IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL ENGINES AND IMPLEMENTS USED THEREWITH FOR PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATING THE SOIL
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Collinson Hall, of Knavestock, in the County of
Essex, Esquire,and Thomas Charlton, of Brentwood, in the same County,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL ENGINES
AND IMPLEMENTS USED THEREWITH FOR PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATING THE
SOIL."
1.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Collinson Hall and'
Thomas Charlton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 11th May 1857.
We, COLLINSON HALL, of Knavestock, in the County of Essex, Esquire,
and THOMAS CHARLTON, of Brentwood, in the same County, Engineer, do,
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AGRICULTURAL ENGINES AND IMPLEMENTS USED THEREWITH FOR PLOUGHING AND
CULTIVATING THE SOIL," to be as follows:-
II
Our Invention consists in gearing together two or more wheels in loco-
motive engines employed in agriculture from near the periphery thereof, and
in applying clutches thereto for throwing the wheels into and out of gear as
required; in preventing priming in agricultural engines,consequent upon the
boiler being thrown out of the level, by providing steam pipes leading to the
steam cylinders from different ends or parts of the boiler; and in taking the
steam for the cylinders from that part of the boiler where, from its position,
steam only will enter the cylinder supply pipes. We provide a means for'
turning engine and boiler on their arrival, at a land's end, for instance, by,
means of a cylinder and piston worked by hydraulic power or by steam from
the boiler itself, by placing the cylinder under the boiler and engine carriage:
in such position that the whole boiler, engine, and carriage may be raised"
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page_text: and turned upon the cylinder as a centre. For steering engines employed in
agriculture we make use of a worm and worm wheel; the worm wheel is
connected to a spindle, which is attached to a double eye or box which
embraces the axle for carrying the engine or that part of it on the steering
wheels. The double eye is likewise connected to the axle by a bolt in such
manner as to allow the axle to partake of a slight up-and-down motion. A
shaft is carried from the worm to any convenient part of the engine, and
has a steering wheel keyed thereon. By this arrangement the person who
drives the engine may also be enabled to guide it.
Our improvements in implements consist in connecting ploughs or frames
for ploughs or other implements for tilling the soil both before and behind a
locomotive engine, and in providing the implement's with the means of being.
thrown into and out of work; and our connections are so managed and
arranged, that while the implements continue to travel in a straight line on
approaching the land's ends the engine commences to turn into fresh land.
On the arrival of the implements at the land's ends they are thrown out of
work, the engine is shifted over into fresh land, and those implements which.
were previously out of work are brought into action, while those which had
operated. up to the land's end are kept out of action until the engine
arrives at the end of the fresh land about to be operated upon.
In some cases we connect the implements rigidly to the engine to enable
us to take advantage of the weight of the engine. Again, where we apply
one set of implements either in front, or behind, or at the side of the engine,
we so construct and fit the implements in double sets, as to enable one
set to act on being pushed, and the other set on being pulled by the engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Collinson Hall and Thomas Charlton in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 11th November 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, COLLINSON
HALL, of Knavestock, in the County of Essex, Esquire, and THOMAS CHARLTON,
of Brentwood. in the same County, Engineer, send greeting.
"WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Collinson Hall and Thomas Charlton, Her special licence that we, the

page_text: said Collinson Hall and Thomas Charlton, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Collinson Hall and Thomas Charlton,
our 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 AGRICULTURAL
ENGINES AND IMPLEMENTS USED THEREWITH FOR PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATING THE
SOIL,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Collinson Hall
and Thomas Charlton, or one of us, our or one of our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, 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 per-
formed, 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 we, the said Collinson Hall and Thomas Charlton,
do hereby declare the nature of our 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, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists in gearing together two or more wheels in loco-
motive engines employed in agriculture from near the periphery thereof, and
in applying clutches thereto for throwing the wheels into and out of gear as
required; in preventing priming in agricultural engines, consequent upon the
boiler being thrown out of the level, by providing steam pipes leading to the
steam cylinders from different ends or parts of the boiler; and in taking the
steam for the cylinders from that part of the boiler where, from its position,
steam only will enter the cylinder supply pipes. We provide a means for
turning engine and boiler on their arrival at a land's end, for instance, by
means of a cylinder and pistou worked by hydraulic power or by steam from
the boiler itself, by placing the cylinder under the boiler and engine carriage
in such position that the whole boiler, engine, and carriage may be raised and
turned upon the cylinder as a centre. For steering engines employed in
agriculture we make use of a worm and worm wheel; the worm wheel is
connected to a spindle, which is attached to a double eye or box which
embraces the axle for carrying the engine or that part of it on the steering
wheels. The double eye is likewise connected to the axle by a bolt in such
manner as to allow the axle to partake of a slight up-and-down motion. A

page_text: shaft is carried from the worm to any convenient part of the engine, and
has a steering wheel keyed thereon. By this arrangement the person who
drives the engine may also be enabled to guide it.
Our improvements in implements consist in connecting ploughs or frames
for ploughs or other implements for tilling the soil both before and behind a
locomotive.engine, and in providing the implements with the means of being
thrown into and out of work; and our connections are so managed and
arranged, that, while the implements continue to travel in a straight line on
approaching the land's ends the engine commences to turn into fresh land.
On the arrival of the implements at the land's ends they are thrown out of
work, the engine having been shifted over into fresh-land, and those imple-
ments which were previously out of work are brought into action, while those
which had operated up to the land's end' are kept out of action until the
engine arrives at the end of the fresh land about to be operated upon.
In some cases we connect the implements rigidly to the engine to enable us
to take advantage of the weight of the engine. Again, where we only apply
one set of implements either in front, or behind, or at the side of the engine,
we so construct and fit the implements in double sets, as to enable one set
to act on being pushed, and the other set on being pulled by the engine.
In order that our Invention may be fully understood; we have shewn in
the accompanying Drawings various views of arrangements which we
propose to employ for carrying out our improvements.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an agricultural engine fitted with our
improved driving gear. A is one of the driving wheels, having a spur wheel
or teeth B, shewn in dotted lines, cast thereon near its periphery; these
teeth are geared into by a pinion C, shewn also in dotted lines. To the back of
the pinion C clutch projections are cast, and on the pinion shaft D a clutch
with corresponding projections is mounted, and is thrown in and out of gear
by a forked lever. These parts are well understood, and are not necessary to
be shewn in the Drawings. The opposite corresponding driving wheel is
formed and worked in a similar manner to the wheel A, and either of them
can be thrown in and out of gear at pleasure, so that either one or other of
them' may be driven singly, or both may be driven at the same time. On the
shaft Da spur wheel E is keyed; this wheel is geared into by an intermediate
wheel F, which is keyed on a shaft G. The wheel F is geared into by a
pinion H,keyed on the crank shaft I. The shafts turn in suitable bearings in
and on two side frames firmly secured on the fire box J, shewn in dotted lines.
Steam is supplied to the cylinders K from the dome K', which is fixed to or
mounted on the boiler or steam chest L. To prevent the engines from

page_text: priming, in our improved method we take the steam to supply the cylinders`
from either end of the boiler or steam chest singly or from both at pleasure.
This we accomplish by placing two pipes in or on the boiler, one at each
end, or nearly so, and fitting suitable valves to them in such manner that
they can both be worked by the same rod and lever..
Figure 2 represents a portion of a steam boiler A with this apparatus
applied thereto; B, B, are steam domes mounted on the top of the boiler, one
near each end; C, C, are steam pipes fitted thereto. These pipes have
suitable valves D,D, mounted on the ends of the steam pipes C, C. These may
be connected by a rod E, as represented, working through stuffing boxes F, or
one rod may be attached to each valve, so as to be capable of being worked
singly. As represented, they are moved simultaneously by the short arm G
of a bent lever, and worked by the handle of the long arm G¹.. In working
with an engine fitted with this apparatus on uneven ground, that valve which
is on the highest end of the engine for the time being is kept open, while the
valve on the lower end is shut, when the valves are connected by the rod E;
as shewn, one movement of the levers G and G' by hand effects this: In
some cases we make the opening and shutting of the valves automatic, by
means of a pendulous lever H and weight I attached to its lower end, both of
which are represented in dotted lines. In this case the valves are connected
as shewn, or if they are not connected, two levers and balls may be employed,
one to each valve. It will readily be seen that so long as the engine moves
on even: ground, the lever and weight H and I will, by their gravity, hang
perpendicularly, and so keep both valves D, D, open, or partially so; but
whenever the engine moves over uneven ground, the action of the lever and
weight on the valves through the rod E will cause the lower valve to shut and
the higher one to open, and thus the engine always takes steam from that part
of the boiler which is highest for the time, and priming is thus prevented.
To turn an engine and boiler at a land's end, we make use of a hydraulic
or steam cylinder, attached to the under side of the boiler, so as to lift the
engine and boiler off the ground, and then turn or swivel them round on
the piston rod or ram as a centre or pivot.
In Figure 1 we have shewn the application of a hydraulic cylinder M
firmly secured to the bottom of the boiler, and passing downward through
a suitable aperture in the water cistern a. A piston or ram N is fitted'
to the cylinder, and to the lower end of the ram a strong base plate or
disc O is attached in such manner as to allow of either ram or base
plate revolving independently of each other. To turn the engine and,
boiler at a land's end, as represented by the Diagram; Figure 3, where

page_text: c, c, represents the engine boiler and apparatus, water is allowed to flow
through the pipe b into the cylinder from the feed pump, or any suitable force
pump supplied for the purpose; the pressure of the water on the end of the
ram or piston N causes it to descend, and with it the base plate O, until it
rests firmly on the ground, the water is still forced into the cylinder, when it
rises, taking the engine, boiler, and other apparatus that may be attached
thereto with it. When all is sufficiently clear of the ground, the engine,
boiler, and other apparatus are turned round on the piston or ram in the
direction of the arrow d until they assume the position c¹, c, when they stand
in a direction at right angles, or nearly so, to their former position, the water
is then allowed to flow from the cylinder into the reservoir; when the wheels
of the engine rest firmly on the ground again, water is then admitted, under
the piston, which raises it and the base plate O; when the latter is sufficiently
clear of the ground, the clutches are thrown into action with the clutch pro-
jections on the backs of the pinions, the engine, boiler,and apparatus are thus
propelled or moved along the headland until they arrive at the position c", c;
the clutches are now thrown out of action and the hydraulic apparatus again
applied, the whole is then turned or swivelled round until they assume the
position cc, when the water is allowed to flow from the cylinder back
into the cistern, and the ram and base plate O raised, as before described.
The engine, boiler, and apparatus are now in a position to allow the clutches
to be thrown into action, when the whole will traverse the field in a reverse
direction to that in which they arrived at the last land's end. When they
arrive at the other end or side of the field, a turning or swivelling operation
the same as that already described, is performed. For steering engines
employed in agriculture, we make use of a worm P and worm wheel Q, seen
in Figure 1, and in a detached view, partly in section, in Figure 4, which is
shewn at right angles to that in Figure 1. The worm P is firmly keyed on a
shaft R, which runs from one end of the engine to the other, and is supported
in bearings e, e¹, c¹¹; two of these bearings e!, el, are cast or otherwise formed
on a bracket portion of the standard S; this standard is firmly secured to
the upper side of a boss S', which is cast or formed on the fore end of a swan-
neck bracket T, which is fixed to and supports the front or fore end of the
boiler; the worm wheel Q is keyed or otherwise fixed on the upper end of
the upright shaft U, which passes down through the hollow standard S; the
lower end of the shaft is inserted in the neck U', and prevented from turning
therein by a key or feather; the neck U₁ is formed on the upper end of a
casting U", and is inserted in the boss S¹, and is free to turn therein, but is
prevented from getting out by a screw f, or any other suitable means. The

page_text: casting U11 has a box or recess V cast in it, through which the axle V¹ of the
fore or steering wheels V11 is passed, and is there secured by a pin g in such
manner as to allow the wheels, or either of them, to partake of an undulating
motion, to correspond to the inequalities on the surface of the ground over
which they are passing. A view of the box V with the axle V₁ in cross
section is shewn in Figure 5. Steering wheels X, X¹, are keyed on the shaft
R, one at each end of the engine, so that the whole can be steered from either
end at pleasure. The steering motion is transmitted to the casting U11 from
the wheels XX¹, through the shaft R, worm P, worm wheel Q, and shaft U.
Our improvements in implements consist in connecting ploughs or frames
of ploughs or other implements for tilling the soil both before and behind a
locomotive engine, and providing them with the means of being thrown into
and out of work; and our connections are so managed and arranged, that while.
the implements continue to travelin a straightline, the engine on approaching
the land's end is steered on to fresh land for the returning of engine and
implements. Figure 6 is a Diagram shewing the manner in which this is.
performed. The part j represents the engine with its double sets of imple-
ments k, k, attached by chains or other connections to bars 1, 11; these bars
are firmly secured to the fore and after part of the engine framing, and project.
to any convenient distance on either side. The engine and implements move
in the direction of the arrow m along the path marked in dotted lines parallel
to each other until they arrive at the point n, where the engine is steered in
or along the curved path o until it has so far diverged from a line with its
former or parallel path, that as much fresh land is included between the two
paths as is to be cut or operated upon by the implement at present out of
work on its return along the field; while the engine has been made to travel
in a curved line, the implements have been steered so as to continue in a
straight line to the land's end, where they will assume the position o¹ and o¹¹.
The implements are then turned round into the position p, when the whole are
in a position to traverse the field in a reverse direction; but instead of the.
implements being dragged by the chain which attaches them to the fore end
of the engine fram ng, they are dragged by the chain attached to the bar l,
which is fixed to the back end of the engine, and that set of implements which
was in work before arriving at the land's end, as shewn, is now thrown out of
work, and the set which was out is now thrown into work. The engine and
implements are then caused to traverse in a reverse and parrallel direction
towards the other land's end, when the same processes of steering the engine
out of a parallel path and keeping the implements parallel are repeated. In
some cases we fix the implements rigidly to the frame of the engine, so as to

page_text: take advantage of the weight of the engine; or they may be jointed to the
framework of the engine, as shewn at Y, Y₁, Figure 1, when they can be lifted
by any suitable apparatus out of work, as indicated by the dotted lines, but
when in work they may be kept rigid by any suitable means. The dotted
lines q, q¹, Figure 6, represent two sets of implements, one set before and
another behind, so that one set may be pushed and the other drawn through
the land.
And having now described the nature of our said. Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim,―
First, the driving of both of the main bearing wheels of locomotive engines
employed in agricultural operations by suitable gearing either together or
separately, as herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
.
Second, the method of supplying steam to the cylinders of such locomotives
from either end or both ends of the boiler or steam chest, and of regulating
the same by suitable valves, made either self-acting or otherwise, as herein-
before described, and represented in the Drawings annexed.
Third, the method of turning agricultural engines, by raising them from
the ground by means of and upon a steam or hydraulic apparatus,;; and
employing the piston or ram thereof as a centre or pivot..
17
Fourth, we claim the steering of agricultural steam engines, in so far as
regards the employment of a box in which the fore or leading axle is mounted
on a horizontal pin, in manner and for the purposes herein-before described
Fifth, the employment of two steering wheels in agricultural engines, to
enable them to be steered from either end.
Sixth, the particular arrangements of agricultural engines and implements
herein-before described with reference to Figure 6 of the Drawings annexed,
whereby the engine. is enabled to travel from land's end to land's end and
the implements to operate, upon the entire surface of the field without
turning the engine!
:
In witness whereof, we, the said Collinson Hall and Thomas Charlton,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
OLLINSON HALL
(L.S.)
THOMAS CHARLTON. (L S.)