OR IMPROVED Å CRICKLED &T. IMPLEMENT و
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Thomson Leitch, of Rutherglen, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of
SANDAL OR IMPROVED Å CRICKLED &T. IMPLEMENT
و"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Thomson Leitch
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th May 1870.
I, GEORGE THOMSON LEITCH, of Rutherglen, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention relates to a new or improved implement for forming
holes in land for the purpose of receiving the roots of young plants,
❝ dibbles."
and it belongs to the class of implements known as
The mechanism consists of a framework provided with wheels and on
which the apparatus is carried; two or more of the said wheels are of
larger diameter than the front wheels, and at or near to their peripheries

page_text: are carried any required number of the instruments by which the holes
are formed in the ground. These instruments are moveable and pro-
vided with levers on their inner ends, which are coupled by rods to a
pulley or drum placed on a a crank eccentrically to the arms of the said
wheels, so that as the wheels revolve a feathering motion is produced
upon each of the said instruments, whereby they are caused to enter
and recede from the ground vertically or nearly so.
The implement may be actuated by either horse or manual labour,
and when it is required to transport it over ground not to operated
upon by it the "dibbling" part is elevated from the ground so that it
may be freely drawn along, and in which position it it is supported by
the front wheels.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Thomson Leitch in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
THOMSON LEITCH, of Rutherglen, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the 33rd
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said George Thomson Leitch, Her special license
that I, the said George Thomson Leitch, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Thomson Leitch, my
executors, administrators, or 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 "A NEW OR IM-
PROVED AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said George Thomson Leitch, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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

page_text: within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Thomson Leitch, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:
My said Invention relates to a new or improved implement for forming
holes in land for the purpose of receiving the roots of young plants,
" dibbles."
and it belongs to the class of implements known as
The mechanism consists of a framework provided with wheels, and
on which the apparatus is carried; two or more of the said wheels are
of larger diameter than the front wheels, and at or near to their peri-
pheries are carried any required number of the instruments by which
the holes are formed in the ground and the plants or roots carried
thereinto. These instruments are moveable and provided with levers
on their inner ends, which are coupled by rods to a pulley or drum
placed on a crank eccentrically to the arms of the said wheels, so that
as the wheels révolve a feathering motion is produced upon each of the
said instruments, whereby they are caused to enter and recede from the
ground vertically or nearly so.
The implement may be actuated by either horse or manual labour.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2 an end elevation; and Figure 3
a half horizontal section and half plan, shewing one modification of my
improved dibbling or planting apparatus as arranged for planting
cabbage or other plants of an analagous nature. The same letters of
reference mark the same or corresponding parts on all the Figures on
which they occur.
Under this modification the mechanism consists of two carrying and
driving wheels A, A, centred upon gudgeons B, B, fixed eccentrically
upon the ends of the shaft C, the whole being supported and bound
There are a series of dibbles E
together by means of the framing D.

page_text: centred upon studs a fixed to snugs 6 cast upon the interior edge of the
wheels A. Through the dibbles E at a point above the studs a another
set of studs C are passed and secured into snugs d cast upon the peri-
phery of the discs F, which are centred upon the shaft C and free to
revolve thereon. The studs c are secured in such a position that the
cranks e formed upon their ends are always in a radial line corresponding
with the arms G of the disc F, so that the heads of each of the dibbles
when at a certain point of a revolution have to pass through the space
between the arms G and the cranks e. Upon the studs a and between
the snugs b and the dibbles E spiral springs are placed for the purpose
of keeping the blades of the dibbles in contact at the points; this
feature, however, is hercin-after more particularly specified.
Upon the shaft C arms or bearers H are fixed, extending backwards
horizontally, the ends of each of which are bent outwards and have attached
thereto a light frame g, the interior of which forms a chamber for
the reception of the plants I, which are placed therein by the hands.
of an attendant and are kept from falling therefrom by means of the
spring ½ until they are removed by the action of the dibbles, as herein-
after specified, the spring / being fixed by means of rivets or otherwise
to the sides of the frames g. The after part of each side of the framing
D is bent inward and terminates in a boss J, which forms the bearing
for the shaft K upon which the small trailing wheels L are fixed.
Having thus particularly described the construction of my improved
dibbling or planting apparatus its working or mode of operation will
be more clearly understood in the manner now to be set forth.
When the apparatus is moved forward in the direction indicated by
the arrows, and which may be effected by manual labour or by any other
motive power, the wheels A, A, are caused to revolve in the direction
indicated by the arrows, Figure 1, and in so doing carry with them
the dibbles E, which are always in a vertical position or nearly so on
account of the feathering motion occasioned by the discs F being
eccentric to the wheels A, and thereby always made to enter and recede
from the earth in that position. When at that point of their revolutions
the blades of the dibbles E come into contact with and force outward
the springs and then catch the stem or lower part of the plant I, lifting a
it out of the chamber or receptacle 9 wherein it has been placed and
carrying it round until it has been inscrted with the dibble in a
vertical position in the earth immediately under the axis of the wheels A.

page_text: When at this point the heads of the dibble E have to pass through the
space between the arms G of the disc F and the crank e, and are in
consequence forced together, the spiral spring f is compressed and the
blades of the dibble are forced outward at the points clear of the plant I
and leave it in the said position in the earth. When having receded
therefrom the heads of the dibble are immediately relieved on account
of having passed through the space between the arms G and the crank e,
and the points of the blades are forced together by means of the outward
pressure of the spiral spring f. The entire operation as herein-before
described in reference to one dibble is repeated by each of the dibbles
in the series, and that as often as required. The trailing wheels L in
moving onward press the loose earth firmly to the roots of the plants.
Figure 4 is a side elevation shewing a second modification of my
improved dibbling or planting apparatus as arranged for planting
potatoes or other seeds or roots of a similar nature, whilst Figure 5 is a
detached front view of the hopper wherein the seeds or roots are placed,
and out of which they are selected singly by the dibbles or selectors and
deposited in the earth. Figure 6 and Figure 7 are respectively a detached
edge view and a plan of a dibble or selector. As this modification is in
most parts similar to the modification herein-before described with
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, I will only further specify those parts
wherein it differs therefrom. Upon the extremity of the bearer Ha
hopper M is fixed into which the seeds to be planted are put. The lower
part or bottom of the hopper M terminates in an opening which is
concealed and shut by means of doors 1, 1, attached to springs i extending
down the sides and fastened to the upper end of the hopper M, as shewn.
The selector formed upon each of the dibbles E when carried round by
the revolving of the carrying and driving wheels A. is caused to enter
between the blades m of the doors (the said blades m being inclined
downwards at an angle, as more particularly shewn upon Figure 5,) and
in moving upwards forces outwards laterally or apart from each other
the doors 1, 1, and thence enters the opening in the bottom of the
hopper M, whilst the blades n of the dibbles E are drawn upward through
a narrow opening o formed upon and extending the full length of the
hopper M, as more particularly shown at Figure 5. Immediately that
the selector k has passed upwards clear of the doors 1, 1, and into the
interior of the hopper M, entering through the opening in the bottom
hcrcin-before specified, the said doors 1, 1, are at once closed through the

page_text: inward pressure of the springs i, thereby preventing any of the seeds
or roots contained in the hopper M from falling out whilst the selector k
in being drawn upwards in the interior of the hopper M, lifting with it
one of the said potatoes or other seeds or roots, which it carries round
and finally deposits in the earth in a manner similar to that herein-before
described with reference to plants, the remainder of the dibbles in the
series following in succession and repeating the operation as often as
desired.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be used
or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what
I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrange-
ment and construction of mechanism for planting roots and seeds, as
herein-before described, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Thomson Leitch, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of November,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
GEORGE T. LEITCH. (L.S.)