Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office No. 4 South
Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by Alphonse Legros, of
Namur, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer), to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of an improved seed drill and the
invention consists in the application to a seed drill of a cylinder forming the
bottom of a hopper which receives the grain or seed the said cylinder rotates, and
serves to retain the grain or seeds; it is provided for this purpose with small
depressions forming cups all round its periphery at certain distances apart so that
the grain or seed falling into the said depressions from the top will leave them by
falling into the furrow when the cylinder has made a half revolution.
Small tangential brushes are applied to the said cylinder for the purpose of
regulating or levelling the quantity of grain or seed falling into the depressions in
the cylinder this being assisted by the rotation of the cylinder.
Different sized toothed wheels are applied to the said cylinder which wheels are
fixed in spaces provided for that purpose throughout the length of the cylinder;
the said wheels being keyed on the shaft of the latter and engaging with a pinion
which can be brought in front of each of the said toothed wheels according to the
speed of rotation required to be given to the cylinder and which speed will depend
on the nature of the grain or seed to be sown. The said single or double toothed
wheel is preferably fixed directly on the shaft of the travelling wheels of the drill.
1

page_text: I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, No. 4, South
Street, Finsbury, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by Alphonse Legros, of
Namur, in the Kingdom of Belgium, Manufacturer,) 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 the construction of an improved seed drill, and the
invention consists in the application to a seed drill of a cylinder forming the
bottom of a hopper which receives the grain or seed; the said cylinder rotates and
serves to retain the grain or seeds; it is provided for this purpose with small
depressions forming cups all round its periphery at certain distances apart so that
the grain or seed falling into the said depressions from the top will leave them by
falling into the furrow when the cylinder has made a half revolution. Small
tangential brushes are applied to the said cylinder for the purpose of regulating or
levelling the quantity of grain or seed falling into the depressions in the cylinder
this being assisted by the rotation of the cylinder.
Different sized toothed wheels are applied to the said cylinder which wheels are
fixed in spaces provided for that purpose thoughout the length of the cylinder,
the said wheels being keyed on the shaft of the latter and engaging with a pinion
which can be brought in front of each of the said toothed wheels according to
the speed of rotation required to be given to the cylinder and which speed will
depend on the nature of the grain or seed to be sown. The said toothed wheel is
preferably fixed directly on the shaft of the travelling wheels of the drill.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 represents a longi-
tudinal section on line a, b, of figure 2 which is a horizontal section of a seed drill
or sowing machine constructed according to this invention; figure 3 is a transverse
section drawn to a larger scale showing part of the cylinder and hopper; figure 4
is a front elevation partly in section drawn to the same scale as figures 1 and 2
showing the arrangement of the cylinders and the toothed wheels. Similar letters
in all the figures represent similar parts.
A represents the cylinder arranged transversely and horizontally upon a vertical
frame A¹ by which it is carried. This cylinder may be of wood, cast iron, copper
or of other suitable material but for the sake of lightness I prefer to make it of
wood. PP are the depressions with which the cylinder A is provided the said
depressions being arranged at regular intervals over the whole of its periphery.
These depressions serve to receive the seeds falling upon the cylinder which forms
the bottom of the hopper in which the seeds are placed. The cylinder A in
rotating carries away in its motion the seeds which fall into the depressions P and
conveys them into vertical funnels E arranged immediately below each circular
row of depressions P, each funnel E communicating with a tube G (figure 1)
provided with a pointed end which serves to cut a small furrow wherein the seeds
are deposited.

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The tubes G are suspended by means of flat springs H figure 1 (or by spiral
springs) and follow the irregularities of the ground, the said springs bearing
against the said tubes or funnels and against pins or projections on extensions of
the hinges hereinafter described of the tubes G. The cylinder A is surmounted by
a series of small inclined planes bb arranged at a distance apart equal to the
diameter of the depressions P P and causing the seeds to fall therein; the number
of depressions P in the cylinder as well as that of the funnels E may be doubled.
QQ are the brushes shewn in figure 3 placed against the sides of the hopper
and parallel therewith and tangentially against the periphery of the cylinder so as
to level the seeds in the depressions and to throw the excess on one side, the
periphery of the cylinder when rotating coming nearly in contact with the said
brushes, such contact only taking place when the seeds carried away in the
depressions of the cylinder reach above the level of the latter, that is to say, when
they are in excess of the required quantity. Each compartment or inclined plane,
as well as the brushes, rest lightly upon the cylinder in order to prevent the escape
of the seed and an amount of friction which would interfere with the free motion
of the said cylinder.
One portion of the sectional plan (figure 2) of the machine shows a plan of the
hopper, and the other portion shows the cylinder and the inclined planes, the
brushes and the hopper being removed.
The machine is represented in figure 1 in its working position, but as it is
necessary, when leaving or returning to the farm, that the tubes G (figure 1) should
be raised to a sufficient height to prevent them from coming into contact with the
ground, the said tubes are mounted on hinges shewn at S in figure 1, these hinges
being perforated with several holes through which passes a pin I (figure 1). To
the latter are fixed two tie-rods J (figures 1 and 2) connected to a screw provided
with a crank handle shewn at K in figures 1 and 2 and fixed at the rear of the
carriage frame. By giving this handle and screw a few turns, the tubes G can be
raised or lowered at will. The tie-rods J are provided at their ends with several
perforations serving to regulate the depth of the furrows according to the nature
of the soil and that of the seed which is to be sewn therein. RR are the toothed
wheels fixed upon the cylinder A which is divided so as to form several cylinders
of different lengths; the toothed wheels R R move in the spaces formed by the
said divisions, D is the pinion which is formed as shewn at figure 2 so as to gear
with either of the two wheels R R according to the kind of seed to be sown, that
is to say, according to the rotary speed required to be given to the cylinder.
In order to sow beetroot seed, for example, it is only necessary to raise some of
the tubes above the bolt shown at y in figure 1, to close, by means of wooden
slides or covers e placed at the bottom of the hopper, the compartments which are
not required to come into operation and to place at the rear of the machine the
movable rollers shown at V in figure 1 which are so arranged to cover over the seed
with the earth previously thrown on one side and to press the latter down.
The openings of the compartments at the bottom of the hopper can be reduced
by one half.
For sowing cereals, the rollers are removed by withdrawing the pin or bolt W
(figure 1) from which they are suspended and they are replaced by movable iron
teeth or tines shown at Vi (figure 1) which serve to cover over the grain deposited
in the furrows made by the tubes. The wheel shown at Z (figure 2) at the rear of
the machine is fixed upon the axle shown at 0 (figure 2) and imparts motion to
the distributing roller or cylinder by means of the pinion D fixed on the said axle
and gearing with the toothed wheels R keyed upon the shaft carrying the cylinder.
As the cylinder is required to stop each time that the machine has travelled
over the length of the piece of ground which is being sown, the cylinder A, above
which is placed the hopper B, is mounted upon two sliding bars shewn at L (figure 1)
resting upon the frame A¹, these bars being connected to the screw K by two
rods M in such a manner that the distributing cylinder is caused to stop by giving
the crank handle K two turns whereby the machine is allowed to move in any

page_text: .
required direction without losing any seed. When the machine is placed in
operation, it is only necessary to give two turns to the crank handle K in a reverse
direction to that herein before mentioned in order to set the distributing cylinder
again in motion.
Figure 2 shows half of the bottom of the hopper in which are arranged the
• compartments C corresponding to the depressions or cavities of the cylinder as
well as the gearing wheels of various sizes as shewn at R (figure 2) which are
keyed between the various portions of the distributing cylinder. This arrange-
ment allows of sowing any required quantity and kind of seed by simply changing
the position of the toothed pinion D (figure 2) mounted and sliding upon the axle O
so as to place it in contact with the gear wheel R having the required dimension
to cause the cylinder to revolve at the speed which is necessary for sowing the
required quantity of seed. The vertical frame A¹ figures 1 and 2 is carried upon
four wheels, the front wheels being mounted upon a shaft provided with a movable
pivot and serving as a guide to enable the driver to easily direct the machine while
driving his horse, this being effected by means of a lever a figure 1 working in
brackets arranged on the right and left hand sides of the axle; the front wheels
can also be brought, nearer to or farther from each other by means of a telescopic
or sliding shaft x¹ x³ (figure 2).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a seed drill the use of a cylinder forming the bottom of a hopper which
receives the grain or seed, the said cylinder rotating and serving to retain the grain
or seeds, and provided for this purpose with small depressions forming cups all
round its periphery at certain distances apart so that the grain or seed falling into
the said depressions from the top will leave them and fall into the furrow when
the cylinder has made a half revolution substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In a seed drill provided with a cylinder such as that claimed in claim 1 the
use of small tangential brushes applied to the said cylinder for the purpose of
regulating or levelling the quantity of grain or seed falling into the depressions in
the cylinder this being assisted by the rotation of the cylinder substantially as
herein before described.
3. In a seed drill provided with a cylinder such as that claimed in claim 1 the
employment of different sized toothed wheels applied to the said cylinder which
wheels are fixed in spaces provided for that purpose throughout the length of the
cylinder, the said wheels being keyed on the shaft of the latter and engaging
with a pinion which can be brought in front of each of the said toothed wheels
according to the speed of rotation required to be given to the cylinder and which
The said pinion
speed will depend on the nature of the grain or seed to be sown.
being preferably fixed directly on the shaft of the travelling wheels of the drill
substantially as herein before described.
4. The improved seed drill hereinbefore described and represented in the
accompanying drawing.