IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY DAD DIANGGITING AND DRAINING LAND
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Eddington, of Springfield, near Chelmsford.
in the County of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
DAD DIANGGITING AND DRAINING LAND"
Sealed the 20th October 1857, and dated the 27th April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Eddington at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th April 1857.
I, ALFRED EDDINGTON, of Springfield,, near Chelmsford, in the County of
Essex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR PLOUGHING, TILLING, AND DRAINING LAND," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for ploughing,
tilling, and draining land. For these purposes the drum or barrel used for work-
ing the wire rope turns on an upright spindle fixed below a platform or frame,
which is supported by standards or framing on an under platform or frame
mounted on wheels or rollers. The lower platform or frame carries an ordinary
crab or windlass, by which the drum or barrel carriage can be moved along a
headland towards an anchor or fixed point. The upper platform or other part
of the drum or barrel carriage is arranged in a suitable manner to have
a portable steam engine run thereon by the aid of a temporary incline, and by the
crab or windlass; and such portable steam engine is, for the time being, coupled
with and moved along a headland. with the drum or barrel carriage. The
power of the engine is communicated to the axis or. spindle of the barrel

page_text: or drum by means of suitable gearing; it is, however, preferred to have
a toothed wheel on the axis or spindle of the drum or barrel, and a pinion on
an axis receiving motion from a band or strap driven by the steam engine. In
working with such machinery two barrel or drum carriages, such as are above
explained, are used (cach carrying a portable steam engine), one to each
headland, and the ploughs or other implements are drawn simultaneously in
parallel lines to and from the two barrels or drums, by which arrangement or
construction the portablo engine and the drum or barrel carriage, though
independent when out of use, are so constructed that when. in use they are
coupled together, and by moving the one along a headland the other is moved
at the same time.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Eddington in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
EDDINGTON, of Springfield, near Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of April, 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
inc, the said Alfred Eddington, Her special licence that I, the said Alfred
Eddington, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho
said Alfred Eddington,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 FOR PLOUGHING, TILLING, AND DRAINING LAND," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Eddington, my exccutors or adminis-
trators, 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 Alfred Eddington, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for ploughing,
tilling, and draining land. For these purposes the drum or barrel used for,
working the wire rope turns on an upright spindle fixed below a platform or
frame, which is supported by standards or framing on an under platform
or frame mounted on wheels or rollers. The lower platform or frame carries
an ordinary crab or windlass, by which the drum or barrel carriage can
be moved along a headland towards an anchor or fixed point. The upper
platform or other part of the drum or barrel carriage is arranged in a suitable
manner to have a portable steam engine run thereon by the aid of a temporary
incline, and by the crab or windlass; and such portable steam engine is, for tho
time being, coupled with and moved along a headland with the drum or
barrel carriage. The power of the engine is communicated to the axis
or spindle of the barrel or drum by means of suitable gearing; it is, however,
preferred to have a toothed wheel on the axis or spindle of the drum or barrel,
and a pinion on an axis receiving motion from a band or strap driven by the
steam engine. In working with such machinery two barrel or drum carriages,
such as are above explained, are used (each carrrying a portable steam
engine), one to each headland, and the ploughs or other implements are drawn
simultaneously in parallel lines to and from the two barrels or drums, by
which arrangement or construction the portable engine and the drum or barrel
carriage, though independent when out of use, are so constructed that when in
use they are coupled together, and by moving the one along a headland the
other is moved at the same time.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed:-

page_text: the short horizontal axis, which also carries the bevilled pinion j and the spur
wheel; the latter is driven by the pinion in. on another horizontal axis o,
receiving motion from a strap or band passing round a pulley or drum mounted
on it, and round another pulley or drum mounted on the crank shaft of the
engine. p is a lever, by means of which the pinion m can be slid longi-
tudinally on its axis, so as to throw it out of gear with the wheel 7. When
ploughing or tilling land two machines, arranged in the way above described,
are employed, one to traverse along each headland, and by alternately winding
up their hauling ropes on to their drums h, they draw the plough or tilling
instrument backwards and forwards between them, and after each traverse
thereof the machines on the headland are drawn forward a distance by winding
up a rope attached to an anchor laid out ahead on to the barrel of the crab or
windlass e, and this may either be done by hand or by throwing the pulley 9 on
the axis of the crab or windlass barrel into gear with its axis by means of the
lever and clutch'r; the pulley 9 receives motion by a strap or band passing
from it to a pulley on the axis o. When the machine is used for draining land
it is placed at or near the end of the drain to be made, and by winding its
hauling rope on to its drum h it draws the drain plough directly towards
itself.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Eddington, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
GEORGE WOOD, jun*.,
of Chelmsford.
ALFRED EDDINGTON. (L.S.)