IMPROVEMENTS IN SEED-DRILLS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Carl Theodor Burchardt, of 69, Mauer Strasse, in the City
of Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany, Engineer and
Solicitor of Patents, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEED-DRILLS."
A communication by Gustav Sommerfeldt, of Teicha, near Rietschen, in the
Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Carl Theodor Burchardt at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th July 1879.
CARL THEODOR BURCHARDT, of 69, Mauer Strasse, in the City of Berlin, in the
Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany, Engineer and Solicitor of Patents.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEED-DRILLS." A communication by Gustav Sommerfeldt, of
Teicha, near Rietschen, in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany.
The Invention relates to the employment of two heavy iron annular rollers, from
which the motion is transmitted to the seeding apparatus on seed-drills, and to the
arrangement of the seed conducting tubes between these two rollers, with the object
of preparing in a superior way the surface of the soil on which the seed deposited;
to cover the latter in a more rational manner; to diminish the exertion of the
cattle drawing the machine; and to move the seeding apparatus.
To accomplish these objects the framework of the machine bears two heavy iron
rollers, of which the front roller is composed, like that behind, of a series of single
iron rings which are fastened to a central axle, and which impress into the soil a
number of conveniently and suitably shaped furrows separated from each other by
ridges. Into these furrows, the ground of which is, according to the shape of the
rings, always flat but of more or less width, according to the condition of the soil,
the seed is deposited by and through a corresponding number of seed conducting.
tubes arranged behind the front roller.
The seed conducting tubes are fastened to the underside of a seeding apparatus of
any of the known and reputed constructions, from which they are fed with seed.
The seeding apparatus is supported by and fixed to the framework of the machine.
The seed deposited in the furrows is now covered with soil by means of the bind
roller. The sharp edges of the single rings of it, which are placed in such way as

page_text: to hit the ridges left standing by the front roller, divide or part these ridges and
cover the seed with an abundant-and-deep quantity of soil compressing the newly
formed ridges to a certain degree.
By this proceeding the seed finds a bed of compressed character, conspicuously
adapted to give to the roots of the growing plants a strong hold in the soil, and is
covered more uniformly and deeper than by the old manuer with soil, which causes
the plants to grow well,-and-adds-very-much to its full maturity and extreme
fecundity.
Besides the arrangement of the two rollers and the seed tubes the Invention
comprises a novel construction for obtaining the rotary motion of the axle of the
seed distributing apparatus. On one trunnion of one of the rollers fixed a chain
wheel, as well as on the axle of the seed distributing apparatus. A chain running
round these two chain wheels transmits the rotary motion of the roller to the axle
of the latter. The chain wheels may be provided with different diameters to
change the speed of the driven axle, and are thrown in and out of gear as the work
requires by means of a shifting clutch, hand lever, and suitable connections.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Carl Theodor Burchardt in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
January 1880..
CARL THEODOR BURCHARDT, of 69, Mauer Strasse, in the City of Berlin, in the
Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany, Engineer and Solicitor of Patents.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEED-DRILLS." A communication by Gustav Sommerfeldt, of
Teicha, near Rietschen, in the Kingdom of Prussia and.Empire of Germany.
The Invention-relates to.rollers-for-seed-drills which open furrows.for_depositing.
the seed and cover the latter with soil, and to the construction of the machine in
regard to its functions connected with the use of such rollers.
Heretofore seed drilling machines opened furrows in which the seed was deposited
by means of plow-share-shaped hoes or fingers, and the seed was covered by means
of a sweep chain or flat faced rolls. This process and all others more or less similar
give to the seed too loose an underground or bed and cover it with proportionately
too small a quantity of soil, and require a great exertion of the draft cattle because
the plows or fingers must tear asunder the roots of weed and other plants.
The object of this Invention now is to furnish to the seed a bed of a more com-
pressed character and a soil cover of greater depth, and at the same time requiring
for the performance of the work less draft power.
Only by fulfilling the two first conditions can the growing plants obtain a secure
and extended hold in the ground, which is necessary for their full maturity and
their extreme fecundity.
The present Invention consists in the arrangement of a roller composed of a
number of heavy iron.rings of a blunt cross section, the blunt circuinference of
which, similar to waggon wheel felloes, is the part which compresses the land most

page_text: in combination with a seeding apparatus of any suitable design or pattern, and.
with a second roller composed of a number of heavy iron rings of V cross section,
dividing or parting by their sharp edge the ridges formed by the first mentioned'
roller or rings, and covering the seed in this way with an abundant quantity and a
compressed ridge of soil, and leaving between the ridges deep furrows.
In the accompanying Drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like
parts,―
Figure 1´is a vertical cross section of a seed drill showing the Invention applied
thereto.
Figure 2 is a side elevation.
Figure 3, a front elevation showing some of the rings in section.
Figure 4, a plan of part of the machine.
A seeding apparatus A, but which may be of any other suitable construction
than that shown, is secured to two side frames B which are connected and steadied
by the beams C. In bearings of the frames B turn the trunnions or axes of two'
wooden cylinders D, D', on which are shown close to each other iron rings E and E¹
forming two rollers. The rings E on the front cylinder D are of a blunt
section with blunt straight face, as shown in Figure 3.
cross
The main object of these rings E is to impress into the soil furrows with an even
compressed ground similar to the track of waggon wheels; the form of the sides of
the rings E depends upon the condition and the nature of the soil. For sand and
similar loose soil the sloping sides are straight, but for a clayey coherent one they
may have an offset or a curved section if deemed proper, as shown in Figure 3.
Into the furrows made by the rings of the roller E the seed is deposited through
the conducting tubes a leading it from the seeding apparatus A right behind each
of the rings E to the centre of the even ground of the furrows.
The hind roller is composed of a series of heavy iron rings El arranged on the
cylinder D exactly in the same way as the front roller E; but the cross section of
each of the rings represents a V. The rings E¹ are distanced so that their sharp
edges hit just the middle of the ridges formed between the furrows by the front
roller E cutting or parting them and covering the seed by a large quantity of soil,
and compressing the latter to a certain degree. The so formed new ridges should'
be left standing, but in some cases they may also be a little equalized or made even
by means of sweep chains or rollers, or light harrows with short teeth M, which
latter alone are shown in the Drawing.
As the machine when in operation on the field is drawn without the aid of its
running wheels the motion to the seeding apparatus is furnished by one of the
rollers E or E. In Figure 2 a chain wheel c fastened on one trunnion of the front
roller E transfers its motion by means of a chain to a smaller chain 6 wheel on the
axle b of the seeding apparatus. By the hand lever G and its connection d, d, the
axle b may be thrown out and in gear, as the work requires. But in regard to
the arrangement of this lever connection and of the gearing of the roller E and
the axle I do not limit myself to the exact arrangement represented in the
Drawings as there are many equivalents for these mechanical motions which are
well known to competent mechanics; I consider a part of the present Invention to
consist in taking the motion for the axle b of the seeding apparatus directly from
one of the rollers E or E¹.
K is a pole to which and to the hook N the draft cattle are attached; L are axles
for waggon wheels or idlers which, according to one arrangement, are placed upon
two of the axles L and used when the machine is moved on the road to or from the
field, and the pole K may then be fastened to one of the free axles L, as shown by
dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. But this arrangement of the wheels and the
pole K is made use of only on machines which are required to be furnished at the
cheapest possible rate. It is more convenient and saves a good deal of the draft
power of the cattle at the time when the machine is being turned to sow in the
opposite direction of its first run if the waggon wheels or idlers remain on the
machine, both during the operation on the field and during the removal on the

page_text: road. As it is necessary to make the idlers correspond to these different uses the
Drawings-show a device which will answer the purpose. Worm wheels g_placed
one on each side frame B turning on studs B₁ fastened to such frames B bear in an
eccentrical position the axles L.for the idlers, one only of such worm wheels being
_shown._
--By-means of a handwheel i, intermediate shafts j, bevel gearing 2, and the
worms f, the driver can turn, without leaving his seat, the worn wheels f, and raise
or lower the idlers to suit-his-purpose. If-such-arrangement is made use-of-the
axles on the beams C mentioned above are avoided, and the pole K is then secured
to the machine by means of the shoe l.
It must be remarked that it is necessary to give a little play to the seed
conducting tubes a in order to allow their lower ends to yield if stones or other
obstacles should happen to bear against them. Therefore they are not fastened
rigidly to the seeding apparatus A but are hinged to it, or supported by chains or
otherwise, as is well understood.
The rollers E and E¹ are provided with adjustable scrapers m and n, which will
prove essential on wet or adhesive soil.
Having thus described clearly the nature of the said Invention, and the mode in
which the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I
claim is,―
First. On seed drills the arrangement of two annular rollers composed of separate
rings of suitable cross section, of which the front one impresses the furrows into
which the seed is deposited, and the hind one covers the seed with soil by parting
the ridges or hills formed by the former, constructed and arranged substantially as
shown and described, and for the purpose specified.
Second. In combination with the two rollers E and E' the seed tubes a connected
to the seeding apparatus, and arranged as shown and described for the purpose
specified.
Third. On a seed drill furnished with the two rollers E and E' and the seed
tubes a the transmitting of the rotary motion of the rollers to the axle of the
seeding apparatus, substantially by the device, as shown and described; or by its
equivalents.
In witness whereof, I, the said Carl Theodor Burchardt, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty second day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine..
CARL THEODOR BURCHARDT. (L.S.)