IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ANCHORS FOR STEAM OR OTHER POWER CULTIVATION
Year: 1884

page_text: We JOHN EDMONDS of Compton Greenfield in the County of Gloucester, Farmer,
and WILLIAM HENRY JEFFERIS of Henbury also in the County of Gloucester,
Land Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND RELATING TO ANCHORS FOR STEAM OR OTHER POWER CULTIVATION" to be
as follows:
This Invention has reference to what are known as movable anchors, the same
being employed as adjustable guides for the rope which operates the plough or
other instrument, and this Invention has for its object effecting the automatic
adjustment or movement of the anchor after cach traverse of the plough or other
instrument, in an improved manner combining simplicity of movement reliability
in operation and other advantages.
In carrying out this Invention in order to effect these objects, we construct the
anchor in the form of a wheeled carriage with a sheave or pulley for the operating
rope as heretofore, and we employ automatic mechanism worked by the slack rope,
that is to say, we actuate the adjusting mechanism of one of the two movable
anchors by that portion of the rope which is being payed out by the engine at the
time when the plough or other instrument is being drawn towards the other
movable anchor.
The automatic mechanism for effecting this movement or adjustment of the
anchors is constructed and arranged in the following manuer.
On the shaft of the sheave or pulley is mounted a crank, crank disc or its
equivalent, the connecting rod of which is attached to a lever mounted loosely on
the shaft of a drum, around which passes a rope leading to a fixed anchor. This
lever carries a pawl engaging with a ratchet wheel fast on the shaft last mentioned,
so that as the sheave or pulley is operated, an intermittent motion is imparted to
he said shaft and the rope being coiled on its drum the movable anchor is drawn
owards the fixed anchor. The crank, crank disc or its equivalent is not fast on
ts shaft but is connected thereto by a clutch device which is brought into action
when the plough or other instrument is moving in the direction away from the
novable anchor, but leaves the crank, crank disc or its equivalent loose when tho
lough or other instrument is moving in the opposite direction or towards it,
[Price 6d1

page_text: A detent is also provided for preventing the movement of the drum in a direction
the reverse of that in which it is operated by the crank, crank disc or its
equivalent The connecting rod of the crank, crank disc or its equivalent is
so attached to the pawl lever as to admit of the point of connection being
adjusted in order to obtain a shorter or longer traverse of the anchor as
required. It is preferred to so carry out the system that the movable anchor is
moved in a direction away from the engine in lieu of towards the engine as
heretofore, but the last mentioned ordinary method of working may be employed
whilst still retaining the features of this invention as herein beforo described.
J. W. J. HANDFORD,
Agent for Applicant,
42, Southampton Buildings, London.
We 'JOHN EDMONDS of Compton Greenfield in the County of Gloucester, Farmer,
and WILLIAM HENRY JEFFERIS of Henbury also in the County of Gloucester Land
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
RELATING TO ANCHORS FOR STEAM OR OTHER POWER CULTIVATION," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
This invention has reference to what are known as movable anchors the same
being employed as movablo guides for the rope which operates the plough or other
instrument, and the Invention has for its object effecting the automatic feed or
movement of the anchor after each traverse of the plough or other instrument in
an improved manner combining simplicity of operation, reliability in action and
other advantages.
And in order that the said Invention may be perfectly understood we shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the accompanying sheet of drawings, the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures..
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a sectional elevation of the
improved movable anchor, Figure 2 is a plan partly in section and Figure 3 an end
elevation of the same.
Figure 4 represents a diagram of a field showing the relative arrangement of the
several apparatus employed according to the method of working which we prefer to
adopt in carrying out this Invention.
A represents a movable anchor constructed in the form of a carriage mounted on
flanged wheels a a for penetrating into the ground, and provided with a sheave or
pulley B for the operating rope or its equivalent and with a drum C for a rope a'
leading to a fixed anchor as heretofore. Two of these movable anchors are
employed in the operation of power cultivation as shewn in the diagram Figure 4
the plough or other instrument D traversing the. field backwards and forwards
between the two movable anchors marked respectively A, A', under the pull of the
operating rope which passes round the sheaves or pulleys B, B, of the two
-

page_text: movable anchors and over guide pulleys oc to the engine E. After each traverse
of the plough or other instrument one of the movable anchors is required to be fed
forwards to a sufficient distance towards the corresponding fixed anchor F by
winding the rope a² on to drum C of the particular movable anchor in order for the
5 plough or other instrument to operate on fresh ground. This feeding or movement
of the movable anchors we effect by the employment on each anchor of automatio
mechanism which is worked by the slack rope, that is to say we actuate the feeding
mechanism of the two movable anchors alternately by that portion of the rope
which for the time being is being payed out by the engine, while the other or taut
O portion of the rope which is being drawn in by the engine draws the plough or
other instrument towards the other movable anchor, the feeding mechanism of
which is at the time out of action.
5
The automatic mechanism for effecting the movement or feed of the movablo
anchors is constructed and arranged in the following manner: -
On the shaft or axis e of the sheave or pulley B is mounted a crank disc ƒ crank
or its equivalent, the connecting rod g of which is attached to a lever / mounted
loose on the shaft i of the drum C. This lever carries a pawl k engaging with a
ratchet wheel fast on the shaft or axis i so that (assuming that the sheave or
pulley and crank disc, crank or its equivalent turn together) as the sheave or
pulley B is operated, motion is imparted to the shaft i, and the rope at being coiled
on its drum C the movable anchor is drawn towards the corresponding fixed
anchor F.
The crank disc f crank, or its equivalent is not fast on its shaft e but is connected
thereto or with the sheave or pulley by a clutch device which is brought into
action when the plough or other instrument is moving in the direction away from
the movable anchor but leaves the crank disc, crank or its equivalent loose when
the plough or other instrument is moving in the opposite direction, or towards it.
This may be conveniently accomplished by forming ratchet teeth m on the interior
of the crank disc f, and providing the sheave or pulley B with a pawl m which
will slip over the ratchet teeth when turning in one direction, but engage such
teeth and conduct the crank disc with it in its motion when turning in the opposite
direction. A detent n is also provided for preventing the movement of the druin C
in a direction the reverse of that in which it is operated by the crank disc, crank
or its equivalent. In order to obtain a shorter or longer feed or movement of the
anchor as required the point of connection of the connecting rod g with the pawl
lever is made adjustable either by providing a series of holes as shewn at o to
admit of shifting the connecting pin, or otherwise; and the point of connection of
such connecting rod with the crank disc f crank or its equivalent may also be
varied as shewn.
In operating the apparatus let it be assumed that the plough or other
instrument D is cutting a series of transverse furrows from T to V, Figure 4, and
vice versa commencing from the end W of the field and extending in the direction
indicated by the arrow p towards the end ✗ of the field. In the position of tho
parts shewn in the diagram the plough or other instrument is represented as
moving in the direction indicated by the arrow q; the portion 1 of the rope b
being then slack the anchor A is being moved to a position for the return cut of
the plough or other instrument whilst the portion 2 of the said rope is taut
receiving the pull from the engine. On the arrival of the plough or other instru-
ment at the anchor A¹ the direction of motion of the rope b is reversed the
portion 2 of the rope b becomes the slack rope the portion 1 receiving the pull of
he engine; the feed mechanism of anchor A is then operated by the slack rope 2
nd the anchor receives an increment of its feed in the direction of the arrow p
whilst the plough or other instrument returns to the anchor A making a fresh cut.
On the arrival of the plough or other instrument at the anchor A the direction of
otion of the rope b is again reversed, the portion 1 becoming the slack rope and
he portion 2 receiving the pull of the engine; the feed mechanism of anchor A is
hen operated by the slack rope 1 and this anchor is moved forward in the direction

page_text: of the arrow the plough or other instrument returning to the anchor A making
a fresh cut, and so on in succosion the anchors being alternately moved forward
under the operation of their feed mechanism actuated by the repective portion of
the rope which for the time being is the slack rope.
In the arrangement indicated in the diagram Figure 4, the movable anchors are 5
moved and the field is worked in a direction away from the engine in lieu of
towards the engine as heretofore, but the last mentioned ordinary method of
working may be employed whilst still retaining the features of this invention as
hereinbefore described, and the engine may be placed in any suitable position, the
diagram being only intended as an example of an arrangement which is found
convenient in practice.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:—
1st In steam or other power cultivation, imparting automatically as the operation
of the plough or other instrument proceeds,' to the two movable anchors alternately,
their feed or movement, by means of the rope or its equivalent leading to and from
the motor, through the intervention of apparatus, which is brought into action by
the rope or its equivalent when it is travelling in one direction, but is out of action
when the rope or its equivalent is travelling in the opposite direction, the rope or
its equivalent being operative on one movable anchor while it is inoperative on the
other movable anchor, and vice versa, substantially as herein before described.
2nd In automatically imparting to the two movable anchors employed in steam
or other power cultivation their feed or movement, we claim, the operating of each
winding drum alternately from its corresponding sheave or pulley carrying the rope
or its equivalent for drawing or moving the plough or other instrument, by means
of apparatus constructed and arranged substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described.
3rd The combination with the winding drum of a movable anchor, of a pawl and
ratchet device actuated by a crank, crank disc or its equivalent from the sheave or
pulley over which passes the operating rope or its equivalent, the arrangement
being such that the sheave or pulley shall only act upon the crank, crank disc or
its equivalent under the influence of the slack rope, or the portion of the rope
which is being payed out by the motor, substantially as herein before described.
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