IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THINNING AND HOEING TURNIPS."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Challis, of Dullingham, in the County of
Cambridge, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THINNING AND HOEING TURNIPS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Challis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd May 1874.
I, JOHN CHALLIS, of Dullingham, in the County of Cambridge, Gentle-
man, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THINNING AND HOEING TURNIPS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for
thinning and hoeing turnips.
The machine consists of a framework mounted on two large wheels
like drill wheels, from which the motion is communicated by suitable
These cranks work
gearing to cranks which give motion to hoc arms.
in bearings fixed to a rocking frame at the back of the machine so

page_text: '
arranged that it can be raised entirely out of work on reaching the
headlands.
Each hoe or cutter is mounted upon the lower end of a long arm
working transversely to the rows of turnips to be operated on, the upper
end of this arm is attached to the crank which is driven from the road
wheel of the machine in any suitable manner, either by bevil wheels or
pitch chains, as may be found most convenient in practice.
At a convenient distance, say about one-third of the length from the
top a fixed guide is placed for the arm to work in so as to give the
proper motion to the hoe. The hoe is adjusted so as at each descent to
cut an inch or 1s out of the row of turnips and at the proper width
to leave the turnips at the desired distance apart, and it raiscs itself out
of work and gets into position for the second cut as the machine
proceeds.
guide for the
The distance between the crank and the fixed point or
arm being shorter in the lower part of the throw makes the hoe pass
more quickly through the cut than it traverses the upper part of the
throw, and it also effectually regulates itself in work and clears the top
of the plants. A pair of these hoes working alternately operate upon
one row of turnips, and one or more pairs to do one or more rows can be 2
attached to the same machine.
By suitable change wheels the distance apart at which the turnips are
thinned can be regulated at pleasure.
In a machine constructed to do two rows at once it is proposed, when
required, to take off one set of thinners or to substitute for them a pair 2
of ordinary hoes in order to hoe the sides of one row, and thin the
adjoining one at one time instead of thinning the two rows at once as at
other times may be more convenient.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Challis in the Great Seal Patent Office on 30
the 2nd November 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CHALLIS, of Dullingham, in the County of Cambridge, Gentleman,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Challis, Her special license that I, the
said John Challis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Challis, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THINNING AND HOEING
TURNIPS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Challis,
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 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 John Challis, 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 :-
o
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for
thinning and hoeing turnips.
The machine consists of a framework mounted on two large wheels
like drill wheels, from which the motion is communicated by suitable
gearing to cranks which give motion to hoe arms. These cranks work.
in bearings fixed to a rocking frame at the back of the machine so
arranged that it can be raised entirely out of work on reaching tho
headlands.
Each hoe or cutter is mounted upon the lower end of a long arm
working transversely to the rows of turnips to be operated on. This
arm is attached to the crank which is driven from the road wheel of the
machine in any suitable manner.
A fixed guide is placed for the arm to work in so as to give the proper
motion to the hoe. The hoe is adjusted so as at each descent to cut a

page_text: gap out of the row of turnips, and at the proper width to leave the
turnips at the desired distance apart, and it raises itself out of work and
gets into position for the second cut as the machine proceeds. A pair
of these hoes working alternately operate upon one row of turnips, and.
one or more pairs to do one or more rows can be attached to the same 5
machine.
Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2, a plan; and Figure 3, an end.
view of one arrangement of a turnip thinning machine constructed in.
accordance with my Invention; and Figure 4, an end view shewing a
modified arrangement. As shewn by the Figures 1, 2, and 3, the
machine consists of a framework A mounted on two large wheels B
and C, from which motion is communicated by the gear wheels D, E,
and pinion F to a chain pulley G on the spindle H carried by brackets
attached to the framework of the machine.
At the back of the machine, and resting on the framework A, is a
rocking frame I, to which is bolted the sliding brackets or bearings Ja
carrying the spindle K. On the end of this spindle is a chain pulley L,
motion being communicated to it by the pitch chain M from the large
chain pulley G. The spindles N work in bearings formed at each end
of the sliding bracket J, and are driven by the skew bevil wheels O from
the spindle K. Each of the spindles N have a crank or adjusting disc a
plate forming a crank keyed on to each end, by which the hoe arms
carrying the hoes or cutters R are actuated.
The rocking frame I at the back of the machine is so arranged that it
can be entirely raised out of work on reaching the headlands by depres-
sing the hand lever S, which is fixed on one end of the transverse a
spindle T. This spindle is carried by bearings attached to the framework
of the machine. At the other end of the spindle is fixed a short arm or
lever U. The hand lever S and short arm U have each a chain V
attached to them in a suitable position to give the necessary leverage
and height of lift. The chain V passes over the pulleys W supported a
by standards bolted to the framework at each side of the machine. The

page_text: lower ends of the chains on each side are attached to the rocking
frame I by means of hooks passing through eyes bolted to the rocking.
frame. I..
When the hoes are raised out of work for turning at the headlands the
hand lever is held down by the stop X. The hoes or cutters R are fixed
upon the lower end of the hoe arms Q, the upper end of the hoe arm'
being attached to the cranks Y driven from the road wheels by bevil.
wheels and pitch chain, as shewn in the Drawings, or by other modes of
gearing.
-
The hoe arms work transversely to the rows of turnips to be operated
upon, and at a convenient distance from the crank is a fixed guide Z for
the hoe arms to work in, so as to give the proper motion to the hoes.
The hoes are adjusted so as at each descent to cut an inch, or one-and-
a-half inches, as desired, out of the earth in which the rows of turnips
grow, as shewn at A' by the dotted lines at Figures 3 and 4. Supposing
the turnips require to be thinned so as to leave them growing at
14 inches apart the speed of the machine is so arranged that each hoe
makes a cut at every 28 inches. The hind hoe is placed at such a
distance behind the front hoe as to cut or strike exactly midway between
the cuts of the front hoe, and when the cranks are placed opposite, as
in the Drawing, the hind hoe is placed 28 inches behind the front
one.
If required to adjust the machine so as to thin them at 12 inches the.
speed is increased by putting on a smaller pinion F, so that the hoes cut..
at every 24 inches; and instead of bringing the hind hoe to a distance."
of 24 inches from the front one in order to make it strike in between.
the cuts of the other; this can more easily be effected by altering the
position of the crank pin in the disc plate and putting it further back so
as not to stand opposite to the other crank. If required to increase the
distance a larger pinion is added and the crank pin brought forward.
Whether one or more pairs of hoes are at work they are so arranged
that only one hoe is in cut at once.
The distance of the hoes apart can
readily be altered to suit the various widths of rows at which the turnips
are planted by sliding one or both of the brackets J which carry. them
and guides Z on the rocking frame I.
The road wheel C is made to slide upon the axle to suit the varying
widths of the rows at which turnips and other roots are planted, the

page_text: shafts B' can also be adjusted laterally by sliding on the framework of
the machine so as to enable the horse to walk between the rows of
turnips. To the under side of the rocking frame I friction rollers C¹ are
fixed running upon guides resting on the framework of the machine,
and by means of the steering handle D' bolted to the rocking frame I,.
to which the sliding bracket J carrying the hoes are fixed, the rocking
frame can be easily moved either to the right or left to suit any
irregularity in the rows at the will of the attendant.
shafts B¹ can also be adjusted laterally by sliding on the framework of
the machine so as to enable the horse to walk between the rows of
turnips. To the under side of the rocking frame I friction rollers C¹ are
fixed running upon guides resting on the framework of the machine,
and by means of the steering handle D' bolted to the rocking frame I,.
to which the sliding bracket J carrying the hoes are fixed, the rocking
frame can be easily moved either to the right or left to suit any
irregularity in the rows at the will of the attendant.
The Drawings shew the hoes in position for hoeing or thinning on the
flat, but when required to work on ridges the hoe arms are raised and 1
adjusted to the required height by suitable holes at the top of the hoe:
arms.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 3 the distance between the
crank Y and the fixed guide Z through which the hoe arms pass is
shorter in the lower part of the throw causing the hoes to pass more 1
quickly through the cut from D¹ to E', as shewn by dotted lines, than it
traverses the upper part of the throw.
In the modified arrangement shewn in Figure 4 the distance between
the crank F¹ and the fixed guide G¹ through which the hoe arms pass
being longer in the lower part of the throw the hoes move more slowly 2
through the cut from H¹ to I', as shewn by dotted lines, than it traverses
the upper part of the throw, which in heavy soil gives the hoes greater
command over their work, whilst almost the same oval or line of motion
of the hoes is preserved so as to enable the hoes to clear the plants when
out of the cut.
In a machine constructed to do two rows at once, if required, one set
of hoes or thinners may be taken off and a pair or pairs of ordinary hoes
substituted in order to hoe the sides of one row and thin the adjoining
one at one time instead of thinning two rows at once.
2
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what 3
manner the same is performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as
my Invention is,―
First. The combination and general arrangement of the several parts
to form a machine capable of thinning and hoeing turnips, substantially
in the manner herein-before described.
3

page_text: Secondly. The mode described of working each of the hoe arms by a
crank in combination with a fixed guide.
Thirdly. The use of two hoes operating on one row of turnips, one
being placed in front of the other so that the hind hoc cuts between the
cuts of the front hoe, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Challis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
WALTER G. HAMMOND.
JOHN CHALLIS. (L.S.)