Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1898
"
1000
I, JOSEPH FISHER, of East Tuddenham, East Dereham, in the County of Norfolk,
Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
-
This invention relates to machines for sowing seed, and it has more particu-
larly for object to provide an improved machine for sowing seeds such as those
of the mangold, turnip and swede which flourish best when sown at a certain
minimum distance apart.
Hitherto such seeds have been sown either broad-cast, or else drilled, that is
to say, sown in a practically unbroken line. In both methods however great waste
of seed and labour is occasioned by the subsequent necessary thinning out of the
young growing plants.
!
I am also aware that seeds have been sown at intervals in one line by machines
called dibblers, which by mechanical means make holes at distances apart into
which the seeds are dropped, but in that class of machine the seeds are sown too
much together as they drop into the centre of the holes, and when sprouting they
twine round each other, and in singling they all get pulled up.
Now my improved sowing machine is designed to obviate this waste of seed
and labour by being so constructed as to sow the seed at intervals in one or more
lines, that is to say, to sow the seed where it is required instead of drilling all
along and thereby to greatly lessen the subsequent thinning out.
One manner of carrying out my invention for sowing seed at intervals along
parallel lines is as follows:-
The entire machine is hung on an axle connecting the two carrying wheels.
The two or more lines of sowing are supplied with seed from separate seed boxes
arranged on the machine; each seed box comprises a scoop wheel which scoops
the seed from the bottom of the box and discharges the seed into the upper end
of a seed delivery tube. The two scoop wheels are fixed on a common shaft which
is driven by toothed gearing from one of the carrying wheels.
Each seed delivery tube is closed at its lower end by a valve which is adapted
to be opened by means of a lever or levers in opposition to the action of a
spring which tends to close the valve.
The seed delivery tubes are made in two parts, the upper or seed receiving
portion being fixed, whilst the lower or outlet portion containing the seed deliver-
ing valve is arranged to slide telescopically on or in the said upper part. A
stay rod fixed to or connecting the sides of the framing of the machine projects
in the paths of the levers for opening the valves of the seed delivery tubes
in such a manner that when the lower portions of the seed delivering tubes are
moved down by the action of the carrying wheel as hereinafter described the said
levers will strike against the stay rod and be caused to open the valves whilst
on the upward return movement of the sliding portions of the seed tubes the
valves will be closed by the action of the springs hereinbefore mentioned.

page_text: The sliding portions of the seed tubes are operated from one of the carrying
wheels in the following way. The said sliding portions are carried on a moveable
cross bar which is supported by an adjustable connecting rod from a crankpin
on a disc mounted on a shaft supported in the framing of the machine. This
shaft is geared through the medium of a pinion with a toothed wheel driven by
the carrying wheel in such manner that as the carrying wheel revolves the crank
disc will be rotated and the sliding portions of the seed tubes will be slidden up
and down and consequently the seed valves will be opened at predetermined
intervals with the result of allowing predetermined quantities of seed to fall out
past the valves into the furrows which have been previously prepared or traced
by means of coulters provided in front of the seed tubes.
The intervals of distance in sowing the seed are regulated by the pinion which
can be removed and replaced by other pinions having a greater or smaller num-
ber of teeth. The pinion may be thrown into and out of operation by means of
a lever which is held in position in suitable notches by means of a spring plate
attached to the framing of the machine.
A cross axle is provided at the rear of the machine and to it are attached two
chains connected to the rear part of the shafts. By rotating this axle by means
of a handle the chains can be wound on it whereby the shafts can be raised into
an approximately vertical position so that the machine when not in use
stowed away in less space. A ratchet wheel fitted with a pawl is provided on
the axle to retain the shafts in position.
"
0311 1
T..1 1000
can be
I, JOSEPH FISHER, of East Tuddenham, East Dereham, in the County of Norfolk,
Farmer, 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.-
This invention relates to machines for sowing seeds, and has for its object more
particularly to provide an improved machine for sowing seeds, such as those of
the mangold, turnip and swede, which flourish best when sown at a certain
minimum distance apart.
Hitherto such seeds have been sown either broad cast, or else drilled, that is
to say, sown in a practically unbroken line. In both methods however great waste
of seed and labour is occasioned by the subsequent necessary thinning out of the
young growing plants.
I am also aware that seeds have been sown at intervals in one line by machines
called dibblers, which by mechanical means make holes at certain distances apart
into which the seeds are dropped, but in that class of machine the seeds are sown too
much together as they drop into the centre of the holes and when sprouting they
twine round each other, and in singlin all get pulled up.
Now my improved sowing machine is designed to obviate this waste of seed
and labour by being so constructed as to sow the seed at intervals in one or more
lines, that is to say, to sow the seed where it is required, instead of drilling all
salong and thereby to greatly lessen the subsequent thinning out.
One manner of carrying out my invention for sowing seed at intervals along
¡parallel lines is as follows:-

page_text: The entire machine is hung on an axle connecting the two carrying wheels.
The two or more lines of sowing are supplied with seed from separate seed boxes,
arranged on the machine. Each seed box comprises a scoop wheel which scoops
the seed from the bottom of the box and discharges the seed into the upper end
of a seed delivery tube. The two scoop wheels are fixed on a common shaft which
is driven by toothed gearing from one of the carrying wheels.
Each seed delivery tube is closed at its lower end by a valve which is adapted
to be opened by means of a lever or levers in opposition to the action of a
spring which tends to close the valve.
The seed delivery tubes are made in two parts, the upper or seed receiving
portion being fixed, whilst the lower or outlet portion containing the seed deliver-
ing valve is arranged to slide telescopically on or in the said upper part. A
stay rod fixed to or connecting the sides of the framing of the machine projects
in the paths of the levers for opening the valves of the seed delivery tube
in such a manner that when the lower portions of the seed delivering tube are
moved down by the action of the carrying wheels as hereinafter described, the said
levers will strike against the stay rod and be caused to open the valves whilst
on the upward return movement of the sliding portions of the seed tubes, the
valve will be closed by the action of the springs hereinbefore mentioned.
The sliding portions of the seed tubes are operated from one of the carrying
wheels in the following way:-
:
The said sliding portions are carried on a moveable cross bar which is sup-
ported by an adjustable connecting rod from a crank pin on a disc mounted on
a shaft supported in the framing of the machine. This shaft is geared through
the medium of a pinion with a toothed wheel driven by the carrving wheel
in such a manner that as the carrying wheel revolves the crank disc
will be rotated and the sliding portions of the seed tubes will be
slidden up and down and consequently the seed valves will be operated at
predetermined intervals with the result of allowing predetermined quantities
of seed to fall out pass the valves into the furrows which have been previously
prepared or traced by means of coulters provided in front of the seed tubes.
The intervals of distance in sowing the seed are regulated by the pinion which
can be removed and replaced by other pinions having a greater or smaller num-
ber of teeth. The pinion shaft may be thrown into and out of operation by means of
a lever which is held in position in suitable notches by means of a spring plate
attached to the framing of the machine.
A cross axle is provided at the rear of the machine and to it are attached two
chains connected to the rear part of the shafts; by rotating this axle by means
of a handle the chains can be wound on it whereby the shafts can be raised into
an approximately vertical position so that the machine, when not in use, can be
stored away in less space. A ratchet wheel fitted with a pawl is provided on
the axle to retain the shafts in position.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will now proceed
to describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved machine, and Fig. 2 is a back
elevation thereof.
Fig. 3 is a central vertical section.
3
Fig. 4 is a section to an enlarged scale of the seed box and telescopic delivery
tubes, and
Fig. 5 is an elevation of the disengaging gear of the driving pinion.
a is the frame of the machine carried by the wheels a mounted on the axle a².
b are the seed boxes fixed to the side frames a. Each seed box contains a scoop
wheel mounted upon a common shaft d and provided with scoops or buckets cl
for raising the seed from the bottom of the box and discharging it into the upper
end of the delivery tube e through the hopper f, the shaft d being actuated by
the gear wheels di, d.
The lower portion of the delivery tubes consists of the sliding tube
surround-

page_text: ing the tube e and resting at its lower end in the mouth or hopper opening
into the discharge tube or shoot e³ fitted with the pivoted valve et (Fig. 4). This
valve is operated, to open and close the shoot, by means of a lever pivoted at g
to a bracket or extension h¹ on the end of an arm or lever h pivoted to a cross
shaft at the front of machine. To the lower end of the lever g is pivoted an
arm g pivoted at its other end to a cranked arm g³ of the axis upon which
the valve e is mounted. The arms or levers h are connected to a cross bar k
which is supported by the adjustable connecting rod pivoted to a crank on the
disc mounted upon the shaft which is operated by the pinion in gear
with the toothed wheel connected to one of the wheels a¹. The shaft is
carried in pivoted bearing blocks 1,, the block 7 being capable of vertical
adjustment by means of the slide 2 (Fig. 5) which is raised or lowered by the
lever to disengage the pinion from the wheel 5. The pinion is kept in or
out of gear by means of the bar or plate 4 bearing against the lever and
forcing it into one or other of the notches in the frame, the bar 14 being acted
upon by the spring 1 for this purpose.
and valve e to the
The motion of the
as before described,
The operation of the machine is as follows
The seed having been placed in the boxes b by opening the covers 61, as shown
in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the forward motion of the wheels a' causes the revo-
lution of the scoop wheels through the gearing, d, thus raising the seed by
means of the scoops c¹ from which it falls into the hopper f which directs it into
the telescopic tube ae¹ from whence it passes by the shoot
furrow formed by the coulter m in the usual manner.
wheels a¹ also causes the revolution of the crank disc
which, by means of the connecting rod 1, raises and lowers the cross bar k and
with it the arms or levers h pivoted to the shaft i. This action causes the lower
tubes e to slide upon the tubes e and as they descend the arms g of the levers g
come into contact with a cross bar n thus actuating the said levers so as to cause
them to turn the valves into their open position, as shown in Fig. 4, and deliver
the seed into the furrows, the valves being closed again by the springs o upon
the tubes e commencing to rise. The intervals or distances between which the
seed is sown are regulated by the pinion which can be removed and replaced
by other pinions having a greater or smaller number of teeth, and the said pinion
may be thrown into or out of gear by the lever 3 which is held in position in
one or the other of the notches 7 by means of the bar or plate drawn against.
the lever by the springs 6.
pare the shafts pivoted to the axle a³ and the rear portion p¹ of which has
mounted upon it a cross shaft 22. This shaft carries a ratchet wheel 2 and has
attached to it two chains 4 which are connected at their lower ends to the cross
bar n.
By rotating the shaft 2,2 by means of the handle p the chains are wound
upon it thus raising the shafts into an angular position whereby the machine,
when not in use, may occupy less space, the pawl 26 mounted on the cross
frame p being turned over to engage with the ratchet wheel so as to keep the
shafts in their raised position.
I may further arrange two sets of rollers, each consisting of two, one set to
the front of the machine and one set to the rear of the machine. These rollers
are mounted upon suitable brackets or are carried in any other convenient manner
and in line with the coulters m, the object of the front rollers being to prepare
the ground to be operated upon by the coulters for the reception of the seed,
while the rear rollers are designed to press the soil after the seed has been sown,
but as these are not new I lay no claim to them.
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 improved seed sowing machine, comprising telescopic seed delivery
tubes fed from seed boxes provided with scoop wheels preferably operated by gear-

page_text: ing in connection with one of the travelling wheels, the said delivery tubes being
operated by means of pivoted levers connected to a cross bar caused to rise and
fall by means of a connecting rod attached to a crank disc mounted on a shaft
preferably actuated by gearing from the other travelling wheel, the downward
motion of the tubes causing a valve to open, by means of crank arms or levers
coming into contact with a fixed cross bar, for delivering the seed to the furrow,
and to shut by the action of a spring upon the tubes again rising, substantially
as described and shown with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In a seed sowing machine as above claimed, the combination with the
shafts P' and cross frame p', of the shaft 23, ratchet wheel p³, chains p*, handle p³,
and pawl 28, substantially as herein described and shown with reference to the
accompanying drawings and for the purposes specified.
3/. The improved seed sowing machine combined, arranged, and operating,
substantially as herein described and shown with reference to the accompanying
drawings, and for the purposes specified.
F. G. CASSELL
(Of Cassell & Co.),
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.