IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nicholas Fisher, of Milton, in the County of North-
ampton, Farmer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nicholas Fisher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
September 1857.
I, NICHOLAS FISHER, of Milton, in the County of Northampton, Farmer.
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY COMBINING OPERATIONS IN PREPARING LAND FOR AGRICULTURAL
PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My said Invention relates to novel mechanical arrangements in single
machines of implements for cutting, grubbing, harrowing, and rolling land for
agricultural purposes. I provide a beam of sufficient length to carry two
cross beams and a framework furnished with one or more horizontal wheels
of large diameter; between the two cross beams and the wheel frame the
main beam is jointed so as to be readily disconnected. The foremost cross
beam is furnished with sharp coulters, and the adjoining cross beam with
prongs or grubbers. The large horizontal wheel is made to rotate, and is
provided with axles radiating from the centre, and which may be supplied
with a succession of grubbers on one axle, revolving tines or. harrows on
another, a roller on the next, and so on alternately, to diversity the operations

page_text: in the order of grubbing, harrowing, and rolling, to which scarifying and the
like may be added when required. The frame is supported and traverses the
ground on wheels.
In another arrangement of implements according to my said Invention,
principally useful for cleaner land, I employ another form of horizontal wheel
and frame, having two, three, or more lesser horizontal wheels set adjoining
the periphery, and rotated by cogs on the large wheel, gearing into the pinions
of the lesser ones, each of which lesser wheels may be supplied with grubbers,
harrows, scarifiers, and similar arrangements.
My said Invention is operated by steam power and by the application of
wire or other ropes as customarily practised in steam cultivation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Nicholas Fisher in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th March 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, NICHOLAS
FISHER, of Milton, in the County of Northampton, Farmer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Nicholas Fisher, Her special licence that I, the said Nicholas Fisher,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Nicholas
Fisher, 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 MACHINERY
COMBINING OPERATIONS IN PREPARING LAND FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Nicholas Fisher, 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 Nicholas Fisher, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: And for the better understanding of my said Invention I will now proceed
to detail the particulars thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, in which the same letters refer to corresponding parts
throughout.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a top view or plan of my improved agricultural machine, and
Figure 2 is a section taken centrally through a front elevation. A, A, are the
travelling wheels supporting the machine; B, bent axletrees secured to the
bed plate C, and upper framing D; C, a bed plate consisting of a cast-iron
ring with four flanges E, to receive the upper framing at G, with cast rack or
toothed wheel on the upper edge; H, four arms of a circular plate having for
its centre a large boss, which is bored truly to fit a corresponding boss on
the upper framing D, the inside of which is cast with tooth wheel J; between
each arm is hung a shaft K, to carry different tilling instruments, and each
shaft is hung with four pinions L, gearing into the rack of the bed plate. By
the revolving of the plate carrying the arms H the shafts are caused to rotate.
M, is a pinion to drive the internal wheel N, fixed on the shaft O; and P,
bevil wheels fixed on the same; Q, pinion to drive gearing with bevel wheel
P; S, shaft to communicate motion from spur wheels T and U; V, hammers
or mallets; W, revolving tines and X, scuffle tines. It will thus be seen
that I provide a beam of sufficient length to carry two cross beams and a
framework furnished with one or more horizontal wheels of large diameter.
Between the two cross beams and the wheel frame the main beam may be
jointed to be readily disconnected. The foremost cross beam is furnished with
sharp coulters, and the adjoining cross beam with prongs or grubbers. The
large horizontal wheel is made to rotate, and is constructed with axles or
shafts K, radiating from the centre, and which may be supplied with a
succession of grubbers on one axle, revolving tines or harrows on another,
either rollers or hammers on the next, and so on alternately, to diversify the
operations in the order of grubbing, harrowing, clod crushing, and rolling, to
which scarifying and the like may be added when required. The frame is
supported and traverses the ground on wheels.
In another arrangement of implements according to my said Invention,

page_text: principally useful for cleaner land, I employ another form of horizontal wheel
and frame, having two, three, or more lesser horizontal wheels set adjoining
the periphery. and rotated by cogs on the large wheel gearing into the
pinions of the lesser ones, each of which lesser wheels may be supplied with
grubbers, harrows, scarifiers, and similar arrangements. And my said In-
vention in the working thereof is to be operated by steam power, and by the
application of wire or other ropes as customarily practised in steam cultivation,
and steam may also be applied as an auxilliary power when desired.
Having thus fully described means for carrying my said improvements into
practical operation, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the materials, number, or precise form of the several parts of my Invention, as
the same may be considerably modified in respect thereof without affecting
the principle of my said improvements; and I do declare that what I claim as
my Invention is, the novel arrangement and combination of agricultural
implements in the construction of an improved steam cultivator.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nicholas Fisher, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our
Lord 1858.
NICHOLAS FISHER.
(L.S.)