IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LAND ROLLERS, AND IN IMPLEMENTS FOR PLOUGHING AND BREAKING UP OR SCARIFYING THE SOIL
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Coleman, of Chelmsford, in the County of
Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LAND
ROLLERS, AND IN IMPLEMENTS FOR PLOUGHING AND BREAKING UP OR SCARIFYING
THE SOIL."
Sealed the 28th August 1855, and dated the 28th May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Coleman at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th May 1855.
I, RICHARD COLEMAN, of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC-
TION OF LAND ROLLERS, AND IN IMPLEMENTS FOR PLOUGHING AND BREAKING UP OR
SCARIFYING THE SOIL," to be as follows:-
My improvements in land rollers consist in constructing the roller with
joints in its length, so that the roller will accommodate itself to inequalities of
the ground. To effect this I divide the length of the roller into two or more
parts. At the divisions of the roller the axle or shaft is jointed, so as to
permit of a deflection in any required direction. The amount of the deflection
is limited to the requirements of the soil, and the distance of separation of the
parts of the roller adjusted accordingly.

page_text: The second part of my Invention refers to a method of combining a series of
ploughs in one machine for turning up or otherwise tilling the land. I mount
two, three, or more ploughs in a position diagonal to their direction of motion,
so that the one acts in advance of the other, and working simultaneously on a
breadth of land equal to the breadth of the number of ploughs employed. In
using the term plough, I mean the irons which act on the soil only. Each
plough has a vertical stem or stems, which fit into sockets in a lower frame
which travels on wheels. These stems are free to slide vertically through the
sockets, and are attached to an upper frame, which is free to move up and down,
and at the same time to maintain a position parallel to the lower frame. This
upper frame is suspended from the short end of a main lever whose fulcrum is
mounted on the lower frame; the free end of the lever projects towards the
rear of the machine, or in other convenient position, where the attendant can
act on it for the purpose of raising or lowering the ploughs, and causing them
to be with drawn or inserted into the ground, and for regulating the depth.
The connections between the lever and the upper frame are such as to move
it and maintain its parallellism with the lower frame, assisted by links or
guides to produce that effect. Instead of ploughing or turning up the land
with this machine, a series of shares or scarifiers may be substituted for the
ploughs, and used for scarifying the soil.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Coleman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
COLEMAN, of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Coleman, Her special licenco that I, the said Richard
Coleman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Richard Coleman, 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 "Ix-

page_text: PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LAND ROLLERS, AND IN IMPLEMENTS FOR
PLOUGING AND BREAKING UP OR SCARIFYING THE SOIL," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Richard Coleman, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 Richard Coleman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the three Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
-
My improvements in land rollers consist in constructing the roller with
joints or divisions in its length, and so mounted and arranged that the roller
will accommodate itself to inequalities of the ground, and bear with nearly a
uniform pressure over the entire surface. To effect this, I divide the length,
of the roller into two or more parts. At the divisions of the roller the axle or
shaft is so jointed or formed in parts, mounted on suitable bearings, as to
permit of the necessary deflection for that purpose.
The second part of my Invention relates to improvements in arranging
ploughs or other tilling instruments in a carriage in such manner that they
may be elevated or depressed independent of the elevation or depression of
the carriage frame, for the purpose of regulating the depth to which the
tilling instruments penetrate, and for withdrawing such instruments all together
from the soil. For this purpose, I prefer to mount two, three, or more ploughs
in a position diagonal to their direction of motion, so that the one acts in
advance of the other, and work simultaneously on a breadth of land equal to
the breadth of the number of ploughs so employed. Each plough has a
vertical stem or stems, which fit into sockets in a lower frame, which lower
frame travels on wheels. These stems are free to slide vertically through the
sockets, and are attached to an upper frame, which is free to move up and
down, and at the same time to maintain a position parallel to the lower frame.
This upper frame is suspended from the short end of a main lever whose
fulcrum-is-mounted on the lower frame; the free end of the lever projects
towards the rear of the machine, or in other convenient position, where the
attendant can act on it for the purpose of raising or lowering the ploughs, and_
causing them to be withdrawn from or inserted into the ground, and for
regulating the depth.

page_text: The connections between the lever and the upper frame are such as to move
it and maintain its parallellism with the lower frame, assisted by links or
guides to produce that effect. Instead of using an upper frame, guides may be
carried up from the lower frame to keep the plough stems in an upright
position, while they are controlled and supported by rods or links, by which the
required motion and regulation is communicated. In lieu of ploughs for turn-
ing up the land with this machine, scarifiers may be substituted, which may be
used for scarifying the soil.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, of the annexed Sheet of Drawings, represents a front
view of a land roller constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 2, a longi-
tudinal vertical section through the line 1, 2, in Fig. 3, which is a plan of the
same. This roller consists of three principal parts A, B, and C, each fitted on
separate shafts a, a, b, b, and c, c; the bearings intermediate of the parts A, B,
and C, are connected and mounted as to permit their deflection from the
straight line in which they are represented to the positions shewn dotted, and
therefore to accommodate themselves to the inequalities of the ground to be
rolled. E, E, are two cross bars, constituting the main framing of the roller,
connected by the shafts F, F, and other braces; G, G, are two frames, a side
view of which is seen in Fig. 7. These frames carry the outside bearings of the
roller shaft; in these, the bearings d, d, are confined as regards any up and
down movement, but are free to oscillate sideways. For this purpose, the
bearings d, d, which are separately represented in Fig. 4, are fitted in a box e,
formed on side frames G, G, and suspended on a pin f, on which they are free
to oscillate as required. The weight of the upper framework rests on these
bearings d, d, and shafts a, a, and c, c. In the section, Fig. 2, it will be seen
that the parts A and B are a little in advance of part C, in order that the
intermediate bearings 9, 9, 9, 9, may be placed one before the other, and have
the necessary freedom of action.
These parts A, B, and C, with their bear-
ings, may, however, be in line with each other, but in that case greater space
must be left between the parts to afford room for the movement of the bear-
ings. The intermediate bearings 9, 9, are the same as represented in Fig. 4,
but mounted in a frame h, h, separately represented in Fig. 5, which is a side
view, and Fig. 6 an end view of the same; this frame has a pin i which
carries the bearings 9,9; this pin is passed through the hole k, the bearings
9, 9, being thereby suspended, and free to oscillate as required. The bearings
are further free to move up and down by reason of the frames h, h, being fitted
to the wrought-iron frames D, D, so as to slide in that direction. The wrought-
iron frames D, D, are strongly united by iron ties 1, 1, and firmly bolted to the
top frame, the whole of which is securely bolted together in the usual manner.

page_text: The several parts or divisions A, B, and C of the roller may be each made
in one piece, or consist of a series of narrow wheels or rollers m, m, m, m,
either plain, grooved, or serrated, & placed loosely on their respective shafts, as
in the ordinary construction of land rollers. In order that the whole of the
ground may be covered, I place followers H, H, behind the main roller, which
followers travel over the space left uncovered by the parts A, B, and C; these
followers are of equivalent weight with the other parts of the machine, and
placed loosely on their shaft I, which is dragged by two links L, L, attached to
the framework E, E. It will be evident, from the combination and arrange-
ment of the parts herein-before described, that the divisions of the roller A, B,
and C are free to deflect and accommodate themselves to the level of the
ground over which they pass, each resting with its entire weight on the breadth
of ground which it in itself embraces.
Fig. 7, Sheet 1, represents, in side elevation, a modification of the land roller,
before described, and according to my Invention Fig. 8, a front view, and
Fig. 9, Sheet 3, a plan of the same. In this case the followers H, H, are
dispensed with; the outside frames G, G, and bearings d, d, are the same as
before described; but in this case the parts A, B, and C are together made
sufficiently broad to cover the whole breadth of ground traversed by the roller.
In order to admit of this, the divisions A and C are placed entirely in front
of the division B, the several divisions overlapping each other to some extent.
The frames h, h, in this case only contain and support one bearing each, there
being four of such frames instead of two, as before mentioned, and shown in
Figs. 1, 2 and 3. There are four frames D, D, D, D, also, the lower tie bar
of which connects them together in pairs. By thus arranging the parts or
divisions A, B, C, of the roller, any necessary amount of deflection is obtained
in the parts of the roller, with every freedom for the motion and action of the
bearings 9, 9, 9, 9, and at the same time covering the whole breadth of ground
traversed by the roller. In this arrangement also the divisions of the roller
have more independant action than in the first herein-before described
arrangement, as the intermediate ends or bearings of the shafts of the
several divisions or parts of the roller may rise and fall independently of
each other.
Although in the several Figures herein-before mentioned I have represented
the roller subdivided into three parts, it may be divided into a less or greater
number of parts or divisions, whereby to accommodate itself more or less
readily to the irregularities of the surface of the soil, the construction of
which will be readily understood from the foregoing description of Figures.
hefore referred to.

page_text: The next part of my Invention which refers to a machine in which ploughs
or scarifiers are combined, and fitted with suitable frames or supports, carried by
and moving on wheels, the elevation or depression of the ploughs or scarifiers
being effected and regulated by gearing connected therewith.
b
Fig. 10, Sheet 2, represents a side elevation of this ploughing implement,
and Fig. 11 a plan of the same; while Figs. 12, 18, and 14 show some of the
parts detached. A, A, A, A, are four ploughs, arranged sufficiently in advance of
each other and at sufficient lateral distance as to permit their independent action
or operation in successive breadths of the soil. The plough irons A, A, A, A,
which are similar to ordinary ploughs, are each supported by its respective
plough frame B, the upper or stem part 6 of which is parallel, and free to slide
freely in sockets or openings a, a, in the main frame C, C, which is separately
represented in Fig. 12. This frame C, C, I make of wrought bar iron,
suitably formed and bolted or revited together, the openings or sockets a, a,
for b, b, being formed by plates riveted or bolted to the main frame C at
sufficient distance to receive the plough stem b, as therein shewn in section.
The frame C, C, Fig. 12, is mounted on wheels, the two large ones D, D, of
which are fitted to axes d, d, on the levers c, c, which are mounted on studs
e, e, fixed to frame C. The levers c, c, are extended towards the rear of the
machine, and are moved by hand and fixed by pins f to the fixed axes g, g, in
the position required. The movement of levers c, c, has the effect of bringing
the centres of the large wheels more or less below the frame C, C, and con-
sequently of raising it to a greater or lesser distance from the ground on
which the wheels rest. The small leading wheels E, E, are also similarly
adjustable, the upright shaft h connected with their axis i being free to slide
through the boss k of frame C. The elevation or depression of wheels E, E,
is controlled by the hand lever F, whose fulcrum is at 1, the short end being
connected to h by a swivel m. This lever is adjustable and fixed by a pin
through are G. An arm II is also attached to the axis i, which is fixed by a
pin to a link n of the traction chain, which tends to keep the axis i of wheels
E at right angles to the line of tractive force, and also to assist those wheels
in overcoming any obstacle that may be in their path. A second frame I, I,
is placed above the frame C, C, distinctly seen in side elevation. Fig. 10, and
in the plan, Fig. 11. To this frame I, I, the plough frames are suspended
by pins p, p; the coulters K, K, are also suspended by pins q, q. The
upright stems of the coulters K, K, K, are fitted to sockets or bearings in
the lower frame C, in which they are free to slide up and down in the same
manner & simultaneously with the plough stems b, h. The frame I, I, is fitted
to and noves in vertical guides L, L, L, L, and is also guided by rods M, M,

page_text: sliding through the cross tie N. The elevation or depression and position of
upper frame I, I, and ploughing implements in relation to lower frame C, is
controlled and regulated by a cross shaft P, to which the main hand lever R
is fixed. This cross shaft is fitted in bearings r, r, fixed to the frame C,
and carries two bell cranks or double arms S, S¹, (one at either end.) The
horizontal arms S₁ of each of these bell cranks are connected by jointed
rods t, t, to the middle part of the frame I, while the arms S, S, are connected
with the lower arms of bell cranks T, T, by rods v, v. These bell cranks
are mounted on studs pins 1, 2, fixed to the lower frame C, the horizontal
arm of such cranks T, T, being connected by jointed rods w, w, to the upper
frame to the upper frame I, by which, together with the connecting rods t, t,
the frame I, I, is entirely supported. The lever R is firmly fixed to the cross
shaft P; it will be obvious that an up or down motion imparted to the free
end of R-will affect the position of the bell cranks or lever arms S, S', by
turning the shaft P round, and thereby communicate simultaneously an equal
up or down motion to all the rods t, t, and w, w, causing the frame I to rise
or-fall, and at the same time maintain its horizontal position. By this means
the ploughs are elevated or depressed, so as to cause them to enter or leave..
the ground, and by which their depth in the soil may be regulated or adjusted
during the act of ploughing. In order to guide or steer the machine, the fore
wheels E, E, are free to turn round on the vertical axis h, in which they are
controlled by a long connecting rod a fitting on an upright pin y on the axis i.
This rod is carried through guides, and is jointed at a to the short arm of
a hand lever z, mounted on a fixed fulcrum at z', and works round in a bar 2,
on the under side of which are a series of retaining notches into which the
hand lever fits. By springing the hand lever downwards it escapes the
retaining notches and may be moved round, and thereby impart motion to i
on its vertical axis h, and so guide the machine in any required direction. In
turning round at the head lands, the rod x must be taken off the pin y
altogether to permit the necessary extent of motion. In ploughing, the
attendant walks behind the machine, which travels with the off wheel in the
last furrow of the course before made, and with the near wheel on the land,
and having set the ploughs to cut the required depth, he fixes the lever R
by a pin through the tie bar and its fixed arc, and under ordinary
circumstances need not be again moved till he turns round at the head
lands; his attention may therefore be given almost exclusively to guiding
and otherwise keeping the machine in its true course, and the wheels may
be set to regulate the proximity of the lower frame to the ground, either
for the purpose of adjusting in some degree the depth of insertion for the

page_text: ploughs, or raising them to permit the machine to travel freely over the
ground.
In
Each frame U, U,
9, in the two rear
Sheet 8 represents another arrangement of ploughs according to my Inven-
tion; Fig. 15 being a side elevation, and Fig. 16 a plan of the same.
this machine the ploughs A, A, lower frame C, wheels E, E, and D, D, are,
with some slight modification of the frame C, the same as before described with
reference to Figs. 10 and 11. In this case the band lever R and frame I
are dispensed with, the ploughs being elevated and depressed by means of a
rack and pinion motion. The ploughs are mounted in a position similar to
that before described. The plough frames or stems 61, 62, 61, are somewhat
longer than those before described, and have the plough coulters K, K, fitted
and fixed to them, but both moving up and down in sockets or guides a, a,
in the lower frame, as before. The plough stems b', 6', are held guided in
a vertical position by cast-iron frames U, U, U, U, which are separately
represented in Figs. 17 and 18. They are sufficiently thick at the lower part
and at top to form the recess or socket a, a, in which the plough stems fit.
These frames U, U, are bolted or rivetted close up to sides of frame C, C;
a covering plate a' is bolted to U to closed b' at top.
carries a bell-crank lever W, W, or a fixed studs 9,
plough stems, but in the two fore ones the arms W, W, are connected by a
shaft 10, supported in suitable bearings 11, 11. The vertical arms of these
cranks are all connected by rods w', w', with a bar X, which is sustained by
and moves horizontally in suitable guides & bearings v', v¹, v', v¹, v', while the
horizontal arms are all connected by rods y', y', to studs fixed in the top of
plough stems b', 6'. The bar X has teeth at x, which engage in the teeth
of a pinion 2, fixed on the shaft 3, fitted on bearings 7, 7, and on it a spur
wheel 4 is keyed. This wheel geers with a pinion 5, mounted on a stud 8,
fixed to the frame C, the boss or centre of which pinion carries a large hand
wheel 6, and by it the attendant is enabled to regulate the rise and fall and
depth of the ploughs A, A; communicating motion to the hand wheel 6, so as
to move the rack bar forwards, has the effect of raising the ploughs, while the
contrary movement depresses and causes them to enter the ground. The
steering or guiding apparatus may be arranged as before described, and
represented in Figs. 10 and 11. Instead of fitting ploughs to the stems b or b
scarifiers may be substituted and used in the same machine.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details herein given so long as the general features of my
Invention be retained. And I do hereby declare that what 1 do claim is,―

page_text: First, constructing land rollers in two, three, or more divisions or parts,
fitted so that they may adapt their position to the form of the ground over
which they travel, in order to equalize as much as possible the pressure on the
surface of the earth.
And, secondly, I claim mounting and fitting ploughs or other tilling instru-
ments or implements herein mentioned on stems in such manner that a rising
or lowering motion may be imparted to them independent of any up and down
motion of the travelling carriage for the purpose of inserting such implements
into or withdrawing them from the ground, and otherwise regulating their
position, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Coleman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
15 Witness,
WILLIAM CLARK, Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
RICHARD COLEMAN. (L.B.)