Improvements in Machines for Ploughing and Cultivating Land.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1898—Accepted, 20th Aug., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Ploughing and Cultivating Land.
I, BOGHOS PACHA NUBAR, Director of Egyptian Railways and Telegraphs, and
of the Port of Alexandria, of Cairo, Egypt, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a rotary plough which differs essentially from ordinary
ploughs inasmuch as instead of forming a furrow by cutting and breaking up the
soil by means of a ploughshare, it acts in the manner of a rotary auger, borer, or
drilling tool. The ploughing tool proper is mounted upon an auto-motor carriage
and receives a forward thrust by the movement of the vehicle, combined with a
rotary movement in such manner that the tool disintegrates and triturates the
soil to a width and depth equal to its diameter. By placing several of these tools
parallel to each other in the same horizontal plane a breadth of soil equal in width
to the distance between the two outside tools can be taken up at a time.
My invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in
which Figure 1 represents an elevation of my improved rotary plough. Figure 2
shews various forms of ploughing tools, which may vary in form and dimensions.
Figure 3 shews a modification in which a single rotary tool is employed.
The auto-motor carriage is constituted of a frame a mounted on wheels b and
carrying any suitable motor c operated by steam, oil, gasoline, electric, or other
power, and driving wheels b preferably the front pair, by means of toothed, chain, or
other gearing, and also the ploughing tools d. Underneath, or at the front of the
carriage, as the case may be, is mounted a row of cutter shafts e arranged parallel
to each other in the direction of motion of the plough upon the front ends of
which shafts are mounted the rotary tools d which serve to perforate, scrape, and
pulverize the soil. The cutter shafts would generally be arranged in a horizontal
plane although they may in certain cases be inclined. Each cutter shaft and its
gearing are enclosed in a kind of metal sheath to prevent contact with the soil after
it has been broken up. The form of the cutters would vary according to the nature
and degree of moisture of the soil, the depth of cut desired, and the degree of fine-
ness to which the soil is to be reduced, and they would be provided with cutting
edges having surfaces of convex, concave, or other form, according to circumstances.
The cutters can be readily changed by detaching them from their shafts to which
they are fixed in the same way as the drills of drilling machines, and replacing
them by other tools of the form best suited for the work required to be performed.
Adjacent cutters turn in opposite directions, that is to say the even numbers turn-
ing to the right and the odd numbers to the left, and the cutter shafts would be
placed at a distance apart less than the diameter of the cutters, so that each cutter
will penetrate within the zone of the neighbouring cutter and clean and detach
the clods which may adhere thereto and so that there shall not remain any soil
unacted on. Rotary motion is transmitted to the cutter shafts by means of bevel
pinions f which are geared by means of shaft g with bevel pinions h operated by
the driving shaft. The speed at which the cutters are rotated and the rate of
advance of the plough would vary according to the resistance of the soil,

page_text: In order to lessen the strain on the cutters in penetrating the soil and enable
the apparatus to break up a larger extent of surface, it is generally of advantage to
propel the plough slowly and work over a greater breadth of ground at a time by
increasing the number of cutters. In their normal position the cutter shafts lie in
a horizontal plane, but on beginning the furrow at the side of the field, their front
ends may be inclined downwards on universal joints i, as shewn in dotted lines
in Figure 1, so that the cutters may penetrate the soil and the desired depth after
which the shafts are brought to a horizontal position with the aid of levers. The
cutter shafts are carried by a metal frame by which they are maintained in the
working position and which also allows of raising or lowering them by means of
guide slots for example.
The system of rotary plough herein described may be adapted for use as a harrow
or clod crusher, etc. by raising the cutters and turning them through an arc of 90°
by swinging of the frame upwards until the shafts are brought into a vertical
position, as shewn in dot-and-dash lines at the right hand end of Figure 1, the
cutters when thus brought into a horizontal plane serving to pulverize the surface
of the land after it has been ploughed, on being drawn over the ground. The
apparatus may also be employed in this position for cutting trenches for draining
purposes by fixing the cutter shaft in a vertical position and giving the cutter the
required length corresponding to the depth of trench to be sunk; or by super-
posing several cutters one above the other. In this case there may be added at the
rear of the apparatus an arrangement of buckets or scoops for removing the soil
thrown out.
The forward movement of the plough is effected as before described by power
applied to the driving wheels by the motor and the width between the front wheels
should be less than the distance between the two extreme cutters in order that said
wheels may always travel upon the unploughed surface but in certain cases and
especially when the machine is too light to afford sufficient adhesion or when the
cutters are placed at the front of the machine, the wheels would travel on the
loose ploughed land and the machine would be hauled by means of a cable or other
means of traction anchored at one end of the field and winding on a drum mounted
on the frame of the machine.
It is to be understood that the construction of the machine may be varied without
in any way departing from the principle of the invention, for example a small
machine with a single rotating cutter may be arranged to be driven by animal
power or by means of a small gas engine.
Dated thin 12th dox of October 1807
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Ploughing and Cultivating Land.
I, BOGHOS PACHA NUBAR, Administrator of Egyptian Railways and Telegraphs,
and of the Port of Alexandria, of Cairo, Egypt, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to a rotary plough which differs essentially from ordinary
ploughs inasmuch as instead of forming a furrow by cutting and breaking up the
soil by means of a ploughshare, it acts in the manner of a rotary auger, borer, or
drilling tool. The ploughing tool proper is mounted upon an auto-motor carriage
and receives a forward thrust by the movement of the vehicle combined with a

page_text: rotary movement in such manner that the tool disintegrates and triturates the
soil to a width and depth proportionate to its diameter. By placing several of these
tools parallel to each other in the same horizontal plane a breadth of soil equal in
width to the distance between the two outside tools can be broken up at a time.
My invention is illustrated by way of example in the drawings accompanying
my Provisional Specification in which Figure 1 represents an elevation of my
improved rotary plough. Figure 2 shews various forms of ploughing tools which
may vary in form and dimensions. Figure 3 shews a modification in which a
single rotary tool is employed.
The auto-motor carriage is constituted of a frame a mounted on wheels b and
carrying any suitable engine c operated by steam, oil, gasoline, electric, or other
power, the power of the engine being applied to drive wheels preferably the front
pair, by means of toothed chain or other gearing and also the ploughing tools d
whatever may be the position of the latter. Underneath the carriage a at the front
or rear, as the case may be, are mounted cutter shafts e arranged parallel to each
other side by side the shafts extending in the direction of motion of the plough.
Upon the front or upon the rear ends of the said shafts are mounted the rotary
tools & by which the soil is penetrated, scarified, and pulverized. The shafts e
would generally be horizontal or slightly inclined downwards towards the tools
so as to permit in the latter case of the gearing or mechanism being above the
ground level, the said shafts acting in the manner of a drilling machine by the
forward thrust of the cutters. Each cutter shaft and its operating gearing is pro-
tected from contact with the soil after it has been broken up and from the
admission of dirt between the frictional surfaces.
The form of the cutters would vary according to the nature and condition of
the soil, the depth of cut, and the trituration required, and they would have cutting
edges having convex, concave, or other surfaces. The cutters can be readily
changed (being fixed preferably in the same way as a drilling tool in its shaft) and
replaced by others of a form suited for the work. The cutters rotate in the same
direction and would generally be echeloned or placed in advance the one of the
other so that their shafts can be at a distance apart less than the diameter of the
cutters in order that each cutter, by entering the zone of the neighbouring cutter
may clean it by detaching the clods that may adhere thereto and in order that
no intervening soil shall be unacted on. Rotary motion is transmitted to the
cutter shafts through bevel pinions f, shaft g, and bevel pinions h from driving
shaft but the cutter shafts might be driven by chain, belt, cable, or other gear.
In order that the horizontal cutter shafts and their gear may work entirely
above the ground, the radius of the cutters may be greater than the depth of furrow
to be cut in which case a portion only of the cutter enters the ground and is in
work. This arrangement enables the operating gear to be simplified by the
omission of intermediate gearing and admits of the cutters being attached to the
rear ends of the shafts so that all the travelling wheels of the machine may be in
front of the cutter, and travel upon unploughed ground. The speed of rotation
of the cutters and of advance of the plough would vary according to the resistance
of the soil.
'
In order to lessen the work of penetration and increase the breadth of surface
ploughed at one time, it is generally of advantage to reduce the rate of advance
and increase the number of cutters. The normal position of the cutter shafts is
horizontal but on beginning the furrow at the side of the field the tools may be
inclined downwards on universal joints i, as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1,
so that the cutters will penetrate obliquely until the desired depth is reached, after
which the shafts are brought to the horizontal position, the cutter shafts and gear-
ing being mounted in a frame & which may be provided with guide slots 7 for
example, to enable them to be raised and lowered.
This rotary plough may be used as a harrow or clod crusher, etc., by raising the
cutters and turning the frame through an arc of 90° so that the shafts are
vertical, as shewn in dot-and-dash lines at the right hand end of Figure 1, the

page_text: cutters when thus brought to a horizontal position pulverizing the previously
ploughed land when drawn along. The plough may also be employed in this
position for cutting draining trenches by fixing the shaft of the cutter in a vertical
position and giving it a length corresponding to the depth of trench or by super-
posing several cutters. In this case a bucket or scoop elevator may be applied at
the rear of the machine to remove the soil.
The plough is propelled by engine power applied to the front wheels and the
width between these wheels should be less than that between the two outer cutters,
in order that the driving wheels may always travel upon unploughed ground, but
when the machine is too light and the adhesion insufficient, or when the cutters
being at the front the wheels travel. on the ploughed land, the machine would be
hauled by cable or other traction anchored at one end of the field and winding on
a drum mounted on the frame of the machine.
The construction of the machine may be varied without departing from the
invention, for example a small machine with a single rotating cutter may be driven
by animal power or by means of a small gas engine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The herein described system of rotary plough or cultivator having the cutter
shafts horizontal or slightly inclined so that the driving gear may be above the
ground, the cutters acting by their forward thrust in the manner of a drill and
entering wholly or partially into the ground substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Total 1 201
CT
1000
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.