IMPROVEMENTS IN DIGGING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry de Mornay at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 10th December 1880.
HENRY DE MORNAY, of No. 37, Queen's Gardens, Bayswater, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN DIGGING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object to construct digging machines in such a manner
that the earth may be turned over by the digging tools of the implement with
regularity and in spits of uniform width, and that the detaching and turning over
of the spits of earth may be effected with as little expenditure of power as is
practicable.
For this purpose I construct digging machinery with the spades, forks, or digging
tools fixed to a number of horizontal axes, which are arranged around and parallel
with a central axle, the bearings of the axes being carried by wheels which are
fixed upon the axle. At the ends of each of the parallel axes are arms carrying at
their ends rollers, which enter grooves of fixed grooved cams, there being one such
cam at each end of the axle or only at one end.
The cams and the bearings for the axle of the digging wheel I mount at the rear
end of a carriage frame, so that the axle is transverse to the length of the carriage.
The cam and bearings of the axle are also so mounted that they can be raised to
bring the spades or forks clear of the ground when the implement is to be moved
from place to place or lowered when the implement is to be used for digging. On
the frame is also a steam engine, from which a revolving motion can be given by an
endless chain or otherwise to the axle of the digging wheel. When the axle is so
revolved the spades or forks which stand outwards from the wheels are caused in
succession to strike the ground point foremost and to descend into it.
The cams are so shaped that the points of the spades or forks as they descend
into the ground are caused to travel downwards in a straight line, and the stem or
body of the spades or forks is caused to follow downwards in the same straight
line, or approximately so, until the axis of the spade or fork is vertically below the
axle; the spade or fork has then entered the ground to the required depth, and is
immediately afterwards, by reason of the form given to the cam or cams, caused to
turn backwards and to detach and lift the spit of earth in rear of it, and as the
spade or fork continues to revolve it turns over the detached spit and then leaves it
deposited on the ground.

page_text: If the spades or forks are of a curved form then the point of the spade or fork is
made to descent in a corresponding curve into the ground instead of in a straight
line.
By controlling the downward movement of the spades or forks into the ground
in the above manner they will disturb the minimum of earth in their descent, so
that but little power will be required to force them down. The wheels also upon
which the implement is supported are, when the implement is at work, left
free to turn, so that the propulsion of the implement is effected solely by
the digging forks or spades, and the forward movement of the machine therefore
accomodates itself to the movement of the digging tools. Or if the supporting
wheels of the implement are driven by the steam engine, then they must be driven
at a speed proportioned to the speed of revolution of the digging wheel, so that
the spades or forks shall always enter the ground in a uniform course as above
explained.
The implement is provided with a steerage wheel or wheels at its front end, by
which the implement can be steered. This wheel or wheels is to be turned one
quarter round when the implement is to be turned at the headland. To effect the
turning the steerage wheel or wheels may be then driven from the engine, or a
short longitudinal axis may be mounted upon the carriage towards its forward end
and have fixed upon it a triangular frame with teeth projecting from each angle
of the triangle, so that when this short axis is turned the teeth at the angles
of the frame shall enter the ground one after the other, and so turn the
implement.
At each side of the implement near its rear end may also be mounted a vertical
pin, which, when the implement is to be turned, may be forced downwards into
the ground and form a pivot for the implement to turn around, one or other of the
pins being so driven down according to the direction in which it is required to turn
the implement.