IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS
Year: 1865

page_text: Sealed the 10th November 1865, and dated the 12th May 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Eddy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th May 1865.
I, JOHN EDDY, of Kennford, in the County of Devon, Agricultural Imple-
ment Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to what are known as "turn-wrest" or one-way
ploughs, and also to single ploughs, and has for its object the effectual burial
of the surface soil by throwing up the subsoil over it and breaking up the
furrow so as to leave the surface comparatively smooth and level and ready
for seeds without the necessity for the subsequent operation of harrowing.
As the "flys" hitherto used in turn-wrest ploughs are entirely dispensed with
in the improved plough it is not liable to choke or clog up. and is well
adapted for fallow land, and more easy of draught than the ordinary turn-wrest
ploughs.
In carrying out my Invention as regards the turn-wrest plough I propose
to employ two sets of two mould boards and shares, the one set being in the
reverse direction to the other. The front share and mould board are intended
[Price 8d.]

page_text: for removing and turning over the surface soil or "spine," and for ploughing
in long dung or manure, whilst the rear share and mould board are intended
for ploughing deeply into the subsoil, they being set considerably deeper than
the front ones for that purpose. and their operation is to bring up the subsoil
and turn it over on to the surface soil or "spine" already turned over by the
front share and mould board. These mould boards are shorter, and are curved
much sharper than ordinary moulds in order that they may break up the soil
in lieu of laying it in the form of ridges and furrows. so that as the plough
passes along it leaves the land ready for sowing. The pitch or inclination of
the front share and mould board is varied by fixing the clamp which holds
the stem of the front mould board on a curved portion of the beam. so that
by simply moving the clamp and stem forward or backward along the beam
the pitch may be varied to any extent required; or, if preferred. the front
mould board may he secured to the bottom of the stem by means of serrated
or ratchet lugs, capable of being set at any angle and held together by a bolt
and nut. The front guiding wheels, which regulate the depth and width of
the furrow, have both their standards secured to one cross bar or axle, which
is adjustable laterally across the beam, in lieu of having a separate axle for
each wheel standard; this enables the land wheel to be set some few inches
to landward of the furrow so as to be clear of the track of the shares. These
improvements are also applicable to existing turn-wrest ploughs, it being
simply necessary to remove the "flys" and to fill up the open space which
will be left by a sharp curve and to add the front share and mould board.
By dividing my improved turn-wrest plough so as to have one set only of two
shares and mould boards I obtain the same effect in the form of a single
plough. It is obvious that these improvements are all applicable to ploughs
intended for steam cultivation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Eddy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th
November 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. JOHN
EDDY, of Kenford, in the County of Devon, Agricultural Implement Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the 28th year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself. Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Eddy. Her special license that I. the said John Eddy,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Eddy, my executors, administrators, or 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," upon the condition (amongst others) that I. the said John Eddy.
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal. should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Inyention, 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 John Eddy, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement. reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to what are known as "turn-wrest" or one-way
ploughs. and also to single ploughs, and has for its object the effectual burial
of the surface soil by throwing up the subsoil over it and breaking up the
furrow so as to leave the surface comparatively smooth and level, and ready
for seeds without the necessity for the subsequent operation of harrowing.
As the "flys" hitherto used in turn-wrest ploughs are entirely dispensed with
in the improved plough it is not liable to choke or clog up, and is well
adapted for fallow land, and more easy of draught than the ordinary turn-wrest
ploughs.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both Figures.
Fig. 1 of my Drawings represents a complete side elevation of my improved
turn-wrest plough, and Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan of the same.
In carrying out my said Invention as regards the turn-wrest plough I
propose to employ two sets of two mould boards A, B, and A¹, B¹, with their
corresponding shares C, D, and C, D¹, the one set A, B, C, D, being in the
reverse direction to the other A¹, B¹, G, D¹. The front share and mould
board in each set are intended for removing and turning over the surface soil

page_text: or "spine," and for ploughing in long dung or manure, whilst the rear share
and mould board are intended for ploughing deeply into the subsoil, they
being set considerably deeper than the front ones for that purpose, and their
operation is to bring up the subsoil and turn it over on to the surface soil or
"spine" already turned over by the front share and mould board. A small
knife c. may, if desired, be fitted to or formed on the shares C. C', on the
land side, or an ordinary coulier employed for parting the surface soil. These
rear mould boards B. B', are shorter. and are curved much sharper than
ordinary mould boards in order that they may break up the soil in lieu of
laying it in the form of ridges and furrows, so that as the plough passes along
it leaves the land ready for sowing. The pitch or inclination of the front
share and mould board C. A. or C¹. A¹. is varied by fixing the clamps E, E'.
which hold the stems F. F1. of the front mould boards in each set on a curved
portion G. G. of the beam. II. so that by simply moving the clamp E or E¹.
and stem For F¹. as the case may be. forward or backward along the beam.
the pitch may be varied to any extent required; or, if preferred. the front mould
board may be secured to the bottom of the stem by means of serrated or ratchet
lugs I. 1, capable of being set at any angle and held together by a bolt and
nut. The front guiding wheels K. . and K¹, . which regulate the depth
and width of the furrow, have both their standards L. 1. and L. P. secured to
one cross bar or axle M. M', which is adjustable laterally across the beam II
in lieu of having a separate axle for each wheel standard: this enables the
land wheel or e, to be set some few inches to landward of the furrow, so as to
be clear of the track of the shares. N, N, are the reversible handles connected
by a bolt n to the longitudinal centre of the beam, and locked in position by
a spring lever catch or other suitable contrivance. These improvements are
also applicable to existing turn-wrest ploughs, it being simply necessary to
remove the "flys" and to fill up the open space which will be left by a sharp
curve, and to add the front share and mould board. By dividing my improved
turn-wrest plough so as to have one set only of two shares and mould boards
I obtain the same effect in the form of a single plough. It is obvious
that these improvements are all applicable to ploughs intended for steam
cultivation.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
First, the general construction and arrangement of turn-wrest" and

page_text: single ploughs, whether intended for horse power or for steam cultivation,
whereby the surface soil is effectually buried beneath the subsoil, and the
furrow broken up so as to leave a level seed bed in the track of the plough,
substantially as herein-before described.
Second, the constructing of "turn-wrest" ploughs without flys," whereby
their liability to choke is obviated, whilst the draught of the plough is greatly
diminished, as herein-before described.
Third, the so constructing the mould boards B, B', that they shall break up
the soil in lieu of laying it in regular ridges and furrows, as heroin-before
described.
Fourth, the mode or modes of varying the pitch or angle of the front shares
and mould boards, either by varying the position of the clamps E, E', holding
the stems F, F, along a curved portion of the beam, or by the employment of
serrated or ratchet lugs, arranged and operating substantially in the manner
herein-before described and illustrated by my drawings.
Fifth, securing both the standards of the two leading wheels to one axle or
cross bar, which is adjustable laterally across the beam, substantially as and
for the purpose herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Eddy, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Tenth day of November, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-five.
JOHN EDDY. (L.S.)