AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SOWING OR DISTRIBUTING MANURES, WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR SOWING SEEDS OR GRAIN."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Shaw, of the City and County of Edinburgh,
and David Williamson, of Wishaw, in the County of Lanark, for the Inven-
tion of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SOWING OR DISTRIBUTING MANURES,
WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR SOWING SEEDS OR GRAIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Shaw and David
Williamson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th February
1878.
.
:
WILLIAM SHAW, of the City and County of Edinburgh, and DAVID WILLIAMSON,
of Wishaw, in the County of Lanark. "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SOWING
OR DISTRIBUTING MANURES, WHICH IS ALSO APPLICABLE FOR SOWING SEEDS OR
GRAIN."
This Invention has principally for its object the sowing or distributing of
manures used in the cultivation of crops in a regular and uniform manner, but it is
also applicable to the sowing of the seed or grain of such crops.
It consists of a hopper or trough mounted on wheels, and over the under side of
this hopper a cover or bottom is fitted in such a manner as to form a telescopic
joint, and is held in position by bolts passing into the ends of the hopper. A brush
extends transversely in the box thus formed, and is caused to revolve by the move-
ment of the traversing wheels of the machine. This brush is so placed that the
bristles thereof extend on the under side through an aperture formed in the cover
or bottom aforesaid.
The soot, guano, or other manure to be sowed or distributed is placed in the
hopper, and is in contact with the revolving brush which feeds it through the
aperture below to the land in a regular and uniform manner, a sliding door being
placed over the aperture to regulate the quantity sowed.
According as the bristles of the brush wear away the cover or bottom of the box

page_text: is raised, so that the relative position of the brush and the distributing aperture
remain the same until the brush is entirely worn out.
By this Invention the soot, guano, or other manure is prevented from adhering
or caking, and so choking the distributing aperture, and the machine is equally
applicable to the sowing of manure either broadcast or in rows or drills.
In like manner it may be adapted for sowing seeds or grain.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Shaw and David Williamson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th August 1878.
-
" AN
WILLIAM SHAW, of the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain, and
DAVID WILLIAMSON, of Wishaw, in the County of Lanark, North Britain.
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR SOWING OR DISTRIBUTING MANURES, WHICH IS ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR SOWING SEEDS OR GRAIN."
Our said Invention has principally for its object the sowing or distributing of
manures over land in a regular, uniform, and economical manner.
The improved machine constituting our said Invention may also be used for
sowing seed.
The said machine consists of a body open at bottom and mounted upon wheels,
and also provided with means for attaching horses. Along from end to end under-
neath the said body a trough-like cover, having a longitudinal aperture in its
bottom, is fitted so as to be capable of vertical adjustment.
The body of the machine has sloping sides on its interior, constituting a hopper
with a space at bottom; between the said sides, and immediately under this space,"
and extending from side to side of the machine, a revolving circular brush is
mounted, so that the bristles thereof extend at top close to or through the slot or
opening at the bottom of the hopper, and at bottom close to or through the afore-
said slot in the trough-like bottom cover.
The soot, guano, or other manure to be sowed or distributed is placed in the
upper part of the hopper, being received upon a vibrating reticulated tray, through
which it descends into the hopper, passing through the slot therein on to the
revolving brush which feeds it through the aperture in the trough-like bottom
cover and on to the land in a regular and uniform manner.
As the brush wears the aforesaid trough-like bottom cover is raised upon the
body of the machine, so that the relative positions of the brush and the opening in
the said cover are maintained.
The hopper. may be provided with stirrers upon shafts passing therethrough,
which stirrers will loosen up and distribute the manure equally to the brush; this
equal distribution being also. promoted by imparting a vibratory motion to the
sides of the hopper.

page_text: Where the trough-like bottom cover is at some distance above the ground a wind
guard may be fixed around the slot therein, descending to within a short distance
of the ground.
Shutters may be fitted to slide over the opening of the hopper and over that in
the trough-like bottom cover so as to regulate the quantity of manure passing
therethrough.
The machine may be employed for sowing or distributing in drills. For this
purpose it is provided with an additional shutter for sliding over the opening at
the bottom of the hopper and a plate is also provided for covering the slot in the
trough-like bottom cover, both the shutter and the plate having cut away parts or
openings therein, which are at a distance apart corresponding to the drills so as to
allow manure or seed to pass only into the drills.
Plough-like clearers may also be fixed in front of the machine to clear out the
drills for the manure or seed.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say,-
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a plan; Figure 2, a vertical
transverse section; Figure 3, a back elevation; and Figure 4, a side elevation of
a machine constructed in accordance with our Invention, especially suited to the
sowing or distributing of friable manure, such as soot or guano.
Figures 5 to 10 are details herein-after referred to.
In Figure 4 the near wheel is not shown.
The body of the machine is marked A, the wheels B, and the projections for the
attachment of the shafts are marked C.
The body A is open at bottom, where it terminates in a vertically depending
metal continuation a, upon which slides the trough-like bottom cover D (shown
separately in plan of under side in Figure 5). The said cover has a longitudinal
slot d therein, over which slot a shutter d¹ slides in guides d² for regulating the
width of the opening, being fixed in any position to which it may be brought by
screws d³ passing into tail pieces d' on the said shutter d¹.
;-
The cover D is adjustable vertically, being provided with eyes e, e, which slide
upon guides e¹, e¹. Screws e², e², pass through these eyes and guides and fix the
cover D in any position to which it may be brought.
:
In the interior of the body of the machine are two inclined side pieces E, E,
forming a hopper, open at bottom (E); this opening is regulated in width by a
shutter F, provided with handles f, f, by which it can be adjusted from the exterior
of the machine. The said side pieces E are covered by flaps G, G¹, hinged at the
upper part
Passing through the machine from side to side thereof are shafts H, H', H³,
carrying a number of stirrers h. The shaft H' is cranked at h³, and to these cranks
are connected rods h, and i, the rod h* being attached at its other end to the side
flap G1, and the rod i being attached at its other end to a tray I, Figure 2, having a
reticulated bottom and turning upon pivots or centres at one side. This tray I is
omitted from Figure 1.
The upper part of the body of the machine may be a removeable box A', held in
place by catches upon brackets a¹.
The shaft H is cranked at h', and to these cranks are attached the ends of
rods, their other ends being connected to the flap G.
The brush J is mounted upon a spindle j, which is held in bearings carried by the
short axles of the wheels B, preferably being held so as to be turned by one wheel,
and to revolve freely in the bearing on the axle of the other wheel, which other.
wheel has upon its boss a toothed wheel K, which gears with wheels L upon the
shafts H, H, H2, so as to impart a motion of revolution to the said shafts, which,

page_text: through their cranks h', h³, and connecting rods h², h, i, impart a vibratory or
jumping motion to the reticulated tray I and to the side flaps G, G¹.
Round the opening d, in the cover D, is fixed a depending shoot M, forming a
guard to prevent the substance being sown from being scattered by the wind.
In using the machine the manure is placed in the receptacle A¹, upon the tray I,
and when the machine is drawn along over the land to be manured, the said tray,
by the vibratory motion imparted to it by the rod i, from the cranked shaft Ĕ¹
shakes down the manure into the hopper beneath, where it is stirred and loosened
up by the revolving stirrers h. Thence it passes through the opening E¹, on to the
brush J, its passage being facilitated and equalized by the vibratory motion imparted
to the side flaps G, G', through the arms h2h, from the cranks of the shafts H, H¹.
By the revolution of the brush the manure is carried down and brushed through
the slot d, in the cover D, and is therefrom distributed equally over the land.
A small circular brush may be used upon the lower shaft H2 in place of the
.stirrers shewn in the Drawing.
The machine is also provided with attachments for use where the manure is to be
sown or distributed in drills.
.
An additional shutter N (shewn separately in plan in Figure 6) is fitted to slide
over the opening Ẹl of the hopper. The said shutter is provided with handles n,
'for moving it, and has openings n¹ in it at a distance apart about equal to the
ordinary or general width apart of the drills.
In employing the machine for sowing or distributing, in drills the guard M is
replaced by the guard P, shewn in plan of under side in Figure 7, and in longi-
tudinal section in Figure 8. This guard consists of a plate p, having openings pl
therein corresponding with those in the shutter N. Shoots Q are attached to this
plate over the openings therein, constituting wind guards around each opening.
The end shoots are capable of adjustment nearer to or further from the centre shoot,
according to the width apart of the drills, the said end shoots being mounted upon
plates q, sliding in guides p²; they are fixed in the position to which they may be
brought by screws r, passing through the eye, upon the plates, and through
strips, upon which the said eyes ¹ slide. The length of the shoots is adjustable
vertically by their being made in two pieces sliding one over the other, and when
adjusted they are fixed in position by screws 8 passing through eyes 8¹ on one part
and strips s² on the other part of the said shoots.
In Figure 9 is shewn in front elevation, and in Figure 10 in end elevation, an
appliance to be attached to the front of the machine for clearing out the drills for
the manure or seed. The said appliance consists of a bar T, which carries clearers t,
capable of adjustment to different distances apart, and of being fixed in position by
screws t¹. When this appliance is to be used it is adjusted to the requisite height
or degree of penetration in the guide brackets U (see Figures 2, 3, and 4), bolted to
the front of the machine, and is fixed by screws u (see Figure 4), where the clearers
are shewn attached to the machine.
Although this machine has been described as applied to the sowing or dis-
tributing of manure, it will be understood that it is capable of use for sowing seed
or grain.
By this Invention the manure or seed is prevented from adhereing or caking, and
so choking the distributing aperture.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said In-
vention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that we wish
it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise details herein-
before described and illustrated, as the same may be varied without departing from
the nature of our Invention, but what we consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the improved

page_text: manure and seed distributing or sowing machine herein-before described, and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The improvements in manure and seed sowing or distributing machines
herein-before described, by which the manure or seed is fed from a hopper on to a
revolving brush, by which it is brushed through a slot in a bottom cover and
distributed over the land.
Third. The adjustable trough-like bottom cover, constructed and combined with
the machine so as to be capable of vertical adjustment to compensate for the wearing
of the brush.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Shaw, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM SHAW. (L.S.)