Improvements in and relating to Steam-cultivators.
Year: 1894

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Steam-cultivators.
I, ANTOINE JEAN PATER-NOSTER DE SOUZA, of 198 Boulevard St. Germain,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to an improved method of steam cultivation offering
numerous advantages over those at present in use.
The apparatus embodying my improvements can have its several portions driven
by any suitable motor or motive power, but preferably one which will impart
more rapid motion to the driving cable than that in vogue in the ordinary
apparatus.
a
In my apparatus the driving wheel actuates an endless cable of sufficiently strong
material and of as small a diameter as possible.
This cable passes over a return pulley arranged in a suitable position on the land
to be cultivated, for the purpose of returning it to its starting point, and, by its
movement, controls the cultivating apparatus by the application of suitable mechanism
hereinafter mentioned.
My arrangement consists essentially in the combination of the following elements,
which I have shown in the accompanying drawings, by way of example, it being
possible to modify the several elements and parts of my apparatus, or to substitute
therefor other parts according to the varying conditions and nature of the soil
under cultivation.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is an elevation showing the general appearance of the cultivator.
Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of the above, looked at from above.
Figure 3 is an end view from the driving end.
Figure 4 is a plan shewing the driving mechanism of the apparatus.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the roller and the mechanism characterizing
the invention.
In my arrangement the roller a is the principal part which fulfils the double
function of towing or propelling the apparatus and supporting the implements or
tools for breaking up the soil.
The surface of this roller may consist of a metallic cylinder or open frame
receiving movable projecting pieces in the form of teeth, or as shown in the
drawings, consisting of metallic bars of suitable section but preferably of L-shaped
section, secured at each end to a kind of rim or felloe c mounted on the axis of the
roller; in all cases, the arrangement of these pieces, forming part of the roller,
should be such that they may be readily removed and replaced.
The roller is brought to the field with the above-mentioned pieces or bars removed
or it may be mounted on suitable detachable travelling wheels for this purpose.
The roller a is mounted on an axle b, secured to a frame d which is extended
both in front and in rear of the roller by the braced rails or frames e when the
apparatus is to be employed for ploughing.
The said frame d supports at its upper part a pulley f and the intermediate driving
gear which consists principally of the pulley f having a flat-bottomed groove g

page_text: Various kinds of work can be done on land in this manner the portable engine
or other motor employed remaining stationary in a corner of the field or being
moved as the work requires along the edge of the field.
In any case only one portable engine is necessary. This can be very readily
moved as required by rolling it along on several lengths of rails of I or U or any
other suitable section, which are laid down as required. If it is not provided with
a driving pulley the plane of which is in the same direction as the path of the
cable an arrangement of guide pulleys or the like must be provided in front or
behind to bring it into the required direction.
The driver of the cultivating machine who may be seated on the frame of the
roller has within the reach of his hand the levers controlling the action of the
starting and stopping mechanism and of the reversing gear for working backwards
or forwards, and the hand-levers for regulating the penetration of the ploughshares
and effecting changes in the direction for guiding the apparatus.
This last device comprises means for causing the body of the plough to deviate
slightly either to the right or to the left, so as to render the path of the roller
slightly oblique towards the end of the travel so that it comes naturally in front of
the line to be taken by the next furrow.
The form of pulley-support for the cable which I prefer to employ, consists of
a grooved pulley having lateral branches, and mounted on a vertical shaft supported
on a light wheel-barrow frame, and comprising a rack moved by a lever which
permits the shaft to be readily raised or lowered relatively to the frame. The
upper part of the shaft-support is moreover capable of being inclined at an angle
as required in certain cases by turning it about a suitable joint.

page_text: The advantages of my-system are:-
1. The employment, for the same work of a single portable engine instead of
two, and the ease with which portable engines of types generally used for
agricultural or other purposes may be employed, thus obviating the use of special,
expensive.portable engines which are moreover very heavy to handle.
2. The entire independence of the motion of the steam engine, the driver of
which no longer needs to watch the cultivating machines and modify his speed for
them to change their path.
3. The unique employment of light cables running at a sufficiently high speed,.
whereby economy of material and above all much higher dynamic efficiency is
effected by reason of the rapid motion of the cable, which as is well-known is
much better suited to the efficient operation of such mechanism.
Further, the possibility of using much longer spans in the cable without using
intermediate supporting pulleys and of considerably reducing the number thereof.
4. The necessary point of support for working on the soil is provided by the
roller a combined with the cultivating tools, and the roller the operation of which
assists in the work to be done.
5. Finally the roller may work alone without ploughshares for otherwise working
the soil.
1004
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
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I, ANTOINE JEAN PATER-NOSTER DE SOUZA, of 198 Boulevard St. Germain,
Paris, in the Republic of France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved method of steam cultivation offering
numerous advantages over those at present in use.
One feature of my said invention is the employment of a roller provided with
teeth or other projections to engage with the soil, so that it will serve for drawing
or propelling a plough or other agricultural implement and will at the same time, if
necessary, prepare the soil for the action of such implement.
The apparatus embodying my improvements can have its several portions driven
by any suitable motor or motive power, but, when worked through a cable, is
preferably driven by a motor which will impart a more rapid motion to the driving
cable than that in vogue in the ordinary apparatus.
In this case the driving wheel actuates an endless cable which is preferably of
very strong material so that it can be made of as small a diameter as possible.
This cable passes over a return pulley arranged in a suitable position on the land
to be cultivated, for the purpose of returning it to its starting point, and, by its
movement, controls the cultivating apparatus by the application of suitable
mechanism hereinafter mentioned.
In other instances I mount the motor on the platform or frame in which the said
roller is journalled.
My arrangement consists essentially in the combination of the following elements,
which I have shown in the accompanying drawings, by way of example, it being
possible to modify the several elements and parts of my apparatus, or to substitute

page_text: SUIT
under cultivation.
Referring to the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification
Figure 1 is an elevation showing the whole of the cultivator.
Figure 2 is a plan or top view of a portion of the same.
Figure 3 is an end view from the driving end.
Figure 4 is a plan shewing the driving mechanism of the apparatus.
Figure 5 18 a perspective view of the roller and the mechanism characterizing
the invention.
In my arrangement the roller a is the principal part, which fulfils the double
function of towing or propelling the apparatus and supporting the implements or
tools for breaking up the soil.
The surface of this roller may consist of a metallic cylinder or open frame
receiving removable projecting pieces in the form of teeth, or, as shown in
Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings, in the form of metallic bars, of suitable section but
preferably consisting of angle-irons, secured at each end to a kind of rim or felloe c
mounted on the axis of the roller; in all cases, the arrangement of these pieces,
forming parts of the roller, should be such that they may be readily removed and
replaced.
The roller is brought to the field with the above-mentioned pieces or bars
removed, or it may be mounted on suitable detachable travelling wheels for this
purpose.
The roller a is mounted on an axle b, secured to a frame d which is extended
both in front and in rear of the roller by braced rails or frames e when the apparatus
is to be employed for ploughing.
The said frame d supports at its upper part a pulley and the intermediate
driving-gear, the pulley ƒ having a flat-bottomed groove g whereon one of the
parts of the driving cable his wound, so that the said cable communicates its
motion thereto.
The periphery of this pulley consequently rotates or travels at the same velocity
as the cable and transmits its motion at a speed which is regulated according to
the requirements of the ploughing or other work to be done.
The driving mechanism is fitted with reversing-gear so that the roller can be
caused to move in either direction as required by the ploughman, the motor (and
the cable) always moving in the same direction.
In a similar manner disconnecting-gear is provided for effecting the stoppage of
the roller whilst leaving the cable free to move as above mentioned.
The details of the driving gear connecting the pulley f with the toothed or
spur-wheel which operates the roller a, are shown in Figure 4 which is drawn to
an enlarged scale.
The
The grooved pulley is keyed to the shaft f¹ on which is mounted a pinion
geared with the toothed or spur-wheel n, secured on the intermediate shaft o.
shaft o serves to transmit rotary motion to the roller a through the medium of
two pinions p arranged one at each end of the shaft o and carrying a driving-
chain Չ which drives the corresponding wheel on the roller a.
The frame d which connects the driving-gear with the roller a, is extended
both in front and behind, so as to form, plan, a rectangle the two opposite sides
of which serve as draw-bars to the ploughs, which are generally attached
thereto to as to balance each other, or face to face, for ploughing in two
directions, i.e., backwards and forwards.
In Figure 1 each end of the frame is shown inclined at a convenient angle to
a horizontal plane so that the ploughs attached thereto naturally assume this
position, and so that the small supporting-wheels which are fixed on the frame
in front and behind may rest alternately on the ground.
The plough-shares i or other agricultural implements capable of being applied
thereto, are further secured by a rope or chain k attached to the upper part of the
frame in order to hold them in position.

page_text: A motor and a generator g mounted on the said frame transmit motion to the
shaft of the roller or drum d. For this purpose the shaft of the motor carries a
pulley connected by a driving band i to another pulley k keyed on the shaft of
a pinion . This pinion, by means of the toothed wheels m, m and pinion n, drives
the wheel o keyed on the shaft of the roller.
The latter, taking its bearing on the soil, draws with it the plough p which is
coupled thereto by a chain q.
It must be understood that the motor f and generator 9 can be of any desired
system, and although, in practice, I give the preference to carburetted air or
petroleum motors, I reserve the right to use any suitable gas, steam, electric or
other motors.
Moreover the transmission of motion from the motor-shaft to the shaft of the
roller can be effected by other suitable devices or mechanism besides the band
and toothed gearing above described.
The driver seated on the seat r guides the apparatus in the required direction by
means of a crank-wheel s actuating a chain t. The latter is fixed at its ends to
the axle of the fore-carriage and causes it to turn about a vertical axis or pivot
to vary the direction.
Moreover, two pedals u and are provided within reach of the conductor. The
first pedal u, acting on a shaft w, transmits its motion, by means of a connecting
roda, to a second shaft y carrying a kind of comb z.
When pressure is applied to the pedal u, the teeth of the comb z are inserted
between the teeth or blades on the roller d and are raised to detach the clods of
earth.
The second pedal c, acting on a second connecting rod 1 mounted on a shaft 2,
allows the fore-part of the plough to be raised by means of the chain 3 hooked
onto the lever 4 which is keyed to the said shaft.
This arrangement is designed to raise the plough from the soil whenever
necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. An apparatus for the culture of land by mechanical traction, comprising
a driving or propelling roller provided with teeth or projections which enable it to
form a moving point of support or bearing on the soil for drawing or propelling
the agricultural implements whilst preparing the soil for their action, the said
roller receiving motion in any suitable manner, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Second. A cultivating machine in which the driving or propelling roller is
actuated by means of an endless cable running at a high speed, the whole being
combined substantially as above described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the
accon panying drawings, and operating as and for the purpose specified.
Third. The modification of my invention in which the driving or propelling
roller is actuated through suitable gearing from a motor mounted on the same
frame or platform as the said roller, the whole being arranged substantially as
above described with reference to Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings,
and operating as and for the purpose specified.
Dated the 11th day of July 1905
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.