Improvements in Snow Ploughs for Clearing Snow from Footpaths and Crossings.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 39th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 1st Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Snow Ploughs for Clearing Snow from Footpaths
and Crossings.
GEORGE WILLIAM KNOWLES Scarborough Villa Clevedon, Somerset, Town
Surveyor RICHARD STEPHENS 6 Meadow Road, Clevedon Somerset, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
:-
Nose of plough is raised from ground when not in operation by shoe worked by
V crank from back handle, by hand rod-when ploughing held from ground by
spiral spring on shoe bolt-it may be used in a more simple way by dispensing with
V crank, hand rod & spring, and lifting nose of plough shoe drops to position
when not ploughing and is held in such by catch.
Front handle is so arranged so as to plough footpaths either way throwing the
snow in each case from fence to roadway-the back end is connected loosely with
a pin in brace which allows the handle to be carried through a quadrant to either
side of plough, and is held in position by a pin.
1. The rear handle is simply horizontal loosely connected to stays by pin running
through the centre which allows it to move in quadrant so as to allow it to run at
right angles with footpath and is held in position by a pin.
2. The rear handle may be actuated the same as the front handle.
3. The rear handle which is T shape with hole through centre of T is held loosely
on two stays by a bolt, long end of T forms a third stay and which works on a
quadrant and is held in position by a pin.
31st December 1890
GEO. WM. KNOWLES.
RICHARD STEPHENS.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Snow Ploughs for Clearing Snow from Footpaths
and Crossings.
GEORGE WILLIAM KNOWLES Scarborough Villa, Clevedon, Somerset, Town
Surveyor RICHARD STEPHENS 6 Meadow Road Clevedon, Somerset, Machinist
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:-
Our invention relates to the construction of ploughs for clearing snow from foot
paths, pavements, and other spaces, and to improved appliances for steering or
guiding them, and also for raising the nose or front part from the ground, when it
comes in contact with any obstacles or uneven surfaces.
In the manufacture of ploughs for clearing snow, there has been a difficulty in
producing them so that they may be effectively used on all kinds of surfaces and
amidst projecting obstacles, such as door steps, lamp posts, trees, and the like; but
by our invention, we are enabled to construct ploughs which are effective in their
operation, easy to guide so as to avoid obstacles, will pass easily round corners, and
turn the snow in either or both directions as may be required.
Our invention consists in making a plough with two pieces of wood or other
suitable material to form the sides, joining them at any convenient angle to make
the nose or prow, the sides being connected at the back by cross beams or bars; then
from a central bearing on one of these beams, a shaft or pole is pivotted and carried
towards the front, one of the tie beams being placed on the upper edges of the
Prine 8.1]

page_text: sides and forming a rest for the pole, supporting at the right height for use with a
draught horse or horses; this pole has another pole connected to it as hereinafter
described, for the purpose of raising the front of the plough when necessary; the
plough is drawn in one direction by the horses, and steering appliances attached to
the pole and plough, which will enable the nose to be set at any angle with the line
of track and quickly changed to avoid any projections; and in case the plough
meets with any obstacle on the surface of the ground, a lever and crank are pro-
vided by which the steersman can immediately raise the nose, and allow the plough
to pass over it; a crank axle is also provided to which wheels are attached, so that
the plough may easily be moved from place to place when not in work.
To carry our invention into effect, we first provide the two sides, wood is a
suitable material, especially when the nose and lower edges are protected by iron;
these sides are preferably made wider at the bottom than the top, so as to throw
the snow aside in any direction, the sides are joined together by cross beams, one of
which serves as a platform on which the steersman stands, another beam serves as
a centre on which the draught pole is fastened by a pin, which enables the plough to
be turned in any direction; another beam serves as a quadrant on which the pole
rests, and the quadrant may be toothed to receive gearing when required; on the
front part of the pole another similar pole is placed and pivotted so that it may
move in a vertical direction only, the back of this second pole has a slot in the end,
in which a V crank with a roller at one end is placed, the other end of the crank is
attached by a connecting rod to a lever at the back, by which a pressure is put on
the lower shaft and the front of the plough raised when necessary; a screw spindle
is inserted in bearings in the sides, which engages in a loose nut bearing in a slotted
socket attached to the pole, bevel gearing is attached to one end of the spindle,
which is actuated by a crank and connecting rod fixed in one of the bevel wheels,
and by the action of this crank the plough is steered in any direction that may be
desired. At the back a crank axle is inserted, with a pair of wheels on the cranks,
by the action of a lever, these wheels are kept up out of the way when the plough
is at work, and then when the work is finished, the lever is pressed down, and the
wheels are brought on the ground, and the plough moved easily by this means.
Instead of the screw spindle as described, and the bevel gearing for guiding the
plough, we may use a pair of drums on which chains are fastened and connected to
the draught pole, a spiral wheel at one end of the shaft on which the drums are placed
is geared to another spiral wheel in which the crank and connecting rod already
described are fixed, and by the action of the crank on the shaft carrying the drums,
the direction of the plough is regulated; or the quadrant may be toothed, and
gearing of any simple kind made to operate by means of the crank and connecting
rod on the quadrant.
To enable our invention to be more readily understood, reference is made to the
accompanying sheet of drawings, in which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a plough, made with the screw spindle steering
gear;
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, and
Fig. 3 is a plan of the front part of a plough in which the steering is per-
formed by the drums and chains.
A represents the two sides of the plough, supported in position by the cross
pieces, D, E, and F; B is a pole fastened to the cross beam E by the pin e, and
resting on the quadrant F; C is a second pole resting on the first one, and hinged
thereto by plates and a pin c, kept from going too far in a vertical direction by
plates and pin b, D serves as a platform on which the steersman stands, a guard
board d prevents him from stepping forward, and also serves as a support for the
plate d in which the crank and rod I are placed; G is a V crank held at the
end of the pole C by a pin g', a roller y at the end of the crank presses on
the pole B, and by the action of the lever H, one end of which is inserted
in the end of the pole B, the front part of the plough is raised from the
ground when required; I, i, are a crank and connecting rod, which actuate a pair

page_text: of bevel wheels J, one of which is fixed on the end of a screw spindle K, this spindle
works in a loose nut L, attached to the pole B by slotted plates, allowing the
nut to move backwards and forwards to suit the position of the spindle K; N is
a shaft working in bearings at the sides, having a crank axle at each end on which
a pair of wheels O are placed, by the action of the lever P working in quadrant R
these wheels can be either kept out of the way as shown, or placed on the ground to
enable the plough to be moved when not in work; Fig. 3 shows the front part of a
plough made like Fig. 2 except the guiding apparatus; S is a shaft on which a pair
of drums T are placed, chains passing over these drums are connected by means of
pulleyst to the pole, and a spiral wheel X actuated by another spiral wheel attached
to the connecting rod i and the crank I, enable the plough to be steered like as with
the spindle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The construction of snow ploughs with steering appliances by which the nose
of the plough can be set at any angle with the line of track, so that the snow can
be thrown from the boundary towards the roadway in whichever direction the plough
is worked, by which also the angle can be instantly altered when it is required to
avoid projecting obstacles, substantially as and for the purposes herein described
and set forth in the accompanying drawings.
2. The construction of draught poles for snow ploughs, sledges, or similar vehicles,
in two parts, one partly overlapping the other, and having the appliances herein
described for depressing the lower part by a crank and roller fixed in the upper part,
by which the front part of the vehicle is raised from the ground, substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated 28th December 1891
J. G. WESTLAKE,
2, John Street, Bristol, Applicants' Agent.