IMPROVE- MENTS IN CARRYING, SUPPORTING, AND SHIFTING ENGINES USED IN PLOUGHING AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1860

page_text: :PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Peters Moody at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
February 1860.
I, CHARLES PETERS MOODY, of Corton Denham, in the County of Somerset,
Agriculturalist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CARRYING, SUPPORTING, AND SHIFTING ENGINES USED IN PLOUGHING AND
OTHER AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be
as follows:-
My. Invention consists in forming ways for engines, and in shifting engines
as hereafter explained. At both ends of a field or space over which an
engine is to travel, and draw at its side ploughs, harrows, or other imple-
ments, I lay down a platform along which the sleepers and rails for supporting
the engine are to be drawn or traversed. The platform itself is drawn along
after the engine has left the rails which it supports by winding up a rope
attached to an anchor, dead point, or otherwise. Between the two traversing
platforms I lay down a portable railway constructed in as many lengths as
desirable, the lengths being bolted or keyed together in any suitable manner.
I either shift each length separately laterally across the field, or I move the
whole railway, or three or more lengths when joined together, by the following
contrivance-To the two lengths farthest from the centre I connect one end of
two cords, and I lead each of the cords through a pulley supported by an anchor
placed for the purpose. I carry on the cords through a block secured and
held in place by another anchor in which there are two pulleys, each of the

page_text: before-named cords is passed round one of the pulleys, and both cords are
carried back towards the apparatus; they may be united in one, or may be
carried on together, and attached to the barrel of a windlass projecting from
the side framing of the portable railway about the centre thereof. On power
being applied to turn the windlass, it follows that all the parts connected as
aforesaid, and to which the cords are attached, will simultaneously and as one
body be drawn laterally. In some cases where the lengths of the portable
railway join, I fix guides upon which they may slide laterally, and whereby
the gauge shall be maintained. As soon as the engine has left the railway
between the traversing platforms, and has arrived on one of the platforms the
railway is shifted laterally as also the opposite platform, then the engine is
traversed on its platform until the rails thereof come in line with those of the
rest of the way.
Although I do not limit myself to any particular traversing platform, I
prefer to construct it in manner following, and my traversing platform forms
part of my present Invention. I make a broad frame of iron, two side and
two end pieces, on each of the side pieces upon which the sleepers carrying
the rails rest I fix a flange to prevent the sleepers slipping off.
of the end frames I fix a windlass, and on both end frames two pulleys. I
carry two ropes from the outside of one of the longitudinal sleepers under
the pulleys on the end frame nearest that sleeper, and up on to the barrel of
the windlass. Then from the windlass I carry down two ropes under the
same pulleys under the sleepers, and up over the two pulleys on the opposite
end frame, and make them fast to staples on the outside of the other longi-
tudinal sleeper. By turning the windlass the sleepers, rails, and engine can
be shifted or moved to and fro along the side frames. Rollers may be fitted
to the transverse sleepers to facilitate the motion along the platform.