IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING DITCHES, DRAINS, AND OTHER EXCAVATIONS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander, Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR MAKING DITCHES, DRAINS, AND OTHER
EXCAVATIONS."- -A communication from abroad by Theodore Fitz
Randolph, of Morristown, County of Morris, and State of New'
Jersey, United States of America.
-
Sealed the 19th December 1873, and dated the 31st October 1873. .
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark:
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 31st October 1873, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.

page_text: petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made
solemn Declaration that it has been communicated to me from abroad
by Theodore Fitz Randolph, of Morristown, County of Morris, and State
of New Jersey, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my
hand and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheets
of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to

page_text: •
Figures 20 and 21 represent modifications of the device for driving
the ditching wheel by the traction of the driving wheels.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A are the traction wheels, which revolve upon the journals of the
axle B, which axle is made of such a length that the said wheels may
travel upon the opposite side of the ditch; C is the tongue, which is
attached to the middle part of the axle B; D is a short bolster, which
is connected with the axle B by a king bolt in the ordinary manner.
To the ends of the bolster D are pivoted the forward ends of the two
draw bars E, so that their rear ends may have a vertical movement. In
the rear ends of the bars E revolve the ends of the journals of the
ditching wheel F, which journals work in bearings in the frame G, and
are made long to give steadiness of motion to the ditching wheel F. To
the lower rear part of the frame G is attached a bracket H, to which is
swiveled the forked standard I of the guide wheel J. To the upper end
of the standard I is attached a hand lever K, by means of which the
wheel J is turned to guide the machine. To the forward end of the
lever K is pivoted a forked pawl L to take hold of the bracket H to lock
the guide wheel J in a central position, and which is released to allow
the wheel J to be turned to guide the machine in turning. To the
forward upper part of the frame G is attached a bracket M, which
projects forward and embraces the rack N, the lower end of which is
attached or pivoted to the bolster, D, and which is strengthened by the
lateral braces O, the lower ends of which are attached to the ends of the
bolster D. P is a pinion meshing into the teeth of the rack N, and the
shaft of which is pivoted to the forward end of the bracket M; Q is a
friction roller pivoted on the fork of the bracket M to bear against the
rear side of the rack N and hold it in gear with the pinion P; R is a
bevel gear wheel attached to the shaft of the pinion P, and into the
teeth of which mesh the teeth of the small bevel gear wheel S attached
to the forward end of the shaft T, which works in bearings attached to
the bracket M and the frame G, and to the rear end of which is attached
the hand wheel U, so that by turning the shaft T the frame G and with
it the ditching wheel F may be raised and lowered as required, and
which are supported in any position by the pawl and ratchet V. If
desired the gear wheels R, S, may be replaced by a worm and wheel, as
shown in Figure 19; in this case the pawl and ratchet V are not
required. To the lower forward part of the frame G is attached a forked

page_text: bracket W, to which is pivoted a wheel X, by which the depth of the
cut is regulated, and which is so arranged that the ditching wheel F
can never sink in the soil deeper than the depth of its flanges, its weight
being supported when at work by the wheels X and J. When not at
work the weight of the ditching wheel is supported by the wheel J and
the traction wheels A. The wheel X is kept clean by a scraper Y
attached to the frame G. Z are coulters, one upon cach side, which
open a way for the flanges of the ditching wheel F. A¹ are coulters for
slightly widening the ditch upon each side as the wheel sinks down;
B¹ are two scrapers for cleaning the outer sides of the flanges of the
whcel F; Care friction rollers attached to the frame G to bear against
the flanges of the wheel F to prevent it from wabbling. The rollers C¹.
are made V shaped, as shewn in Figure 6, to prevent them from packing:
the soil against the flanges of the wheel F. The concavity of the rim
of the wheel F may be made with a flat bottom or with a curved bottom,
as shown in Figure 7; the latter construction is preferred as it drops
the soil more readily. For the same reason as the flanges of the wheel F
may be made slightly flaring if desired. As the ditching wheel F
revolves the slice is separated from the soil by the plough D', up which
it slides until caught between tlie belt E¹ and the bottom of the cavity
of the rim of the wheel F, by which it is held while being carried to the
upper part of the wheel, over which it passes and is discharged through
the spout at the side of the ditch. Upon the upper end of the
spout F is formed an apron G¹, which passes between the flanges of the
wheel F and terminates in a scraper H', by which the soil is loosened
from said wheel F. The plough D¹ is bolted to a holder I', the rear end
of which is bolted to the rear upright of the frame G, which bolts pass
through a slot in the said upright, as seen in Figures 14, 15, and 16, to
enable the holder I¹ to be lowered for convenience in changing the
plough, as the character of the soil may require. The holder I' and tho
upright to which it is attached may be tongued and grooved to each
other, as shown in Figures 14, 15, and 16, to strengthen their connection.
In the rear part of the holder I', and high enough to prevent any
contact with the soil, is pivoted the pulley J', around which the belt E¹
passes, and which is made of such size as to fill the space in which it
is placed, and prevent it from being clogged by the soil. The rear end
of the plough D¹ must be extended so as to deliver the soil to the belt E
just above the pulley J¹, so that when the belt is pressed back by the
soil it may form nearly a continuous curve with the plough, and have

page_text: no chance for clogging. The upper part of the belt E¹ passes around a
pulley K', the bearings of which slide up and down in slotted standards
attached to the frame G. The pulley K¹ is raised and lowered to regulate
the tension of the belt E¹ by one or more worms and worm wheels L¹.
operating upon one or more screws M' connected with its bearings; or
the pulley. K¹ may have its bearings in brackets N' sliding in the upright
of the frame G, and raised and lowered by a swiveled screw O¹ operated
by hand wheel P¹. The pulley K¹ is driven by a belt A³ passing around
the pulleys B2 and 0%; the former being attached to the shaft of the.
pulley K, and the latter being attached to the shaft of the pinion
wheel D³, which meshes into a gear wheel E attached to the axle of the
ditching wheel F.. Upon the inner side of the rim of the guide wheel J
are formed cross ribs provided with holes to receive bolts for securing
plates Q to the sides of the said wheel, against which plates the arms
or forks of the brackets I fit closely, which arms are made with sharp
side edges, as shewn in Figure 3, to act as scrapers to prevent the soil
from impeding the motion of the wheel. R¹ are knives or scrapers, the
lower ends of which are pivoted to the lower end of the upright of the
frame G; and their upper ends have eyes formed in them to receive and
slide upon arms S¹ attached to said upright, and provided with holes to
receive pins for securing the scrapers R¹ at any desired inclination to
give the required slant to the sides of the ditch. When not required for
use the scrapers are secured against the sides of the upright, as shown in
full lines in Figure 17.
As heretofore described the ditching wheel F has been revolved by
friction against the soil, but may be assisted by connecting it with the
traction wheels A by suitable gearing, which however must be so con-
structed as to allow the ditching wheel to have its vertical motion, and
the traction wheels their swinging motion in a horizontal plane. This
may be done by means of an endless chain T, chain wheels U¹, and gear;
wheels V¹ arranged as shewn in Figure 20.
If desired the chain wheels T¹, U, may be replaced by a shaft W¹
provided with a universal joint, and the bevel gear wheels X' arranged
as shewn in Figure 21. In the first case, which construction is preferred,
the horizontal bevel gear wheel V₁ runs loose upon its shaft; in the
second case the shaft must revolve with it.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the, manner of

page_text: performing the same, I declare that what I claim as new, and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. The combination in a ditching machine of a flanged revolving
carrier wheel F with the two coulters Z set upon opposite sides, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
Second. The combination of the two coulters A¹ with the two
coulters Z and with the flanged ditching wheel F, substantially as
herein shown and described.
Third. The scraper spout consisting of the spout F¹; apron G',
scraper H¹ in combination with the flanged ditching wheel F, substan-
tially as herein shown and described..
Fourth. The guide wheel J provided with the side plates Q', the sharp
edged forked standard I, lever K, and locking pawl L in combination
with the frame G that carries the flanged ditching wheel F, substantially.
as herein shown and described.
Fifth. The draft bars E pivoted at their rear ends to the axle of the
flanged ditching wheel F, and at their forward ends to the bolster D of
the axle B, substantially as herein shown and described.
Sixth. The arrangement of the lower pulley J¹ of the belt E' in con-
nection with the plough holder I', substantially as herein shown and
described.
Seventh. The rearward extension of the plough D¹ arranged in con-
nection with the plough holder I', lower pulley J¹, and belt E', substan-
tially as herein shown and described.
Eighth. The adjustable attachment of the plough holder I to the.
slotted upright of the frame G that carries the flanged ditching wheel F,
substantially as herein shown and described.
Ninth. The combination of the belt A³, pulleys B³, C³, pinion wheel D³,
and gear wheel E2 with the flanged ditching wheel F and upper
pulley K² of the belt E¹ for the purpose of driving the said belt E¹ from
the said flanged ditching wheel F, substantially as herein shown and
described.
Tenth. The combination of the endless chain T¹, chain wheels U¹, and
gear wheels V¹ or equivalent gearing with the traction wheels A and
flanged ditching wheel F, substantially as hercin shown and described. 1

page_text: Eleventh. The combination of the worm and wheel L', one or more, and
the screw M³, one or more, with the upper pulley K' of the belt E¹, sub-
stantially as herein shewn and described.
Twelfth. A ditching wheel F having the concavity of its "rim made
curved in its cross section, substantially as herein shown and described.
Thirteenth. The V shaped friction wheels C¹ in combination with the
flanged ditching wheel F, substantially as herein shown and described.
Fourteenth. The combination of the hand wheel U, shaft T, gear
wheels S, R, or equivalent worm and wheel and pinion P with the
rack N and frame G that carries the flanged ditching wheel F
for raising and lowering said frame and wheel, substantially as herein
shown and described..
Fifteenth. The combination of the pivoted cutters R¹ and the perforated
arms S¹ with the upright of the frame G that carries the ditching wheel,
substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
HENRY W. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)