IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL ROLLERS AND CLOD CRUSHERS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Wilder, of the firm of James Wilder and
Sons, of Reading, in the County of Berks, Agricultural Machinists, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL ROLLERS AND CLOD
CRUSHERS."
Sealed the 27th October 1854, and dated the 1st July 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Wilder at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
July 1854.
I, JOHN WILDER, of the firm of James Wilder and Sons, of Reading, in
the County of Berks, Agricultural Machinists, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL ROLLERS AND CLOD
CRUSHERS" to be as follows:-
These improvements consist in constructing rollers or clod crushers with
two or more rollers (3 being preferred), attached to suitable framework and
moving on adjustable bearings, so that when used on uneven land, such as that
termed "five bout land," the rollers shall accommodate themselves thereto. In
order to ensure the whole face of the land being rolled, without leaving vacan-
cies between the ends of the rollers, one or more of the rollers will be placed

page_text: slightly in advance of or on a different parallel line from the others, and be of
sufficient length to cover the whole width between such advanced roller or
rollers and the other rollers, which not being on the same parallel line will
not impede the rotation thereof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Wilder in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
WILDER, of the firm of James Wilder and Sons, of Reading, in the County
of Berks, Agricultural Machinists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Wilder, Her special licence that I, the said John Wilder,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Wilder, 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
AGRICULTURAL ROLLERS AND CLOD CRUSHERS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Wilder, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, 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 John Wilder, 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:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the rollers used for agri-
cultural purposes, and has been stated in the Provisional Specification already
filed, to consist in the following peculiarities, which are now re-stated, with the
view to describe with accuracy the nature of the said Inventions.

page_text: These rollers or clod crushers are constructed of two or more rollers (3
being preferred), set in suitable framework and moving in adjustable bearings,
in order that when used on undulating ground, (such as that termed "five
bout" land,) the rollers shall accommodate themselves thereto. In order to
ensure the whole face of the land being rolled, without leaving vacancies
between the ends of the rollers, one or more of the rollers should be placed
slightly in advance of the others, and be of sufficient length to cover the whole
width between the ends of such advanced roller or rollers and the end of the
other roller or ends of the other rollers.
Thus much I state in description of the nature of my said Invention, and
will now proceed to ascertain in what manner the same is to be performed,
wherein I shall refer to the accompanying Drawings by the words, figures, and
letters thereon appearing, and herein referred to, as follows :-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1, plan view; Fig. 2, back elevation; Fig. 3, side elevation; Fig. 4,
sectional elevation, taken through the middle of the apparatus. a, a, are two
middle frames, and b, b, two outside frames of cast iron, firmly braced and con-
nected together by wrought-iron rods c, c; d, d, are the front or outside rollers,
each held or guided by one of the frames a and one of the frames b; e is the
back or middle roller, held or guided by the two middle frames a, a. The
axes of the several rollers have liberty to play vertically in slots in the frames,
but the weight of the framing is borne by the rollers from or upon their axes,
by means of the rods f,f, each of which passes and slides freely through a pair
of guiding brackets g,g, and is fitted with a stout wire coil spring (h), though
the spring may be of any other description; each has also a plate i for
receiving the pressure of the spring, which is adjustable by means of nuts, as
shewn. The outside rollers have this system of rods and springs only at one
end (namely, that nearer to the middle of the apparatus), and in each case
these are marked A, but the middle roller is so furnished at both ends, the
two systems of rods and springs being marked B. k, k, represent shafts for
the animal employed to drag the apparatus.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that I claim in
respect of the said Letters Patent granted to me by Her said most Excellent
Majesty as aforesaid, the Invention of Improvements in Agricultural Rollers
and Clod Crushers, herein-before set forth, the nature whereof is described in
the first part of this Specification; it being understood that I do not claim the
individual portions of the mechanism described, except as constituent parts of

page_text: my Invention, although I do not restrict myself to the precise combination or
arrangement of mechanism exhibited by the Drawings, which simply illustrate
that arrangement which I consider preferrable.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Wilder, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
JOHN WILDER. (L.S.)