IMPROVEMENTS IN DRILLS OR MACHINES FOR SETTING CORN AND SEEDS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Graham William Betham Edwards, of Bredfield,
in the County of Suffolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRILLS OR MACHINES FOR SETTING CORN AND SEEDS."
Sealed the 9th April 1872, and dated the 30th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Graham William
Betham Edwards at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 30th October 1871.
I, GRAHAM WILLIAM BETHAM EDWARDS, of Bredfield, in the County
of Suffolk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN DRILLS OR MACHINES FOR SETTING CORN AND SEEDS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to improved arrangements of agricultural drills
or machines for setting corn and seeds whereby each successive seed
(or several seeds together) is deposited in a groove or track made by
a coulter or otherwise at such regulated and uniform distances apart as
may be desired. For this purpose in carrying out my improvements
I mount
number of seed boxes upon an axis at suitable distance

page_text: apart and capable of adjustment thereon similar to an ordinary drill,
motion being given to the axis by a toothed wheel or wheels actuated
by the travelling wheels. Within each seed box a disc is arranged,
by preference formed in two parts, with a collar so as to be readily fixed
to the axis and exchanged when required for different kinds of seeds.
At or near the periphery of the disc on one or both sides thereof a series
of studs or arms are fixed at right angles thereto, upon which the seed
cups are mounted or suspended upon a pin joint so as to swing freely
thereon with the cup end uppermost. Each cup is furnished with a
tail piece which as the cup with the seed therein rises to its highest
position comes in contact with the tip or edge of a tunnel or shoot fixed
on the seed box, causing the cup to tip over and discharge the seed or
seeds into it. From this shoot or spout the seed is conducted direct
into one of a series of revolving chambers which are conveniently
formed by means of two discs connected together at about an inch apart
and partitioned off equally into twelve or other suitable number of radial
divisions corresponding with the number of seed cups employed. The
revolving seed chambers are mounted upon and revolve with the axis
and seed cup discs close to the seed box, an aperature being formed on
the side into each chamber through which the seed passes from the
seed box, tunnel, or spout, the seed being delivered into each successive
chamber as it revolves past it. As the seed disc and radial chambers
rotate in unison, each cup delivers its seed so as to fall first into the
fixed tunnel or spout, and from thence into the side aperture in the
revolving chamber. The seed thus delivered into the revolving chamber
in its revolution descends to the periphery where it is retained for a
time within the chamber by means of a counterbalance lid or cover
until it arrives over the coulter, boot, shoot, or spout into which it falls.
The lower part or base of the boot or spout is closed by a weighted lever
trap to retain the sced until it is released by one of a series of pins or
studs fixed upon the revolving chamber which acts upon an arm upon
the weighted lever so as to open the trap and thus allow the seed to
fall into the groove or furrow made in the ground by the coulter as it
advances in front of the seed spout or boot, the trap, closing again by the
weighted end of the lever ready to receive the next seed. The coulter
may be block, lever, or spring, but according to one part of my improve-
ments I mount it in combination with the seed boot or spout in a
slotted lever frame so as to be capable of adjustment to raise and lower
or change it as required.

page_text: According to one part of my improvements seed cups are formed for
some kinds of seeds with two compartments só as to pick up and raise
a separate seed in each compartment.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Graham William Betham Edwards in the Great
Seal Patent Office, on the 30th April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GRAHAM
WILLIAM BETUAM EDWARDS, of Bedfield, in the County of Suffolk,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, 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 Graham William Betham Edwards, Her
special licenco that I, the said Graham William Betham Edwards, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Graham William Betham Edwards, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRILLS OR MACHINES FOR SETTING
CORN AND SEEDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Graham William Betham Edwards, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Graham William Betham Edwards,
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 thereof, that is to say :-
:-
This Invention relates to improved arrangements of agricultural drills
or machines for setting corn and seeds, whereby each successive seed (or

page_text: Figure 1 shows a side elevation or a ariu or machine for setting corn
or seeds arranged and constructed in accordance with my Invention.
Figure 2 shows part of a side view, and Figure 3 a section of the rovolv-
ing seed chamber on a larger scale.
According to my improvements I mount and support a number of
seed boxes a, upon an axis a', and slotted frame a*, at suitable distances
apart, such seed boxes being capable of adjustment thereon similar to an
ordinary drill. The seed is fed or supplied to the seed boxes a from the
hopper a** by a spout, as shown. Motion is given to the axis a¹ by a
toothed wheel a³, mounted upon and actuated by the axis d³ of the
travelling wheels as of the machine. The toothed wheel a takes into and
drives a toothed wheel a* fixed on the axis a', which thus gives motion
to the revolving seed cups 63 and chambers or hoppers d. Separate
views of the sced cups bª are shewn at Fig. 4. Within each seed box a
disc b is arranged, by preference formed in two parts, with a cottar b*,
so as to be readily fixed to the axis a', and exchanged when required for
different kinds of seeds. At or near the periphery of the seed cup disc b,
on one or both sides thereof, a series of studs or arms 6' are fixed at right
angles thereto, upon which the sced cups are mounted or suspended
upon a pin joint so as to swing freely thereon with the cup end upper-
Each seed cup & is furnished with a tail piece 6³, which, as the
cup with the seed therein rises to its highest position, comes in contact
with the lip or edge of the fixed hopper or shoot c, fixed on the seed
box a, causing the cup to tip over and discharge the seed or seeds
most.
into it.
From this hopper shoot or spout c, the seed is conducted direct into
one of a series of revolving chambers or hoppers d', which are con-
veniently formed by means of two discs d, connected together at
about an inch apart and partitioned off equally into twelve or other
suitable numbers of radial divisions corresponding with the number of.

page_text: seed cups employed, as clearly shewn in Figure 3 of the Drawings. The
revolving seed chambers d' are mounted upon and revolve with the
axis a¹ and seed cup discs b, close to the seed box a, an aperture
being formed on the side of the seed box into each successive chamber
through which the seed passes. From the fixed hopper, tunnel, or spout c
the seed is delivered into each successive chamber d'as it revolves past
it. As the seed disc and radial chambers d' rotate in unison each
seed cap bª delivers its seed so as to fall first into the fixed tunnel or
spout c, and from thence into and through the side aperture 6' in the
revolving chambers or hoppers d'. The seed thus delivered into one of
the revolving chambers d'in its revolution descends to the periphery,
where it is retained for a time within the chamber by means of the coun-
terbalance lid or cover d³, until it arrives over the coulter, boot, shoot,.
or spout e (shewn separately at Fig. 6), into which it falls. The lower
part or base of the boot or spout e (supported by the arms a*** upon the
frame a*) is closed by a weighted lever e¹ jointed to the boot or trap e to
retain the seed until it is released by one of a series of pins or studs d³
fixed upon the revolving chambers d', which acts upon the arm e* of
the weighted lever e¹, so as to open the bottom of the trap or shoot e,
and thus allow the seed to fall into the groove or furrow made in the
ground by the coulter f as it advances in front of the seed spout or boot e,
the trap lever closing again by the action of the weighted end of the
lever e', ready to receive the next sced. The coulter ƒ may be block,
lever, or spring, but according to one part of my improvements I mount
it in combination with the seed boot or spout e in a slotted lever frame g,
as shewn in the Drawings, so as to be capable of adjustment to raise
and lower or change it as required.
According to another part of my improvements the seed cups 6³ are
formed for some kinds of sced with two compartments as shown by
separate views thereof at Figure 5, so as to pick up and raise a separate
seed in cach compartment.
Drills or machines constructed and acting in accordance with my
improvements will set or plant beans, wheat, peas, or any other similar
grain either singly (or two or more together) in drills or furrows of any
width, and at any desired distance from sced to seed as shown by the
diagrams, Figures 7 & 8 of the Drawings. Root seeds may also be
set therewith (one or more together as desired,) thereby saving the cost
of "chopping out." The saving of the cost of chopping out is an

page_text: important feature of this Invention as the "chopping out" of root plants
is an expensive operation, being the work of the skilled laborer, whereas
when set with this machine the young plants as soon as they are
sufficiently grown are ready for singling out which is generally done by
women and children. When it is desirable to put on the land more
seed than can be done by setting, part of the setting apparatus can be
removed from the machine or put out of action and plain drill boots or
shoots substituted and adjusted in a few minutes, the machine will
then distribute any quantity of seed in like manner and with the same
regularity as an ordinary drill. It can also be fitted on to any ordinary
drill frame and be worked with coulter lever or block.
It will be seen by the diagrams Figures 7 and 8 that the seeds being
set laterally even or in line affords greater facility for cleaning the
crop than when set by ordinary drills. A great saving per acre in
sced corn is effected by my improvements combined with perfect and
regular planting. The machine may be enlarged so as to plant the
largest known seeds (horticultural or otherwise,) and if required the
machine may be reduced in size to be worked by hand labor to suit
nurserymen and seedsmen to plant onion seed, for instance, or the like
in drills 3 or 4 inches in width, and 3 or 4 inches from seeds to
seeds.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner
of carrying the same into practice, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the exact details herein described so long as the
novel features of my Invention are retained, but what I claim is,-
First. The improved arrangement and construction of drills or machines
for setting corns and seeds in which the delivery of the seed is regulated
by means of a series of revolving chambers or hoppers d', which receive
the successive seeds from the seed cups, delivering them in regulated
succession to the seed boot or trap c, from which they are also released
and deposited in regulated succession by the action of the revolving
chambers or by other equivalent means substantially as herein described
and shown on the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangement and construction of the
rotating seed cups and method of mounting the same, whereby each
separate seed (or several seeds) is raised and retained until discharged by
tipping the seed cup over, substantially in the manner herein described
and shown in the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: I also claim the improved construction of seed cups formed with two
cups combined for raising a seed in each cup, as herein-before described
and shown in the Drawing hereunto annexed.
Lastly. I claim the general arrangement and construction of drills or
machines for setting corn and seeds in regulated succession, substantially
in the manner herein-before described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Graham William Betham Edwards,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of
April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-two.
Witness,
.GRAHAM WILLIAM BETHAM EDWARDS. (L.S.)
T. G. TONGUE.
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.