IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR HAULING AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fowler, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR
HAULING AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS."
Sealed the 31st March 1864, and dated the 13th October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fowler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th October 1863.
I, JOHN FOWLER, of Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED
FOR HAULING AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used for
hauling agricultural implements. In order to haul agricultural implements
between two headlands, drums turning on vertical axes are now commonly used
for giving motion to the hauling ropes, and when hauling agricultural imple-
ments between two headlands which are not parallel to each other, and in all
cases where the work is not at right angles to the headland, the angle of the
hauling rope in respect to the vertical axis on which the winding drum is
mounted varies, and it consequently follows that if the guiding instrument
(which is moved up and down to cause the succeeding coils of the rope to be

page_text: laid correctly side by side on the drum) be retained constantly in the same
position with respect to the axis, the rope will, as it passes from the drum, be
more or less deflected or bent out of a straight line, as the angle of the work
in respect to the headland varies, and apparatus has before been employed for
enabling the guiding instrument which rises and falls (to lay the coils of rope
correctly on the drum) to be able to swing around the axis of the drum so
that the rope may not be bent out of a straight line, and such apparatus is
described in the Specification of a Patent granted to John Fowler, jun',
David Greig, and Richard Noddings, dated 7th March 1862, (No. 612.)
According to the present Invention, apparatus for guiding a hauling rope on
to a drum is constructed and arranged in the following manner :-A pair of
rollers on horizontal axes are applied in a frame or carrying instrument, and
such frame or carrying instrument is capable of being raised and lowered, the
rope passes between the rollers, and as the winding drum revolves and the
frame rises and falls the succeeding coils of the rope will be laid correctly side
by side on the winding drum. The guiding rollers are of such length that the
angle which the hauling rope takes in respect to the axis of the winding drum
may vary to the requisite extent, and as the angle varies the rope will pass
between different portions of the guiding rollers.
It should be stated that although it is desirable it is not essential that the
parts of the guiding instrument which supports the bauling rope should
revolve as the rope passes them, so long as the same are so formed that the
rope may assume different angles in respect to the vertical axis of the drum,
and be properly supported in all positions without being bent or deflected out
of a straight line by the guiding instrument. In some cases a sliding guiding
instrument capable of assuming different positions in a horizontal plane as well
as in a vertical plane is used in order that the hauling rope may be guided to
the drum without being deflected out of a straight line as it passes the guiding
instrument. Although it is preferred that the hauling rope should generally
cause the sliding guiding instrument to assume the proper position in respect
to the periphery of the drum by the guiding instrument being sufficiently free
for that purpose, yet in some cases it is found desirable to construct the guiding
instrument in such manner that it may be adjusted and fixed at different
times in such position as to allow the hauling rope to be guided to the winding
drum without the hauling rope being deflected out of a straight line by the
guiding instrument.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Fowler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FOWLER, of Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Fowler, Her special licence that I, the said
John Fowler, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said John Fowler, 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,
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 APPARATUS USED FOR HAULING AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Fowler, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing 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 per-
formed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Fowler, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus used for hauling
agricultural implements. In order to haul agricultural implements between
two headlands, drums turning on vertical axes are now commonly used for
giving motion to the hauling ropes, and when hauling agricultural implements
between two headlands which are not parallel to each other, and in all cases
where the work is not at right angles to the headland, the angle of the hauling
rope in respect to the vertical axis on which the winding drum is mounted
varies, and it consequently follows that if the guiding instrument (which is
moved up and down to cause the succeeding coils of the rope to be laid cor-
rectly side by side on the drum) be retained constantly in the same position

page_text: with respect to the axis, the rope will, as it passes from the drum, be more or
less deflected or bent out of a straight line, as the angle of the work in respect
to the headland varies; and apparatus has before been employed for enabling
the guiding instrument which rises and falls (to lay the coils of rope cor-
rectly on the drum) to be able to swing around the axis of the drum, so that
the rope may not be bent out of a straight line, and such apparatus is
described in the Specification of a Patent granted to John Fowler, jun.,
David Greig, and Richard Noddings, dated 7th March 1862 (No. 612.)
According to the present Invention, apparatus for guiding a hauling rope
on to a drum is more conveniently and simply arranged. The apparatus is
constructed in the following manner :-A pair of rollers on horizontal axes aro
applied in a frame or carrying instrument, and such frame or carrying instru-
ment is capable of being raised and lowered. The rope passes between the
rollers, and as the winding drum revolves, and the frame rises and falls, the
succeeding coils of the rope will be laid correctly side by side on the winding
drum. The guiding rollers are of such length that the angle which the
hauling rope takes in respect to the axis of the winding drum may vary to the
requisite extent, and as the angle varies the rope will pass between different
portions of the guiding rollers.
Figure 1 of the Drawing hereunto annexed is a vertical section, and
Figure 2 is a plan of apparatus arranged according to my Invention.
a is the winding drum of a steam engine for working ploughs and other
agricultural implements; it is mounted in the usual way on the stationary or
stud axis b, fixed vertically beneath the boiler of the engine. The drum a is
driven in the usual or any convenient manner; c is a bracket fixed on the
stud axis b, to it is jointed at d' the frame d, which at its outer end carries
the two rollers e, e. These rollers are capable of turning freely on their axes,
and they receive the hauling rope between them. It will be seen that in
consequence of the great length given to the rollers e, the hauling rope can
(without being deflected by them) be led off from the drum a anywhere
within a very considerable arc, which, as represented in the Drawing, is fully
equal to a quadrant. The up-and-down motion to lay the coils of rope
regularly upon the drum a is given to the rollers e, and their frame d by an
arrangement of spur wheels and pinions. f is a pinion turning on a stud or
centre fixed in the under side of the drum a, and this pinion gears with
the toothed wheel g fixed on the stud axis b, so that the drum a in revolving
carries the pinion f around the fixed wheel g; i is another pinion, it is fixed
to the pinion f, and revolves and travels with it. It has, however, one tooth
more than this latter piuion has, (or it might be one tooth less, or other

page_text: similar variation may be made in the gear without interfering with the
working of the apparatus); kis a toothed wheel with which the pinion i
gears; it is capable of turning freely on the stud axis b. It has (as shown in
the Drawing) the same number of teeth as the wheel g, although it should
differ therefrom somewhat in diameter to compensate for the difference in
their pinions. By means of this arrangement of gear the wheel k is caused
slowly to revolve on the stud axis b, and as it revolves it gives the requisite
up-and-down motion to the frame d to cause it by means of its guide rollers e
to lay the rope in regular coils on the drum a as it is wound up thereby.
For this purpose there is a cam groove on the boss of the wheel k, and
friction pulleys on the sides of the frame d enter these grooves, and as the
friction pulleys follow the cam groove the frame is moved up and down.
°
It should be stated that although it is desirable it is not essential that the
parts of the guiding instrument which supports the hauling rope should
revolve as the rope passes them, so long as the same are so formed that the
rope may assume different angles in respect to the vertical axis of the drum,
and be properly supported in all positions without being bent or deflected out
of a straight line by the guiding instrument.
In some cases, as a modification of the arrangement above described, a
sliding guiding instrument, capable of assuming different positions in a
horizontal plane as well as in a vertical plane, is used in order that the
hauling rope may be guided to the drum without being deflected out of a
straight line as it passes the guiding instrument, and although it is preferred
that the hauling rope should generally cause the sliding guiding instrument to
assume the proper position in respect to the periphery of the drum by the
guiding instrument being sufficiently free for that purpose, yet it is found
desirable to construct the guiding instrument in such manner that it may in
some cases be adjusted and fixed at different times in such position as to allow
the hauling rope to be guided to the winding drum without the hauling rope
being deflected out of a straight line by the guiding instrument.
Figures 3, 4, and 5 shew so much of the modified apparatus as is required
for its clear explanation; Figure 3 is a plan of the frame d (see Figures 1
and 2) together with the parts carried thereby; Figure 4 is a transverse
section of Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a back view of some of the parts. The
frame d carries in place of the rollers e guide bars e*, e*, and on these a
carriage is capable of sliding on axes; on this carriage grooved pulleys m, m,
are mounted, and these receive the hauling rope between them and guide it on
to the drum-a-as already explained. This arrangement also allows the rope
to be led off at any necessary angle, the carriage 1 sliding on its guide bars e*,

page_text: to bring the pulleys m to a corresponding position; n is a set screw by which
the carriage can be locked to the guide bars ex when desired.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fowler, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
JOHN FOWLER. (L.S.)