IMPROVEMENTS. APPLICABLE TO IMPLEMENTS FOR TILLING LAND." APPLICABLE TO IMPLEMENTS FOR TILLING LAND
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Howard, of Bedford, in the County of
Bedford, Agricultural Engineer, and Edward Tenney Bousfield, of
the same Place, Engineer, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS.
APPLICABLE TO IMPLEMENTS FOR TILLING LAND."
APPLICABLE TO IMPLEMENTS FOR TILLING LAND."
Sealed the 1st December 1874, and dated the 8th September 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Howard and
Edward Tenney Bousfield at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 8th September 1874.
We, JAMES HOWARD, of Bedford, in the County of Bedford, Agri-
cultural Engineer, and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, of the same
Place, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO IMPLEMENTS FOR TILLING LAND," to be as
follows:-
:-
The object of our present Invention is to increase the efficiency and
improve the construction of that class of implements for tilling land.
which have tines fitted to a frame and supported upon travelling wheels.
By the first part of our Invention we obtain an automatic lift of the
frame carrying the tines, to which end the implement is mounted upon
two side travelling wheels and upon one or two front steering wheels.

page_text: .
The former work upon the arms of a cranked axle, which runs across
the frame and works in suitable bearings thercon. When the tines are
lowered into the ground for work the cranks of the axle are made to lie
in a horizontal position or nearly so. The side travelling wheels have
upon their naves ratchets, and to each crank of the axle is fitted a cam
pulley. To these cam pullies one end of a lifting chain is attached, the
other ends of the chains being fixed to the side of the implement
frame.
When the implement is advancing the cam pullies are held stationary
by means of stops or other equivalent mechanical devices, but when the
draught of the engine is reversed the implement will have a tendency to
run backward, and a pawle provided for the purpose on each side falls
into each of the ratchets above described, whereupon the backward
movement of the implement is arrested until the cranks of the axle are
brought into a vertical position by the action of the cam pullies and
chains above mentioned. When the implement has been turned round
and the onward progress commences again, the cranks assume a hori-
zontal position again, and the tines are immediately lowered into work
automatically.
The implement above described may be actuated by steam or horse
power.
When tilling implements are actuated by means of a wire rope driven
by a steam engine it is necessary to have some means whereby the man
with the implement may signal to the attendants in charge of the
engine, so that the latter may be stopped and set in motion again when
required. This is effected by means of an improved signalling apparatus,
which is adapted to the implement, and consists of a vertical post or
semaphore fixed on the implement, and provided with a flag or moveable
arms which may be raised or lowered when required by means of hand
or treadle levers actuated by the hand or foot of the attendant.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th March 1875.

page_text: and EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD, of the same Place, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Howard and Edward Tenney
Bousfield, Her special licence that we, the said James Howard and
Edward Tenney Bousfield, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said James Howard and Edward Tenney Bousfield,
our executors, administrators, and 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
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO IMPLEMENTS FOR TILLING LAND," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said James Howard and Edward
Tenney Bousfield, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Tenney Bousfield; on"
behalf of myself and of the said James Howard, do hereby declare the
nature of our 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 Drawing hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):—
The object of our present Invention is to increase the efficiency and
improve the construction of that class of implements for tilling land
which has tines fitted to a frame that is supported upon travelling.
wheels:
By the first part of our Invention we obtain an automatic lift of the
the hoodland to alaan the tings from the œvound pronanatomy.

page_text: In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation,
and Fig. 2 a plan view of our improvements applied to a tilling imple-
ment which is intended to be actuated by steam power.
In Sheet II. Fig. 3 is a side view, and Fig. 4 a plan view (on an
enlarged scale) of the arrangement constituting the first head of our
Invention.
A is the frame of the tilling implement, supported at its rear end by a
crank axle B fitted loosely with travelling wheels C, and at its forward
end by a steering wheel D. The axle B is cranked at its opposite ends,
the cranked parts being external to the frame A, in which the tines E
are fitted as usual. The object of thus cranking the axle is to allow of
the tine frame being raised and lowered as desired. To the hub of each
of the wheels C is secured a ratchet wheel F, and in close proximity to
these ratchet wheels are the arms G, G, which are mounted loosely on
the cranks of the axle B. These arms severally carry a pawl g for
taking into the teeth of their respective ratchet wheels, and thereby
locking the arms to the travelling wheels C when a retrograde motion is
given to these wheels. a is a hanger or bracket arm of the frame A
carrying a tension eye bolt, to which a drag chain H is attached. The
other end of this chain is secured to the arm G by a pin or rivet. A
similar provision it will be understood is made on both sides of the
implement for connecting the arms G with the frame. On the inner
face of the arms G is a projection or stop g', which bears upon the crank.
of the axle B, and thus the arms are prevented from falling or moving
past the crank axle. I, I', are stops fixed to the sides of the frame, and
serving to limit the throw of the crank axle in opposite directions, and
thereby to determine the maximum rise and depression of the tinc frame
and consequently of the tines from and into the ground.
From the foregoing description it will be understood that while he
implement is moving forward or in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3,
the arms G will remain in the depressed position shown in that Figure
with their back projections resting on the cranks, at which time the
teeth of the ratchet wheels F will run past their pawls, and no action of
the tine lifting mechanism will take place. When however the imple-
ment has reached. the headland and the turning commences (to bring a
the implement into position for returning) by the draught now put on
the slack or tail rope, the travelling wheels will be run back for a portion

page_text: of a revolution. The effect of this will be to lock the arms G, G, to
their respective wheels C by means of the pawls and ratchet wheels, and
thereby to cause the arms to rise into the position indicated by the red
lines in Fig. 3. This rise of the arms Ġ will cause the chains H to lift
the tinc frame, the crank shaft rising with it to the red position of
Fig. 3. When the turning of the implement is completed the wheels C
will resume their forward motion, and the mechanism being thereby
unlocked the tine frame will fall and drop the tines again into the
ground.
We have described our improved automatic mechanism as applied to
steam cultivators, but it will be obvious that it is applicable to cultivators
worked by horse power.
The second head of our Invention relates to the adaptation of railway
signalling apparatus to tilling implements actuated by steam power, the
object being to work with greater certainty and safety, and (when
required) to work at night as well as in the day. This part of our
improvements is illustrated in Sheet I. of the Drawings, where K is
a semaphore post securely attached to the frame A in such a position
as to be accessible to the attendant while seated on the implement
at L, Fig. 1. The semaphore post (see the detached view, Fig. 1ª)
is fitted with a double semaphore arm M, between which, affixed to the
post, is a lamp N for working by night. Three holes are made in the
part of the arm M. which covers the lamp, and these are glazed with
different colors, say, green, red, and yellow, indicating respectively
caution," "stop," and "return." The semaphore arm M is worked
by a rotating crank handle O, which springs into notches on a segment
plate carried by the post K, and thus holds the semaphore at any desired.
position.
66
.
When the handle has been brought to the lowest notch (which
position will indicate "return"), the duty of the attendant will be,
when the signal has received attention, to drop the arm M to its normal
position. This is effected by bringing round the handle to its highest
point. It will then be ready for giving the next signal in succession,
which will be "caution." When the arm is dropped at night into the
normal position the lamp will show a white light.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements
applicable to Implements for Tilling Land," and explained the manner

page_text: of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that under
the above in part recited Letters Patent we claim;—
First. Raising and lowering the tines of tilling implements by-auto-
matic action, in the manner and for the purpose above described.
.
Secondly: The application to steam tilling implements of signalling
apparatus, as and for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I; the said Edward Tenney Bousfield, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
EDWARD TENNEY BOUSFIELD. (L.S.)