IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM CULTIVATING MACHINERY
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Atkinson, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
STEAM CULTIVATING MACHINERY."
Sealed the 2nd May 1871, and dated the 23rd February 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Atkinson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd February 1871.
I, THOMAS ATKINSON, of Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM CULTIVATING MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
:-
In the Specification of a Patent granted to Barnard Fowler, David
Greig, and Robert Burton, dated 5th December 1868 (No. 3711), was
described the constructing that class of steam cultivating machinery
which is to be drawn over the land by hauling ropes in such a manner
that when the implement has arrived at one end of its course, and what

page_text: was the trailing rope becomes the draft rope, its first action shall be
to depress a wheel on each side of the implement, and so lift the tines
or tilling tools ont of the ground to facilitate the turning of the imple-
ment. The two wheels were for this purpose carried on crank arms at
the two ends of an axle, and the two draft ropes were attached to the
two arms of a V lever, which as one rope went out of action and the
other came into action turned on its axis, and by so doing caused the
cranked axle of the wheels to make a partial turn, and thereby lower the
or tilling tools out of the ground to facilitate the turning of the imple-
ment. The two wheels were for this purpose carried on crank arms at
the two ends of an axle, and the two draft ropes were attached to the
two arms of a V lever, which as one rope went out of action and the
other came into action turned on its axis, and by so doing caused the
cranked axle of the wheels to make a partial turn, and thereby lower the
whecis.
According to my Invention I mount a horizontal lever on each side.
of the forward part of the implement, the longer arm of the lever
inclining, by preference, forwards, and extending beyond the side of the
implement. On the outer end of each lever is mounted a pulley, and
the inner end of each lever is connected by chains or ropes to a quadrant
on the cranked axle of the side wheels. The hauling ropes or chains
are each attached to the implement at a point in rear of the levers, and
the rope or chain which for the time is the trailing rope or chain passes
from this point over one or other of the pulleys before mentioned, and
returns backwards clear of the wheel at the side of the implement.
When the implement arrives at a headland and the action of the draft
is reversed the rope or chain which previously was the trailing rope or
chain becomes the draft rope or chain, and is hauled against the pulley,
over which it passes, as before mentioned. The lever which carries the
pulley is thereby turned on its axis, and the cranked axle is consequently
turned and the wheels carried by it depressed. When the implement
has been turned the rope or chain passes away from the pulley to the
central line of the implement, and the implement is then drawn forward
by it. The tines or tilling tools being no longer held up by the action
of the draft rope may be allowed again to enter the ground; a suitable
catch is provided both to allow of the tines or tilling tools being held
up after they have been once raised, and also to prevent their being
drawn out of the ground whilst they are at work. By attaching the
hauling ropes or chains to the implement in rear of the two levers
mounted upon it, as before mentioned, and by leading the trailing
rope or chain over a pulley on the outer end of one of the levers the
power of the rope to turn the implement and lift the tines or tilling tools
out of the ground is greatly increased.

page_text: Heretofore also in steam cultivating implements of the class above
mentioned it has been usual to employ a central leading steering wheel,
the axle of which was carried in a frame capable of being caused to
swivel round in a fixed horizontal ring, which forms part of the framing
of the implement.
According to my Invention instead of placing this wheel centrally on
its axle 1 place the wheel a few inches out of the centre and towards
the land side of the implement, so that the draft rope or chain which
passes along the centre of the implement may lie at one side of the
wheel, and be at a sufficient distance from it to allow of the wheel being
steered. By this arrangement the leading steering wheel may be of
much greater diameter than was heretofore practicable, and it will also
to some extent act as a castor wheel and facilitate the turning of the
implement at a headland.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Atkinson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
ATKINSON, of Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, hearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Atkinson, Her special license
that I, the said Thomas Atkinson, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Atkinson, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF STEAM CULTIVATING MACHINERY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Atkinson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of

page_text: their hands and seals, should particularly descrive and ascertam tie
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 Thomas Atkinson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
In the Specification of a Patent granted to Barnard Fowler, David
Greig, and Robert Burton, dated 5th December One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-eight (No. 3711), was described the constructing
that class of steam cultivating machinery which is to be drawn over
the land by hauling ropes, in such a manner that when the implement
has arrived at one end of its course, and what was the trailing rope
becomes the draft rope, its first action shall be to depress a wheel on
each side of tho implement, and so lift the tines or tilling tools out of
the ground to facilitate the turning of the implement. The two wheels
wero for this purpose carried on crank arms at the two ends of an axle,
and the two draft ropes were attached to the two arms of a V lever,
which as one rope went out of action and the other came into action
turned on its axis, and by so doing caused the cranked axle of the
wheels to make a partial turn and thereby lower the wheels.
According to my Invention I mount a horizontal lever on each side of
the forward part of the implement, the longer arm of the lever inclining
by preference forwards, and extending beyond the side of the implement.
On the outer end of each lever is mounted a pulley, and the inner end
of each lever is connected by chains or ropes to a quadrant on the
cranked axle of the side wheels. The hauling ropes or chains are cach
attached to the implement at a point in rear of the levers, and the rope
or chain which for the time is the trailing rope or chain passes from
this point over one or other of the pulleys before mentioned, and returns
backwards clear of the wheel at the side of the implement. When the
implement arrives at a headland and the action of the draft is reversed,
the rope or chain which previously was the trailing rope or chain
becomes the draft rope or chain, and is hauled against the pulley, over

page_text: which it passes, as before mentioned. The lever which carries the
pulley is thereby turned on its axis, and the cranked axle is con-
sequently turned, and the wheels carried by it depressed. When the
implement has been turned the rope or chain passes away from the
pulley to the central line of the implement, and the implement is then
drawn forward by it. The tines or tilling tools being no longer held up
by the action of the draft rope may be allowed again to enter the
ground. A suitable catch is provided, both to allow of the tincs or
tilling tools being held up after they have been once raised, and also to
prevent their being drawn out of the ground whilst they are at work.
By attaching the hauling ropes or chains to the implement in rear of the
two levers mounted upon it, as before mentioned, and by leading the
trailing rope or chain over a pulley on the outer end of one of the levers,
the power of the rope to turn the implement and lift the tines or tilling
tools out of the ground is greatly increased.
Heretofore also in steam cultivating implements of the class above
mentioned it has been usual to employ a central leading steering wheel
the axle of which was carried in a frame capable of being caused to
swivel round in a fixed horizontal ring which forms part of the framing
of the implement.
According to my Invention instead of placing this wheel centrally on
its axle I place the wheel a few inches out of the centre and towards
the land side of the implement, so that the draft rope or chain which
passes along the centre of the implement may lie at one side of the
wheel, and be at a sufficient distance from it to allow of the wheel being
steered. By this arrangement the leading steering wheel may be of
much greater diameter than was heretofore practicable, and it will also
to some extent act as a castor wheel, and facilitate the turning of the
implement at a headland.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same

page_text: I
a, a, is the iron framework of the implement, to which the tines or
tilling tools b, b, are secured. At the hinder end of the framework is
carried the cranked axle c, the cranked arms of which, as heretofore,
carry the lifting wheels c'. On the axis is fixed a quadrant d, having
attached to it a strap or chain, which by chains e, e, is connected to the
shorter arms of levers, the longer arms of which carry pulleys g;
h, h, arc rods pin jointed at h¹ to the rear end of the implement, and
connected at their opposite ends by short chains / to the hauling ropes.
The hauling rope which is for the time being in action lies along the
centre line of the implement, or nearly so, whilst the chain to which
the tail or trailing rope is attached passes over the pulley g which is on
its side of the implement, and the tail rope is carried clear of the side of
the implement; when the implement has been drawn up to a headland
and the tail rope becomes the hauling rope, the lever carrying the
pulley is caused to turn on its axis, and thereby the cranked axle e is
also turned, so depressing the wheels c', and thereby lifting the tilling
tools out of the ground. When the tilling tools have thus been lifted
they are, as heretofore usual, retained in their raised position by teeth
on a catch lever i engaging with teeth formed at one side of the
quadrant d. When the implement has been turned the catch lever i
is drawn back, and the tilling tools again enter the ground, the depth
to which they enter being regulated as heretofore by the same catchi
lever i; k is the leading and steering wheel, it is, as before stated,
placed on its axle out of the centre of the fixed ring, within which
the frame m of which the axle forms a part is capable of swivelling.
The frame m is, as heretofore, capable of being turned within the ring by
means of a chain attached to quadrants on its under side, and led over a
chain wheel n on the steering shaft, as is clearly shown by the Drawing.
By thus placing the leading and steering wheel out of the centre of the
frame the wheel may, as before stated, be of much greater diameter
than was heretofore practicable.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim as
my improvements in the construction of steam cultivating machinory
is,-
1. The combined arrangement for lifting the tilling tools of steam
cultivating machinery out of the ground, substantially as herein

page_text: 2. The placing the leading and steering wheel out of the centre of the
fixed ring within which the frame carrying the axle of such wheel is
capable of' swivelling, substantially as herein described, thereby allowing
of a steering wheel of larger diameter than heretofore being employed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Atkinson, have hereunto
set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.