IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PLOUGHING MACHINES
Year: 1855

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Tomlinson Bousfield at
..the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th February 1855.-A communication.
I, GEORGE TOMLINSON BOUSFIELD, of Sussex Place, Loughborough Road,
Brixton, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the In-
vention for IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM PLOUGHING MACHINES," a communication
from Obed Hussey, to be as follows:-
The improvements in these machines consist of an ordinary locomotive
steam boiler resting on three wheels. The driving wheels run on an axle
which is fixed permanently to the under side of the boiler crosswise and
near the fire box; they turn on the said axle as the machine advances, while
the guiding wheel in front is directed either to the right or left, or in a straight
line, by means of a screw wheel on the upper end of the spindle, which is
operated upon by a screw connected with the steering wheel, in command of
the engineer, who stands on the platform. The steam cylinders are fixed
to the boiler, one on each side of the chimney, in such a position as to bring
the piston rods parallel with the line of the boiler, and a few inches above the
line of the top of the boiler, and distant from each other about the diameter
of the boiler. The pistons are connected with a double crank, which is
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page_text: operated upon similarly to the operation of the cylinders on locomotive cranks.
This crank shaft runs in pedestals on the top of the boiler, nearly over and
parallel with the main axle. In addition to the middle bearings in the
pedestals, this crank shaft has end bearings on permanent arms, extending
from the sides of the boiler, and supported by studs from the main axle. On
each end of the crank shaft is a cog pinion, loose on the shaft, and works into
corresponding cogs on the internal surface of the rims of the main wheels.
These cog pinions are constantly geared into the internal cogs of the main
wheels, but are connected and disconnected with the crank at pleasure by
clutches operated by a lever. This arrangement for the purpose of turning
with facility, as the power may be applied, either to one or other of the
wheels, or both.
The guiding wheel in front is supported by strong iron bars, which aro
fastened to the main axle near the naves of the main wheels, and extend
angling to the front end of the boiler, to which they are bolted; thenco con-
tinued on, and meet two to three fect from the end of tho boiler, and aro
strongly bolted to the socket which holds the spindle of the guide wheel.
Those iron bars also extend backwards, and bend downwards to a point parallel
with the lower back corner of the fire box, thence horizontally and backwards.
On these extended ends of the iron bars a platform is built, extending in
length parallel with the main axle from outside to outside of the main
wheels.
The ploughs are attached to the rear edge of the platform. The ploughs
are designed to run parallel with each other, and to fit them for this purpose
they are divested of all incumbrance, which prevent ordinary ploughs working
well in parallel lines of advance. The ploughs consist of a mould board and
land side only; the land side is of a size sufficient only to resist the pressure
of the mould board, being full at or near the coulter, and tapering to a point
backwards, so that, in ploughing with all the ploughs in a parallel line side by
sido, ono plough shall turn the earth against the back side of the mould board
of the adjacent plough; this arrangement is designed for light land. When
the nature of the soil will not allow of this position of the ploughs, one end
of the platform will be widened.
In place of single ploughs, two distinct ploughs may be made, consisting
only of the mould boards and land sides, one a right-handed and one a left-
handed plough. These ploughs are fastened together at the upper edges of the
two mould boards; this brings the heel of one and the point of the other in
the same parallel; thus, when one plough is in the ground with its point
forward, the other plough is upward with its point backward. In the exact

page_text: centre of the whole circumference is a gudgeon, projecting laterally on both
sides. These gudgeons bang in an iron frame, which acts as a plough beam.
This double plough turns by these gudgeons; first one is in the ground, then
the other. By this arrangement the machine will turn the furrows either
to the right or the left. Simple catches hold the ploughs in one position; when
the catches are tripped, the ploughs roll over by their own action. The
ploughs are lifted out of the ground at pleasure by winding up a rope or
chain.