IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLOUGHING LAND
Year: 1856

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fowler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th
January 1856.
I, JOHN FOWLER, junior, of Bristol, do hereby declare the nature of the.
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PLOUGHING LAND" to be as
follows
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for ploughing
land. For this purpose, when' working with a subsoil plough,, I combine an
upright or horizontal barrel or capstan on the same frame, platform, or base.
plate, with an engine which gives motion to it, by which capstan, or barrel the
subsoil plough is moved by a wire rope.; and there is a, second barrel by,
another wire rope, for moving the engine and capstan from point to point along
the headland. The machinery is arranged to make a direct pull on the plough,
and is therefore moved a distance each time equal to that between drain and
drain; and another improvement relates to the anchor or instrument.used for
holding on or resisting the movement of the engine, capstan, or barrel and
pulleys when working with drain, subsoil, or other ploughs by power. For
this purpose a plate or frame is used, which, when employed, is placed upright
in a hole. On this plate or frame is hinged a lever, to the upper end of which

page_text: a chain or rope is fixed. The lower end of this lever is formed with a broad
end or plate, which when the lever is pulled on rests against the opposite side
of the hole, and very securely anchors the engine and machinery which gives
motion to the plough, and the pullies are, similarly.anchored. The pullies,
however, may in place of being anchored, be arranged to traverse along a rope
fixed or anchored at each end.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Fowler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th July 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FOWLER, junior, of Bristol, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth 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 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 MACHINERY FOR
PLOUGHING LAND," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Fowler, my executors 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 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 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 machinery for ploughing
land. For this purpose, when working with a subsoil plough, I combine an
upright or horizontal barrel or capstan on the same frame, platform, or base

page_text: late, with an engine which gives motion to it, by which capstan or barrel the
absoil plough is moved by a wire rope, and there is a second barrel for moving
y another wire rope the engine and capstan from point to point along the
eadland. The machinery is arranged to make a direct pull on the plough,
nd is therefore moved a distance each time equal to that between drain and
rain. And another improvement relates to the anchor or instrument used
or holding on or resisting the movement of the engine, capstan, or barrel
and pulleys when working with drain, subsoil, or other ploughs by power. For
this purpose a plate or frame is used, which, when employed, is placed upright
in a hole. On this plate or frame is hinged a lever, to the upper end of which
a chain or rope is fixed. The lower end of this lever is formed with a broad
end or plate, which, when the lever is pulled on, rests against the opposite side
of the hole, and very securely anchors the engine and machinery which gives
motion to the plough, and when pulleys are used, they are similarly anchored.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood, and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto:
annexed.
Figure 1 is a side view; Figure 2, a plan; and Figure 3, an end view of a
steam engine and an upright barrel or capstan, combined together on the samo
frame, and suitable for working with a subsoil plough for draining land. a, a,
is the frame of the machine, mounted on wheels b, b, and c, c. The fore wheels
c, c, have a locking motion, to which is attached the toothed arc d, working
with a pinion e, having at its upper end a handle for steering the machine;
f is a steam cylinder, in which works a piston, from which motion is com-
municated by a piston rod and connecting rod to the crank shaft g. At one
end of the crank shaft is a fly wheel, and at the other end there is a pinion h,
which drives the toothed wheel i on the axis j, having at its other end a
bevilled pinion k; l is a vertical axis, having at its upper end a bevilled wheel
m, which is driven by the pinion k. On the axis is a drum n, which is used
for moving the machine from place to place, for which purpose one end of a
is made fast to an anchor placed in the direction in which it is desired
to move the machine, and the other end of the rope is passed round the
rope
drum n.
On the axis there is also a pinion o, which drives the toothed wheel p on
5 the upright axis q, keyed on to the axis; q is a barrel or capstan r, round
which the rope is passed by which the plough is hauled, the rope passing direct
from the barrel to the plough. When at work, the machine firmly anchored
by a chain which is attached to the frame underneath the axis of the main
drum at the point marked a', and this attachment is so made that the chain

page_text: can be easily slipped without taking the strain off it. To supply: the machine
with steam, a boiler is used, which is mounted on wheels by itself;. it is coupled
to the machine, and has a flexible steam pipe for conducting: the steam to the
cylinder f..
3.
.
I will now proceed to describe the arrangement of the instrument which I
employ for anchoring the engine.
bil
1. Figure 4 is a plan, and Figure 5 is an end view, of this: apparatus:isis:a
strong wooden frame, having wheels at one end to facilitate its removal. from
place to place, and having planks of wood t, t; bolted across it:at its other end;
u, u, is a metal frame, which is mounted on centres v, v, on the frame.s; w, w,
are-planks which are bolted across the frame u!
:
The following is the method, in which the instrument is used:A hole is
dug in the ground, and the ends of the frames s and u to which the, planks are
bolted are dropped into the hole; so that, the, two frames stand upright in the
hole. The rope is then attached to the eyes a, a, on the upper end of the
frame u, and when the strain comes on the rope it presses the plankst, t, w, w,
strongly against the sides of the hole, and thus a very firm hold of the ground
is obtained..
Having thus described the nature of my. Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine: myself
to the exact details' described; but what I claim 'is, firstly, the combining an
upright or horizontal barrel or capstan on the same frame;.platform, or base
plate as the engine which gives motion to it, such barrel or capstan being suitably
geared and arranged for working a subsoil plough' for draining land. 3. Also; in
combining therewith another barrel or drum for moving the machine from
point to point along the headland.
Secondly, the method of arranging holding instruments or anchors, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fowler, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight 'hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
W. CARPMAEL, Jun.
JOHN FOWLER, JUN. (L.S.)