IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL DRILLS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hensman, of Ampthill, and William Arm-
strong, of Haynes, both in the County of Bedford, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL DRILLS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hensman and
William Armstrong at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 7th July 1870.
We, JOHN HENSMAN, of Ampthill, and WILLIAM ARMSTRONG, of
Haynes, both in the County of Bedford, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURAL DRILLS," to be as
follows:-
--
Our improvements relate more particularly to what are known by
agriculturists as Suffolk drills, and consist,-
1st. In providing means for steering such drills from behind the
machine, whereby the attendant is enabled to overlook its action, and
also to more correctly steer the machine than when placed in front as
usual in such drills. For this purpose we connect one end of a rope or

page_text: chain near one end of the fore carriage, which rope or chain is led in a
backward direction around guide pulleys mounted on the framing of the
machine in a suitable position, and thence around a horizontal chain
wheel or pulley disposed at the back of the drill. The rope or chain is
continued around a similar chain wheel or pulley towards the opposite
end of the machine, and is conducted thence by means of guide pulleys,
as before mentioned, to the fore carriage, to which its end is attached.
The axes of the horizontal chain wheels or pulleys are provided with
suitable hand levers fitted with disconnecting clutches, by which levers
the attendant (standing immediately behind the running wheel) may
guide the drill in a perfectly straight line or turn it in any direction
desired by simply rotating one or other chain wheel or pulley, and so
exerting a tractive force on one or other end of the fore carriage, as will
be readily understood.
Another improvement consists in providing a means of adjusting the
position of the seed box in such drills for ensuring a uniform delivery
of the seed on hilly or sloping ground. For this purpose we mount a
standard on each of the side frames, a little in rear of the seed box.
This standard forms the fulcrum of a lever, one end of which is con-
nected with the axle of the seed box, whereby the latter may be raised
to a horizontal position when the machine is working on sloping or hilly
ground, and retained in such position by securing said lever to a standard
provided with a series of hooks or catches for the purpose. In this case
we mount the pinions, gearing the driving axle with the seed delivery
apparatus on an expanding spindle to provide for the variations of
position of the seed box, as described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Hensman and William Armstrong in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th January 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN 3
HENSMAN, of Ampthill, and WILLIAM ARMSTRONG, of Haynes, both in
the County of Bedford, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said John Hensman and William Armstrong, Her
special licence that we, the said John Hensman and William Armstrong,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said John Hensman and William Armstrong, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICUL-
TURAL DRILLS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John
Hensman and William Armstrong, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, 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
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Hensman and William
Armstrong, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had
to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Our Invention relates to improvements in such agricultural drills as
are mounted on more than two wheels, and consists in providing a
means for steering such drills from behind the machine, whereby the
attendant is enabled to overlook its action and also to more correctly
steer the machine than when he is placed immediately behind the fore
carriage as usual in such drills. For this purpose we connect the
two ends of a rope or chain towards either side of the fore carriage,
which rope or chain is conducted to the rear of the drill around guide
pulleys mounted on the framing of the machine in suitable positions and
thence around horizontal chain wheels or pulleys disposed one at either
side at the back of the drill. The spindles of the horizontal chain
wheels or pulleys are provided with suitable hand levers fitted with
disconnecting clutches, by which levers the attendant (standing

page_text: immediately behind one of the rear or carrying wheels) may guide the
drill in a perfectly straight line or turn it in any direction desired by
simply rotating one or other chain wheel or pulley, and so exerting a
tractive force on one or other portion of the cord or chain to steer the
fore carriage in the direction required.
In our Provisional Specification we described as a second feature of
improvement in agricultural drills a means of adjusting or levelling the
seed box, since when we have discovered that the same does not possess
such an amount of novelty as to render it desirable to retain it as part
of our Specification. We therefore hereby disclaim the said means of
levelling or adjusting the seed box.
DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 of the Drawing annexed is a plan view of the framework of
a drill illustrating the application of our improved means for steering
drills mounted on more than two wheels.
A is the framework of the drill, and B a chain (or it may be a rope,
but we prefer the chain) the ends of which are attached at B¹ to the
fore carriage B³, one end to each of the two outer posts of the fore
carriage or to any other suitable part of the fore carriage towards either
extremity thereof. The chain is conducted by means of guide pulleys C
to the back part of the drill, where it passes round horizontal chain
wheels D. These chain wheels are keyed on vertical spindles mounted
to rotate in bearings in a light frame E attached to the rear of the main
frame of the drill, and each wheel spindle is furnished with a double
lever handle F for rotating said wheel. That portion of the chain which
crosses the drill at the rear is conducted inwards behind guide pulleys
C' to facilitate access to the delivery apparatus when the drill is in
operation. Each end of the chain in passing through from back to front
is led between the coulters and conductors and beneath the seed box
(which parts are omitted in the Drawing for the sake of clearness) to
the fore carriage B2 as shown. Each hand lever F is mounted loosely on
the spindle of its chain wheel, a clutch G (shown detached in plan and
side elevation on an enlarged scale in Figures 2 and 3) being provided
to connect said hand lever F rigidly with its spindle for operating the
chain wheel to steer the machine, which is effected by the attendant who
follows directly in rear of one of the main carrying wheels H, and is
thus enabled to guide the machine with greater precision. The clutch G
.

page_text: consists of a jointed lever fixed to the spindle of the chain wheel and
which is caused to engage with a projection I on hand lever F to gear
the latter with the chain wheel. Any other suitable locking gear may
also be used in lieu of the above arrangement.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention
to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
the improved means herein-before described and illustrated in the
Drawings annexed of guiding the fore wheel or wheels of agricultural
drills for effecting the steerage thereof from behind, arranged and applied.
substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hensman, for myself and on
behalf of the said William Armstrong, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
JOHN HENSMAN. (L.S.)