IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND TURNING UP THE SOIL OF LAND FOR COLTIVATION.”
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Perman, of Salisbury, in the County of
Wilts, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR CUTTING AND TURNING UP THE SOIL OF LAND FOR COLTIVATION.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Perman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
September 1861.
I, CHARLES PERMAN, of Salisbury, in the County of Wilts, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPA-
RATUS FOR CUTTING AND TURNING UP THE SOIL OF LAND FOR CULTIVATION," to bo
as follows:-
The apparatus comprises what may be called a "rotary forking cultivator."
It consists principally of a cylinder capable of revolving in suitable bearings
O attached to an iron or other frame, and rolling on the surface of the land. The
cylinder may be of any convenient diameter and width, and is provided with
holes or slots, in which are fixed curved "tines" or points, projecting a suffi-
cient distance from the surface of the cylinder to turn up or fork the land to
the required depth. These curved "tines" or points are placed in rows round
the cylinder, and are capable of being fixed nearer to or further from each

page_text: other, as may be required, according to the nature of the land, and the number
of rows of the curved "tines" may also be increased or diminished for the
same purpose.
Between each two of the curved "tines" is placed a blade or cutter
(extending from one to the other.) which acts like a spade and cuts into the
surface of the ground, thereby greatly facilitating the action of the forks or
"tines," especially in cultivating grass land.
As the cylinder revolves, the forks or "tines" are cleaned by working
between a series of scrapers or cleaners placed at the back and fixed to the
iron frame. The second time of going over the land, a chain or other harrow
is to be attached to the frame of the cultivator behind.
For convenience of transport from place to place, the cultivator may be pro-
vided with a pair of running wheels furnished with any suitable arrangement of
mechanism whereby the cylinder with its "tines" may be raised entirely from
the ground.
It will be evident that this cultivator may be drawn over the land by horses,
or by a traction engine, or by a stationary engine and ropes, or in any other
convenient manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Perman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
March 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
PERMAN, of Salisbury, in the County of Wilts, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of IIer
reigu, did, for Herself. Ier heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Perman, Iler special licence that I, the said Charles Perman,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho said
Charles Perman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
usc, 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND TURNING UP THE SOIL OF
LAND FOR CULTIVATION," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Perman, my executors or adıministrators, by an instrument in writing

page_text: 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 calender months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Perman, 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, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that is
to say :-
The Invention comprises what may be termed a rotary forking cultivator,"
consisting principally of a cylinder (or any number of cylinders put together
on the same axle to make the width or length required), capable of revolving
in suitable bearings attached to an iron or other frame and rolling on the
surface of the ground. The cylinder or cylinders may be of any convenient
diameter and width, and is or are provided with holes or slots in which
are fixed curved "tines" or points projecting a sufficient distance from the
surface of the cylinder, to turn up or fork the land to the required depth.
These curved "tines or points are placed in rows round the cylinder or cylin-
ders, and are capable of being placed nearer to or further from each other, as
may be required, according to the nature of the land, and the number of rows
of the curved "tines" may also be increased or diminished for the same
purpose.
"
Between each two of the curved "tines" in a continuous row round the cir-
cumference of the cylinder may be placed a blade or cutter (extending from
one "tine" to the other), which cuts into the surface of the ground, thereby
greatly facilitating the action of the forks or "tines," especially in cultivating
grass land.
As the cylinder revolves, the forks or "tines" and the cylinder are cleaned
and scraped by a series of scrapers or cleaners placed behind, fixed to the iron
or other frame and projecting downwards between each row of forks or "tines."
These scrapers or cleaners prevent the "tines" and cylinder from becoming
filled up or choked, and at the same time serve to break up the clods and
pulverize the soil or mould.
When required, a drilling or sowing machine may be affixed behind to the
frame of the "cultivator" to sow or drill the ground as the "cultivator" pro-
ceeds, such drilling or sowing machine being actuated by the cylinder, and a
chain or other barrow may also be added to (or substituted for) the drilling
machine to harrow or "tine" the ground after its being forked or sown, thus

page_text: accomplishing at one operation cultivating, sowing, and harrowing or "tining"
the ground.
For convenience of transport from place to place, the "cultivator" may be
provided with a pair of running wheels, furnished with any suitable arrange-
ment of mechanism whereby the cylinder with its "tines may be raised
entirely from the ground.
"
It will be evident that this "cultivator" may be drawn over the land by
horses, or by a traction engine, or by a stationary engine and ropes, or in any
other convenient manner.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "Improvements
in Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting and Turning up the Soil of Land for
Cultivation," I will now proceed to describe more in detail the manner in which
the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect; and in
order that the same may be distinctly understood, I have annexed hereunto a
Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with those in the following explanation
thereof, that is to say:-
The Drawing is made to a scale of about one inch to a foot, and represents
my improved "cultivator" as arranged to be drawn by two horses in the shafts
with two or more leaders, the cylinder being composed of four sections placed
together on one axle.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine.
a, a, represents the frame of the machine; b, b, part of the shafts; and c, c,
the cylinder. This cylinder is composed of four sections placed side by side
on the same axle d, d, so that by removing one or more of the cylinders, the
width of the machine may be reduced when required, and the holes e, e,
therein are so arranged that the rows of "tines" ff, may be placed four,
six, eight, or twelve inches apart, as desired, according to the nature of the
soil.
At the back of the machine are placed a series of scrapers or cleaners 9, 9,
which scrape the surface of the cylinder and clean the "tines" as the machine
revolves, breaking and pulverizing any clods that the "tines" may take up.
The scrapers or cleaners are also so arranged as to be capable of being set
nearer together or further apart, as circumstances may require.
h, h, (Figure 1,) are knives or cutters, which may be fixed between tho
"tines" so as to cut into the ground and facilitate the working of the forks,
especially, as above stated, when cultivating grass land.
For convenience of transport, the frame a, a, is provided with running
wheels i, i, and the axle d, d, is supported in bearings k, k, attached to screwed

page_text: rods 1, 1, so that by turning the nuts m, m, by a key, the cylinders and tines
may be raised entirely clear of the ground, the axle d, d, rising in the guides
n, n, to the top of the slot, where it may be retained by putting a pin or cotter
through the guides. Any other convenient arrangement may be employed for
raising the cylinder and "tines" off the surface of the ground when required.
When the "cultivator" is at work, both the running wheels may be removed
if the whole width of the cylinder is used; but if one or more sections of the
cylinder are removed it is advisable to leave one or both of the running wheels
on the machine to steady the latter and prevent it from tilting.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for "Im-
provements in Machinery or Apparatus for Cutting and Turning up the Soil of
Land for Cultivation," together with the manner in which the same is to be or
may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion
that I claim as my Invention the "rotary forking cultivator," constructed and
arranged substantially in the manner above described, and illustrated in the
Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Perman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
CHARLES PERMAN. (L.S.)
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT,
Sol. & Patent Agent,
1, Serle St., Lincoln's Inn.