IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PLOUGHS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John McLennan, of Dunrobin Mains, Golspie,
in the County of Sutherland, North Britain, for the Invention of
" IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PLOUGHS."
Sealed the 22nd April 1873, and dated the 24th October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John McLennan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th October 1872.
I, JOHN MCLENNAN, of Dunrobin Mains, Golspie, in the County of
Sutherland, North Britain, do hereby declare the nature of my said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PLOUGHS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the application and use to and in steam
ploughs of,―
First. A revolving coulter constituting a steam plough protector and
coulter combined for the purpose of passing over obstructions without
injuring the plough, such coulter cutting about 2 inches under the
point of the sock so as to carry the sock and plough over all resisting
obstacles.

page_text: reversed on the two drums of each pair. The rope to the engine is
thus caused to slip to either side as the case may require whilst it
presses on the corner of the plough framing at the same time, and
thereby effects a sudden change in the course of the plough. A broad
and a narrow supporting wheel (or a sledge) is fitted to a swivelling
stem (when using a wheel) on each side of the machine at the front and
rear, which wheels may also be used in steering, being swivelled by
hand by means of a lever handle. The broad wheel travels on the
furrow side of the plough and presses down the furrow as the mould
board turns it up, and assists considerably in the turning over of a
rough furrow when reclaiming new ground, whilst it also prevents
the plough from tilting over when lifted over the obstructions by the
protector or rotatory coulter, thus the two broad wheels on the furrow
side, and the two narrow wheels on the land side, come into action in
turn as the plough may cant to either side. The plough share or sock
is situate in the middle of the plough, it works up and down by a
screw, and has its two ends constructed the same. The mould board
which is fixed on a hinge which allows it to reverse at any time that
the plough is pulled back, acting at once on the new furrow with its
opposite side or face, this enables the plough to work to and fro without
altering a single part and without stoppage.
One of the revolving coulters is in action at the time the other is out
of action, the latter following up in the turned over furrow, pressing to
the side of the cut made by the leading cutter, and affording con-
siderable support against the side pressure of the furrow when it comes
heavily on the mould board in rough ground, thus ensuring the plough
moving with exceeding steadiness when reclaiming new ground, and
allowing a furrow of a large width, say from 18 inches to 24 inches, to
be cast over.
When working the rotary grubber, which may be of the ordinary
kind, the revolving coulters, mould boards, and shares will be removed
from the framing and the grubber substituted.
The peculiar mould board is made double, and is hinged to the body

page_text: and making a clean cut under it with the assistance of the sole plate
which projects further out than the shoulder, thus are combined a wide
cut below horizontally by the shoulder, and a thorough and clean cut
downwards by the revolving coulter, whereby the furrow is prepared to
be properly turned over. The inner shoulder or that which is out of
action for the time being, falls with a groove prepared for that purpose
in the casting of the plough head. The top part of the mould board
has a double twist, that is to say, a twist in two opposite directions, so
that either side will turn over the furrow according as it may be in
operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John MºLennan in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MCLENNAN, of Dunrobin Mains, Golspie, in the County of Sutherland,
North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two,
in the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John McLennan, Her
special license that I, the said John McLennan, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John McLennan, my
executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN STEAM PLOUGHS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John McLennan, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John McLennan, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to improvements in steam ploughs and
has chiefly for its object the prevention of injury to the plough when
encountering large stones, roots, or other obstacles in the ground.
The improvements consist in the combination of,-
-
First. A revolving steam plough protector and coulter combined for
the purpose of passing over obstructions without injuring the plough,
such coulter cutting about two inches under the point of the sock so as to
carry the sock and plough over all resisting obstacles whilst ploughing
or draining.
Secondly. A screw for raising and lowering the pull on the plough to
regulate the depth of ploughing.
Thirdly. A nave or barrel for carrying the above-mentioned revolving
coulter or steam plough protector and coulter combined with all the
gearing in connection therewith.
Fourthly. Appliances for steering the plough on the pull or windlass
rope.
Fifthly. Side supporting wheels or sledges for regulating and balancing
the plough.
Sixthly. A peculiar double mould board which is so constructed as to
turn over a large furrow in rough ground and to work both ways.
Seventhly. The combination of a rotary grubber with the framing of
a steam plough.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of my improved
steam plough; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same; Figure 3

page_text: is a transverse vertical section taken at or near the middle thereof;
and Figure 4 is a similar view showing the supporting and steering
apparatus.
"
A, A, are two revolving or wheel coulters and combined protectors
disposed one at the front and another at the rear, cutting about two
inches below the point of the sock or plough share, which is double
pointed and adjustable vertically by a screw; the depth of cut is
regulated by a barrel or nave B projecting from each side of each
coulter, to which barrel or nave the coulter stays are attached, the
whole being mounted on a revolving shaft working in brass bushes at C,
in bearing brackets (see Figure 3). A vertical screw spindle D is
attached to the "pull" or as commonly called the "plough muzzle" by
which means the "pull" or "muzzle can be raised or lowered as may
be necessary in passing over soft or hard ground, the said adjustment
being effected whilst the plough is in motion by allowing the "pull” to
" also
slip or work up and down on the plough head. The "muzzle'
serves to carry the weight of the slack rope E on to that of the
leading rope F by means of a sliding bar to which both ropes are
attached at a and b respectively.
It also avoids the friction of the ropes
against the frame of the plough, thereby allowing the plough more.
play and freedom in its action. At the front and rear of the machine
there are also disposed two pairs of drums G, G', on which an assisting
steering rope H winds on and off respectively (see Figure 2), the one
which is being wound on acting on the rope F leading to the engine
and bearing on a grooved guide pulley on the corner of the plough
framing at c, thus by winding up the drum shaft by means of a worm
wheel I and worm K the one drum pays out and the other winds up
the steering rope H, the rope attachment being of course reversed on
The rope
F
the two drums of each pair, as shewn clearly in Figure 2.
to the engine is thus caused to slip to either side as the case may
require, whilst it presses on the corner c of the plough framing at the
same time, and thereby effects a sudden change in the course of the
plough. Broad and narrow supporting wheels L and L', or sledges are
fitted to swivelling stems M, M, (when using wheels), on each side of
the machine at the front and rear (see Figure 4), which wheels may also
be used in steering, being swivelled by hand by means of a lever
handle N. The broad wheel-L travels on the furrow side of the plough
and presses down the furrow as the mould board O turns it up, and

page_text: assists considerably in the turning over of a rough furrow when re-
claiming new ground, whilst it also prevents the plough from tilting
over when lifted over the obstructions by the protector or rotatory
coulter A; thus the two broad wheels L on the furrow side and the two
narrow wheels L' on the land side come into action in turn as the
plough may cant to either side. The plough share or sock P is situate
in the middle of the plough, it works up and down and has its two ends
constructed the same. The improved reversible mould board O is fixed
on a hinge d, d, which allows it to reverse at any time when the plough
is pulled back, acting at once on the new furrow with its opposite side
or face, thus enabling the plough to work to and fro without altering
a single part and without stoppage; but I do not claim a reversible
mould board per se.
One of the revolving coulters A is in action at the time the other is out
of action, the latter following up in the turned over furrow, pressing to the
side of the cut made by the leading coulter, and affording considerable
support against the side pressure of the furrow when it comes.heavily on
the mould board in rough ground, thus ensuring the plough moving
with exceeding steadiness when reclaiming new ground and allowing a
furrow of a large width, say from 18 inches to 24 inches to be cast over.
When working the rotary grubber, which may be of the ordinary kind,
the revolving coulters, mould boards, and shares, will be removed from
the framing, and the grubber substituted in the sockets or bearings of
the rotatory coulters.
The peculiar mould board ○ (of which Figure 5 is a detail plan or top
view, and Figure 6 a view of the bottom part or lower edge thereof,)
is made double, and is hinged as before described to the body of the
plough, so as to reverse its position and adjust itself according to the
direction in which the plough is travelling; in addition to this a curved
shoulder e (Figure 6) projects laterally on both sides at lower part
or below the furrow of the mould board, such shoulder projecting some
distance under the furrow and making a clean cut under it with the
assistance of the sole plate, which projects further out than the
shoulder; thus are combined a wide cut below horizontally by the
shoulder and a thorough and clean cut downwards by the revolving
coulter before described, whereby the furrow is prepared to be properly
turned over. The inner shoulder, or that which is out of action for the

page_text: MLennan's Improvements in Steam Ploughs.
time being, falls into a groove prepared for that purpose in the casting
of the plough head The top part of the mould board has a double
twist shown at ƒ and g (Figure 5), that is to say, a twist in two opposite
directions, so that either side will turn over the furrow according as it
may be in operation; d is the hinge pin of the mould board; h
(Figure 6) is the heel thereof below; and f, g, (Figure 5) the heel of the
mould board at the top.
When intended for draining, the twist of the mould board will be so
disposed as to throw the soil in the first place higher up, and then to
throw it over after the style of a furrow.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to
be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The application and use to and in steam ploughs of a revolving
steam plough protector and coulter combined, arranged and constructed
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and illus-
trated by my Drawings.
Second. The combination with the before-mentioned revolving steam
plough protector and coulter of a projecting nave or barrel for carrying
the same, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
Third. The peculiar combination of steering drums or barrels and
steering ropes with the main hauling rope of a steam plough arranged
so as to operate, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Fourth. The peculiar arrangement of broad and narrow side sup-
porting wheels or sledges for regulating and balancing a steam plough.
when at work, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by
my Drawings.
Fifth. The peculiar construction of double mould board with its pro-
jecting shoulders at the bottom combined with the double twist at the
top, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and
illustrated by my Drawings.

page_text: Sixth. The combination of a rotatory grubber of any convenient
construction with the framing of a steam plough, as herein-before
described.
Seventh. The general combination and arrangement of parts con-
stituting my improved steam plough for ploughing and draining, as
herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John McLennan, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of
April One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
JOHN MCLENNAN. (L.S.)