IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING SEEDS AND MANURE
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Newington, of Ridgway Ticehurst, in the
County of Sussex, M.D., for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING SEEDS AND MANURE."
Sealed the 22nd September 1859, and dated the 22nd March 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Newington at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd March 1859.
I, SAMUEL NEWINGTON, of Ridgway Ticehurst, in the County of Sussex,
M.D., do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING SEEDS AND MANURE," to be as follows:-
This Invention bas for its object improvements in apparatus for distributing
seeds and manure. For these purposes, in order to distribute seeds or
manure broad cast a hopper is used, having one side or part of a side hinged
or moveable in such manner that the lower edge of the moveable side or part
of a side can be moved inwards and then back over the lower part of the
hopper. The lower edge of such moveable side or part of a side is caused to
move by means of blades or projections on a revolving axis below, and such
blades, in addition to giving a vibratory motion to the moveable part of the
hopper, also cause the seeds or manure to descend on to a surface or platform
below, to which a vibratory motion is also communicated; the seeds or manure
will thus be caused to be shaken off from such surface or platform. When it is
desired that the seeds or manure should be delivered into furrows or into holes
at distances apart, proper apparatus is used for producing the furrows or holes,

page_text: and the lower edge of the moveable side or part of the side of the hopper is
made with passages to admit of the seeds escaping at such passages; and in
order to keep the passages or holes at the lower edge of the moveable part of
the hopper free, loose wires are introduced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Newington in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd September 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
NEWINGTON, of Ridgway Ticehurst, in the County of Sussex, M.D., send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Samuel Newington, Her special licence, that I, the said
Samuel Newington, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Samuel Newington, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS POR DISTRIBUTING SEEDS AND MANURE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Newington, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 performed 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 Newington, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for distributing
seeds and manure. For these purposes, in order to distribute seeds or manuro
broad cast a hopper is used, having one side or part of a side hinged or
moveable in such manner that the lower edge of the moveable side or part of

page_text: a side can be moved inwards and then back over the lower part of the hopper.
The lower edge of such moveable side or part of a side is caused to move by
means of blades or projections on a revolving axis below; and such blades, in
addition to giving a vibratory motion to the moveable part of the hopper, also
cause the seeds or manure to descend on to a surface or platform below, to
which a vibratory motion is also communicated; the seeds or manure will
thus be caused to be shaken off from such surface or platform. When it is
desired that the seeds or manure should be delivered into furrows, proper
apparatus is used for producing the furrows, and the lower edge of the
moveable side or part of the side of the hopper is made with passages to
admit of the seeds escaping at such passages; and in order to keep the
passages or holes at the lower edge of the moveable part of the hopper free,
loose wires are introduced.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figuro 1 shows a vertical section, and Figure 2 a back view of an apparatus
for distributing seed or manure, constructed according to my Invention. This
apparatus is applicable for distributing guano, lime, and all kinds of dry
pulverized manure, and for distributing corn, grass, and other like seeds
broad cast. a is the hopper, to the upper part of which the shafts b, b, aro
attached. The side a of the hopper turns at its upper edge on the hinge c,
so that the lowest edge of the side a' can be moved to or from the lower part
of the side a²; to the lower part of the moveable side a' are bolted projecting
pieces d, d. A vibratory motion is communicated to the side a' by projecting
blades or teeth e on the axis f. On this axis there are two ratchet wheels
9. g, into which pawls h, h, (turning on pins fixed to the bosses of the wheels i)
are pressed by means of springs k, k, which are also fixed to the bosses of the
wheels, so that the axis fis only caused to rotate when the machine is drawn
forwards; the rotation of the axis f causes the projecting blades e upon it
to strike in succession against the projecting pieces fixed to the moveable
side a of the hopper, and so give to it a vibratory motion. The moving the
side a¹ towards and away from the side a² allows the seeds or manure to fall
on to the blades e on the axis f, and as the axis rotates, the seed or manure
falls on to the board 1, and the vibratory motion of the side a' also keeps the
manure in the hopper agitated. The board at one edge turns on the hinge
m, and a vibratory motion is communicated to this board by its being con-
nected by the chains to the vibrating side a² of the hopper, aut the seed or

page_text: manure will thus be shaken off this board-on to the land. The hinge c, upon
which the moveable side a' turns, can-be raised or lowered by screwing or
unscrewing the nut c', and the distance between the end of the side a' and the.
lower part of the side a² can thus be varied, and by this means the amount of
sced or manure distributed on to, the land can be varied.. When it is desired
to stop the seed or manure from descending from the hopper, the end of the side
a¹ can be drawn against the side a by depressing the long arm of the lever o.
A greater quantity of seed or manure may be allowed to fall from the hopper
by turning the pieces d, d, so that they are not acted on by the teeth e on the
axis f; the teeth e will then strike against the end of the moveable side a¹ of
the hopper, as shewn at Figure 3. A still greater amount of seed or manure
may be allowed to fall from the hopper by raising the side a of the hopper
away from the blades on the axis f; for this purpose the side a³ is carried by
hinges which can be raised or lowered in a similar manner to the side a¹.
'
In arranging the apparatus for distributing seeds or manure in furrows, a box
containing the sced or manure is placed inside the hopper, and attached to
the moveable side a', and holes are formed through the side a' near its lowest
edge and through the box containing the sced, and as the machine moves
forwards the seed or manure is shaken out through these holes into funnels
carried from the fixed ends of the hopper, and is by them guided into the
furrows, or the seed or manure may fall on the platform 7, and be guided into
the furrows by pieces of wood screwed on the board at intervals, as shown at
Figure 4. The holes in the side a¹ and in the box are kept clear by means
of wires; these wires are fixed to a bar passing along the upper part of the
hopper, and pass down through the seed or manure to the holes, and as the
şide a¹ is moved to and fro, the wires enter and leave the holes, and so keep
the holes free. Proper apparatus for forming the furrows may be attached to
the front of the machine.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
combination of apparatus herein described for distributing sceds and manure.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Newington, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand cight hundred and fifty-nine.
SAMITET
NEWINGTON
SAMUEL NEWINGTON. (..)