IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING DRAINS OR TRENCHES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Volkert Mackintosh, of Surinam, but at
present residing at Port Glasgow, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR MAKING
DRAINS OR TRENCHES."
Sealed the 9th June 1868, and dated the 17th December 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Volkert Mackintosh
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th December 1867. ….. ·
I, THOMAS VOLKERT MACKINTOSH, of Surinam, but at present residing at
Port Glasgow, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR
MAKING DRAINS OR TRENCHES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to the making of trenches for draining land, and
comprises improvements, in machines for effecting the required operations by
means of steam power.
The Invention consists principally in combining a series of digging tines or
blades for loosening the earth, with an endless chain of dredging scoops which
elevate the loosened earth upon a shoot arranged to deliver it either; to one
or both sides of the trench or upon a wagon.
A

page_text: In a modification embodying the improvements a rectangular carriage
frame mounted on four wheels carries any convenient kind of portable boiler
and steam engine. At the front of the framing a transverse horizontal shaft
is arranged so as to be adjustable as to height, and is suitably geared with
the first motion shaft of the steam engine. On this front shaft is fixed a
barrel fitted with the tines or digging blades which are made to project to
different distances conformably to the intended cross section of the trench.
The endless chain of dredging scoops is carried by two transverse horizontal
shafts, the hindmost of which is mounted in bearings at the back end of the
carriage frame, whilst the front one is carried in a ladder frame mounted on
the hindmost shaft. The ladder frame with the endless chain of scoops is
inclined downwards from the back end, and its front end can be raised or
Jowered by racks and pinions or other adjustment gearing to suit different
depths of trench. The hindmost shaft of the endless chain is suitably geared
with the engine shaft, and the scoops are actuated by its means. The shoot
is disposed just behind the upper end of the endless chain of scoops, and it
may be constructed with an .incline or with inclines to deliver the earth on
one or on both sides of the trench or into a wagon. Where the trench has to
be deeper than the machine can accomplish at one operation, the required
depth can be obtained by causing the machine to pass twice or oftener along
it, the digging tines and the elevating scoops being adjusted for greater depth
at each successive operation. The machine may be drawn along by horses,
or it may be made self-propelling by gearing the axle of the front pair of
carrying wheels to the first motion shaft of the steam engine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Volkert Mackintosh in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
VOLKERT MACKINTOSH, of Surinam, but at present residing at Port Glasgow,
in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Volkert Mackintosh, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Volkert Mackintosh, my executors, .administrators, and assigns, or

page_text: such others as I, the said Thomas Volkert Mackintosh, 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 ex-
pressed, 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 MACHINES FOR MAKING DRAINS
OR TRENCHES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas.
Volkert Mackintosh, mý executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Thomas Volkert Mackintosh, do hereby.
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to the making of trenches for draining land, and
comprises improvements in machines for effecting the required operations by
means of steam power.
My Invention consists principally in combining a series of digging tines or
blades for loosening the earth with an endless chain of dredging scoops, which
elevate the loosened earth upon a shoot arranged to deliver it, either to one
or to both sides of the trench or upon a wagon. The machine may be drawn
along by horses, or it may be made self-propelling by gearing the axle of a
pair of the carrying wheels to the first motion shaft of the steam engine.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended two Sheets of
explanatory Drawings to be herein-after referred to, and representing a
practically successful modification of my improved machine.
Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of the Drawings is a front end elevation, and Figure 2 is
a side elevation, whilst Figure 3 on Sheet 2 is a plan. The same reference
numerals are used to mark the same or like parts in all the Figures..
In this machine a rectangular carriage frame 1, mounted on four wheels 2,
carries a portable boiler 3, which may be of any convenient kind, and which
has fitted in connection with it simple steam engine details comprising a
cylinder 4, the piston of which acts upon a first motion crank shaft 5,below.
This first motion shaft 5 is mounted horizontally across the front end of the

page_text: frame 1, and is fitted with a fly wheel 6. At the front end of the framing 1
a transverse horizontal tine shaft 7 is arranged so as to be adjustable as to
height, being carried in bearing blocks fitted to slide in slotted guide plates 8
fixed to the framing 1. The bearing blocks have screw spindles 9 fixed to
them, and projecting up through worm. wheel nuts which rest on blocks fixed
on the framing, and which can be turned by worms on a transverse horizontal
shaft 10 fitted with a hand wheel 11. The tine shaft 7 is driven by a
worm 12 on a vertical shaft which receives motion by bevil wheels 13 above
from the first motion shaft 5, and which gears with a worm wheel on the tine
shaft 7. This arrangement admits of the tine shaft being adjusted vertically
without the parts getting out of gear. On this time shaft 7 there is fixed a
barrel fitted with the tines or digging blades 14, which are made to project
to different distances conformably to the intended cross section of the trench
as indicated by a dotted line in Figure 1. The endless. chain 15 of dredging
scoops 16 is carried by two transverse horizontal shafts 17, 18, the hindmost
of which (17) is mounted in bearings 19 at the back end. of the carriage
frame 1, whilst the front one 18 is carried. in a ladder frame 20 mounted on
the hindmost shaft 17. The ladder frame 20 with the endless chain of
scoops 15, 16, is inclined downwards from the back end, and its front end
can be raised or lowered to suit different depths of trench by means of rods 21,
the upper ends of which are screwed and tapped through worm wheel nuts
resting on or held by a cross frame bar 22. The worm wheel nuts are
actuated by worms 23 on a transverse horizontal shaft, having a hand wheel
24 fixed on one end. The hindmost shaft 17 of the endless chain is suitably
geared with the engine shaft 5, and the scoops 16 are actuated by its means.
The gearing comprises a longitudinal shaft 24, driven by bevil wheels from
the engine shaft 5, and having fast on it a worm which gears with a worm
wheel 26 on the chain shaft 17. The longitudinal shaft has also fast on it a
worm 27, which gears with a worm wheel on a transverse horizontal shaft 28,
geared by a pinion and a spur wheel to the axle of the front.pair of carrying
wheels 2. A clutch 29 is fitted upon the shaft 28, so that when required the
parts may be put into gear for the machine to propel itself by the turning of
the front pair of wheels 2. Partly under and partly to. the rear of, the back
end of the endless chain of scoops 15, 16, a shoot 30 is attached to the end
of the framing 1, and consists in this modification of two inclined plates with
their upper edges meeting in a ridge along the centre, and they cause the
earth raised by the scoops 16 and discharged upon them to fall on each side
clear of the trench. Instead of the scoops 16 being in the form of buckets
as shown and moving in the direction of the arrow they may be in the form

page_text: of blades, and may move in the opposite direction and push the earth up a
long scoop or trough fixed to the framing, and having its back end shaped to
deliver the earth on one or both sides of the trench. Where the trench has
to be deeper than the machine can accomplish at one operation the required
depth can be obtained by causing the machine to pass twice or oftener along
it, the digging tines and the elevating scoops being adjusted for greater depth
at each successive operation.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated; but that what I
believe to be novel and original, and claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the constructing of a
machine for making drains or trenches with a series of digging tines or blades
for loosening the earth, and an endless chain of scoops to elevate the loosened
earth, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Volkert Mackintosh, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
20 Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
T. V. MACKINTOSH. (L.S.)