Improvements in Ditching and Tile-laying Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1894-Accepted, 16th June, 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ditching and Tile-laying Machines.
I, ODILON BALTZAR HANNIBAL HANNEBORG, of Urskoug, in the Kingdom of
Norway, Estate Owner, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in the ditching and tile-laying machine for
which Letters Patent were granted to me No. 20,955 of 1891.
In my former machine the earth dug up was raised by the cutter screw, and
passed through shield-plates, up to a certain height and then over a conducting
belt which carried it back to the trench again or onto the side of the same;
considerable power, however, was found necessary to effect this and the machine
was not able to work in stony or stiff ground. In my present machine, however,
the earth as soon as it is carried up to the surface by the cutter-screw is turned
outward to the sides of the trench by spreading or mould boards like those of a
plough arranged just at the back of the cutter-screw on the intermediate frame and,
after the machine has passed, the earth is again thrown into the trench by a
gatherer or collector at the back of the machine. This collector can be
disconnected from the machine so as to avoid throwing the earth into the
trench again in case the trench is required to be left open for controlling and
inspection.
The power for actuating the mechanism for the forward movement and reversing
mechanism is now transmitted from the inner to the outer frame by means of chains
and a sprocket-wheel whereas in my former machine I used a complicated gearing
and coupling clutch; the movement is therefore now more convenient and elastic in
the different positions of the machine on rough ground; the reversing is more secure
and there is no occasion to use different gear-wheels for the different soils in which
the machine is to work.
The present steering mechanism allows of the machine being turned or its
direction being altered in a much shorter time. The machine, as heretofore, is
mounted on wheels which roll on folding rails, the alteration in its direction or the
turning of the machine being effected by the wheels on one side of the machine
being caused to turn quicker than those on the other side.
The raising and the lowering of the inner frame is also now effected by spur
wheels working in toothed racks; but the power is transmitted to the worm-
wheels by chain and sprocket wheels instead of by bevel-wheels and a vertical
shaft mainly in order to prevent noise and simplify the construction of the
machine.
The tilting mechanism and the levelling mechanism therewith combined are made
more complete so that the machine can work upon more hilly and uneven ground
and the cutter-screw always be kept perpendicular against the trench bottom. The
balancing mechanism which in my former machine served when working on rough
ground, to automatically keep the inner and intermediate frames always vertical, is
in my new machine placed higher up, in order that the earth dug up which now
falls out to the sides shall pass underneath. The gearing and the like of my new
machine are as will be hereinafter seen quite different from those of my former
machine and it is driven by rope gear from a portable steam engine situated in the
locality.

page_text: In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how
it can be carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which :-
:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ditching and tile-laying machine embodying my
improvements:
Figure 2 is a sectional detail of the tilting mechanism:
Figure 3 is a sectional detail of the folding-rails:
Figure 4 is a plan of the machine :
Figure 5 is a rear end elevation of the same :
Figure
6 is a sectional side elevation of the machine, the section being taken on
the line xx, Figure 4:
Figure 7 is a sectional detail of the raising mechanism :
Figure 8 is a plan of the hindmost part of the outer frame shewing the
mechanism for effecting the forward movement, the steering and the automatic
balancing:
Figure 9 is a side elevation of the same partly in section looking from the rear
of the machine :
Figure 10 is an elevation of a detail of the balancing mechanism :
Figure 11 is an elevation partly in section of a detail of the paper feeding
mechanism looking from the side of the machine:
Figure 12 is an end view of the said mechanism looking from the rear of the
machine; and,
Figure 13 is an end view of the same looking from the front of the machine :
Figure 14 is a section of the gearing for the balancing mechanism:
Figure 15 is a sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken on the
line yy, Figure 14:
Figure 16 is an elevation of part of the forward movement and steering
mechanism :
Figure 17 is a sectional plan view of the starting and reversing mechanism :
Figure 18 is a side elevation of the same:
Figure 19 illustrates sectional details of the same:
Figure 20 is a side view of a controlling apparatus hereinafter described :
Figure 21 is a front elevation of the same:
Figure 22 is a plan of the arrangement for guiding the rope :
Figure 23 is a side elevation of the same:
Figure 24 is a side elevation of the intermediate frame with the spreading or
mould boards.
Figure 25 is a plan; and,
Figure 26 is a front elevation of the same:
Figure 27 is a plan view representing the machine at work in a field.
As in my former arrangement the present machine also comprises three main
frames A, B, C placed inside one another, the outside frame A being mounted on
wheels D1, D2, D3 which roll on folding rails. These latter are, however, now of a
somewhat different shape and are more particularly hereinafter described with
reference to Figure 3. To the inner frame C is fixed the actual ditching apparatus
or cutter-screw E. The pitch of this screw, as shewn in Figures 1 and 6, increases
from below upwards in order that the earth during the ditching shall not become
pressed into a compact mass and to prevent large stones from becoming fixed or
jammed during work.
I would remark that no claim is made in this Specification to the construction of
the cutter-screw with a thread of increasing pitch as it forms the subject of a
separate Application for Letters Patent of even date herewith.
The thread of the screw is formed with a sharp edge in order that it shall readily
cut into the soil as it is revolved. It is supported below on a steel pivot a, which
is hollow in order that the oil from the oil cup b may enter through the shoe c,
supporting the pivot and always keep the foot-bearing oiled. The shoe c is also
shaped like a plough at a' which forms the bottom of the trench into a suitable bed

page_text: for the tiles. The screw-shaft a² is made in two parts coupled together by a
sleeve a³ in order to enable the cutter-screw E to be taken out to be sharpened.
The screw derives its motion from the driving pulley F¹ which is keyed to the
shaft F (Figures 4 and 6); on this shaft is placed a common clutch coupling f¹
actuated by a lever f³ turning on a pin on the frame C by means of which lever
and coupling a driver on the seat G can place the bevel-wheel in or out of
motion on the shaft F3; this bevel-wheel gears with the other bevel-wheel ƒ³
keyed to the shaft a² and bearing on anti-friction rollers f, which run in a groove
in the bearings a fixed to the frame C.
These friction rollers serve to take up the downwardly acting pressure caused by
the screw and thereby diminish the friction in the top bearing.
The earth is thus raised to a certain height to the surface of the ground where
it is spread out on both sides of the trench by mould boards like those of a plough
arranged on each side of the cutter-screw on the intermediate frame B (Figures 24, 25
and 26) and consisting of two curved plates u, u fixed by angle-irons u¹, ¹ to the
frame B and diverging backwards so that as fast as the earth is brought up by the
screw it is spread out on both sides of the trench.
The apparatus for laying the tiles in the trench or drain formed by the cutter-
screw is placed behind the latter as shewn at Figure 6. A workman seated on the
seat H feeds the tiles one after the other into the channel ' through which they
pass down to the bottom of the trench, where they are laid exactly in line in the
bed formed by the plough a¹ as the machine advances. 2 is a guide of V-shape
in cross section and curved like the channel h; it is adapted to be moved up and
down, that is to say, away from and towards the passage h¹ by means of a rod and
bell-crank arrangement h³, h, h³ and a lever operated by the workman on the
seat H in order to guide the tiles and allow of the passage of tiles of unequal size.
is a V-shaped smoother which smooths the bed for the tiles, so that they may be
even and exactly in line end to end.
The guide-passage is fixed to the shield-plates h³, h (Figures 1, 5, 6, 11, 12
and 13) extending down from the inner frame C and serving to prevent the earth
from the sides of the trench falling down into the ditched drain before the tiles are
laid down.
In order that earth shall not fall down between the ends of the tiles after they
have been laid they are covered on the top directly they have left the guide-
passage with a strip of prepared paper which is fed down from the machine by
mechanism which I will now describe by reference to Figures 6, 11, 12 and 13.
i is a roller on which a strip of paper is wound; as the machine is moved forward
this paper strip is fed down over the tiles between a plate 2 and a belt ³, which
runs over the rollers and is, the roller receiving its motion from the ratchet
wheel arrangement 1,17,18; the paper strip is fed out through the mouth and can
at any time be cut off with a knife 10 which is pushed down by a rod and lever
arrangement, 212 213 214 213 is a screw-threaded spindle connected by a link to
the plate which by this means can be pressed inwards by the workman on the
seat H so as to tighten the belt ³ when it becomes slack; the whole arrangement
is fixed to the inner frame C between the shield-plates 18, 18.
Motion to the before described ratchet-wheel arrangement 6, 7, 8 is transmitted
from the shaft by the following mechanism; this shaft which is moved con-
tinuously and always in the same direction independently of the other movements
of the machine has keyed thereon an eccentric k², which by means of the rod ³ is
connected with the arm, which turns loosely on the pivot k'; this arm k has, as
shewn in Figure 12, on its free end a crank, which pushes against the bell-crank k³, k³,
moving loose on the pivot kand under the control of a counteracting spring
the movement through the rod is by this means transmitted to the before named
ratchet-wheel arrangement 16, 17, 18. In order to regulate the speed of the paper
strip I use an arm k turning on the pivot ; the adjustment of this arm by the
screw-threaded spindle ¹² connected with the same causes a longer or shorter
thrust of the bell-crank k³.
;

page_text: In order to entirely stop the feeding of the paper strip for example when the
advancing of the machine is stopped or the machine is moving backwards the bell-
crank ko, is turned in the direction of the dotted line so as to bring the arm k
out of reach of the arm k thereby stopping the movement of the arm; this is
performed by the rod k¹s connected to the bell-crank k and arm k¹, the latter being
keyed to the shaft k, operated by the arm k16, nut k¹7 and screw 18 from the hand
wheels, (Figure 6) at the same moment that the forward movement of the
machine is thereby stopped in the manner hereinafter described.
The tiles having been laid down and covered with prepared paper the next
operation is to fill the trench again with the earth before thrown up. This is
effected by a collecting or gathering apparatus placed behind the machine and
consisting, as shewn in Figures 1 and 4, of a frame L mounted on the wheels and
connected with the frame A by the rods turning on pins 12 and 13; by removing
the pin the whole collecting apparatus can be easily detached from the machine.
To the frame L are fixed with bolts and L-iron, such as are shewn in Figure 4,
the actual collectors consisting of two converging curved plates L', L' so that the
earth, heaped up on the sides of the trench by the hereinbefore described spreader,
is now turned down into the trench again. To cause this collecting apparatus to
always keep close to the surface of the ground, notwithstanding the different
positions of the machine, I pivot on the arm a loose pinion which gears with a
toothed segment fixed to the frame A and with a like toothed segment fixed to
the frame L so that when the segment and the pivot move with the frame A
in an upward direction for example, the pinion will force the other segment 1 on
the frame L downwards just to the same extent so that the collecting apparatus
always runs parallel with the ground.
As before stated the machine comprises three frames A, B, C placed inside one
another.
The frame A as shewn in Figure 1 is mounted direct on the wheel D' with the
shaft of which it oscillates in bearings d', Figures 1 and 4, so that the frame A and
the whole machine can tilt forwards and backwards. The wheels D³, D³ are,
however, mounted in bearings d², d³ on a beam d, which also has an intermediate
bearing d for the shaft of the wheel D¹ so that the beam is allowed to oscillate on
this shaft; the beam d' is, as in my former machine, placed between the spokes of
the wheels D1, D2, D3, these wheels being really double wheels with their tyres
and spokes de, de arranged on each side of the bearings (see Figure 9).
On these wheels D1, D2, D3 run the folding rails D arranged in the manner
shewn in Figure 3 and consisting of the pairs of so-called link shoes v, each of which
is provided with books v¹ and 2 which catch into one another, the link shoes
being jointed together by means of pins v³, so that, during the movement of the
machine, they may curve round the periphery of the wheels D', D2, D3 and prevent
them from being buried in the ground. The hooks v and v² prevent the link
shoes from curving in the opposite direction to the periphery of the wheels so that
they will form a straight and stiff rail, on which the wheels can run during the
movement.
The frames A, B and C have each their own movements or oscillations
dependent upon as well as independent of each other. The frame A can be caused
to tilt on the journals d' and transfer this tilting to the whole machine by a tilting
mechanism operated by hand in order, during the working of the machine, always
to keep the cutter-screw E against the bottom of the trench.
The frame B is independent of the outer frame A and by an automatic balancing
mechanism is always kept vertical in order that the walls of the trench shall be
perpendicular.
The frame C has an up-and-down movement independent of the other frames
given to it by a raising mechanism in order to make the bottom of the trench level
notwithstanding the irregularities of the ground.
The tilting of the frame A is effected by a tilting mechanism represented at
Figures 1, 2, 4 and 6. The worm 6' on the frame A operated by the hand wheel b²

page_text: is in gear with the worm-wheel 63 the shaft 6 of which carries a pinion 65 gearing
with the toothed wheel ; between the spokes of this wheel are two loose bevel
pinions &, which on one side are in gear with a bevel wheel 68 keyed on the
shaft 6, while on their other side they are in gear with another bevel wheel 61°
mounted loose on the shaft 69 but formed in one piece with the pinion (Figure 2).
At the other side of the machine (as shewn in Figure 4) a pinion just like the
pinion is fixed on the shaft 69 and these two pinions 11, 613 each gear with a
toothed segment 613 turning on shafts 61, 64, to each of which two arms 615, 618 are
keyed; these arms act on connecting rods 61, 6 pivotted on the axle of the
wheel D².
In order to always keep the cutter-screw E against the bottom of the trench,
when, for example, the machine is passing over a small hillock, the workman can
by turning the hand-wheel & actuate the screw and the wheels 63, 65, 66, 6" and
62 so as to cause the toothed segments 613, 613 to oscillate and through the arms 615
and rods 6 thereby cause the frame A together with the machine to tilt either
forwards or backwards so as to always maintain the machine in a horizontal
position while the beam d, with the wheels D1, D2, D3 and, the rails D, follows the
incline of the hillock.
When one of the wheels of the machine goes over a hillock the corresponding
wheel on the other side of the machine is lowered to a like degree so that the
machine at all times approximately follows all the elevations of the ground. This
is caused automatically by the wheels 67, 67, 68, 10 which are in connection with the
tilting mechanism. When for example one of the wheels D2 is passing over a
slight elevation it will, through the medium of the rods 18 and the arms 61,
cause the segment 613 to oscillate; this motion is transmitted through the wheel bu
which is loose on the shaft and the bevel wheel 610 to the bevel pinions b', b' having
their bearings in the wheel and the said wheels b', 6' will transmit the motion to
the bevel wheel 8 keyed on the shaft which latter through the pinion 612 will force
the other toothed segment 613 downwards and through the arms 615 and rods 61 also
force the other wheel D² downwards. In order always to keep the frame B vertical
as before stated so that the walls of the trench shall be vertical notwithstanding
the unevenness of the ground, I employ an automatic balancing mechanism shewn
in Figures 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 24 and 26.
From the main driving wheels F1, F2, Figures 1, 4, 5, and 6, the power is
transmitted as hereinafter described underneath to the wheel e' (Figures 8 and 9)
and also through the shaft e² to the bevel wheel e³ gearing with a bevel wheel e which
actuates the shaft and the bevel wheel e keyed to the same.
This wheel e gears
with the wheels e² and e³ turning loose on the shaft e and formed inside like cup-shaped
friction wheels with which a correspondingly shaped friction clutch e", connected with
the shaft e provided with a spline or feather can be brought into engagement.
On the shaft e are placed the worms e2, e12 which gear with the worm-
wheels el, els on the shafts e", el carrying the wheels e¹s, e¹³, e¹³, es gearing with the
toothed segments 16, el, ele, el secured to the frame B (Figures 24, 25 and 26) and
which accordingly will occasion an oscillation on the frame B as the wheels e¹s
move in one or the other direction. The frame B is also supported by the
rollers e, el, e, e17 which during the last named movement roll in corresponding
curved guides e¹8, els, els, els on the frame A, the said guides being arcs of a circle
struck from an imaginary centre X on a line representing the surface of the ground
and identical with the centres of the segments ele, ele: the point X is the theoretical
centre or axis about which the frame B oscillates during the balancing movement.
This movement is automatically transmitted to the frame B in order to always
keep the latter in a vertical position by the clutch 10 (Figure 9) being at the
proper time engaged with the wheel e or e8. This is effected by the following
mechanism :-
A weight e, Figures 9 and 10 is carried by an arm 20 oscillating on the
pivot secured to the arm e" oscillating on the pivot e23, secured by the angle
piece to the frame A. The arm is guided by its upper end embracing

page_text: and moving over the curved plate e secured to the frame A and as soon as
the frame B gets out of plumb the arm e22 also gets out of plumb, through the
rode and the arm e" which is keyed to the shaft 29 pivotally carried in the
bearings on the frame A. The shaft e has keyed on its other end another
arm e30 which on its free end has a roller moving in a guide forming a part
of the frame B (Figure 8) so that it follows the oscillations of the frame B to
one or the other side. As soon as now the arm e22 has been acted on from the
frame B in such a way as to come out of plumb to one or the other side the
weight is correspondingly swung to one side or the other, as it always tends
naturally to hang vertical; it thereby causes a displacement of the rod e² to
one or the other side: the rod e2 is pivotally fastened to the lower part of the
weight and is provided with two stop claws or hooks 33, 33 (see Figures 14
and 15) which catch over the flanges of the two wheels e³, es toothed on their
inner peripheries; these wheels 34, 35 run loose on the shaft g which derives
its motion through the wheels g' and g² and the sleeve e fixed to the wheel e
(Figures 8 and 9); e36 and 37 (Figure 14) are two bevel wheels running loose
on the shaft g and each provided with a pair of small pinions e³, e³ turning
loose on their pivots 38. The pinions e, e39, 3, e39 gear with the wheels e³, es
and with the pinions eo and keyed to the shaft 9. It will now be understood
that when the rod e32 is for example pushed towards the right hand side it will
stop the wheel 34 whereas if it is pushed towards the left hand side it will stop
the wheel e, in the former case the pinions e³, e39 will by the fixed pinion e
be caused to roll inside the wheel and thereby cause the loose bevel wheel e
to rotate; this wheel e36 communicates motion to the bevel wheel 2 which
through the shaft 3 transmits the movement to the spur-pinion e and wheel e15
(Figures 8 and 9); this wheel 15 through the medium of a shaft es, crank e
and rode brings the before mentioned friction clutch e¹0 in engagement with
the bevel wheel e' (Figure 9); in the latter case, that is to say, if the rod e
be pushed towards the left hand side, the rod es will be caused through the
wheel and the gearing connected therewith to bring the clutch e into
-engagement with the wheel 8, the frame B being in this manner caused to
oscillate until it comes into a vertical position when the rod e with the claws e³³
is immediately disengaged from both wheels e34 and 35 by the weight e¹ which
then hangs parallel with the frame B; the transmission of the motion ceases, and
at the same time a rod 19 (Figure 8) connected with the wheel e¹s and acted
on by a spring will turn the wheel and move the rod e18 to such an
extent that the clutch is brought out of engagement with both of the wheels e
and e and the frame B will remain still until another unevenness of the ground
causes a similar movement of the machine to one or the other side, so that the
frame B is always and immediately brought back plumb. The weight e³¹
(Figure 9) on the upper end of the arm which turns on the pivote on the
frame A and which has its lower end connected with the rod e serves only to
.counterbalance the movement of the rod 32 which on account of its own weight
would otherwise take place during the different sloping positions of the frame A.
The mechanism for effecting the forward movement of the machine is illustrated
in Figures 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 16, 17 and 18. On the shaft F4 (Figure 4) which
derives its motion from the main driving wheel F is keyed the double cone m
(Figure 17); on the same shaft I place a frame m' movable along the same;
m², m³ are two spur wheels running loose on the shaft and furnished with two
cup-shaped friction wheels passing respectively over the two parts of the double
cone m, as will be seen by reference to Figure 17 of the drawing. The rods mo, mo
passing through the double cone m serve to connect and keep the wheels m³
and m³ at a suitable distance from each other. By means of the hand-wheel A¹
(Figures 1 and 11) and the nut 7 on its screw-threaded shaft an arm k can be
turned up and down so as to transmit a rotating movement to the shaft keyed
on the arm; the shaft 15 has on its other end a similar arm 2 which is in
connection with the sleeve 2 on the frame m¹ and thereby causes a displacement

page_text: From the
.5..
of the latter on the shaft F (Figures 17, 18 and 19). By this means the
wheels m², m³ can alternately be caused to engage with the two parts of the double
cone m and motion is transmitted therefrom either through the wheels m², m
and m to the shaft m', in which case the machine moves forward or through the-
wheels m, m2 and me to the shaft m', in which case the machine moves backward..
In the second case it will be understood that the machine moves more speedily so
as to save time the machine having then no resistance to overcome.
shaft m through the sprocket wheel m¹0 keyed to the same, the motion is
transmitted through the chain m" to the double sprocket wheel m2 and from this
through the chain m¹³ to the wheel e' (Figures 5, 89). The wheel m2 (Figure 5)
is pivotted to a pin which turus in and connects the ends of the two arms or rods n³
and n', the other ends of which arms also turn in and are connected with the pivots
of the wheels m¹ and el respectively in order that the movement shall be
transmitted from the wheel m0 to e¹ notwithstanding the different movements and
positions of the frames. The wheel e' as herein before stated communicates motion
through the shaft e² (Figure 9) and wheels e³, e to the worm m" on the shaft e³,.
the said worm gearing with the worm wheel mis on the shaft me (Figure 8). On
this shaft move loosely the wheels m, m" (Figures 8 and 16) toothed on their
inner and outer peripheries; inside these wheels but fixed to the shaft me is the
wheel 8 (Figure 16) which gears with four small pinions m¹, m¹º, m¹,
moving loosely on pivots in the sprocket wheels m20, m20 (Figure 8) and also gearing
with the inner teeth of the wheels m, m. When the machine is to be inoved
in a straight line forward or backward the wheels m", m" are kept fast or
motionless by the pinions m2, m21 (Figure 8) and it will be understood that the four
small pinions will be caused to roll inside the wheels m" thereby putting the sprocket
wheels m20, m20 in motion, which motion is transmitted through the chains m2, m².
to the sprocket wheels m³ on the large wheels D¹ (Figure 1). If the machine is,.
however, during its forward movement to be turned to the right or the left
hand, one of the wheels D' must be caused to turn quicker or slower than the other
wheel D'; this it will be understood is effected by causing the wheels m", m².
which during the straight forward movement are kept fast or motionless to rotate
in contrary directions to each other, by which the wheels m¹, m" will also rotate
and the small pinions m¹ inside the same will then be caused to roll more quickly
in one of the wheels m" than in the other, and a quicker movement will thereby
be transmitted to one of the sprocket wheels 20 than to the other, which movement
is finally transmitted to the wheels D¹, D₁ and will result in the turning of the
machine in one or the other direction. This movement can be effected according
to requirement by the driver seated on the inner frame C by the following
mechanism.
Through the hand lever o, operated by the driver, rod o', bell-crank o², rod o³,
bell-crank », rodos, bell-crank o, and rod o', (Figures 4, 5 and 9) the lever os.
pivotted to the frame A at o can cause the sleeve o which is furnished with the
feather bevel friction wheels o", oo and which by means of a feather is movable.
longitudinally on the shaft to move into engagement with the bevel friction
wheel 2 on one or the other side, whereby the said wheel o is caused to rotate
either to the right or left hand; through the shaft o, the pinion on the same o
and the spur-wheel o" (Figures 8 and 9) the shaft old carrying the worm o¹ is put in
motion, which motion is transmitted by the worm-wheel o' on the shaft o to the
bevel-wheel o gearing with the bevel-wheels 02, 0" keyed one on each end of the
parts 23, 02 of a shaft, which parts on their other ends carry the before named
pinions m, m2. When the hand-lever o and consequently the sleeve o" are in
their middle positions no motion will be transmitted, the pinions m, m2 will be
motionless and the machine as before described will move straight forwards. If,
however, the sleeve o" by the driver operating the hand-lever o be pushed to one
side or the other the motion will be transmitted to the bevel-wheels 02, 022 and
will force these to rotate either to the right or left hand but always at the same
time in opposite directions to each other, motion is thereby communicated in opposite

page_text: directions to the pinions m², m2 and the turning of the whole machine effected as
before described in one or the other direction.
The raising and lowering mechanism hereinbefore referred to for the inner
frame C is illustrated in Figures 1, 4, 6 and 7.
On the shaft F is keyed a sprocket wheel p (Figure 6) which by means of a
chain p² running over a tension wheel p¹ serves to actuate the sprocket wheel p³
which by means of the shaft k¹ gives motion to the bevel wheel (Figure 4) which
gears with the bevel wheels p, p' running loose on the shaft p³. The shaft p has
on one of its ends a right hand worm p8 and on its other end a left hand worm p³
(Figure 6) which respectively gear with the worm-wheels po, 2010 keyed on the
shafts, which together with the whole of the last described mechanism is
placed on the inner frame C; each of these shafts p", " carries on its ends two
small pinions p1, p12 which gear with the toothed racks p¹³, p13, pl³, p¹³ on the
intermediate frame B (Figures 4, 6 and 24).
14
The loose running wheels p and p' can by a mechanism illustrated in Figure 7
cause the shaft p³ to move in one or the other direction and it will be now under-
stood from the following description that the pinions p¹ will cause the inner frame C
to move up or down in the toothed racks 13 of the intermediate frame B. The
driver on the uppermost seat G can by means of the handle p" (Figure 6) move
the arm pls and rod pe up or down; this rod is at its lower end connected to the
bell-crank p" (Figure 7) turning on the pivot p18, the upper arm of which bell-
crank works in a groove in the friction clutch p₁ connected and longitudinally
movable by means of a spline on the shaft p. It will now be understood that when
the upper driver places the friction clutch p10 in engagement either with the
wheel p or the wheel p' a movement of the shaft p in one or the other direction
will take place and thereby, as before stated, the frame C will be raised or lowered.
As before stated the driving wheels F' and F' and through these the various
mechanical parts of the whole machine derive their motion by rope transmission
from a portable steam engine or other motor stationed in the field. In order to
cause this often rather long driving rope to run straight over the wheels or
pulleys F1 and F2 and to prevent the rope from slipping off during the movement
I employ an arrangement represented at Figures 22 and 23 and placed on the inner
frame C.
is a stand or frame mounted on the top of the frame C; this stand serves also
as a railing for the upper driver. At each end of this stand is placed a shaft r
iu bearings, and this shaft carries a frame 2 adapted to turn vertically and
having at its end three guide-pulleys r³, 4, 6. The driving rope s runs in between
the pulleys, and below 3 at each end of the frame as will be well understood
by reference to Figures 22 and 23, whereby the rope is effectually prevented from
coming off the pulleys, the arrangement of guide-pulleys at the same time following
it in its vertical swinging.
In Figures 20 and 21 I have shewn a controlling apparatus for indicating the
different relative positions of the machine to the horizontal plane, longitudinally as
well as transversely: t is a foot-plate fastened to the inner frame C and provided
with a sleeve t which forms a bearing for the shaft and with an arc-shaped
graduated scale t³. On the shaft 2 is fixed a piece t* carrying a graduated scale t
and a hand or pointer ; suspended from a pivot t' in this piece is a weight t
and the said pivot also carries a hand to. The weight t always hangs plumb and
during the different positions longitudinally as well as transversely of the frame C
to the theoretical horizontal plane the hands to and to will indicate the extent of
oscillation on their respective scales.
Figure 27 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the manner in which the
machine works in a field: M is the ditching and tile-laying machine which is
driven from the steam engine N by the before described driving rope s, s passing
over the wheels F', F. The rope s, s passes from the steam engine N over the
machine M to a carriage O furnished with rope pulleys and back again. In order,
for example, as shewn in the drawing, to allow of cutting trenches Q, Q, Q of

page_text: different lengths such as would be required, for instance, in a tongue of land I use
a portable stand P fitted with rope-pulleys, by moving which, together with the
steam engine N, the effective length R, R of the rope can be varied as will be
understood from the drawings. If the distance from R to R is very long, I can.
use one or more supports S fitted with pulleys for sustaining the rope s.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A ditching and tile-laying machine in which during the forward movement of
the machine the earth is dug up and raised to the surface of the ground by a.
vertical cutter-screw placed in the front of the machine and then heaped up on the
sides of the trench by a spreader arranged behind the said screw, substantially as.
herein before described.
2. In a ditching and tile-laying machine the combination with a vertical cutter--
screw which digs up the earth and raises it to the surface of the ground and a
spreader which heaps up the said earth on each side of the trench formed by the
screw of a collector or gatherer placed at the back of the machine which throws:
the ditched-up earth back again into the trench so that the machine during its.
forward movement both ditches and fills up the trench, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. In a ditching and tile-laying machine a spreader consisting of two mould
boards like those of a plough placed close behind a cutter-screw and diverging
backwards therefrom, which mould boards, during the forward movement of
the machine, heap the earth ditched up by the screw on the sides of the trench,.
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In a ditching and tile-laying machine a collector consisting of two mould:
boards similar to those of a plough secured to a frame and converging backwards.
from the rear end of the machine, which mould boards, during the forward move-
ment of the machine, throw the earth ditched up by a cutter-screw back into the
trench again, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
5. In a ditching and tile-laying machine the collector L, L', L' detachable from.
the main portion of the machine by removing a pin 3 when requiring to keep open
the trench ditched up, substantially as set forth.
manner
6. In a ditching and tile-laying machine the collector L, L', L' with the toothed
segments 1, 1 and intermediately placed pinion, connected in such a
with the frame A of the machine that it always follows the irregularities of the
ground independent of the main portion of the machine, substantially as set forth.
7. In a ditching and tile-laying machine comprising three main frames A, B and C
and in which the inner frame C carries the cutter-screw E and the outer frame A
carries the wheels D1, D2, D³ the folding rails v, v', v², vand o hereinbefore
described with reference to Figure 3 on which the said wheels roll, substantially as
set forth.
8. In a ditching and tile-laying machine of the kind claimed in Claims 1 and 7 the
tile-laying apparatus ', 2 placed on the inner frame C between the cutter-screw
and the collector so that the machine can dig the trench, lay the tiles and fill the
trench up again as the machine moves forward, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
9. In a ditching and tile-laying machine of the kind claimed in Claims 1,7 and 8
a mechanism for feeding a strip of paper on to the top of the tiles, which
mechanism derives its motion from the mechanism for effecting the forward move-
ment of the machine so that the feeding of the paper strip continues and stops
together with the said movement, substantially as hereinhefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
10. In a ditching and tile-laying machine the paper feeding mechanism constructed.
R

page_text: substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in Figures 11 and 12 of the
accompanying drawings.
11. In a ditching and tile-laying machine the mechanism for effecting the forward
movement of the machine, such movement being transmitted from the inner
frame C to the outer frame A by chains and sprocket wheels m10, m", m¹², m¹³, e¹,
supported by pivotted rods n', n³ in order that the movement may be transmitted in
a steady and yielding manner notwithstanding the varying positions of the frames
relatively to one another, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
13
12. A ditching and tile-laying machine having three main frames A, B, C
arranged inside one another in such a manner that the inner frame C with the
ditching and tile-laying apparatus can, by a raising and lowering mechanism p¹², p¹³,
be adjusted for deeper or shallower trenches and to make the bottom of the trench
flat notwithstanding the irregularities of the ground, the intermediate frame B
being always kept plumb by a balance mechanism es, el in order to make the
walls of the trench perpendicular, and the outer frame A by means of a tilting
mechanism 615, 16 ensuring the cutter-screw E being always kept against the bottom
of the trench, substantially as set forth.
13. A ditching and tile-laying machine in which the movements of the different
parts are effected automatically as well as by hand power by means of a raising
and lowering mechanism, a balance mechanism and a tilting mechanism, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
14. In a ditching and tile-laying machine an apparatus for indicating the
different relative positions of the machine to the horizontal plane constructed as
described and illustrated in Figures 20 and 21 of the accompanying drawings.
15. A ditching and tile-laying machine actuated by rope transmission from a
portable steam engine situated in the field, substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in Figures 22, 23 and 27 of the accompanying drawings.
16. The improved ditching and tile-laying machine hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of February 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.