Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1886.
Complete Left, 25th June, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 26th July, 1887.
I HENRY DE MORNAY of 73 Hereford Road, Bayswater in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
In a Provisional Specification lodged by me No. 5174 in the year 1880 I described
a digging machine in which movement was to be given to the digging forks or tools
by a steam engine mounted upon the frame of the implement.
My present invention has partly for its object to construct a digging machine
which can be drawn forwards by a hauling rope worked by a separate stationary
engine or can be drawn forwards by horses or other animals.
I employ as in my former machine a series of digging forks or tools mounted on
axes ranged equidistantly around the circumference of discs which can turn around
a fixed axis the axes of the forks, and the fixed axis being parallel with one
another.
The fixed axis has at its centre a cam fixed upon it. Each fork axis has an arm
extending from it which carries a roller that rests against the circumference of the
cam, or the discs may be fixed on a revolving axis in which case the cams are attached
to the frame outside the discs and the arms with rollers are then attached to the outer
ends of the transverse axis carrying the digging forks. The forks in this way have
a similar movement given to them to that described in the Specification before
mentioned. The discs also carry a pair of stops for each fork axis. The stops limit
the extent to which such axis can turn. The forks bear upon one of the stops as
they are about to enter the ground and against the other just after they have left
the ground. As the machine is drawn forwards over the ground revolving motion
is given to the discs by wheels which are concentric with and clutched to them.
The wheels which are clutched to the discs may be chain wheels and be driven
by endless chains gearing with and driven by chain wheels which are fast on the axis
of a driving drum, or other means for communicating revolving motion from one axis
n ་ ་་

page_text: to another may be adopted. The driving drum rests on the ground and rolls over
it as the machine is drawn forwards and to prevent it from slipping, it has blades
projecting from it to enter the ground.
The blades may be fixed radically or they may be controlled so as to make them
assume a vertical position as they enter and until they leave the ground or they may
be loose on axes and controlled by stops only.
The main supporting wheels of the machine I place either between the digging
mechanism and the driving drum or in such position on the frame as convenience
may dictate. I also provide mechanism by which the driving drum and digging
mechanism can be raised either independently or simultaneously to put them out
of action.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Digging Machines.
I, HENRY DE MORNAY of 73 Hereford Road Bayswater in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement.
In a provisional specification lodged by me No. 5174 in the year 1880 I described
a revolving digging machine in which movement was to be given to the digging
forks or tools by a steam engine mounted upon the frame of the implement the
said forks or tools being guided by rollers attached to the ends of levers fixed upon
the axes of the forks or tools and travelling in a grooved cam through their entire
revolution.
My present invention has for its objects to construct revolving digging machines
for effecting the digging up of the spits of earth offering the least resistance
practicable to the power used by the contrivance of improved methods and which
machines can be drawn forwards in opposite directions alternately by hauling ropes.
actuated by stationary engines or be drawn forwards. by animals or be attached
to the rear of a traction engine of the ordinary kind in the manner hereinafter
described.
I employ as in my former machine a series of digging forks or tools mounted on
axes ranged equidistantly around the circumference of revolving discs the axes of the
discs and forks being parallel with one another. The forks or tools are guided
as required when in action by rollers at the ends of levers attached either to the ends
of the axes of the said forks or tools or between the discs carrying them the said
rollers travelling round and against cams of suitable form for only a portion of
their revolution and are intermediately supported in the required positions by stops
fixed to the revolving discs as hereinafter described. By this arrangement the
objectionable necessity for causing the rollers to travel in a grooved cam through
their entire revolution as provided in my former invention is avoided. If the cams
between the discs carrying the forks or tools their axis has to be fixed but if as I prefer
the cams levers and rollers be placed outside the discs their axis may revolve
with them.
The revolution of the digger when at work in machines drawn by hauling ropes or
animals is caused by its communication with a driving wheel or drum placed in front of
it either by endless chains or toothed wheels or other suitable mechanism and which
driving wheel or drum is of special construction as hereinafter described..
When these machines arrive at the headland or have to leave the field the revolving
digger and driving wheel or drum which has a grip on the ground have to be raised
out of it as hereinafter described.
But the digger only has to be so raised when attached to an ordinary traction
engine. In this case the frame which carries it is raised and depressed with it by
the force of a steam cylinder specially provided for it and when it is depressed with

page_text: the forks in the ground for digging the connection of the piston with the boiler is
maintained by which the steam acts as an elastic buffer in case of exceptional or
excessive resistance occuring in the ground as hereinafter described.
When the machine at work is actuated with hauling ropes and has to travel in a
changed direction after raising the digger and driving wheel out of the ground cross
plates attached to the frame are forced into the ground on the inner side of the
frame towards which the machine is required to be turned the upper cylindrical
axis of which serves as a fixed centre round which the machine is hauled as herein-
after described.
I will now proceed to describe the annexed drawings illustrative of my invention.
Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams showing how the forks or tools are cansed to enter
the earth the points of which descend to their lowest depth in a straight line and in
rising to the surface of the ground break it up tilting the clod raised in a backward
direction after which they are gradually turned over by the rear form of the
until arrested by the stop C₁ shown in Figures 3 and 4 when they will be at the angle
required for entering the soil at i. This angle is determined in the following way :-
Figure 1 represents the machine to advance precisely at the rolling speed of a circle
through centres B performing the cycloid j.j. in one revolution.
cam
The adopted length of the forks is measured from where its point would touch the
earth directly beneath the subjacent apex of the cycloid j. j. to where it would cut
the cycloid above it at ¹ determining the angle of entrance to the soil shown by the
dotted line .. and the lower positions are determined by parallel lines drawn
from the centres B to where they cut the cycloid and from that point in each case
the length of the forks or tools is measured to where it cuts the lines k. k. This
places the rollers at the ends of the levers attached to the forks in their respective
positions the curve of the inner cam G, being made tangent to their inner sides and
the curved guard H tangent to their outer sides or nearly so that the rollers
never touch both cam and guard at once the space between them being slightly
greater than their diameters. After the points of the forks or tools reach the lowest
position at L the form of the cam guiding them up to the surface breaking up the
ground may be somewhat varied at pleasure or according to the nature of the soil
intended to be worked as ascertained by experience approximating the form in my
illustration.
After leaving the soil the forks immediately fall to the position at m. m. where
they are arrested by a stop C as shown in Figures 3 and 4 after which they are
turned over by the form of the cam G until they again fall by their weight against
the stop C¹ provided for arresting them at the proper angle for entering the soil as
before mentioned.
The same rules hold for determining the form of the cams and angles of entrance
and exit &c. of the forks or tools in Figure 2 when by acceleration of the revolving
speed of the digger as compared with the movement forwards of the machine the
centres B of the forks or tools perform a somewhat curtate cycloid and which I
generally prefer to the perfect cycloid because thinner clods are dug up and a greater
width of earth backwards broken up when performing a curtate cycloid whilst the
forks or tools enter the soil at a more obtuse angle. D is the central shaft or axis.
G the cam. H the curved guards and F the rollers bearing upon them. The angle
of the levers with the forks as well as the diameters of the rollers may be somewhat
varied at pleasure.
Figures 3 and 4 are side and end elevations of the digging mechanism.
Figures 5 and 6 are similar views of the driving mechanism I in some cases employ
to obtain a hold on the ground to drive the digging mechanism.
Figure 7 is a side view of another kind of driving mechanism I in some cases
employ.
Figures 8 and 9 shew a plan and side elevation of a complete digging machine
to be drawn by horses, bullocks or other animals.
Figures 10 and 11 are similar views of a machine to be drawn by hauling ropes
worked by stationary engines.

page_text: Figures 12 and 13 show a side view and plan illustrating a method for raising the
liggers and driving wheel or drum out of the ground by the power of the hauling
engine.
Figures 14 and 15 are side and end elevations of an ordinary traction engine with
my digging mechanism applied to it with a steam cylinder specially added for raising
and depressing the digger out of and into the ground as well as acting as a steam
buffer in case of extra resistance in the soil.
In Figures 3 and 4 A. A. are the digging forks carried by axes B. B. which are
supported at equal distances apart in bearings around the circumference of the
discs C. C. which are fixed on a horizontal axis D. This axis at its ends turns in
bearings in a plummer block frame E. On the ends of the axes B are levers B¹
with rollers Fat their ends and on the discs C. C. are projecting stops and C
against which the levers strike limiting the extent to which the axes of the forks can
turn as previously explained. By the stops C" the levers keep the forks at the proper
angle for entering the soil and by the stops C, at the proper angle after leaving the
soil. The rollers F rest against the fixed cams G or the curved guard H from the
time the forks commence to enter the ground and until after they have left it and
are subsequently turned into such a position by the form of the cam G that the
over balancing weight of the forks turns their axis in a forward direction until the
lever at their end is arrested by the stop C³, at its angle of entrance to the soil.
The shape of the cam G with the aid of the curved guard causes the forks to be
pressed downwards into the ground approximately in a straight line and after
arriving at the lowest point below the axis D commence to break up the earth by the
altered form of the cam G gradually changing the angular position of the forks
until their points leave the surface of the earth as shewn at A¹ the precise angularity
with the surface not being essential. Immediately afterwards the form of the cam
G allows the forks to drop to about the position of the dotted line A³ they being
arrested in that position by the stop (2. The dotted line A³ represents the position
of the forks just entering the soil.
Each axis B has a lever B' at one end only and alternate axes have the levers at
opposite end as well as cams and curved guards on both sides as shewn.
The digging apparatus is lifted out of the ground or depressed into it by links
attached to the studs K. K. communicating. with crank levers and guided by the
rods I. I. as shewn in Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 representing complete machines for
being drawn by animals or hauling ropes. But when the digging apparatus is
attached to a traction engine it is raised or depressed by a different arrangement
hereinafter described.
Figures 5 and 6 represent a driving wheel or drum which in some cases I adopt by
which the plates which enter the ground are attached to axes K' K₁ suspended round
the discs LL' at the ends of these axes levers N and rollers P are fixed the vibrations
of which are limited by the stops L' and L' as required whilst the cam O the lower
part of which is circular and eccentric guides the plates causing them to descend into
This driving
the ground and emerge therefrom in a vertical position or nearly so.
wheel or drum is raised or depressed by links attached to the studs P* P* as with the
digging apparatus. E represents a portion of the frame of the machine.
Figure 7 represents another form of driving wheel or drum I sometimes adopt in
which the plates Pl entering the ground are attached to axes suspended between
discs L Las in the previous case having levers N only at their ends which are
limited in vibration by the stops L' I so that the plates enter the ground descending
to their lowest position radially or nearly so but in emerging therefrom yield to the
resistance of the soil until arrested by the stops L² as represented. This driving
wheel or drum is raised or depressed by links attached to the axis M.
In the complete machine shown at Figures 8 and 9 which is to be drawn by horses
or other animals the driving drum and digger are shewn to be raised and depressed
by the screw R actuating the crank levers P* P* connected by the rods Q Q with the
guides I I I¹ to keep them straight. GG are the cams H H the curved guards and

page_text: FF the rollers bearing thereon guiding the forks A A. Here the curved guard is
shewn to be fixed to the frame of the machine and which would not be raised with the
digger out of the ground but I prefer that it shall be so raised as represented in
Figures 3 and 4. As this machine must be generally narrow in order to steady it
projecting brackets N' N¹ are attached to the frame at the ends of which are bearings
to carry the supporting wheel K only shewn in the plan which is shifted from one
bearing to the other according to the direction the machine relatively to the soil
previously dug so that this wheel shall always travel on unbroken ground. K³ is a
fixed bearing wheel whilst the axle of the front wheels L L turns as the animals
move to the right or the left in the usual way.
The endless chain W is hung upon the toothed wheels uv by which the driving
drumz actuates the digger. The onds of the plates of the driving drum are represented
of a curved form but they may be square angular or any shape found most suitable
for the soil in which the machine is mostly used. In this case the driving drum
represented with fixed radial blades."
The depth to which the plates of the driving drum are allowed to enter the ground
is regulated by circular plates introduced above the turn plate of the front wheels L* L*
or set screws in the vertical spindle on their shaft or any ordinary method of raising
and lowering the front part of the machine which would be small in amount.
In the complete machine shown in Figures 10 and 11 which is to be worked by
stationary engines and hauling ropes the hauling rope in action is attached to the
ring T at the end of the arm S which is of any convenient length for acting as a lever
for the opposite engine to haul the machine round to dig the ground in the opposite
direction adjacent to the ground previously dug. The rope of that engine the end of
which has been carried forward by attachment to the ring is then attached to the
ring at to which position the arm S has been moved round after detachment of the
rope which has been in action. The cross plates wo on that side of the frame are then
forced into the ground by the screw T the spindle above acting as a centre for the
machine to be wheeled round to its opposite position by the engine hauling it by the
ring T. Previously the driving drum and digger have to be raised out of the ground
either by the screws u¹ v¹ and levers y y' as represented or as I prefer by the method
shewn in Figures 12 and 13. In this case the crank levers standards and links used
for raising the digger and driving drum are connected and positioned as represented
in Figures 8 and 9 and in place of the screw in front the arrangement represented in
Figures 12 and 13 is substituted, Figure 12 being the plan and Figure 13 the side
elevation, when the digger and driving drum are to be raised the retaining bolt at
is removed and the rope of the hauling engine is attached to the hook z¹ and the
engine then hauls the levers w¹ and w² w which are fixed to the shaft N¹ until the
hole at the end of the lever 10³ arrives opposite the lower hole in the standard y
into which the bolt is then inserted. When the digger and driving drum have to be
depressed the hauling rope is attached to the hook the bolt at 2 being removed the
engine then hauls upon the levers w² ² and w³ until the hole at the end of the
lever comes opposite the upper hole ¹ in the standard y¹ when the bolt is inserted
therein.
This machine being sufficiently broad to be steady the supporting wheels R R
remain permanently in their position and the front guiding wheels Q Q' are turned
by the driver in the usual way as in a portable or traction engine.
The digging mechanism and driving drum with their connections are precisely
similar to those in the machine intended to be drawn by animals already described and
need no separate description here.
Figures 14 and 15 represent my digging mechanism carried by a frame T* jointed
to the rear of an ordinary traction engine. The cam G curved guard H with the
levers and rollers employed in the other machines for controlling the motion of the
forks or tools being exactly the same in this machine as already described in the other
machines have not been repeated in these drawings. In order to raise and depress
the digger I place a steam cylinder M' above the digger firmly supported by the

page_text: bracket N' attached to the rear of the traction engine with a framed cross head I' H¹G¹
jointed at each end to the levers T the ends. of which are connected with the rods j¹ j¹
attached to the end of the frame T'.
The steam pipe O' supplies the cylinder with steam which is introduced either
above or below the piston as required by the two way cock or valve L' and when the
digger is depressed into the ground for work the cock introducing the steam above
the piston is left open so that the steam in the cylinder acts as an elastic buffer in case
of the forks in their descent into the ground meeting with any unusual or excessive
obstruction. The toothed chain wheel d¹ is attached to the driving wheel and
connected by the endless chain to a similar wheel d of suitable diameter on the axis
of the digger as represented. B' B are the side discs of the digger and C³ its shaft
the projecting bearings F¹ F¹ supporting the inner ends of the digger frame T³ and
upper lever T.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The digging mechanism composed of forks or tools fixed to a series of axes
ranged at equal distances apart around the circumference of parallel discs revolving
round an axis either with or independently of it each set of forks or tools having a
lever attached thereto controlled in its movement partly by stops and partly by a
roller at its end which travels round and is guided by a cam and curved guard so
formed and the relative speeds of the revolving centres of the axes of the forks or tools
with the progress forward of the machine so regulated that whilst the centres of the
said forks or tools perform either a perfect or curtate cycloid the forks or tools shall
enter and descend to their lowest position in the soil in a straight line or approximately
so as substantially described.
2. The combination in my revolving digging machines to be drawn by animals
direct or by hauling rope and steam or other power of my digging mechanism and
driving drum bearing upon and rolling over the ground and transmitting a revolving
motion to the digging mechanism by an endless chain hung on toothed wheels or
other ordinary means of communicating such motion substantially as described.
3. Mounting the digging mechanism and driving drum upon the frame of the
machine in such a manner that they can be raised or depressed as required sub-
stantially as described.
4. Forming the driving drum either with fixed radiating blades or the said blades
hinged and caused to enter and leave the soil approximately in a vertical position or
to enter the soil radially or nearly so but yielding to its resistance at a resultant angle
in emerging from it substantially as described.
5. The combination of the revolving digging mechanism driving drum and
supporting wheels substantially as described.
6. The employment of a steam cylinder specially to raise and depress the digging
mechanism when required and when depressed and in work the pressure of the steam
in the cylinder being continuously maintained so as to act as an elastic buffer in case
of extra resistance occuring substantially as described.
7. The construction of digging machines substantially as described and illustrated
in Figures 8 and 9.
8. The construction of digging machines substantially as described and illustrated
in Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13.
9. The construction of digging machines substantially as described and illustrated
in Figures 14 and 15.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1887.