Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Artificial Manures or other Granulated Substances.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 1st Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 1st Feb., 1887.
Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Artificial Manures
or other Granulated Substances.
I, PETER WILSON, of 3 Wallis Place, Leith, in the County of Edinburgh, Agri-
cultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improved apparatus consists of a frame on two travelling wheels carrying a
hopper with fixed pinion on the travelling wheel, to transmit driving power. The
bottom of hopper consists of a revolving circular drum, fitted with projecting elongated
studs with semicircular fronts, and tapered ends, regularly placed at equal distances on
the surface of the drum.
A slot bar is fitted at each side of the drum, one for delivery, and one at the opposite
side to prevent the escape of any substance when at work; each row of studs passes
through slots in the bar, carrying in a recess between the studs a given quantity of.
manure which falls to the ground at equal measured distances as the druin revolves,
giving regular distribution.
Under the non-delivery slot bar is placed either an oscillating or rotary brush to
remove any substance adhering to the surface of the drum, before again entering the
hopper, to refill the spaces between the studs.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Distributing Artificial Manures
or other Granulated Substances.
I PETER WILSON, of 3 Wallis Place, Leith in the County of Edinburgh, Agri-
cultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon; that is to say :-
C
The improved apparatus consists of a frame A A',.with horse trams in front, carry-
ing a hopper B, B, on two travelling wheels A2, with fixed pinions a, a,' on the
travelling wheels, to transmit driving power for actuating the manure distributing
mechanism, as will hereinafter be described. The bottom of hopper B consists of a
revolving circular drum C, C, having formed on it or fitted with, projecting clongated
studs or teeth e with semicircular or curved fronts, and tapered or radial ends, regularly
placed at equal distances apart on the surface of the drum C. A slot bar DD' is fitted
at each side of the drum CC, one D for delivery, and one D' at the opposite side to
prevent the escape of any substance when at work; cach row of studs c passes through
slots in the bars D D' and carries in the recesses between the studs ca given quantity
of manure through the slots in the bar D, which falls to the ground at equal measured
distances as the drum CC revolves, giving regular distribution.
Under and behind the delivery slot bar D is placed a rotary brush E E', (but it
might be an oscillating brush,) to remove any substance adhering to the surface of the
teeth c and drum C, before again entering the hopper B, on the front side to refill
the spaces between the studs c.
And in order that the nature and novelty of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing or carrying my "Improvements into effect or practice may be properly
understood, I have hereunto appended an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which
the same reference letters are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures
where shown, and the arrows indicate the direction of rotation of the respective wheels,
rotating gear and their axes. Figure 1, is a side elevation, and Figures 2 and 3, are a
back elevation and plan respectively, corresponding to Figure 1, both broken away and
partly in section and having parts of the outer protecting covers removed to show the
internal working mechanism, all illustrative of a machine or apparatus constructed in
accordance with my "Improvements for distributing artificial manures or other
granular substances. Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged transverse and longitudinal sections
of the hopper BB' and distributing mechanism and gearing, respectively, correspond-
ing to, but to show the details more clearly than can be seen in the general views
Figures 1 and 2.
Referring to these Drawings, the construction and arrangement of my new or
improved manure distributing apparatus or machine consists all as follows:-The

page_text: frame A A', which consists of a transverse wooden frame with shafts A' for the horse
in the centre and carrying strong end iron plates B to which is secured the fixed stud
axles A³ of the two travelling and driving wheels A². These frames B also form the
ends of a long transverse hopper B₁ secured to them across the whole machine over
the manure distributing drum C, the shaft of which rotates in journal bearings in
the lower part of these end frames B.
C
The manure distributing drum C, c has mounted on each over-hanging end of its
shaft C, a sliding clutch wheel a², a³, of different sizes, gearing into and actuated
respectively by the pinions a, a, which are also of different sizes, keyed on the opposite
end wheels A2 of the machine, only one of which set of wheels would be in gear at the
same time, or both clutch wheels a², a³, may be kept out of gear when the machine is
not at work for distributing manure, by their hand levers and spring catches at, as
when turning at the ends of the fields; and other change wheels might be kept for use
on these shafts when desired for other speeds of the manure distributing drum and
teeth C, c.
The lower internal part of the hopper B¹, is divided into U shaped troughs b by
sharp angled divisions b', which leads the manure from the upper part of the trough
down to the distributing teeth c on the drum C, to be carried out through the slots in
the delivery bar D; and over these troughs b, through the centre of the long
trough B, a longitudinal square shaft dis mounted, working in journal bush
bearings in internal wood end frames B² of the trough B. This shaft d has
mounted on it cross agitating arms d', alternately at right angles to each
other, and rotating down into the trough with reverse bevelled ends, so as to
drive the manure down towards the teeth c on either side alternately, and ensure the
filling of the spaces c between the teeth with manure, to be delivered out between the
slits in the bar D. A corresponding slotted bar Di is fitted on the front side of the
teeth and hopper B₁ to allow the teeth c to pass in, and prevent the manure falling out;
both slotted bars D, D', being preferably fitted with sheet-metal plates on their inside,
and fitted with adjusting screws D² in their retaining brackets D³ secured to the front
and rear of the hopper B. This shaft d of the agitating arms d¹, is driven by a wheel d²,
on its one end, preferably through a small pinion d carried on a stud secured to the
end frame B of the hopper, this pinion gearing into a wheel d*, carried on the shaft C¹,
of the distributing drum Cc, all as particularly seen in Figures 4 and 5, so as to
rotate the arms d in the opposite direction to the delivery teeth or studs but this
shaft might also be driven direct by gearing the wheels d and d. The wheel d
actuates an annular internal toothed wheel e, carried loosely on a stud e³ in one of the
end frames A of the machine; and the internal teeth of this transmitting wheel e
gears into and actuates a pinion e² keyed on the shaft E' of the brushes, the shaft E'
being carried in journal bearing brackets e¹ screwed to a transverse rail of the frame A,
the brushes e rotating so as to clean the delivery teeth e of the distributing drum C.
On the rear of the end frames A spring scrapers are mounted to clean the earth off
the surface of the carrying wheels A². And strong studs F are also mounted on the
rear of these frames A. and wheels A2 on either side, on which long oscillating arms FI
are mounted, with sharp prongs or harrow links for scratching a mark on the ground
to indicate the track of the horse for the following or return traverse of the machine
across the field, a rope or chain being carried forward from a ring F to the harness of
the horse or trams A of the machine, one of these being only put down on opposite
sides for the reverse traverse of the machine from the different ends of the field.
Although a long cylinder C, C, of wood has been shown with a ring or rim of
distributing teeth c mounted in it at desired intervals across the machine, it will be
understood that short brass or other metallic discs or rim pulleys might be mounted on
the transverse shaft C¹ with the teeth c cast or secured in the outer periphery of these.
The manure hopper B, B', has a hinged lid A mounted over it for enclosing the
manure as filled in by hand at intervals as required, and the rear brushes E E and
their gearing are also boxed in and fitted with a hinged lid E' behind for convenience
in getting at the brushes and gearing for cleaning and oiling.

page_text: 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
First. The construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts and gearing
of a machine or apparatus for distributing artificial manures on land, or it might be
granular substances for other purposes, substantially as herein described, in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In a machine or apparatus for distributing artificial manures or other
granular substances, the arrangement and combination of a frame A A¹ carrying a
hopper B B, and drum CC, and cleaning brushes E E¹ all actuated through wheel
gearing from the travelling wheels A², substantially as and for the purposes herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. In a machine or apparatus for distributing artificial manures or other
granular substances, the arrangement and combination of a hopper B, B¹ with a
rotating drum, or equivalent metal wheels on an axis below, with delivery rotating
teeth for delivering the material through side slots, substantially as and for the purposes
herein described, in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.