis of revolution being in the line
and direction of the furrow, which combined movements cut and turn the
furrow.
To more fully illustrate my Invention, I have given reference to the
accompanying 2 Sheets of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2
a plan or top view, and Fig. 3 a rear end view of the plough, to shew the
form of the mould boards.
A is a frame firmly and securely fixed to an axle B; C, D, are two wheels

page_text: upon the said axle, C being a common wheel and D a broad-faced periphery,
which may be corrugated or otherwise to prevent its slipping on the earth
without revolving; E is the driving gear, fixed to or made a part of the said
wheel D; F is the plough; f, f, f, are three shares or mould boards spirally
set or made upon a shaft G, they are also curved as seen in Fig. 3, the concave
side being towards and in the direction of the revolution, the arrow shewing
the direction of the revolution and the spiral line on which the mould boards
are set (shewn in Fig. 2) being so that the pressure of the earth through
which they are made to pass will tend to aid in their revolution. The said
shaft G is supported in adjustable bearings 9, q', secured to the frame A, the
one being pivoted at p, and the other slotted and held by a set screw 8, by
which means the plough may be raised or lowered and set at any point within
the limit of the slot in the support q¹. A pinion H is fixed to the end of the
said shaft, through which the plough is made to revolve from the action of the
gear on the driving wheel through the intermediate shaft I, I, and gears c, d, d,
and h, all supported in proper bearings L on the frame. The rear end of the
frame is supported on a pivot wheel W, of common and well-known construction
and arrangement. Horse, steam, or other power to draw the plough may be
attached to the frame in any convenient manner. When the plough moves
through the ground the shares revolve by power from the driving wheel as
aforesaid, the edge of the mould board acts as the share and cuts the earth,
at the same time revolving and turning the earth entirely over; each successive
mould board performs in like manner, the consequence being that the earth is
more thoroughly broken up, each furrow being three times cut by the three
⚫ mould boards, several of which may be combined on one frame, sufficient power
to drive them being of course the only limit, and this is little more than what
is required to cut the earth, as the revolution has simply to turn the earth.
When not in use or when desired to move the plough without ploughing, raise
the plough and secure it in the position shewn by the red lines in Fig. 1;
this throws it out of gear; or raise the plough more or less as a shallow or
deeper furrow is required; this adjustment may be made by a pinion meshing
into a rack on the slotted support, by turning which the plough may be easily
adjusted while in operation, or removed from the ground if obstructed in its
passage. I have illustrated three shares or mould boards, but there be
more or less; I prefer three, however, as experiments have shewn that this
number is the best adapted to the design of the plough.
may

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Robert Dickson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
ROBERT DICKSON, of the City and County of New Haven, State of Con-
necticut, United States of America, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Samuel Robert Dickson, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel
Robert Dickson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Samuel Robert Dickson, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN PLOUGHS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Samuel Robert Dickson, 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 Samuel Robert Dickson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say:-
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a side view; Fig. 2, Sheet 2, a plan or top view, and
Fig. 3, Sheet 1, a rear end view of the plough, to show the form of the
mould boards. Similar letters and characters indicate corresponding parts.
My Invention consists in one or more plough shares or mould boards.
formed spirally on a shaft, and made to revolve in combination with an
advance or forward movement, the axis of revolution being in the line
and direction of the furrow, which combined movements cut and turn the
furrow.

page_text: To more fully illustrate my Invention, I represent a single plough as
attached to a frame upon two wheels.
.
A is a frame firmly and securely fixed to an axle B; C, D, are two wheels
upon said axle, the one C being a common wheel, the other D a broad-faced
periphery, and which may be corrugated or otherwise to prevent its slipping on
the earth without revolving; E is the driving gear fixed to or made a part of
the said wheel D; F is the plough; ff, f, are three shares or mould boards
spirally set or made upon a shaft G, see Fig. 1; these are also curved as seen
in Fig. 3, the concave side being towards and in the direction of the revolution,
and the spiral line, on which the mould boards are set, being (as see Fig. 2)
so that the pressure of the earth through which they are made to pass will
tend to aid in their revolution. The said shaft G is supported in adjustable
bearings g, g', secured to the frame A, the one g being pivoted at p, and the
other slotted and held by a set screws, by which means the plough may be
raised or lowered and set at any point within the limit of the slot in the
support g'. A pinion H is fixed to the end of said shaft, through which the
plough is made to revolve from the action of the gear on the driving wheel
through the intermediate shaft I, I, and gears c, d, d, and h, all supported in
proper bearings L on the frame. The rear end of the frame is supported on
a pivot wheel W, of common and well-known construction, and arrangement.
Power to draw the plough may be horse, steam, or other power, attached to
the frame in any convenient manner. When being moved (the plough in the
ground) the shares revolve by power from the driving wheel as aforesaid, the
edge of the mould board acts as the share and cuts the earth, at the same
time revolving turns the earth thus cut entirely over; each successive mould
board performs in like manner, the consequence is that the earth is more
thoroughly broken up, each furrow being three times cut by the three mould
boards; several of these may be combined on one frame, sufficient power to
drive them being of course the only limit, and this is little more than what is
required to cut the earth, as the revolution has simply to turn the earth. When
pot in use or when desired to move the plough without ploughing, raise the
plough and secure it in the position shewn in red, Fig. 1; this throws it out
of gear or raise the plough more or less as a shallow or deeper furrow is
required; this adjustment may be made by a pinion meshing into a rack on the
slotted support, by turning which the plough may be easily adjusted while in
operation, or removed from the ground if obstructed in its passage. I have
illustrated three shares or mould boards, but there may be more or less; I prefer,
however, the number shewn, as experiment teaches me that 'that number
(three) is the best adapted to the design of the plough.

page_text: Therefore, without confining myself to the construction of the operative
mechanism described, or the number and precise form of the plough, I claim
as my Invention, and desire Letters Patent therefor, one or more spirally
formed mould boards or shares, when made to revolve in combination with an
advance or forward movement, the axis of revolution being in line with the
furrow cut, substantially in the manner and for the purpose berein set
forth.
In testimony whereof, I, the said Samuel Robert Dickson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this 27th day of July, in the year of our
Lord 1864.
SAMUEL ROBERT DICKSON. (L.B.)
SAMUEL ROBERT DICKSON. (L.B.)