Improvements in Seed Sowing or Drilling Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 13th June, 1900- Accepted, 11th Aug., 1900
Improvements in Seed Sowing or Drilling Machines.
We, FÉLIX MARDESSON and ERNEST SOUTY, both of Conlie, Sarthe, in the
Republic of France, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in seed sowing or drilling machines
and has for its principal object to provide improved apparatus for distributing
the seed or grain and a special construction of distributing shares or drills (which
we will refer to as drills) provided with moveable blocks or wedges so
allow of the furrows or lines of seed and the intervening spaces being of any
desired widths.
as to
In a sowing or drilling machine constructed in accordance with our invention
the hopper is provided at one side with outlet holes for the passage of the seed
or grain to the drills. A horizontal shaft passes lengthwise through the said
hopper on which are mounted feed wheels opposite the aforesaid holes for feeding
the seed or grain thereto. The shaft is driven by any suitable connection such
as a crank or chain from the front wheel of the machine and is preferably
mounted in sliding or moveable bearings or supports so that its distance from
the outlet holes can be varied according to the nature of the grain in use; for
example, the, said shaft may be mounted at each end in a pivotted support or
bearing provided at its lower part with a slot or groove through which passes a
pin or bolt for fixing it in the desired position.
The feed wheels are preferably made in two parts connected together by a bolt
passing through the aforesaid horizontal shaft so that they can be readily
removed therefrom.
An adjustable device is arranged behind the said holes for regulating the size
of the same and stopping the supply of grain or seed when required. The device
consists of a front piece secured to the hopper and provided with openings corre-
sponding to the holes in the hopper.
This front piece may be secured to the rear of the hopper in such a way that
the openings are more or less opposite the holes so as to regulate the size or
section of the latter. A moveable plate is provided behind the front piece and
can be operated by a lever for closing the openings. A pointer working over a
graduated dial is pivoted to the hopper and connected to the front piece for
indicating the flow of grain through the apertures.
Beneath the adjustable plate and opposite the openings are tubes for receiving
the grain from the hopper, funnel-shaped at their upper ends and opening at
their lower ends into the drills hereinafter described. A harrow is provided
behind the said drills for levelling the earth after the passage of the drills. A
lever mounted on the crank axle of the rear wheels may be used for regulating
the height of the drills from the ground according to the depth to which it is
desired to sow.
The drills are preferably of triangular form at the lower ends and are pro-
vided with two inclined faces constituting mould boards which prepare the bed

page_text: for the grain or seed and at the same time grub or scarify the ground: owing
to their inclination the earth falls back into the furrow made by the drill as the
machine proceeds and covers up the grain so that none is wasted. Removeable
blocks or wedges which may be changed as desired are secured in the drills for
imparting to the furrows or lines of seed any desired width which is determined
by the distance between the lower ends of ribs formed on the said wedges.
According to the position of the said ribs or the like on the said blocks or wedges
a line of seed or furrow of different width may be formed from the narrowest
furrow and widest intervening spaces between the same to the greatest width of
furrow with or without intervening spaces in which latter case the ribs are not
required.
The width of the intervening blank spaces between the furrows or lines of
seed may also be varied by removing some of the drills either in the front or
back row and then equalizing the spaces between those remaining, the corre-
sponding feed wheels should also be removed and the corresponding holes in the
hopper closed for example, by means of sliding plates so as to stop the supply
of grain or seed to the drill which has been removed.
The front row of drills may be used for sowing the seed or grain while the
back row of drills may be arranged to form small furrows for watering in which
case the harrow should be raised to prevent the obliteration of the furrows.
The shape of the neck or collar and of the underpart of the drill is such as
to prevent clogging or packing of the mould or earth in the tubes and so stop-
the flow of seed or grain.
The drills we have described may be of any desired size and are applicable for
use with any of the well known types of drilling machines.
Dated this 25th day of September 1899.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX.
47, Lincolns Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Seed Sowing or Drilling Machines.
We, FÉLIX MARDESSON and ERNEST SOUTY, both of Conlie, Sarthe, in the
Republic of France, Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, 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 improvements in seed sowing or drilling machines
and has for its principal object to provide improved apparatus for distributing
the seed or grain and a special construction of distributing shares or drills (which
we will refer to as drills) provided with moveable blocks or wedges so as to
allow of the furrows or lines of seed and the intervening spaces being of any
desired widths.
We will describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a drilling machine constructed accord-
ing to this invention and Fig. 2 is a part plan of the same.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 shew in section plan and elevation respectively on a larger
scale a drill according to this invention. Figs. 6 to 10 shew five examples of
wedges for use with the drill, each figure shewing a wedge in elevation and cross
section. Fig. 11 shews in elevation a feed wheel formed in two parts in accord-
ance with this invention.
Fig. 12 shews in elevation an adjustable plate for regulating the flow of grain
or seed from the hopper and Fig. 13 shews in elevation an arrangement for
varying the position of the shaft carrying the feed wheels.

page_text: …. In a sowing or drilling machine constructed in accordance with our invention
the hopper is provided at one side with outlet holes for the passage of the
seed or grain to the drills. A horizontal shaft passes lengthwise through the
said hopper on which are mounted feed wheels opposite the holes 6 for, teeding
the seed or grain thereto. The shaft c is driven by any suitable connection such
as a crank or chain from the front wheel of the machine and is preferably
mounted in sliding or moveable bearings or supports so that its distance from
the outlet holes can be varied according to the nature of the grain in use.
The arrangement shewn by way of example in Fig. 13 consists in mounting
the said shatt at each end in a support or bearing w pivotted at r and provided
at its lower part with a slot or groove y through which passes a pin or boltz for
fixing it in the desired position.
The feed wheels d one of which is shewn in Fig. 11 are preferably made in
two parts connected together by a bolt passing through the shaft c, so that
they can be readily removed therefrom.
An adjustable device e (Fig. 1) is provided behind the holes 6 for regulating
the size of the same and stopping the supply of grain or seed when required.
The device shewn in detail in Fig. 12 comprises a front piece r secured to the
hopper and provided with openings q corresponding to the holes in the hopper.
This front piece r may be secured to the rear of the hopper in such a way that
the openings are more or less opposite the holes so as to regulate the size or
section of the latter. A moveable plates is provided behind the front piece r
and can be operated by a lever u for closing the openings q. A pointer a work-
ing over a graduated dial is pivotted to the hopper and connected to the front
piece for indicating the flow of grain through the apertures.
Beneath the adjustable plate and opposite the openings are tubes f, for
receiving the grain from the hopper, 'funnel shaped at their upper ends and open-
ing at their lower ends into the drills hereinafter described. A harrow his
provided behind the said drills for levelling the earth after the passage of the
drills. A lever i mounted on the crank axle of the rear wheels is used for
regulating the height of the drills from the ground according to the depth to
which it is desired to sow.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 shew in detail one of these drills y drawn to a larger scale.
They are preferably of triangular form at the lower ends as shewn in Fig. 4 and
are provided with two inclined faces m and n constituting mould boards which
prepare the bed for the grain or seed and at the same time grub or scarify the
ground: owing to their inclination the earth falls back into the furrow made by
the drill as the machine proceeds and covers up the grain so that none is wasted.
Blocks or wedges which may be changed as desired are secured in the drills,
for imparting to the furrows or lines of seed any desired width which is deter-
mined by the distance L between the lower ends of ribs p formed on the said
wedges.
Five examples of wedges are shewn in Figs. 6 to 10 according to the position
of the ribs p on the wedges o a line of seed or furrow of different width is
formed from the narrowest furrow (Fig. 5) and widest intervening spaces
between the same to the greatest width of furrow Fig. 10 with or without inter-
vening spaces in which latter case the ribs are not required.
The width of the intervening blank spaces between the furrows or lines of
seed may also be varied by removing some of the drills either in the front or
back row and then equalizing the spaces between those remaining, the corre
sponding feed wheels d should also be removed and the corresponding holes b
closed for example by means of sliding plates so as to stop the supply of grain
or seed to the drill which is to be removed.
The front row of drills may be used for sowing the seed or grain while the
back row of drills may be arranged to form small furrows for watering in which
case the harrow should be raised to prevent the obliteration of the furrows.
The shape of the neck or collar and of the underpart of the drill is such as

page_text: to prevent clogging or packing of the mould or earth in the tubes and so stop-
ping the flow of seed or grain.
The drills we have described may be of any desired size and are applicable for
use with any of the well known types of drilling machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. A grain distributing apparatus for seed sowing or drilling machines com-
prising a hopper a, a shaft e rotating therein, feed wheels formed in two parts
mounted thereon, adjustable holes in the side of the hopper, through which
the grain or seed passes, guide tubes f and distributing drills all substantially
as hereinbefore described in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
0
2. In apparatus as claimed in the preceding claiming clause, distributing
drills g each formed with a triangular base and provided with removeable wedges
of different sizes substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and
shewn in Figs. 3 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In apparatus as claimed in Claim I an adjustable device for regulating or
stopping the flow of seed or grain substantially as herein before described and
shewn in Fig. 12 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of June 1900.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincolns Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.