IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, L, ROBERT
COOPER, of Pebworth (near Evesham), in the County of Gloucester, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Sixteenth of April, in the third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Cooper,. Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that. I, the said Robert Cooper, my exors, adñññors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Cooper, my exors, adññors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said Robert
Cooper, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Cooper; do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawings shew various views of a plough constructed according to my
Invention, and also of some of the parts separately; but as the nature of each
Figure of the Drawing is written thereon, it will not be necessary here to
repeat the same.
I would, in the outset, remark that various attempts have been made
to construct ploughs which will have the power of making a more or less
deep trench or cutting for drains. And I may also remark, that a plough
constructed according to my Invention is so arranged that a trench can be cut
and the soil removed in one undivided thickness, and laid on the side of the
trench as it is progressively made; and the plough is carried by two hind
wheels in such manner that the lower surface or sledge, which slides in the
trench, can be varied in respect to its distance from the centre of such two
carrying wheels, whereby the depth of cut can be regulated at pleasure, and
varied from time to time, as occasion may require, which constitutes and
important feature of novelty in such descriptions of ploughs; and the two
wheels may be on one axle, or they may each have a separate axle, as will be
hereafter explained.
And another important feature of novelty in constructing such ploughs
consists in applying two revolving coulters, which divide the upper surface
of the soil, and anything growing thereon, by which the two fixed coulters
which follow such revolving cutters or coulters are less liable to become
clogged in cutting through the upper surface of the land where roots and
and other vegetable matter, might not so readily be cut through by the
fixed coulters; but by using or applying such two rotatory coulters or cutters
the upper surface of the land, and any vegetable matter thereon or therein,
will be divided before the fixed cutters or coulters, which shape the side of the
trench, make their cut.
grass,
And another feature of novelty in such descriptions of ploughs consists
in applying a horizontal sledge, with a cutting edge or share, such sledge

page_text: being closed in by plates on either side, forming two land plates to support
the land on either side of the sledge, such land plates standing at the same
inclination as the fixed coulters, the inclined plane up which the soil, which is
removed from the trench, slides, being placed and affixed between the two side
plates or land plates; and it will be found, by thus having a sledge to slide
along the bottom of the trench, together with such land plates, the trenches
cut will be most complete and equal, and the whole of the soil will be
removed, and conducted over and laid on one side of the trench. And by
means of the carrying wheels, as above stated, together with suitable means
for varying the distance of the sledge from the central axis of such wheel, the
depth of cut may be varied. And other improvements will be found in the
mode of constructing the fore carriage, and of adjusting the fore-carriage axle,.
and of raising and lowering the beams. And a plough, when the parts are
combined and constructed according to my Invention, being carried on wheels,
will offer every facility for being removed from place to place, which is of the
utmost importance to a heavy piece of machinery, which such a description of
plough necessarily is, and which latter circumstance, amongst many others, I
believe has been a material cause of failure in ploughs heretofore intended to
perform like descriptions of work; and it is of the utmost importance that
such description of ploughs should be readily transported from place to place ;:
and it is necessary, to accomplish this end, that the plough should be so
arranged that the coulters, sledge, and other parts should be raised off the land
or road over which it is travelling when being transported, as such ploughs
have to be moved from place to place more than any other description of
ploughs. I may here remark that I lay no claim to any of the parts
separately, nor do I lay claim to any modes of using of those, parts which
have been before similarly applied. Thus the 'using of two fixed coulters
to cut the sides of a trench, and an inclined plane (with a cutting edge in
front to make the horizontal cut) to carry up the soil out of the trench
as it is cut, have been before combined together and fixed to beams, in order
to form drain ploughs, but I believe without success; and I mention these
circumstances in order that the peculiar features of my improvements may be
more clearly defined and known, and separated from what has been attempted
before. a, a, are two wheels which carry the plough, and their axle is to be
so connected with the plough that the cutting or working parts may be raised
or lowered in respect to the centres of such wheels that the depth of cut may
be varied as required. 6 is the axle of the two wheels. This axle 6 is cranked,
and turns in bearings at c, c, affixed to the beams; and on the axle b is affixed
the toothed screw wheel d, which is worked by means of the screw e, the axis

page_text: of which turns in suitable bearings affixed to the beams, as is shewn; and it
will be evident that the turning of the screw e will raise or lower the crank,
and, consequently, the parts which are suspended on the axle b; and, by using
a screw wheel and screw, as shewn, the parts will at all times remain secure
for working, or for being transported from place to place, as required, at what-
ever point the cranks may be left after turning the screw; or, in place of
having a single cranked axle 6 for the two wheels to turn on, I sometimes used
one cranked axle for each wheel, by which one wheel can be raised or lowered.
without the other; and the advantage to be derived from this arrangement is,
that when the plough has to work on the side of a hill, or otherwise requiring
the level of the wheels to be varied in order to keep the sledge of the plough
horizontal, it will be requisite for one wheel to be higher than the other, the
only difference being that in this case there will be a screw and screw wheel for
each wheel, as is shown in a separate view of the Drawings. f is what I call the
sledge, which has a cutting edge or share in front to make the horizontal cut;
and it has an inclined land plate g at each side, as is shown; and it will be
seen that the land plates, with the sledge, proceed considerably beyond the
lower end of the inclined plane h, which is fixed to the sledge f, and to the
land plates g; by these means the trench, as it is formed by the coulters i. i,.
and the soil rises up the inclined plane, will retain its figure, and the plough its
position, by means of the sledge, aided by the land plates, the position of the
hind carrying wheels a controlling the depth of the cut by running on the land.
The two fixed coulters stand in front of the edges of the land plates, as is
shown; and I usually have a space between such edges and the back of the
coulters, and affix a strong edge to each of the land plates, which also act as
cutting edges. j, j, are two rotatory coulters or cutters; they move on axes,
and their distance apart is regulated by the screws and nuts je, moving on the
screw rod; and they are capable of being raised or lowered by the stems
which slide in suitable recesses or sockets formed on or affixed to the beams
k, k, and are set fast by wedges when properly adjusted, and by screw nuts j
the screw bolts of which pass through slots in the stems which carry the axes
of the rotatory cutters, as is shown; and these rotatory cutters may be set
more or less deep, according as they are required to divide the soil or surface,
and thus prevent the upper surface and edges of the trench being stripped and
broken, which in many soils and surfaces would be the case should these
rotatory cutters be dispensed with. It will be seen that the land plates are
continued up considerably above the surface of the land, and they are con-
tinued up, and form sides to the inclined plane, and the inclined plane and the
sides thereof at the upper parts, when above the land, turn or bend outwards,

page_text: so that the soil which rises up the inclined plane will pass off over towards the
right hand of a person following the plough, and fall on to the right-hand side
of the trench. In forming trenches in some classes of soil, the upper surface
of that which is rising up the inclined plane will turn over, and not slide away
continuously, which prevents a good delivery. In such cases I apply a fixed
inclined plate above the inclined plane, thus enclosing the space within which
the soil taken up from the trench moves, by which I prevent the soil turning
over on the inclined plane, and I am thus enabled to ensure a continuous
delivery; and it will be understood that the lower part of such upper inclined
plate is to come above the general level of the land, and the plate should be
capable of being lowered or raised, so as to be nearer to or further from the
inclined plane, according as the trench is to be less or more deep. 1, 1, are the
draft chains to the plough, which are attached to the hooks m of the fore axle.
when at work, and to the hooks n of the fore axle when the plough is being
transported from one place to another. o are the draft chains to the front of
the fore axle, to which the drag chain is to be affixed, such drag chain being
in connexion with a suitable capstan or windlass, as is well understood and
often practised when working mole ploughs, and the shafts are used when trans-
porting the plough from place to place, such shafts being removed or fastened
up out of the way when at work making trenches. o' is the fore axle, having two
wheels turning thereon. These wheels are capable of performing a locking
action, by moving on the central axis of the screw p, such screw being for the
purpose of raising and lowering of the beams k, thus, together with the wheels
a, adjusting the depth of cut; and the beams k are connected to the screw p
by means of a screw nut q, which forms an universal joint r, as is clearly
shown. 3, s, are rods, one of which is attached to the framing of the screw at
s, as shown; and at the other end it rests in one of the clamp hooks t, the
other rod s being attached to the fore axle at s³, as shown, and rests in the
other of the clamp hooks t; and this clamp t, by the screw therein, can adjust
itself, and then be screwed tight to the bar v affixed to the beams k, and thus
bind the rods & secure from movement against the bar v, which is for the
purpose of being able to back the plough, and prevent the fore wheels running
back, as is shown, all which will readily be traced in the Drawings; and such
will be the case with respect to the forms or shapes of the parts, and modes of
putting them together.
And I have only, in conclusion, to remark, that although I believe the
arrangement shown and described is the best for the purpose of carrying out
my Invention, yet I do not confine myself thereto, as some of the parts may
be varied, and other mechanical instruments employed in substitution of those

page_text: shown, to obtain the requisite movement and adjustment of the parts in
carrying out the improvements herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Cooper, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1840, the aforesaid Robert Cooper came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.