IMPROVE- PAR DEAWAH TING LAND
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Walker, of Sambourne, in the Parish of
Coughton, in tho County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
PAR DEAWAH TING LAND"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Walker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th June
1855.
I, HENRY WALKER, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS FOR PLOUGHING OR. TILLING LAND" to be as
follows:-
It consists in adding to the ordinary plough an additional coulter, and soine-
times more than one (additional). If one additional coulter be used, I place
it a little in advance of the usual coulter, and on the right-hand side of it (as
in use), and at about the centre of the furrow to be lifted, so as to split it
before it reaches the mould board, by which it is lifted and turned over. If
the action of the usual mould board do not sufficiently separate each divisional
portion as left by the coulters, I then propose to rib the mould board, or give
it different inclinations, so that each section of the soil will be lifted at slightly
-different intervals, and being completely detached, a greater surface will be
exposed to the influence of the atmosphere. When more than one additional

page_text: coulter is used, I place cach slightly in advance of the other, and at such
widths apart (lengthways) that they will divide the furrow equally into as
many portions as there are coulters in use to the furrow, care being taken
that they are so placed as not to bind each other by holding the soil between
them. The under surface of the plough in ordinary use often glazes the soil
it has passed over; to avoid this I either make indentations on the under side
of the plough to obtain an uneven surface; or I place one or more points on
the under side of a plough that will act at slight depth (similar to the harrow
teeth) on the bed of the furrow.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
December 1855.
•
. TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WALKER, of Sambourne, in the Parish of Coughton, in the County of
Warwick, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
'Henry Walker, Her especial license that I, the said Henry Walker, my exccu-
'tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Walker,
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-PLOUGHS FOR PLOUGHING
LOR TILLING LAND, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry
Walker, by an instrument. in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 Henry Walker, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,

page_text: reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and forming
part of this my Specification, to the Diagrams drawn thereon, and to the Jetters
of reference placed on the said Diagrams, denoting similar parts where such
parts can be seen respectively; Figure 1 being an elevation, and Figure 2 a
plan view of a plough.
My Invention consists in the application of one or more extra coulters to
ploughs for tilling land, and in other modifications of the plough, as herein-
after described. The coulter or cutter, which in ordinary ploughs makes the
vertical cut into the earth, being followed by the share, merely makes such cut,
and its duty there ends. I do not disturb or vary its position. In ploughing
heavy lands, for which my improvement will be principally used, it will be
found advantageous to divide the slice or layer of earth cut by the coulter and
turned by the share into two or more longitudinal cuts, so that instead of
having a wide furrow slice, consisting of a large mass of unbroken or nearly
unbroken earth, it will be divided or split into parts before it reaches the
mould board, when it will be turned over in two or more narrow slices, as
cut by the coulter. I for this purpose place a coulter on the furrow side of
the beam of the plough in such manner as to cut the body of earth to be
turned over by the share into two parts; or, where desirable, I place a third
coulter in such wise as to further assist the usual coulter in cutting the soil;
this I place also on the furrow side of the usual coulter, and the additional
coulters should be so fixed as to cut the ground simultaneously.
In the Drawing, Figure 1 shews an elevation of a plough as in ordinary
use, but having thereon three coulters; namely, the one usually used c; the
one I
propose to use for dividing the carth, as before described, b, which will
be found usually sufficient for the purpose; and the third for assisting c in
cutting the earth d, shewn only in dotted lines. Figure 2 shews, in plan, the
position of the coulters as usually intended to be placed; a, a, denoting the
arms proceeding from the beam or framework of the plough; as before stated,
the earth will be split before it reaches the mould board, by which it is lifted
and turned over; but as it may in some cases be found that the ordinary
mould board will not sufficiently separate each divisional portion as left by the
coulters, in such case I rib the said mould board, or give it different incli-
nations, so that each section of the soil is lifted at slightly different intervals,
being thus more completely detached or broken up, and a greater surface
thereof exposed to the genial influence of the atmosphere. By the use of
two or more coulters or cutters placed as herein-before directed, the furrows
-will-be-divided-into-as-many-portions (cut lengthways) as there are coulters in
use; and if the coulters_are_carefully-placed in position,-it-will be found-that-

page_text: they do not bind each other by holding soil, roots, stubble, or grass between
them. In ploughing clays, I have frequently observed that the under surface
of the plough glazes the soil it has passed over, thus excluding in a great
'ineasure the soil whose surface is so glazed from the action of the atmosphere,
and producing thereby a check to the drainage of the surface water down-
'wards; to avoid this I make indentations or grooves in or on the under side or
sliding surface of the plough; or in lieu thereof the coulters may be set deeper
'than the slice turned over, which causes an uneven surface or slight channels
*to be left when the plough has passed over.
Having described the nature of my improvements in ploughs, and the mode
or means by which they are carried into effect, I would merely observe, in
conclusion, that the position of all or any of the coulters can be varied as may
be found desirable without departing from the principle of my Invention of
"improvements in ploughs for tilling land."
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Walker, have hereunto affixed
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JOHN GEDGE, Patent Agent,
4, Wellington Street South,
Strand, London.
II. WALKER. (L.S.)