Improvements in Seed Drills.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 30th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Seed Drills.
I, THOMAS HICKS Chandler, of Rowde, near Devizes, Retired Farmer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
The object of my invention is to lessen the weight and cost of the machine and
to avoid in great measure the waste of seed which now occurs at each stoppage.
At the present time the seed is usually carried in a box or bin passing from side
to side of the implement and in this bin work dises and spoons which pick up the
seed as it is required and deliver it down tubular guides to the seed coulters.
In machines of this construction when a stoppage occurs all the seed then in the
tubes falls to the ground and is more or less wasted. Also when the machine starts
again it travels a short distance before any seed reaches the ground.
At any
According to my invention I so arrange that the measuring mechanism is nearer
to the ground than heretofore. Each tube which is to carry seed down to the
sinall furrows formed by the coulters I make to pass at its upper end up through
the bottom of the hopper so that its upper end is always filled with seed.
suitable point in the length of the tube I provide a cut off slide which extends
across the tube and stops the seed from falling. When the machine is at work the
slide is quickly drawn back a short distance and then quickly closed to allow seed
to fall in bunches on to the ground at any desired distance apart-or if the seed is
to be spread in rows bars may be placed across the lower part of the tube to form
obstructions to delay some of the seed and so spread it in a row. The lower end
of the tube may be made movable so that the seed may be directed accurately
into the furrow formed by the coulter.
Just above the movable slide above mentioned may be another cut off slide
which can be withdrawn more or less and locked in any desired position so as to
regulate the quantity of seed which can descend to the reciprocating slide.
In order to give a quick reciprocating to and fro motion to this slide I connect
it to one arm of a lever the other arm of which is acted on by a spring which tends
always to move the slide into its closed position. Each time that the slide is to be
opened this arm of the lever is struck by a revolving cam.
The cam axis is made to extend horizontally from side to side of the machine so
that projections upon it may act upon all of the levers to which the slides of the
several tubes are coupled the projections I form of a number of rods set at
distances apart around this axis and parallel with it the rods being passed through
holes in discs which are fixed upon the axis.
In order to be able to adjust the extent to which the slides are drawn back each
time that the levers are struck by one of the rods I make the bearings of the cam
axis to be capable of being moved backwards or forwards along guides towards or
from the levers and then of being locked in any desired position.
The stems of the small coulters or ploughs are at their upper ends clamped to
horizontal levers in such a manner that they may be made to incline forwards to any
extent desired or to be raised or lowered. The horizontal levers can be weighted
at their rear ends and at their front ends are pivotted to blocks which are secured
at any desired distance apart from one another between two horizontal bars which
extend across the machine from one side to the other.
If instead of using a cut off slide for controlling the amount of seed delivered
down each tube I use spoon discs then I arrange the spoon discs to work much
nearer to the ground each in a separate casing and I cause these casings to be con-
tinuously supplied with seed as the machine travels. This supply is drawn from
small sced boxes above one for each disc. The seed runs down a narrow passage

page_text: from the box into the disc casing. In these passages there are slides and a man
working behind the implement draws out and pushes in these slides as required to
maintain a proper supply to the disc casings. The axis of the spoon discs is driven
by a toothed wheel upon it gearing with an intermediate wheel which can be with-
drawn when it is wished to stop the delivery of the seed.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Seed Drills.
I, THOMAS HICKS CHANDLER of Rowde, near Devizes, Retired Farmer, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to lessen the weight and cost of the machine and
to avoid in great measure the waste of seed which now occurs at each stoppage.
At the present time the seed is usually carried in a box or bin passing
from side to side of the implement and in this bin work discs and spoons which
pick up the seed as it is required and deliver it down tubular guides to the seed
coulters.
In machines of this construction when a stoppage occurs all the seed then in
the tubes falls to the ground and is more or less wasted. Also when the machine
starts again it travels a short distance before any seed reaches the ground.
According to my invention I so arrange that the measuring mechanism is nearer
to the ground than heretofore. Each tube which is to carry seed down to the
small furrows formed by the coulters I make to pass at its upper end up through
the bottom of the hopper so that its upper end always contains seed. At any
suitable point in the length of the tube provide a cut off slide which extends
across the tube and stops the seed from falling. When the machine is at work
the slide is quickly drawn back a short distance and then quickly closed to allow
seed to fall in bunches on to the ground at any desired distance apart or if the
seed is to be spread in rows bars may be placed across the lower part of the tube
to form obstructions to delay some of the seed and so spread it in a row.
The
lower end of the tube may be made movable so that the seed may be directed
accurately into the furrow formed by the coulter.
Just above the movable slide above mentioned may be another cut off slide
which can be withdrawn more or less and locked in any desired position so as to
regulate the quantity of seed which can descend to the reciprocating slide-or
other means may be adopted for controlling the quantity of seed which can pass
down to the slide.
In order to give a quick reciprocating to and fro motion to this slide I connect
it to one arm of a lever the other arm of which is acted on by a spring which
tends always to move the slide into its closed position. Each time that the slide is
to be opened this arm of the lever is struck by a revolving cam.
The cam axis is made to extend horizontally from side to side of the machine so that
projections upon it may act upon all of the levers to which the slides of the several
tubes are coupled-the projections I form of a number of rods set at distances
apart around this axis and parallel with it the rods being passed through holes in
discs which are fixed upon the axis.
In order to be able to adjust the extent to which the slides are drawn back each
time that the levers are struck by one of the rods I make the bearings of the cam
axis to be capable of being moved backwards or forwards along guides towards or
from the levers and then of being locked in any desired position.
The stems of the small coulters or ploughs are at their upper ends clamped to

page_text: horizontal levers in such a manner that they may be made to incline forwards to
any extent desired or to be raised or lowered. The horizontal levers at their
front ends are pivotted to blocks which are secured at any desired distance apart
from one another between two horizontal bars which extend across the machine
from one side to the other.
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section Figure 2 a back elevation partly
in section and Figure 3 a plan of a seed drill constructed as above described.
Figure 4 is a section of some of the parts on a larger scale.
Figure 5 is an elevation of the revolving cam.
Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 shew views of the parts by which the coulter levers are
supported.
Figures 10 and 11 shew one of the clips by which the coulter stems are clamped
to the coulter levers.
Figure 12 is a plan view of one of the coulters.
Figures 13, 14 and 15 are views of a similar machine in which revolving worms
are employed to control the passing down of seed to the cut off' slides.
In Figures 1 to 12 A is the seed hopper. B B tubes.descending from it. CC are
cut off slides for closing the passage through the tubes B. D are levers to which
the slides are coupled. E are springs which turn the levers and keep the slides
closed. FF are rods at equal distances apart around a shaft G-they pass through
holes in discs fixed to the shaft. When the axis is rotated the rods F strike in
succession against the tail end of the levers D and draw back the slides. The
extent to which the slides are drawn back may as before stated be adjusted by
setting the shaft bearings nearer to or further from the levers. The shaft is driven
by toothed wheel gear from the axis and by changing the relative sizes of the
toothed wheels on the shaft and axle respectively the speed at which the shaft is
revolved may be varied as may be required. H are the coulters-their stems are
clamped by screw clamps H to coulter levers I-these levers at their front end
are jointed to blocks J which are clamped by bolts K to two parallel horizontal
bars LL these bars are at their ends attached to stems M which can be slidden
up or down through guides N. The rods are also jointed by links to arms P
on an axis P on which also is a hand lever arm by means of which the axis can
be turned and the coulters so raised or lowered to put them into or out of work.
Qis a cut off slide for controlling the speed at which seed can pass down from
the hopper to the slides.
In the modification shown at Figures 13, 14 and 15 the amount of sced passing
down from the hopper is controlled by revolving worms R in vertical spindles R
these are all driven by bevel gear from a horizontal shaft S which at its end
can be driven by toothed wheel gearing at any desired speed from the axle or
wheels. Rare pins extending outwards from the spindles R¹ to keep the seed in
the hopper agitated and keep it always descending to the tubes B.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The construction of seed drills substantially as herein before described.
2. The employment of cut off slides in the tubes which descend from the seed
hopper and a revolving cam and springs for alternately opening and closing the
slides substantially as described.
3. The mechanism for supporting the coulters substantially as described.
4. The employment of worms on vertical revolving spindles to control the
descent of seed from the seed hopper to the cut off slides substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of February 1892.
THOMAS HICKS CHANDLER.