IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Roberts, of Hull, in the County of York,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS."
ealed the 22nd May 1861, and dated the 26th November 186
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Roberts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition. on the 26th
November 1860.
I, SAMUEL ROBERTS, of Hull, in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon my former Invention
for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the 21st day of July 1860,
No. 1771, and which improvements I propose to consist in forming the edges
of the outer rim of angle iron hooping, so that when the harrows are turned
on their edges, the angle hooping forms a tyre upon which the harrows run,
thus preventing the necessity of any other conveyance for their removal to or
from the field or land to be harrowed, or where they are to be employed. I
also propose leaving the inner or outer rim or both, to run loose upon the
centre gudgeon or axis, and forming the teeth on both rims (and elsewhere if
more teeth are found beneficial) curved at their ends as described in my afore-
said Letters Patent, but set or placed in opposite directions on the rims so
that as the outer rim rotates to the right the inner one will simultaneously

page_text: rotate to the left, or vice versâ, the tines or teeth to be triangular or bayonet-
shaped, and in some cases straight triangular teeth may be used with or
without certain inclination even should it be found desirable to discontinue the
rotary motion of the harrows. I also propose to use instead of the universal
joints (mentioned in my aforesaid Letters Patent), suitable links or other
suitable appliances to give the same or similar motions to the harrows when
passing over an uneven ground, or to allow of their being turned up edgewise for
portability and self-action as wheels, and to obtain a double rotating motion.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Roberts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th
May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
ROBERTS, of Hull, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samuel Roberts, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Roberts, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel
Roberts, 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 HARROWS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Roberts, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Samuel Roberts, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements upon my former Invention

page_text: for which Letters Patent were granted to me on the Twenty-first day of July,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, No. 1771, and which said improve-'
ments will be better understood by referring to the accompanying Sheet of
illustrative Drawings, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference
marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a rotating harrow, being one part of the Invention;
Fig. 2, side view of Fig. 1 partly in section; and Fig. 3 side view of a pair
of the same; Fig. 4 front elevation of the harrows turned upon their edges to
be used in pairs; Figs. 5, 6, and 7, are detached views of the tines or teeth,
but the ends may be made pointed or broad; Fig. 8, plan view of a compound
or double action harrow to be used singly or in pairs, Fig. 9 being a side
elevation of the same partly in section. Similar letters of reference denote
corresponding parts at each of the Figures.
The harrow frames a, a, are to be of a circular or other suitable form, into
which are to be placed bent or curved teeth as at b, b, slightly curved below
the harrow frame all in one direction. Although two frames are shewn at
Fig. 3 with their teeth set in two opposite directions, yet in some instances
a single frame may be employed. To provide for the various inequalities of
the ground, the horse-tree c, Fig. 4, is to be attached to the draft bars d, d,
by universal joints e, e, Figs. 2 and 4, so that on going on uneven ground they
may easily accommodate themselves without being strained. The draft bars d, d,
are made to the same angle as at Figs. 2 and 4, for the purpose of keeping
the front part of the harrows from taking too much hold of the ground, and
steadying the draft.
Another form of single harrow is shewn at Figs. 8 and 9, having two
frames a and a', with teeth b working one above the other, the teeth on each
frame being set or bent in opposite directions; these teeth are bent or set to
the required curve, and are formed bayonet-shaped in preference, with pointed
or flat terminations as shewn detached and enlarged at Figs. 5, 6, and 7; the
rims of the arrows are formed of angle iron, or ordinary bar iron; they can be
turned edgewise, thus enabling the harrows to run as wheels, and so taken to
or away from the land on which they are to be or have been employed with-
out the necessity of being carted or otherwise conveyed as at Fig. 4, or in
some cases 9 and f are made as one stay or bar.
The axle bar f is here employed for a double purpose, namely, to connect
the harrows when on their side, and to form an axletree by being keyed to
the bottom of the gudgeon k, also for keeping the harrows (when at work)

page_text: the required distance apart. And this latter is attained by placing the sockets
of the axle bar upon lugs secured to the front of the semicircular stays 9, 9,
which it will appear (Fig. 3), have a round hole at their lower part which fits
on to the bottom pin, and a long hole or slot at the top which works on the
top pin of the draft bars d, d, behind the axis or gudgeon; the centre part of
the long hole is parallel with the centre of the lower round hole to accom-
modate the play of the harrows and of the universal joints, the round holes
keeping the harrows in their position. The top harrow of the compound or
double harrow rotates round an eccentric fixed on the axis, and within a
socket to ensure a rotary motion of both harrows. In some cases I introduce
between the arms a roller with spikes or spiral blades, or a series of circular
cutters, either plain or toothed.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention of
Improvements in Harrows," and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, I would remark, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details herein described and shewn by the annexed
Drawings, as many slight variations and modifications may be made therein
without in any way departing from the principle of my Invention; but what
I claim as my Invention intended to be secured to me by the herein in part
recited Letters Patent is, the manufacture of rotating harrows, and the curved
teeth to be used therewith, in the manner herein fully described and shewn
by the accompanying Sheet of illustrative Drawings for the purposes set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Roberts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
ALEX. PRINCE,
Agent for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.
SAMUEL ROBERTS. (L.S.)