AN IMPROVED ROTARY SPADER OR DIGGING MACHINE FOR TILLING LAND
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Addison Phillips, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
United States of America, but now of No. 12, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED ROTARY SPADER OR DIGGING MACHINE FOR
TILLING LAND." A communication from abroad by Cicero, Comstock, of
Milwaukee aforesaid.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Addison Phillips at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th March 1865.
I, EDWIN ADDISON PHILLIPS, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of
America, but now of No. 12, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVED ROTARY SPADER OR DIGGING MACHINE FOR TILLING
LAND," a communication, to be as follows:-
The nature of said Invention consists chiefly in so constructing and arranging
the working parts that by the forward movement of the machine the fork

page_text: tines or spading blades, which are connected to the travelling wheels and
partially controlled by fixed or stationary cams, enter the ground as they revolve,
thereby speedily and effectually lifting, breaking, and pulverizing the soil. Two
travelling or main wheels are fixed upon the axle of the machine in any suitable
manner, and at such distance apart as may be required for machines of different
sizes. The fork tines or spading blades which penetrate the earth are secured
to fork shafts or bars considerably longer than the distance between the
travelling wheels. These fork shafts are hung or connected to the inner
surface of the travelling wheels, near the circumferences of the latter, by means
of arms cast or otherwise formed on the shaft, said arms being pivoted to allow
a swing motion. Across the periphery of the wheels are cut deep recesses or
grooves curved to correspond with the curves described by the swing of the
fork shafts, and into which the said shafts pass, thereby allowing the necessary
movements of the latter to enable the machine to conveniently and efficiently
perform its functions. Outside each wheel, and close to its hub, is placed upon
the axle a stationary cam, around which the fork shafts pass, and by which
their movements, and consequently the action of the fork tines, are to a certain
extent controlled. These cams are fixed to the frame of the machine, the axle
rotating with the travelling wheels. For partially governing the action of the
fork shafts a bar or lever, with its inner face 'concave to correspond with the
periphery of the cam at its front part,. is used. This concave faced bar forms
with the cam a groove or guide way for one end of the fork shafts, thereby
holding the fork tines firmly, and throwing them into position at the required
time for penetrating the ground. Upon the ends of the fork shafts lūgs or
bosses are formed in which are hung friction wheels, coming in contact with
the periphery of the fixed cams as the machine moves, and on one side passing
through the guide way formed by the cam and said concave faced bar. The
fork tines are curved and are widest at their outer ends, which are sharpened
by being bevelled on their inner or concave sides. These tines are notched on
the concave side of their heads, the notch fitting on the fork shaft. The
fork tines are secured to the outer face of the fork shaft by means of a stirrup
or clamp, which passes around said shaft and has in each end an aperture in
which the 'tines are keyed, the object being to firmly secure said-tines in position
without preventing their ready fémoval when desired. The arms or cranks
are also cast on the shafts, and the fork tines are so arranged upon the different
'shafts that the said 'tines alternate, thereby allowing them when folded to rest
on the preceding shaft instead of falling upon the heads of the preceding
row of tines. The travelling wheels are fixed to the axle by means of keys
driven towards the centre of the machine, so that 'the hubs of the cams-prevent

page_text: the keys from working out or becoming loosened. Both ends of the hub or
the cam are recessed so as to form a chamber or socket to admit a collar on
the wheel hub at one end, and the nut of the axle at the other, by which
means dirt is entirely excluded from the interior of the cam hub. A spring is
secured, on or near the back part of the fixed cams for the purpose of breaking
the fall of the fork shafts whenever by a quick movement of the team the.
same is thrown out behind; this spring serves the same purpose when the
machine is moved backwards. The bottom of the cams which governs the
action of the fork tines in the ground, and forms the principal wearing part,
is made of a separate piece, and so united to the other part that it may
be easily removed. The lower face of this part is made nearly straight
for some distance, in order to give the most advantageous movement to
the tines. The concave faced bar, which with one of the fixed cams forms
a groove or guide way for the fork shaft, is pivoted at its upper end. to. a
standard which supports one side of the driver's seat, and at the lower end to
a link or lever. To the opposite end of said link or lever are pivoted two
other levers, the upper end of one of the latter being pivoted to a hanger or
brace extending from the footboard of the machine, and the upper end of the
other being pivoted to an elbowed actuating lever which has its fulcrum above
said footboard. By means of this elbowed lever acting through the other levers
or links upon the concave faced bar the machine is thrown into working order,
or into condition to be conveniently removed from one field to another. By
this arrangement also the concave faced bar becomes self-adjusting sufficiently
to allow the fork shafts to fold whenever the strain on the said bar shall reach
a given pressure, thereby preventing any injury to the machine should any
bard substance get into the guide way, or the tines meet with any unusual
resistance. The machine is constructed principally of iron and steel to give
it strength and durability. The bottom of the stationary cams and some other
parts may be advantageously chill-hardened iron, but the forked tines and
shafts should be formed of steel. By the revolution of the travelling wheels
to which the fork shafts are hung at equal distances apart, the friction wheels
attached to said fork shafts are carried around the stationary cams. These
cams are so shaped in front that each row of fork tipes strikes the ground at
a distance ahead of the preceding one equal to the distance between the fork
shafts or the pivots on which said fork shafts are hung. The shape of the said
cams then permits the fork shafts to gradually recede into the recesses in the.
periphery of the travelling wheels while the fork tines are entering the earth,
the points in their entrance describing a curve, the radius of which corresponds
with the curvature of said tines. Any desirable sweep or movement of the

page_text: tines is afterwards obtained by giving the requisite shape to the bottom and
back part of the stationary cams. By withdrawing the curved face bar from
the front face of the stationary cam each row of fork tines falls down upon the
preceding fork shaft, and instead of said tines performing their work they
freely pass between the fork shaft and the surface of the ground. The
adjustment of the curved faced bar may be effected without stopping the
rotation, and when it is withdrawn from the front face of the cam, the
machine may be easily drawn on the surface without injury to the fork tines
or other parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin Addison Phillips in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
ADDISON PHILLIPS, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America, but
now of No. 12, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edwin Addison Phillips, Her special licence that I, the said Edwin Addison
Phillips, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edwin Addison Phillips, 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 Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
ROTARY SPADER OR DIGGING MACHINE FOR TILLING LAND," (a communication) upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edwin Addison Phillips, 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 calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine with the parts in position to
cause the forks to enter. the ground; Figure 2 is a back elevation with the
forks in the same position; Figure 3 is a side elevation with the parts in
position to allow the forks to fold over without entering the ground; Figure 4
is a front elevation with parts in the same position; Figure 5 is a plan of the
machine; Figures 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are detached portions of
Like letters refer to corresponding part in each of the Figures.
The travelling wheels A shewn separately in Figure 6, are fixed on the
main axle B, by the keys a driven towards the centre of the machine, and cut
off flush with the ends of the hubs A¹, which are turned to fit in recesses in the
bosses of the stationary cams D, as shewn in Figure 8. The nuts 6 hold the
cams D in their places and effectually exclude all dirt from the journals of the
axle B. The fork tines or spading blades a' are sharpened at their outer
extremities or points to, penetrate the earth, and are attached to the shafts or
bars C in such a manner that each row when closed or folded will fall and lie
between those of each preceding row, as shewn in Figures 2 and 4. The
shafts or bars C are of such a section as to fit into a recess formed in the head
of each of the tines or. blades a¹, and said tines are fitted in their respective
positions on said shafts, and firmly secured thereto by the straps 61 and keys c,
as clearly shewn in Figures 13 and 14. The strap 6' being first placed on the
shaft C, the head of the tine or blade a¹ is then inserted in the slot in said
strap, so that the recess in the head of the tine fits on the shaft. The keys c
being driven tightly behind the head of the tine or blade will draw the strap b',
shaft C, and tine a closely and firmly together. By this method of securing
the tines or blades a' they can be easily removed when required. The bars or
shafts C are suspended by means of arms & upon pins d, fixed in the wheels

page_text: A, near the perimeter thereof. These bars or shafts are of such a length as to
project beyond the wheels A, and upon their projecting ends are cast or other
wise fixed brackets e, in the jaws of which are fitted the pins e¹ for carrying the
friction rollers f. The grooves or recesses a³, formed on the wheels A, are of
such a shape as to correspond with the curve described by the movement of the
bars or shafts C, thereby allowing said bars or shafts to vibrate freely on the
centre pins d, and be guided by the cams D, while at the same time they are
firmly sustained in the position required to force them to enter and effectually
break up and turn over the soil. The stationary cams D in connection with
the adjustable guide bar F properly controls or guides the movements of the
shaft or bars C, and consequently the action of the tines a'. These cams D, in
which are formed the bearings for the axle B, are prevented from rotating with
said axle by being fixed to the bars p and other parts of the machine, and are
for convenience and economy constructed in two parts. The lower part or shoe
9, which regulates the action of the tines a¹ in the ground, is preferably made
of chill-hardened iron, and is secured to the upper portion g' in such a manner
that it can be easily removed when required. The lower end of said shoe
should be formed nearly straight, as shewn in Figures 1, 3, 9, and 10, to obtain
the most advantageous movement of the tines or blades a while in the ground.
The springs E, attached to the cams are provided to ease or break the fall
of the shafts or bars C whenever by a quick movement of the team said
shafts are thrown out behind. The adjustable guide bar F is pivotted at its
upper end to the standard h, and at its lower end to the link . To the
opposite end of the link i are pivotted the links j and k, the upper end of the
latter being pivotted to the hanger or bracket 1. The upper end of the link j
is connected to one end of the elbowed lever m, working on the fulcrum pin n.
By this construction and arrangement of the lever m, links i, j, and k, and
guide bar F, the working of the machine is effectually and conveniently con-
trolled by the driver, while the guide bar F is sufficiently self-adjusting to allow
the tines a¹ to fold up when there is any excessive strain upon the machine,
thereby preventing injury to the parts should any hard substance get between
the cam D and the guide bar F, or should the tines a' meet with any unusual
resistance in entering the ground. Upon the standards h are fixed the
springs h', supporting the driver's seat o, and upon the braces p is fixed the
footboard q, as clearly shewn in Figures 1 and 3. G is the shield, and & the
pole or bar by which the machine is drawn. To set the machine in action the
lever m is moved to throw the parts into the position represented in Figure 1.
By the revolution of the travelling wheels A, the shafts C are carried round
the stationary cams D, upon the edges of which the friction wheels f are

page_text: arranged to run. The cams D and guide bar F are so shaped as to cause each
row of tines a¹ to strike the ground at a certain distance in advance of the pre-
ceding row, this distance being equal to the space between the centres of the
pins d. The lower part of the cams D is so shaped as to allow each of the
shafts C in passing around to recede into its recess a while the tines a¹ are
entering the earth. The points of the tines a¹ in their entrance describe a curve
corresponding nearly with the curvature of said tines, and the movement of
these tines in the ground is governed by the shape of the shoe g. The
machine is thrown out of action by operating the lever m. By this means the
parts are brought into the position represented in Figure 3, the bar F. being
drawn away from the cam D, and the fork tines thereby allowed simply to fall
and rest upon the surface of the ground. Each row falls upon the preceding
shaft or bar C, and passes under the machine between said shaft and the
surface of the ground. The adjustment of the guide bar F may be effected
without stopping the rotation of the machine, and when said bar is in the
position represented in Figure 3, the machine may be conveniently drawn
along without injury to the tines a¹ or other parts.
Machines constructed as herein described are cheap, strong, and durable,
and perform the required operations for tilling land in the most efficient
manner. The parts are formed principally of iron and steel by preference to
give them durability and the required strength.
Having thus fully described said improvements as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and shewn in what manner the same may be con-
veniently and advantageously carried into practice, I wish it to be understood
that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein set forth and illustrated
in the accompanying Sheets of Drawings, but I claim as my Invention,-
First, the travelling wheels A with grooves or recesses a formed therein, for
the purpose and substantially as described.
Second, the fork tines a' constructed and secured to the shafts C, for the
purpose and substantially as described.
Third, the arrangement of the tines a¹ upon the shafts C to prevent the
tines on one shaft falling upon the heads of the tines on the preceding shaft,
substantially as described.
Fourth, securing the shafts C to the wheels A, for the purpose and substan-
tially in the manner described.
Fifth, the stationary cams D when formed of one or more parts, and used
with or without the springs E, constructed and operating substantially as
described.

page_text: Sixth, the guide bar F constructed and operating in combination with the
adjacent cam D, for the purpose and substantially as described.
Seventh, the general arrangement and combination of parts constructed,
arranged, and operating substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Addison Phillips, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
GEORGE HASELTINE,
EDWIN ADDISON PHILLIPS. (L.S.)
8, Southampton Buildings.