IMPROVEMENTS IN DIBBLING MACHINERY FOR DEPOSITING GRAIN AND MANURE
Year: 1857

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LETTERS PATENT to Jacques Henri, Mario Maissiat, of Paris, in tho
Empire of France, Chemist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DIBBLING MACHINERY FOR DEPOSITING GRAIN AND MANURE."
Sealed the 11th August 1857, and dated tho 23rd February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jacques Henri Mario
Maissiat at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd February 1857.
I, JACQUES HENRI MARIE MAISSIAT, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN DIBBLING MACHINERY FOR DEPOSITING GRAIN AND MANURE," to be as
follows:-
I construct a hollow cylinder with numerous projections on the exterior in
the form of arcs of circles. This cylinder rolls on the ground during the
operation of dibbling. The projections on the cylinder enter the ground and
thereby form the dibbled holes for the deposit of the seed. An aperture of
escape for the seed is formed near each projection, which opening terminates
towards the interior in a small chamber, into which the seed is measured and
introduced by small cups projecting inside the cylinder. The entrance to the
seed channel is opened and closed on the interior by valves; which
open and
close by their own gravity, while valves placed on the exterior of the cylinder
have a permanent tendency to remain open, but which close the seed channels
as the cylinder rolls, and they pass undermost. The grain is placed within
the cylinder dibbler, and at cach revolution each measuring cup takes up
a measure of seed, which by the continued revolution it deposits within its
respective seed channel. The interior valve opens for this purpose, and at
a subsequent period closes, & provents any more seed entering the channel.
The cylinder as it progresses passes over the ground, in doing which it

page_text: dibbles the hole for the sced about to be deposited, which is effected so soon
as the exterior valve is relieved from pressure. The seed therefore is not
deposited until the roller has passed over the point of deposit, the exterior
valve closing and preventing its escape till that time. The seed channels
have a somewhat zig-zag form, to insure the proper action and deposit of
the seed.
For depositing manure simultaneously with the seed, I place a second
cylinder within the first in which the manure is placed. This second cylinder
is furnished with valves and parts as before described with reference to tho
seed cylinder. The channels for the passage of the manure from the inner
cylinder lead into the seed channels of the first, by which the manure escapes
with the seed into the dibbled hole prepared for its reception.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jacques Henri Maric Maissiat in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JACQUES
HENRI MARIE MAISSIAT, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Chemist, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, clid, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Jacques Henri Maric Maissiat, Her special licence that I, the
said Jacques Henri Marie Maissiat, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Jacques Henri Mario Maissiat, 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 DIBBLING
MACHINERY FOR DEPOSITING GRAIN AND MANURE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Jacques Henri Maric Maissiat, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jacques Henri Marie Maissiat, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the sanio
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto.
annexed, and to the letters and figures respectively marked theroon, in which.
figures similar letters of reference indicate like parts where they recur (that is
to say):-
The object I have in view is to dibble or deposit by machinery grain, and.
particularly cereals, with all necessary precision attainable by hand. To effect
this with economy, and either to dibble one grain separately, or a number
of grains congregated together, in each place at equal intervals in both
directions (length and breadth), and at any requisito and uniform depth, with:
an arbitrary and proportionate accompaniment of pulverablo or liquid manure,
either with or adjacent to each grain or number of grains, the whole detail
of the work being readily brought to bear on large surfaces by a simply
organised machine, drawn by suitable power and conducted or attended by a
man.
The principal feature of the machine intended for this purpose is an
impressing or dibbling roller, which affects the deposit of the seed and manure

page_text: liquid manure, separately. In the interior of the hollow cylinder a is a supply
of seed c, continually rolling on itself, and always remaining at the bottom
of the cylinder. To each dibbling aperture there are corresponding parts.
First, inside of cylinder a are measuring cups d.
Secondly, in close communication with each cup is a valve of admission e,
which valve is moveable on a hinge. (I will herein-after describe the details
of this valve).
The valve of admission e is controlled by gravitation alone, and governs
the entrance of the seed c into the hopper h and exit canal f, which it keeps
open or shut, according to the position of the dibbling roller on the soil; a
little stop projects on the measuring cup, and limits the motion of the
valvo e.
Thirdly, a wide and short hopper or funnel-shaped channel h, terminating
in a channel f, forming with the extended part f a given angle at i. The
channelf terminates at ; in the extreme diameter of the ridge b.
Fourthly, at the extremity ; an exit valve & is placed, consisting of a curved
metal blade. This valve k is attached at a distance from the opening j, and
opens by its own elasticity (as will be herein-after described) at the moment
the seed is to pass out for deposit in the soil.
ACTION OF THE MECHANISM.
Supposing any single depositing dibble or apparatus to be in position at
the moment it deposits its seed in the soil, in order that it may arrive again
at the same position, a complete turn of the roller takes place, and the action
is as follows:-At starting the valve of admission e being shut passes under
the seed c, the measuring cup d traverses the seed, and being wide open in
meeting with the seed it becomes charged and emerges filled, and is so found
after a quarter of a turn has been completed. During the next quarter
of a turn the valve e opens gradually, passes far enough from the measuring
cup that no grain may be pinched between them; it then meets the stop g
on which it rests, and remains open to that extent; if the cup is too full some
grains fall again, owing to the successive inclinations of the measuring cup.
During the next quarter of a turn the measuring cup d is emptied of the
remaining grain, by emptying it into the open hopper h; the seed slides down
the valve e and passes as far as the angle i, and stops thero till further
revolution of cylinder a takes place. Lastly, during the last quarter of a turn
the valvo e by its own gravity shuts and again passes under the supply of seed
in the cylinder. The last portion f of the conducting channel h during this
part of the revolution approaches a horizontal position, attains it, passes beyond

page_text: it, and assumes a more and more inclined position for the delivery of the seed,
but the exit valve k now shuts the opening of the dibble hole by being pressed
on the soil during its descent; the seed held in the hopper h then first descends
to j, and again stops there a moment until the valve ke has slightly passed the
line vertical to the axis of the cylinder, when it reascends and leaves the soil.
At this precise juncture, the escape from the exit valve k takes place in the
furrow impressed by the ridge b, and the grain takes its place protected by
the gutter-shaped termination of valve k from the lateral falling in of
the soil.
USEFUL ARRANGEMENTS RELATIVE TO THE PARTS OF THE DIBBLING ROLLER.
The power of changing the measuring cups, of dispensing with a certain
number of them at will, and by establishing certain simple relations between
the various parts of the apparatus, great facilities can be obtained for varying
the quantity of seed in each deposit, and the distances at which each dibbling
or deposit takes place, and other conditions of sowing without affecting the
regularity, and without change of the apparatus.
USEFUL ADJUNCTS TO THE DIBBLING ROLLER.
With this system of depositing seed, the distribution of manures in regular
proportions around the grain can be readily effected. It will be self-evident
that any pulverable manure, guano, for example, may be distributed by a
second mechanism, similar in every respect to the first. Now, that being
admitted, the central capacity of the dibbling roller a being disposable, it
is easy to instal therein, and on the same axis as the roller, a second hollow
cylinder l, as represented at Figs. 2, 4, 5, and 9.
This second cylinder is of smaller diameter but of the same length, is made
of thin metal, and solely intended for the simultaneous distribution of the
guano; it will act identically in the manner of the large hollow roller in and
by which the seed is placed and distributed as herein-before described. If
cach conducting channel 9, of the central cylinder passes directly to join tho
> exit channel or hopper h, at the angle i, of each corresponding dibble of the
large roller, the grain and the guano will be mingled at the confluence or
temporary stoppago which takes place at i; they will then leave and will be
deposited together in the soil in the same place and at the same time.
With reference to the liquid manure, as the dibbling roller, and in addition
5 another roller herein-after referred to, are both. mounted by their axes in a
frame m to which the tractive force is applied to move the whole over the soil,
.I have established on this same frame an apparatus which I describe herein-

page_text: alter, consisting of a reservoir of liquid manure, the escape from which is
regulated, so as to pour out and distribute continuously the liquid manure
during the operation into the temporary furrows, in which tho .dibbling roller
bas deposited the seed, either already, accompanied with pulverable manure or
not; this temporary furrow will thus be rendered humid and manured beforo it
is closed over the seed deposited.
The closing of the temporary furrow is performed by a second roller n;
represented in longitudinal section at Fig. 3, it follows closely on the dibbling
roller; this second roller has as many grooves or throats o, o, as the cylinder a
has ridges; each groove o follows the track of the corresponding ridge b,
and causes the sides of the temporary furrow left by the ridge 6 to approach
each other laterally. Each separating apex or ridge of roller n itself im-
presses in the ground a new permanent little furrow intermediate of the
temporary ones made by the dibbling roller which preceded it. The soil
thus remains moulded in a series of longitudinal and parallel ridges, from the
top of which will spring the new plants from the seed so distributed and
deposited.
'
Having given the general idea of my Invention, I will now proceed to give
the details of construction of the principal parts of the machine to be protected
by the Letters Patent together with the principle involved.
The complete apparatus is represented in vertical section at Fig. 4, and in
horizontal section at Fig. 5.
1st, the measuring by the aid of cup d, which is represented at Figs. 6 and 7;
the measuring is effected thus:-This part of the apparatus is composed of a
single cup, or of multiple,cups d, having moulded or shaped cavities, P, which
have the exact form of the grain to be sown, so that as many grains may
bo lodged in them as there are cavities, and that therefore only just this number
can be lodged therein; these cups & are fixed at the entry of the exit channels or
hoppers on the interior side of cylinder a. The guano measuring is con-
ducted in the same way by a little fixed cup of suitable capacity, which acts
with its valves exactly in the manner as the same parts of the first cylinder.
The guano leaving its cylinder is delivered through the conducting channel 2,
at the angle i, to be deposited with the seed as herein-before described..
2ndly, the valve of admission e, also ropresented at Figs. 6 and 7. It has
two guide grooves formod of pieces q' and r soldered back to back on both
sides of the valve, and acting alternately on the grain to conduct it first into
the cup d, and then into the hopper h.
In order to keep the grain or guano always distributed throughout the
length of cylinders, they have interior fittings thus:-In the interior of each of

page_text: the cylinders there are annular partitions s, forming internal ridges, which
separate the cylinders in their length into equal zones t, t, in order that
although the land may be inclined in the direction of the axis, first in one
direction and then in the opposite direction, the seed is kept distributed along
the whole length of cylinder a in sufficient quantity, and remains always so
equally distributed.
Each ridge b and series of valves e coincides with the middle of a zone t;
each valve e of admission presents its guide channel 9 at the lower part of the
interior of the cylinder, in order to conduct the passing grain to the mould or
cavity p, which is a single or multiple measure, which contains as many grains
as there are cells, or in order to conduct and cause the guano to fill the
measuring cup d. The other conducting channel r is arranged in a position
inverted to that of the q', and acts at the upper part of the revolution and
conducts the grain or guano from cup d into the hopper, and thence the grain
or guano passes to its destination as described.
The movement of the valves of the same row of dibbles depends on the
tortion or twisting of a wire u, which acts as a substitute for a hinge, and
presents the advantage of dispensing with parts subject to friction, which would
necessitate the use of lubricating matters, and would be liable to dust and
matters adhering thereto.
3rdly, the exit valve & represented at Fig. 8. It is composed of a piece of
sheet steel h curved at the one extremity to suit the ridge b; it is fixed at the
other extremity; it is elastic and flexible throughout its length, and has a
tendency to recede from the ridge b to the extent of half an inch or an inch at
the free end, which is counteracted at the proper time by the action of the
roller pressing it on the soil. The movement of k is further assured by a little
additional spring v, which assures the movement and exact displacement
required for the passage of the seed. This small spring is placed at the exit
opening; in a little cavity made for that purpose.
4thly, the liquid manure reservoir x, Fig. 4, presents compartments y on
platform for the reception of a sack p' of seed and a sack of guano. It
presents besides a grated funnel a' for admitting the liquid manure, which
thus freed from any matters liable to cause obstruction, and moreover by means
of a very simple mechanism, consisting of tubes 6' and stop-cocks c' in the
reservoir x, from which the air is allowed to escape or admitted at pleasure;
the running off of the manure is constant and easy to conduct; d³ is the
horizontal tube conducting the manure to the exit syphon.
e is a flat tube which spreads the liquid throughout the breadth of the
machine; f is a tube forming a syphon, and pierced with as many holes as

page_text: there are furrows. It is shut at each extremity by two corks or plugs, and a
stop-cock governs the escape of the manure.
appara-
The reservoir for the liquid manure rests on to the uprights n of the
tus, with feet resting in sockets, so that I may be placed or removed at will..
The following is the triple means of supplying of the machine:-
1st, for the liquid manure a little cock g¹ is opened for the escape of air in
the reservoir x, when the liquid is poured into the funnel a'; the air cock is
then shut, when the apparatus is ready for.action.
2ndly, for the guano and the grain there are in the cylinders two openings of
admission h¹ and ³, formed in the end and shut by a flat moveable plate of
metal; on the other part the guano or seed sacks each present a kind of handle-
shaped appendix j', which is pressed and causes the grain or guano to leave the
sack, and pass by a pipe to the openings or i¹. It must be understood that
the grain or guano should be caused to enter the openings h¹ and ¹ when
they are behind and above the axis, in order that the guano and grain do not
fall into the exit channels, that is to say, care must be taken to pour it into
that part of the cylinders where the valves e begin.to open.
In order to turn round the machine, as also to travel from place to place,
the apparatus is converted, so to speak, into a kind of barrow by lifting tho
shafts, k, by hand, or on the back of a horse, so that tho, discs n, n, of tho
second roller alone touch the ground, which being independent of each other
allow of the turning round.
The dibbling cylinder and framework may be supposed to represent the
barrow, of which the cylinder n which closes the furrow composed of indepen-
dent parts represents the wheels. land m are scrapers formed of steel blades;
one is fixed to the dibbling roller, the other to the burying or covering tin
roller. A moveable tracing rod is adjusted on each side in order to mark and
trace the track to be followed in the succeeding traverso of the implement,
which avoids constant attention to that particular on the part of the attendant.
Instead of ridges b; b, formed entirely round the cylinder to form the
cavities or furrows in which the seed is deposited, these ridges may be- in
short segments of circles, whereby to form the impressed cavity for the
reception of seed from its dibble channel f.
The chief characteristics of the machine then are,―
1st, the dibbles and ridges b, b, tracing (in the manner of an impressing
cylinder) the furrows or cavities in the soil where the seed and manure are to
be deposited at regular intervals, and in quincunx arrangements.
2ndly, the measuring cups for the seed, each of which are moulded with
cavities to suit the grain to be deposited, and cach cavity affording just room

page_text: for a single grain, and no more, thus forming at will a single or multiple
measuring cup.
Srdly, the valve of admission e having two conducting channels for directing
the grain at the requisite time, the one into the measuring cup and the other
for conducting it into the exit channel h, f, which deposits it into the furrows
or cavities made by the dibbling cylinder. The movement of valves k, e, on a
wire u by its torsion as on a hinge.
4thly, the exit valve le formed of a metal acting by its own clasticity, and
by that of the additional spring v, which allows the exit of the seed at the
desired moment, and directs it into the furrow or hollow formed by the dibble
ridge b.
5thly, the pulverized manure depositor, arranged with the like parts con-
ducting and depositing the manure with the grain.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the
same may be carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I
claim as my Invention, intended to be secured by the herein-before recited
Letters Patent, is,―
First, the dibbling or depositing grain by means of a roller or cylinder
rolling and impressing furrows or cavities for the deposit of the grain (seed)
measured and delivered by the combination of parts, substantially as herein-
beforo described.
Secondly, I claim dibbling or depositing grain accompanied with manure
by means of apparatus or machinery, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jacques Henri Mario Maissiat, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
T TT
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