MA- CHINERY FOR DIGGING, BREAKING, AND TRENCHING LAND
Year: 1853

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th August 1853.-A communication.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of the firm of Robertson, Broo-
man, and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "MA-
CHINERY FOR DIGGING, BREAKING, AND TRENCHING LAND," to be as
follows:-
Figure 1, of the Drawing represents a longitudinal section with the
principal working parts of a machine employed for digging. a, is the
framework, made of oak or other hard wood. b, b, are two or more
chains working round the chain wheels c, c, mounted on the shafts d',
and d. On the top of these chains (which are placed at a distance
from each other according to the size of the machine), and across them,
are mounted ribs or pieces of hard wood, bolted to each link at both
ends in such a manner as to allow these ribs to turn round the chain
wheels c, c, along with the chains. The top of these wooden ribs are
lined longitudinally with bars of wrought iron. These ribs and bars

page_text: are not shown in the Drawing, being easily understood. Their purpose
will, however, be best explained by stating that these chains and
wooden ribs form a moveable platform for men, horses, oxen, &c. to
walk upon for the purpose of working the machine. On both sides
and inside the outer framework on the shaft d', are mounted bevil
pinions e, working in bevil wheels f, mounted on shafts g, the other end
of which carries bevil piniens h, working in either one or other of two
bevil wheels i, i, mounted on the shaft k, and placed face to face to
each other and on each side of the pinion h, which is capable of work-
ing in either one or the other of the bevil wheels i, i, by sliding the
shaft g, sideways through levers, whereby the pinion h, may also turn
round without working either of the bevil wheels i, i, when desirable.
On the shaft, is also mounted a spur pinion an, which works into the
spur wheel mounted on the shaft . This wheel 7, is an intermediate
wheel by which motion is given to the toothed segments o, screwed on
to the fellies of the large wheels p, being the driving wheels of the
machine. By the combination and working of the several parts now
described the machine is put in motion by the moving of the plat-
form b, and the speed at which the machine will travel is regulated by
the respective diameters of the wheels and pinions e, f, h, i, m, and o.
Through the shaft g, and the pinion h, being capable of sliding side-
ways, the machine is entirely under the control of the driver, who,
being provided with levers attached to the shafts g, on both sides of the
machine, will be able to stop it at any moment, and also to back or
turn round to either side without stopping the motive power or the mo-
tion of the platform b. At the fore end of the machine is mounted a
wheel 7, (or there may be two wheels,) capable of being turned through
a lever to any angle required for guiding the direction of the machine
or for turning it round. Upon the shaft d², which is also worked by
the chain platform b, are mounted spur wheels 2, working in other
spur wheels s, on cross shaft t. From this shaft motion is communi
cated through mitro wheels (not seen in the Drawing) to the shaft
mounted in the cast iron framing v. On this shaft are mounted
eccentrics w, (or cranks may be used instead.) To these eccentrics arc
attached rods a, a, which are connected by joints and pins to levers y, y

page_text: which are by means of joints and pins attached to cross pieces 2, 2.
To these cross pieces are fastened, by bolts, the pronged forks or spades
A, A. The cross pieces z, z, carry the levers B, B, which levers arc
connected to one end of other levers D, D, through connecting rods
C, C. The levers D, D, are working on centres E, mounted in the
framework v; and the other ends of the levers D, D, are attached to
sliding pieces F, F, guided on the shaft n, (better seen in Figure 2.)
On the shaft n, are also mounted cams H, H, (only seen in Figure 2,)
which are made to work the sliding pieces F, F. The levers y, y, are
mounted on fulcrums y, and so adjusted as to give to the forks or
spades a backward motion during the time they are entering the
ground. This motion is so regulated as to coincide with the speed at
which the machine is travelling. 2, are guides through which the
levers y, y, are working, the object of which is to give steadiness to the
forks or spades when at work. At the extreme end of the wooden
frame a, is a shaft 2, on which are mounted the prongs 3, 3. This
shaft is made to revolve at the same speed as the shaft n, and
the prongs 3, 3, are made to enter between and to work through the
spaces between the prongs of the spades A, A, in order to remove the
earth from them while they are in their horizontal position, after
which, through the revolving of the prongs 3, 8, the earth is carried
over the shaft 2, and again deposited on the ground, having been
turned over by the prongs 3, 3.
It will Le easily understood that by the machinery now described
the forks or spades will receive all the different motions required for
digging, viz., they will, 1st, be thrust down into the ground either in a
perpendicular or in a somewhat oblique position; 2nd, while down, and
before being lifted up, they will be turned into a horizontal position,
thereby breaking up the soil before them; 3rd, while in this horizontal
position the forks or spades will be lifted up, keeping the earth at the
top of them until it is removed by the revolving prongs 3, 3; and 4th,
the forks or spades, when unloaded, will again be turned into their first
position, ready for again entering the ground.
The quantity of earth to be dug up at each time can be regulated to

page_text: the greatest nicety,. When the ground is too loose or open for forks I
make use of close spades.
At Figure 3, I have shewn a modification in the construction of the
rods.
In this case part of these rods consist of tubes 4, in which
the other parts 5, are capable of sliding up and down, the end 6, being
that attached to the eccentrics or cranks w. In digging in stony or
rocky ground this description of rods must be substituted in order to
enable the forks or spades to be arrested by any impediments in the
ground without being broken or injured, and this is done by the lip and
steel spring 7, catching against a pin in the rod 5. By means of the
screws 8, 8, the power of the spring 7, is so regulated as to cause it to
give way, and allow the pin and the rod 5, to pass down the tube 4,
only when an increased resistance is offered to the fork or spade in the
ground. The inventor reserves to himself the right of constructing
these rods a, in any other way he may consider most desirable, as many
.different modes are available for that purpose.
2nd, in cases where the soil is very stiff and hard I make use of this
same machine for breaking the ground. In this case I substitute for
the forks or spades, as shewn above, a shaft with prongs mounted on it
in the same manner as shaft 2, and prongs 3, as shewn at the end of
the frame a, in the Drawing, with this difference, that the prongs 3.
are reversed on the shaft, and the shaft 2, made to turn round the op-
posite way to that shewn in the Drawing. The shaft 2, is also in this
case attached directly through connecting rods to the cranks or eccen-
trics w, on the shaft n, whereby an up and down motion is given to the
shaft 2, and the prongs 3, at the same time they are turning round or
revolving.
3rd, I also make use of this machine for cutting trenches for draining
land. In this case the forks or spades are removed, and buckets or
scoops similar to those commonly used in machines for dredging the
bottom of rivers are substituted or adapted. These scoops or buckets
are fastened to links of a chain in the same manner as for dredging,
and are also put in motion by the moving platform b. The buckets or
scoops can be made to work at any desirable depth in the ground,

page_text: clearing away the earth as the trench is being cut, emptying themselves
and depositing the soil at the side of the trench as the machine is
moving on. The adaptation of this, though not seen in this Drawing,
will be easily understood. Instead of the moving platform b. I reserve
to myself a right to use a steam engine and boiler to work the
machine, should it be found advantageous to substitute them for horse
power.