AN IMPROVEMENT IN CULTIVATORS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Septimus Coleman and Alfred George Edwin
Morton, both of Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, Engineers, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT IN CULTIVATORS."
Sealed the 29th December 1877, and dated the 29th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Septimus Coleman
and Alfred George Edwin Morton at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 29th October 1877.,
HENRY SEPTIMUS COLEMAN and ALFRED GEORGE EDWIN MORTON, both of
Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, Engineers. "AN IMPROVEMENT IN
CULTIVATORS."
Our Invention relates to an improvement in the steering wheels of cultivators,
and more particularly the machine known as Coleman's patent cultivator. This
and other cultivators usually have a steering wheel or wheels turning on an axle,
which after being a comparatively short time in use are liable to wear at the hub,
and consequently become unsteady.
And the object of our Invention is to ensure greater durability and steadiness by
the employment of a pair of steering wheels on the same axle, which revolves in a
long bearing extending from hub to hub of the wheels, and mounted to work on a
vertical axis on the framework of the implement, and operated' by suitable means
for steering purposes. One wheel only is fast on the axle, the other being loose to
admit of running in curves; but when travelling in a straight line the wheels and
axle turn together; a suitable cavity may be provided within the long bearing for
bolding oil for lubricating the axle, which is preferably of steel, the bearing being of

page_text: cast or malleable iron, the latter only is thus materially subject to wear, and that
only after long use; and although worn, the steadiness of the implement is not
affected. Moreover the bearing may be readily renewed when necessary.
t
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Septimus Coleman and Alfred George Edwin Morton in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th April 1878.
HENRY SEPTIMUS COLEMAN and ALFRED GEORGE EDWIN MORTON, both of
Chelmsford, in the County of Essex, Engineers.
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN
CULTIVATORS."
Our Invention relates to an improvement in the steering wheels of cultivators
generally, and more particularly of the implement known as Coleman's patent
cultivator. In this and other cultivators the steering wheels usually turn on a
fixed axle, and after an implement has been but a comparatively short time in use
the steering wlieel or wheels are liable to wear at the hub, and consequently to
wobble or become unsteady.
The object of our Invention is to ensure greater durability and steadiness, and
the Invention consists in the employment of a pair of steering wheels mounted on
one axle, which is fitted to revolve in a long bearing extending from hub to hub of
the wheels, this bearing being mounted to work on a vertical axis on the frame-
work of the implement and operated by suitable means for steering purposes. One
wheel only is keyed fast on the said axle, the other being loose to admit of running
in curves; but when travelling in a straight line the wheels and axle turn together,
so that except when running in curves there is no friction between the axle and
the loose wheel, and consequently no wear of the hub of the wheel; a suitable
cavity may be provided within the long bearing for holding oil for lubricating the
axle, which is by preference made of steel, the bearing being of cast or malleable
iron, the latter only is thus materially subject to wear, and that only after long
use, but even when worn the steadiness of the implement is not affected.
Moreover the bearing may be readily bushed or renewed when necessary.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
The accompanying Drawing represents a front elevation of a pair of steering
wheels for a cultivator mounted on an axle, as above described, a part of the
bearing being broken away to show the interior and the oil or grease cavity.
: A, B, are the two steering wheels; C is their axle; and D, the axle bearing. The
wheel A is fixed fast on the axle C by a pin a passed through the boss of wheel A,
and also through the steel axle C, or it may be otherwise keyed. The wheel B is
loose on the axle C, and is kept in place by a loose collar b secured by a cross
pin to the axle or by other suitable means. The bearing D is a casting of inverted
T form, and it extends from the hub of wheel A. to that of wheel B; it is bored
accurately for a length of a few inches from each end to fit upon the axle C; or
brass bushes may be inserted if preferred, the middle portion of the bearing being

page_text: hollowed out to a larger diameter to form a space d around the axle, to hold the oil
or other lubricant. The casting D is fixed to a vertical axis E mounted in a
bearing in the framework of the implement, and operated by any suitable means.
Having described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing the
same, we declare that what we claim as our Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is, the combination in a cultivator
of a pair of steering wheels, the one fast and the other loose, on an axle mounted to
rotate in a long bearing extending between the hubs of the wheels, substantially as
shown and described.
•
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Septimus Coleman and Alfred George
Edwin Morton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-fourth
day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-eight.
H. S. COLEMAN.
(L.S.)
A. G. E. MORTON. (L.S.)