AN IMPROVEMENT IN OR ADDITION TO CLOD CRUSHERS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Prockter Stanley, of Peterborough, in the
County of Northampton, Agricultural Implement Maker, for the Inven-
tion of
AN IMPROVEMENT IN OR ADDITION TO CLOD CRUSHERS.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Prockter Stanley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th March 1855.
I, WILLIAM PROCKTER STANLEY, of Peterborough, in the County of
Northampton, Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN OR ADDITION TO CLOD CRUSHERS'
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in adapting to those implements known as clod
crushers certain peculiarly fitted scrapers, for the purpose of cleaning the
crusher when working on clayey soil or wet land.
In describing these scrapers I propose to suppose them fitted to Cambridge's
clod crusher, in which the crushing or breaking of the land is effected by a
series of circles mounted independently and free to revolve round a common
axis. These circles are so shaped as to form, when two are placed together,
groove or furrow between each pair. Great inconvenience arises from these
grooves becoming clogged up when working on certain descriptions of land.

page_text: Now, to prevent this clogging, I mount upon a shaft supported upon the frame-
work over the axis of the breaking circles as many scrapers as there are
grooves between the circles. The cleaning end of these scrapers is in the form
of a scoop, corresponds with and takes into the groove. The scrapers are so
mounted upon the shaft as to be allowed a little play, and in order to prevent
them or any of them from being lifted up, and thus not performing its or their
work, I place a rod parallel with the scraper shaft across the implement in
such manner as to prevent the scrapers or any of them being lifted by the
earth on the circles more than one-eighth of an inch or thereabout. I
provide a screw lever or other suitable contrivance for entirely taking the
scrapers out of gear when the land is so light, or is otherwise in such condition,
as not to require them.
Although I have described my scrapers as fitted to Cambridge's clod
crusher for the sake of example, it will be obvious that it is equally
applicable to most forms of clod crushers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Prockter Stanley in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PROCKTER. STANLEY, of Peterborough, in the County of Northampton, Agri-
cultural Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Prockter Stanley, Her special licence that I, the said William
Prockter Stanley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Prockter Stanley, my 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
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN OR ADDITION TO CLOD CRUSHERS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Prockter Stanley, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and

page_text: 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 William Prockter Stanley, 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 thereof, reference being-had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
My. Invention consists in adapting to those implements known as clod
crushers certain peculiarly fitted scrapers, for the purpose of cleaning the
crusher when working on clayey soil or wet land.
In describing these scrapers I propose to suppose them fitted to Cam-
bridge's clod crusher, in which the crushing or breaking of the land is
effected by a series of circles mounted independently and free to revolve round
a common axis. These circles are so shaped as to form, when two are
placed together, a groove or furrow between each pair. Great inconvenience
arises from these grooves becoming clogged up when working on certain
descriptions of land. Now, to prevent this clogging, I mount upon a shaft
supported upon the framework over the axis of the breaking circles as many
scrapers as there are grooves between the circles. The cleaning end of these
scrapers-is-in-the-form of a scoop, corresponds with and takes into the groove.
The scrapers are so mounted upon the shaft as to be allowed a little play, and
in order to prevent them or any of them from being lifted up, and thus not per-
forming their work, I place a rod parallel with the scraper shaft across the
implement in such manner as to prevent the scrapers or any of them being
lifted by the earth on the circles more than one-eighth of an inch or there-
I provide a screw lever or other suitable contrivance for entirely
taking the scrapers out of gear when the land is so light, or is otherwise in such
condition, as not to require them.
about.
Although I have described my scrapers as fitted to Cambridge's clod crusher
for the sake of example, it will be obvious that they are equally applicable to
most forms of clod crushers.
Figure 1 of the Drawing annexed is a side view, Figure 2 a back view.
and Figure 3 a vertical section, of a Cambridge's clod crusher or press wheel
roller fitted with my improved scrapers.
A, A, is the carriage of the implement; B, B, are the crusher wheels, and C
is the axis on which they are mounted, the wheels being free to revolve inde-
pendently of each other; D, D, are the scrapers, which are formed of a scoop-

page_text: shape, so as to fit into the grooves between the wheels B, B; E is the shaft to
which the scrapers are hung; F, F, are two side pieces, and G is a centre
piece, which are mounted on the shaft E, and support the rods H and I.
The rod H runs parallel with the shaft E, and is situated above the scrapers
to prevent their rising too far away from the wheels, and the rod I is placed
beneath the scrapers for the purpose of raising them out of gear, if required.
J is a screw which is fixed to the centre piece G, and passes up through
one of the cross rails of the carriage A; and K is a nut which works on the
screw J, and by turning which the scrapers can be adjusted to any desired
position, or lifted entirely out of gear when the implement is working on
light or loose soil.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is, the adapta-
tion of scrapers or cleaning instruments to clod crushers composed of a series
of circles or wheels mounted independently, and 'free to revolve round a common
axis, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Prockter Stanley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-five.
W. P. STANLEY. (L.S.)