Field, Garden, and Allotment Cultivator for Hand or other Power.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 19th June. 1893-Accepted. 19th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Field, Garden, and Allotment Cultivator for Hand or other Power.
I BENJAMIN RUSSELL Engineer of 132 Spa Road Bermondsey do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A number of screw cutters partially propelling themselves through the surface
of the ground, and assisted by other gear driving the travelling wheels which are
made to propel it, at a suitable rate, both the cutting operation and the speed of
travelling being variable at pleasure by means of change wheels or otherwise, the
screw cutters being carried by a number of parallel spindles in such a way as to
pulverize the ground to any desired extent at one operation and to the width
required to suit the power available and in connection with it driving a set of
revolving tines at right angle to the spindles thus leaving a perfect seed bed.
Dated this 19th day of September 1892.
BENJAMIN RUSSELL.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Field, Garden, and Allotment Cultivator for Hand or other Power.
I BENJAMIN RUSSELL Engineer 132 Spa Road Bermondsey do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The cultivator B has a number of screw cutters A partially propelling themselves
through the surface of the ground and assisted by other gear driving the travelling
wheels which are made to propel it at a suitable rate both the cutting operation
and the speed of travelling being variable at pleasure by means of change wheels
or otherwise the screw cutters being carried by a number of parallel spindles in
such a way as to pulverize the ground to any desired extent at one operation and
to the width required to suit the power available and in connection with it driving
a set of revolving tines C at right angles to the spindles thus leaving a perfect
seed bed.
$
For the field cultivator the machine would consist of the motor whether steam
engine or other power B carried upon a framework which shall be supported upon
wide wheels or rollers travelling upou the ground and moved at a very slow speed
by gear or chain wheels from the engine shaft. Upon the same frame will be
carried a number of the screw cutters or knife blades A which are set at such an
angle with regard to the spindles on which they are fixed as the various parts of a
screw propeller require for it to act properly on the water through which it passes.
These spindles with the cutters on them extend in a row across the whole width of
the machine, the cutters on one spindle being on it at right angles to those on the
next spindle to it so that they can be placed to work nearer to one another. These
are all made to revolve by power from the engine shaft at one speed at say
60 revolutions per minute and being fixed upon a movable frame of their own can
be lowered from the upper frame at one end so that the cutters enter the ground to
a greater or less depth as required the object being to cut up and pulverise the
soil to the full width of the machine as it is gradually moved over the ground.
After the mould is turned up in this manner the revolving tines shown at C which
also extend in a row across the whole width of the machine come into action they
are driven also by the engine above at a much higher speed say of a 120 revolutions
per minute in order to break to pieces and level the surface of the ground as they
move slowly over it carried by the general forward motion of the machine, the
Price 8d 1

page_text: whole combination being intended to enable the attendant to produce at one
operation a greater or less pulverised soil as he may think best. Thus the machine
by digging with the cutters will perform the usual operation executed with the plough
and completed and continued by exposure to the atmosphere, thus saving time and
the tines following on will break the mould to pieces and form a crumb equal to
that which is usually performed by a process of several harrowings. It is steered
by the front roller or rolls being swivelled on the center pin and can cultivate &
field without the weight of the machine passing over the ground that has been
⚫operated upon.
The garden or allotment cultivator is the same in principle but driven by hand
with only two or three pairs of cutters.
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
1stly. The method of cultivating the soil by screw cutters stirring up and
disintegrating it as no instrument yet in use has done.
2ndly. The greater width cultivated at one operation by many cutters saving the
loss of power incurred in moving the plough or other instrument over long distances
-to operate on a narrow strip.
3rdly. The weight of the whole apparatus being carried on the surface of the
ground before cultivating it as the cutters do their work the soft seed bed is left in
a more efficient state than where the hard bottom has been produced by the
trampling of horses feet as in the plough furrow or the solid subsoil produced by
the sliding of the plough bottom even in steam cultivation by means of wire rope;
which is extremely detrimental to the early growth of the young plant and to the
healthy natural drainage which should be encouraged.
4thly. The motive power used being carried on the compact machine B whether
it be steam power, a petroleum engine or animal power walking on an endless
travelling platform the whole going over the ground together with the rotary
cutters and all adjustments as described.
5thly. The rotatory tines being driven at a much quicker speed than the travel of
the machine assists its forward motion while further disintegrating the mould.
6thly. The time saved by being able to prepare the soil at one operation instead
of having to go over it three or 4 times.
Dated this 19th day of June 1893.