IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry John Scels, of Wainfleet Hall, in the
County of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS."
Sealed the 26th October 1869, and dated the 30th April 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Seels at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th April 1869.
I, HENRY JOHN SEELS, of Wainfleet Hall, in the County of Lincoln,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HARROWS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the construction of harrows in such
manner that the implement may be adjusted to regulate the penetration
of the harrow teeth to any depth desired, and so that the teeth may for
travelling be raised entirely off the land. I form the harrow frame
approximately of a triangular form, and at the leading angle I provide
a swivel wheel, on the upright spindle of which is fixed an arm or long
eye, to which the draft chain of the implement is connected, so that the

page_text: position of the swivel wheel follows the direction of the draft. Near the
back of the frame a horizontal axis is mounted upon it, having at its
ends arms on which other supporting wheels are carried on studs.
There is also a lever handle fixed on the axis at its centre, by depressing.
or raising which the inclination of the arms carrying the wheels, is
varied. When these arms are vertical or nearly so. then the wheels
are depressed so far below the frame as to carry the points of the teeth.
clear of the surface of the land, but when the arms are by raising the
lever handle brought to a horizontal or nearly horizontal position then the
harrow teeth penetrate the land to the full depth of which the implement
is capable. The lever handle works in an arched guide fixed on the.
frame, and can be secured to the guide by a locking pin in any desired
position, so that the teeth can thus be set to penetrate the land to any
depth which may be required.
In the use of this implement the teeth can without stopping be.
instantaneously raised off the land, which much facilitates turning, and
allows of obstacles being avoided which otherwise might cause the
breakage of the teeth; the replacing the teeth in their work is effected
with equal facility.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry John Seels in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th October 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JOHN SEELS, of Wainfleet Hall, in County of Lincoln, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry John Seels, Her special licence that
I, the said Henry John Scels, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Henry John Seels, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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

page_text: within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HARROWS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry John
Seels, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Henry John Seels, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object the construction of harrows in such
manner that the implement may be adjusted to regulate the penetration
of the harrow teeth to any depth desired, and so that the teeth may for
travelling be raised entirely off the land. I form the harrow frame
approximately of a triangular form, and at the leading angle I provide a
swivel wheel, on the upright spindle of which is fixed an arm or long
eye to which the draft chain of the implement is connected, so that the
position of the swivel wheel follows the direction of the draft. Near the
back of the frame a horizontal axis is mounted upon it, having at its
ends arms on which other supporting wheels are carried on studs. There
is also a lever handle fixed on the axis at its centre, by depressing or
raising which the inclination of the arms carrying the wheels is varied.
When these arms are vertical or nearly so then the wheels are depressed
so far below the frame as to carry the points of the teeth clear of the
surface of the land, but when the arms are by raising the lever handle
brought to a horizontal or nearly horizontal position, then the harrow
teeth penetrate the land to the full depth of which the implement is
capable, and the harrow when drawn along the ground acts in the
manner of an ordinary harrow. The lever handle works in an arched
guide fixed on the frame, and can be secured to the guide by a locking
pin in any desired position, so that the teeth can thus be set to penetrate
the land to any depth which may be required.
In the use of this implement the teeth can without stopping be.
instantaneously raised off the land, which much facilitates turning, and

page_text: allows of obstacles being avoided which otherwise might cause the
breakage of the teeth; the replacing the teeth in their work is effected
with equal facility.
In the Drawing hereunto annexed I have shewn a harrow constructed
in the manner I prefer for carrying out my Invention.
Figure 1 shews a perspective view of the harrow, and Figure 2 a plan
view. The body of the harrow shewn in the Drawing consists of seven
beams supported by means of five cross bars.
A strengthening beam runs upon the top of the centre beam as
far as the lever. There are 38 diamond pointed teeth which serve
also as the worms to which both the beams and cross bars are fixed
by means of nuts: The position of the teeth together with the different
distances they are apart are marked in the plan view, Figure 2. The
edge of each tooth is formed like the edge of a chisel, the tooth on the
centre beam nearest the fore wheel follows that wheel, and corner teeth
at the back of the harrow follow the back wheels. The front wheel is
about 12 inches in diameter and is attached to the neck of the harrow
by means of an upright shaft, the end of which is made to take the
wheel; it is curved as in the Drawing. The neck of the harrow is
fastened to the shaft at the point marked A in the Drawing, by means
of an eye in which the shaft turns. The shaft being square above and
below this eye a crook is securely fastened, to which the chain for
moving the harrow is attached. The back wheels are about 18 inches
in diameter and their studs or axes are carried by crank arms at the
ends of a round bar which rests in cross bars. These cross bars are
attached at their forward ends to the outer beam of the harrow by means
of rivets, and at the back are connected to the teeth at numbers 1, 3,
and 8, shown in the body plan Figure 2. To the round bar a lever con-
sisting of a bar of flat iron is securely fastened by means of an eye on
either side of the bar marked B, B, in the Drawing, through which the
round bar passes. To the top end of the lever is fixed a spring bar
having a handle 6 inches long, this spring bar is adjusted by means of a
spring marked in the Drawing C, the whole with the lever working
within a double quadrant of about 14 inches radius. This quadrant
has 22 notches and 21 teeth in which the spring attached to the lever
catches when it is either elevated or lowered. One end of the quadrant
is riveted to the centre beam of the harrow, and the other to an upright
bar which is also securely riveted to the bar B, B, near the round bar

page_text: connecting the cranks. The back wheels can thus be set in such a
position as to allow the teeth of the harrow to enter the ground to any
desired extent, or the teeth can be held up entirely out of the ground
when desired.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,
the construction of harrows with carrying wheels acting substantially as
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry John Seels, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
HEN. JNO. SEELS. (L.S.)