Improvements in Seed Drills.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 22nd Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 28th Jan., 1887.
Improvements in Seed Drills.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements applicable to seed drills generally and is
based on the employment of Archimedean screw conveyors turning partly within the
seed hopper and partly within a tubular extension of the same and mounted on a shaft
driven from the travelling wheels or in other suitable manner. The portion of the
spiral which turns within the hopper conducts the seed towards the tubular extension
the spiral being made of decreasing radius towards the mouth of the tubular
extension in order to prevent the seed being crushed between the screw and the mouth
of said tube. The portion of the screw turning within the tube is of such diameter as
to just touch the sides of the same. The seed which completely fills the tube is
conveyed by the screw to the delivery spout down which it passes. In this manner,
first, the quantity of seed distributed will be always the same for the same speed of
the shaft and the seed is not liable to fall back into the hopper as is often the case
with drills provided with revolving cups, or to be delivered prematurely through
concussion, or of being taken up in unequal quantities by the cups; second, The
quantity of seed distributed may be regulated at will by simply varying the speed of the
shaft by means of change gear; third, all kinds of seed whether large or small and of
any form may be sown indifferently as the screw delivers all alike and as the seed is
compelled to take the most favorable position the distribution depends entirely upon
the speed of the shaft.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which are represented two arrangements of screw-conveyors as well
as the mode of applying the same, but it will be understood that the Invention is not
limited thereto as the arrangements are capable of considerable variation.

page_text: Figure 1 shows a screw conveyor mounted upon an inclined shaft; Figure 2 shows
several screws mounted upon the same horizontal shaft. Figure 3 is a vertical section,
and Figure 4 a plan of a drill provided with the improvements of this Invention.
The same letters of reference represent the same parts in all the Figures.
a is the hopper or seed box which in the example shown in Figure 2 is provided
with inclined surfaces which divide it into a series of compartments; c c are the
screw conveyors any number of which are mounted upon the shaft d. The shaft may
be either inclined as shown in Figure 1 or horizontal as shown in Figure 2, and may
be driven either by bevel gear e as shown or in any other suitable manner. are the
tubes in which the screw conveyors rotate, the spirals being made of smaller radius at
the mouths of said tubes as shown. are the spouts which receive the seed as it
leaves the tubes f. h is the framing of the drill.
The conveyors may be arranged in various ways, for example each drill or line of
sowing may have its separate hopper and screw conveyor driven from the same
horizontal shaft or said shaft may itself be provided with a series of screw conveyors
coupled together two and two and oppositely threaded, in each of the compartments
of a hopper extending the whole breadth of the drill.
G is a fork by which the seed distribution is supported upon the axle H to which it
is connected simply by a key m. I, clutch on axle H operated by a hand lever K for
throwing all the conveyors into action at one time. L is a face wheel provided with
concentric circles of holes with which a peg wheel M turning with, but movable along,
the conveyor shaft d, to enable the speed of the conveyors to be varied. N set-screw
by which each face wheel L may be adjusted to suit the width between the drills.
O wood framing and P, Q arms on which are mounted the steering wheel fork R and
the gear for lifting the drill consisting of a frame S mounted upon the opposite ends
of the axle to the centre of which is attached a chain T passing over a pulley Z and
operated by a lever X. Y steering handle. small semi-circular metallic brush
placed at the mouth of the tube f of hopper. y knob by means of which each screw
conveyor can be put in or out of gear separately.
A. M. CLA
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Seed Drills.
1, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me from
abroad by Henri Louis de Lapparent of Fontenay sous Bois, Seine, France, Inspector
General of Agriculture), and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to improvements applicable to seed drills generally, and is
based on the employment of Archimedean screw-conveyors turning partly within the
seed hopper and partly within a tubular extension of the same and mounted on a shaft
driven from the travelling wheels, or in other suitable manner. The portion of the
spiral which turns within the hopper conducts the seed towards the tubular extension,
the spiral being made of decreasing radius towards the mouth of the tubular extension,
in order to prevent the seed being crushed between the screw and the mouth of said
tube. The portion of the screw turning within the tube is of such diameter as to just
touch the sides of the same. The sced, which completely fills the tube, is conveyed by
the screw to the delivery spout down which it passes.
In this manner, first, the quantity of seed distributed will be always the same for
the same speed of the shaft and the seed is not liable to fall back into the hopper, as
is often the case with drills provided with revolving cups, or to be delivered prematurely
through concussion, or of being taken up in unequal quantities by the cups; second,
the quantity of seed distributed may be regulated at will by simply varying the speed
of the shaft by means of change gear; third, all kinds of seed, whether large or
small and of any form, may be sown indifferently, as the screw delivers all alike, and
as the seed is compelled to take the most favorable position, the distribution depends
entirely upon the speed of the shaft.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification in which are represented two arrangements of screw-conveyors as well as
the mode of applying the same; but it will be understood that the Invention is not
limited thereto, as the arrangements are capable of considerable variation. Figure 1
shews a screw conveyor mounted upon an inclined shaft, Figure 2 shews several screws
mounted upon the same horizontal shaft. Figure 3 is a vertical section, and Figure 4 a
plan, of a drill provided with the improvements of this Invention. The same letters
of reference represent the same parts in all these figures.
a is the hopper or seed box, which, in the example shewn in figure 2 is provided
with inclined surfaces which divide it into a series of compartments. ce are the
screw conveyors, any number of which are mounted upon the shaft d. The shaft may
be either inclined, as shewn in figure 1, or horizontal, as shewn in figure 2, and may be
driven either by bevel gear e, as shewn, or in any other suitable manner. fare the
tubes in which the screw conveyors rotate, the spirals being made of smaller radius at

page_text: the mouths of said tubes, as shewn. are the spouts which receive the seed as it
leaves the tubes f. his the framing of the drill.
The conveyors may be arranged in various ways; for example, each drill or line of
sowing may have its separate hopper and screw conveyor driven from the same
horizontal shaft, or said shaft may itself be provided with a series of screw conveyors
coupled together two and two and oppositely threaded in each of the compartments of
a hopper extending the whole breadth of the drill.
G is a fork by which the seed distribution is supported upon the axle H to which it
is connected simply by a cotter m. I is a clutch on axle H operated by a hand lever K
for throwing all the conveyors into action at one time. L (figure 3) is a face wheel
provided with concentric circles of holes with which engages a peg-wheel M turning
with, but movable along the conveyor shaft d to enable the speed of the conveyors to
be varied. Instead of a peg-wheel, as shewn, any suitable arrangement of adjustable
toothed gearing may be employed, as hereinafter described. Each face wheel Lis
adjustable upon axle H to suit the width the drills are to be apart, and is secured by
a set screw N. O wood framing, and PQ arms on which are mounted the steering
wheel fork R and the gear for lifting the drill consisting of a frame S mounted upon
the opposite ends of the axle, to the centre of which is attached a chain T passing over
a pulley Z and operated by a lever X. Y steering handle, n small semi-circular
metallic brush placed at the mouth of the tube of hopper. y knob, by means of
which each screw conveyor can be put in or out of gear separately.
In figures 5 and 6 is shewn the train of gearing serving as a substitute for the peg
and face wheels before described. In this arrangement the travelling wheels p are no
longer keyed on the horizontal shaft which controls the seed distribution, but are
mounted on an axle carried by the framing. Fast with one of these wheels is a
toothed wheel a which transmits motion to the seed distributing shaft through two
other toothed wheels y and 8, the first of which may be replaced by others of larger
or smaller diameter, according to the rate at which the seed is to be supplied. is a
box into which the seed can be emptied from the hoppers a by inverting them by
means of lever X and chains T.
The advantages of this Invention are that;
1st. All the drills are made alike whether large or small, as each hopper spout and
screw conveyor forms a unit of the whole the only difference being in the length of
the axle.
2nd. The drill can be made of any breadth desired by adding to or reducing the
number of hoppers, spouts, and screw conveyors, which are simply connected to the
axle H by a cotter.
3rd. The face wheels L can be adjusted at any distance apart upon the axle H and
fixed by a set screw N.
4th. The screw-conveyors etc can be thrown in or out of action by means of an
independent clutch I.
5th. The seed hoppers can be quickly emptied, either by removing the screw
conveyors c or by inverting the hoppers upon the axle as a centre.
6th. Lightness of construction, each seed hopper and spout with its face wheel and
corresponding portion of the axle, together with the lifting apparatus and gearing,
weighing from sixty to sixty-five pounds only.
7th. There is no foresteerage to the drill, the labor of one man being thus saved, as
the steering handle Y is within reach of the man guiding the drill, who has an
uninterrupted view to the front, the hopper not obscuring the view as in other drills..
8th. All the parts are so combined that the adjustment of the drill is of the simplest
possible character, the parts are also made almost entirely of ordinary or malleable
cast iron including the screw conveyor e and the tube in which it works.
9th. The gear for lifting the drill is very simple.
10th. Ease with which the rate of delivery of the seed can be changed in a ten-row
drill.
11th. Facility for modifying the speed in the case of small seeds, by the employment
of screws with finer threads.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. In a seed drill, the combination with delivery spouts g corresponding in number
to that of the rows to be sown, of screw-conveyors cone to each of said spouts, by
which the seed contained in hopper a is conveyed through tubes fof said hoppers
to the delivery spouts, as described, the said screw conveyors being revolved at a speed
depending on the rate at which the seed is to be distributed.
2nd. A seed drill composed of a number of distinct independent sets of apparatus
each comprising a hopper, delivery spout, screw conveyor, and clutch, combined for
operation as shewn and described."
3rd. In a seed drill constructed as specified, in the preceding claim the herein
described means of regulating the distance between the drills by adjusting the face
wheels or gear wheels upon the axle and fixing them by set screws, as shewn and
described.
4th. In a seed drill mounting the hoppers to turn over upon a horizontal axis for
the purpose of discharging their contents, as shewn and described.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.