Improvements in Drills or Machines for Distributing Seed, Manure, and other Substances.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application 17th June, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drills or Machines for Distributing Seed, Manure,
and other Substances.
I, GEORGE GREENFIELD, of North Laiths, Eakring, Newark, in the county of
Nottingham, Farmer, 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 :-
This invention relates to machines for distributing seed, manure and other substances,
and it comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are a front elevation, side elevation and plan respectively of a
machine constructed according to my invention for distributing seed, manure and other
substances, the said machine being of such a size as to enable it to be carried by the
operator and operated by hand.
Figures 4 and 5 are a side elevation and plan respectively of a machine arranged
on a barrow and designed to be operated from the wheel of the same.
Figures 6 and 7 are a rear elevation and plan respectively of a machine, designed
and arranged to be drawn and operated by horse-power.
Figure 8 is a sectional side elevation of the same, the section being taken on the
line of figure 6.
Figure 9 is a similar view to figure 8 but shewing a modification of the machine.
Similar reference letters indicate similar. or corresponding parts throughout the
drawings.
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a is the body of the machine which is divided longitudinally into two compart-
iments a', a², tho former of which serves as a trough or hopper for containing the seed,
manure or other substance to be distributed, whilst the latter contains what I term the
distributor," hereinafter described, and communicates with the hopper a¹ by means
of an opening which allows of the passage of the seed therethrough. c, care a
series of distributing holes in the bottom of the chamber a², and d is the distributor
for agitating the seed or other substance to cause it to flow through the holes c, c. It
may sometimes be desirable to dispense with the holes c, c: in such case 1 remove the
rear wall of the compartment a² of the hopper and allow the seed to flow over the
edge of the floor or bottom of the said compartment.
The distributor d is in the form of a bar provided with teeth, scrapers or brushes d', d¹,
either rigid or flexible, and is arranged to slide to and fro longitudinally in the
compartment a² above the holes c, c.
As shown in figures 1, 2 and 3 the distributor is provided with a knob or handle e
by means of which it can be operated. The ends of the distributor bar project through
openings a³, a³ in the sides of the compartment a² and work in grooved extensions a³,
of the same, the said ends being provided with downward projections d, d² which
prevent the escape at the said ends of any seed or other substance when the bar d is
being operated.
By this construction if the hopper a' be supplied with the seed, manure or other
substance to be distributed and the "distributor" he moved to and fro, the said seeds
or other substances will be effectually discharged through the holes c, c and be
distributed broadcast over the ground.
It will be seen by reference to figure 3 that I have arranged the teeth d³, d' in groups
of three placed triangularly, but I do not bind myself to this way of arranging them
as they can be arranged in other ways to obtain the same result.
The machine is advantageously supported in front of the operator by straps from
his shoulders and steadied by one arin, while the hand of the other arm operates the
"distributor."
In cases where a larger machine than can be carried by hand is required I

page_text: advantageously mount the distributing apparatus upon a barrow as shewn in figures 4
and 5, in which indicates the barrow frame and the wheel. The "distributor" is
operated from the wheel g through the medium of driving mechanism comprising the
bevel wheels g', g', the shaft g², the crank g³ and the connecting rod g*.
To enable a machine of this kind to pass through gateways or the like which are of
less width that the body a of the inachine I arrange it, so that, it can be disconnected
from the frame f of the barrow and from the crank g of the driving mechanism so
as to enable it to be turned upon the said frame in a well known manner until in a
suitable position to effect the object. set forth.
When the distributing apparatus is required to be of large dimensions and to be
operated by horse-power I prefer to mount it upon a carriage as shewn in figures 6, 7
and 8. In this case the distributor d is attached by brackets h to a bar which as
shewn forms the lower part of the rear wall of the hopper a, but which need not
necessarily form part of the hopper. The said bar with the distributor thereon is
operated from the axle i of the travelling wheels, through the medium of a chain-
wheel chain, chain-wheel ², shaft 3, bevel wheels g², g², shaft g², crank g³ and
connecting rod g. The bar is suspended by links 2, from the upper part /³ of
the rear wall of the hopper a' so as to enable it to-work freely to and fro.
For regulating the quantity of seed, etc. passing to the compartment a² and
consequently to the holes c, el provide for altering the size of the opening at the
lower part of the hopper al by means of a door hinged to brackets attached to
the part of the rear wall of the said hopper and adjusted in any required position
by means of slotted rods 2 and thumb-screws ³ connected to the said part h³.
To enable the distributing apparatus to be turned on the supporting frame of the
carriage, in order to pass through gateways or the like, I provide three forks 1, l', l'
connected to the underside of the said distributing apparatus, the centre one of
which serves as a pivot upon which the said distributing apparatus turns. These
forks bear upon and partly embrace a tube m on the frame, one of the prongs of
each of the forks, on opposite sides of the tube m being turned up, as shewn at
12, 12 in figure 8, so that, if the distributing apparatus be slightly raised at either end,
it will disengage the fork at that end and enable the said distributing apparatus to be
turned on its pivot. The pin 13 of the said pivot is made so that it can slide in its
socket when the distributing apparatus is lifted as described. When the distributing
apparatus is returned to its original position the turned up prongs of the forks, ride
up over the tubo m into their original positions. In addition to supporting the
distributing apparatus on the tube m I provide a bracket n having a friction-roller n¹
which rests on a quadrantal rail o on the frame and rolls upon it when the distributing
apparatus is turned as described.
P: P are stays for holding the distributing apparatus in its normal or working position,
the said stays being hinged to the shafts p', p and connected to the said distributing
apparatus by thumb-screws p², p².
Instead of reciprocating the distributor longitudinally in the compartment a³ I
sometimes arrange to reciprocate it transversely of the same in this case I dispense
with the bar and the means for operating it from the shaft and suspend the
distributor d from brackets q, by means of rods, r, so that it can be reciprocated
over the holes c, c through the medium of rods s, and the crank u attached to the
shaft j³.
Although I have described the door kas only being applied to the machine shewn in
figures 6, 7 and 8, it will be obvious that it can also be applied to the machines shewn
in figures 1, 2 and 3 and in figures 5 and 6 respectively, and that instead of or in
addition to the said door I sometimes make use of slides for altering the size of the
holes c, c.
In the foregoing description I have referred to the distributor as reciprocating in a
compartment in connection with the hopper, it is to be understood, however that, if
desired the distributor may be arranged to work within the hopper.
It will also be obvious that instead of moving the "distributor "I can move the
bottom of the compartment a² to and fro to obtain the same result.

page_text: If it is desired to sow the seed in rows instead of broadcast as herein before described
I can arrange a guide-tube in connection with each hole c in a well known manner.
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. In a drill or machine for the distribution of seed, manure and other substances,
a distributor comprising a bar having a series of teeth, scrapers or brushes, either
rigid or flexible, working in conjunction with a series of discharge openings, substantially
in the manner set forth.
2. In a drill or machine for the distribution of seed, manure and other substances,
the combination of a hopper, a compartment adjacent to the said hopper into which
the substance to be distributed flows, and a distributor reciprocating over a series of
holes or openings in the bottom of the said compartment, substantially as described.
3. In a drill or machine for the distribution of seed, inanure and other substances,
the combination of a hopper, and a compartment adjacent to the said hopper into which
the substance to be distributed flows and over the edge or side of which it is
discharged by a distributor reciprocating in such compartment, substantially as
described.
4. In a drill or machine for the distribution of seed, manure and other substances,
the combination of a hopper, a compartment adjacent to the said hopper into which
the substance to be distributed flows and a distributor reciprocating transversely in the
said compartment, substantially as described with reference to figure 9 of the
drawings.
5. In a drill or machine for the distribution of seed, manure and other substances.
and having a distributor of the form hereinbefore described, the combination of the
said distributor with a movable bar, substantially as described.
6. A drill the distributing apparatus of which is mounted upon the carriage,
substantially in the manner described with reference to figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the
accompanying drawing for the purpose specified.
7. The manufacture and use of the improved seed-drill herein before described and
illustrated in 6gures 1, 2 and 3, figures 4 and 5 and figures 6, 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings.
Dated the 17th day of Tune 1800
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.