AN IMPROVED CONVERTIBLE BROAD CAST SOWER, MANURE AND OTHER DISTRIBUTOR AND DRILL
Year: 1884

page_text: Distributor, and Drill.
I THOMAS HAXTON, of the firm of Haxton and Beattie, of Dunedin in the
Colony of New Zealand and at present of Freuchie in the County of Fife, Scotland,
Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "AN
IMPROVED CONVERTIBLE BROAD CAST SOWER, MANURE AND OTHER DISTRIBUTOR AND
DRILL," to be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to an improved broad cast grain and seed sower and
distributor for manure and other matters, which is readily convertible into a
seed drill when desired.
My invention relates particularly to the distributing apparatus, which consists
of archimedean screw conveying tubes, extending laterally either way from a
central connection, in communication with the seed etc. hopper, the said tubes
being closed at the outer ends and perforated at suitable intervals and receiving
rotary motion whereby the seed etc. is carried along by the conveying screws fixed;
in and rotating with the tubes from the central supply to the ends the proper
quantity falling on the way through the perforations with great regularity. To.
enable the quantity sown or distributed to be regulated, the tubes are provided
with an external tubular sheath also perforated with several series of holes of
different sizes, any of which by a suitable adjustment may be made to coincide.
with the holes of the conveyor tubes. The tubes are mounted preferably on anti-
friction wheel bearings and receive rotary motion by gearing from the travelling
wheels, the screws fixed in the two tubes being respectively the one right and the.
other left handed, if they are both rotated in the same direction. For broad cast
sowing, manure etc distributing, the tubes extend a suitable distance beyond the
travelling wheels, and are each constructed in two or more sections, to enable
the projecting portions to be unshipped when passing through gates or for travelling
on roads. To convert the broad cast machine into a drill, these projecting portions.
are removed altogether, the tubes closed at the ends and the usual spouts suspended
in suitable positions to receive the grain etc. from the distributor. The machine
whether broad cast or drill may be provided with two or more hoppers and sets of:
distributor tubes in front of one another for sowing different sorts of seed or for
sowing and manuring at the same time.

page_text: Distributor, and Drill.
I, THOMAS HAXTON of Freuchie, in the County of Fife, Mechanical Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED CONVERTIBLE
BROAD CAST SOWER, MANURE AND OTHER DISTRIBUTOR AND DRILL "and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to an improved broad cast grain and seed sower and
distributor for manure and other matters, which is readily convertible into a
seed drill when desired.
My invention relates more particularly to the distributing apparatus which
consists of archimedean screw conveying tubes, extending laterally either way
from a central connection in communication with the hopper for the seed, eto, the
said tubes being closed at the outer ends and perforated at suitable intervals and
receiving rotary motion whereby the seed, etc, is carried along by the conveying
screws fixed in and rotating with the tubes from the central supply to the ends,
the proper quantity falling on the way through the perforations with great
regularity. To enable the quantity sown or distributed to be regulated, the tubes
are provided with an external tubular sheath also perforated with several series
of holes of different sizes, any of which series by a suitable adjustment, may.be
made to coincide with the holes of the conveyor tubes.
The tubes are mounted preferably on antifriction wheel bearings and receive
motion by gearing from the travelling wheels, the screws fixed in the two tubes
being respectively, the one right and the other left handed, if they are both rotated
in the same direction.
For broad cast sowing, manure distributing, &o, the tubes extend a suitable
distance beyond the travelling wheels and are each constructed in two or more
sections to enable the projecting portions to be unshipped when passing through
gates or for travelling on roads. To convert the broad cast machine into a drill,
these projecting portions are removed altogether, the tubes closed at the ends and
the usual spouts suspended in suitable positions to receive the grain from the
distributor.
The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein figure 1 is a
side elevation of a machine constructed according to my invention; figure 2 is
à plan, and figure 3 an end view thereof. Figure 4 shows on a larger scale a
longitudinal section of the conveyors at the middle of the machine.
"
A is the hopper for the seed, &c, carried by a pair of cross bars B united at their
outer ends by bracket pieces B¹ in which the travelling wheels, are journalled.
Care the archimedean screw conveyors placed beneath the hopper and made
preferably in sections of which the outer sections C¹ C₁ extend beyond the travelling
wheels and are adapted to be secured to the sections C C, so as to revolve there-
with and to be removed when desired. The sections CC extend through the
axles of the travelling wheels, and are supported at one end in said axles and at
the other by a hollow casting a which is attached to the hopper A and furnished
>

page_text: with circular bosses a¹ a¹ upon which the inner ends of the sections C of the
conveyors revolve.
To impart rotary motion to the conveyors, the machine is provided at each side
with a shaft b carrying a pinion b¹ which engages with the gear wheel 62 on the
travelling wheel, and also with a toothed wheel b³ which engages with the pinions 64
keyed on the conveyor tube. The conveyor tubes are perforated with a number of
holes for distributing the seed, &c, and are encased by tubes or sheaths C³, which
are also perforated with a series of holes, each series being a different size, the
largest of the series being the same size as those in the conveyors. These sheaths
are capable of being slid upon the conveyor tubes so as to bring any of the holes in
the sheaths opposite the holes in the said tubes to enable the distribution of the
seed, &c, to be varied at will, the sheaths being locked or secured in place when
set by means of the screw caps D which also serve to close the ends of the tubes as
shown in figure 4. The sheaths may also be arranged to rotate upon the conveyor
tubes as in figure 5 and be locked or secured in the manner shown.
In operation, the seed, &, is delivered from the hopper A into the box a to the
right and left hand screw conveyors, which as will be seen in figure 4, extend
beneath the orifice in the hopper and by reason of the rotary motion imparted to
the conveyors from the travelling wheels, the grain is carried along by said
conveyors and equally distributed on either side of the machine.
To convert the machine into a seed drill, the sections of the conveyors projecting
beyond the travelling wheels are removed and the usual spouts suspended on the
tubes C, C, between the wheels and opposite the orifices in said tubes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim is
1. A broad cast seed and grain sower and distributor for manure, &o; constructed
with rotary archimedean screw conveying tubes extending laterally from a central
connection beneath and in communication with the hopper and perforated for
distributing the seed, &c, substantially as shown and described.
2. In a broad cast seed and grain sower and distributor, the combination with
the rotary archimedian screw conveying tubes constructed as described, of the
perforated sheaths for varying the delivery of the material, substantially as
described.
'
3rd In a broad cast seed and grain sower and distributor, the combination with
the perforated conveyor tubes supported beneath the hopper as described and
furnished with right and left handed screws, of the means for imparting rotary
motion to the conveyors by the movement of the machine, substantially as shown
and described.