AN IMPROVED STEAM CULTIVATOR
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Ohancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED STEAM CULTIVATOR."-A communication from abroad
by Philander Hayden Standish, of Martinez, California, United
States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 23rd April 1868, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
STEAM CULTIVATOR," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters. Patent

page_text: for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been
communicated to me from abroad by Philander Hayden Standish, of
Martinez, California, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification,- under my 5
hand and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings forming a part of this Specification:-
The object of my Invention is to provide an improved locomotive 1
steam cultivating machine so constructed that the power is transmitted
directly from the engine to ploughs or cutters either by belts or by
gearing, thereby greatly lessening the power needed for traction.
The said Invention consists partly in a novel mode of operating the
ploughs by which the earth is ploughed transversely to the travel of 1
the machine and is thoroughly broken up or pulverized so as not to need
any further cultivation, the seeding being done also at the same time.
The ploughs are attached to a movable supplementary frame, which by
the proper mechanism may be easily raised and lowered to regulate the
depth of the cut, or they may be elevated so as to entirely clear the 2
ground when necessary, while by a simple device the cutters are so
mounted as not to be broken by stones or other obstructions.

page_text: the frame and suitably stayed to render them firm. I prefer to use
an upright tubular boiler to accomodate the machine to declivities.
without danger of a change in the water level as would occur in a
horizontal boiler, and also to economize space. A pair of horizontal
engines such as I have shown will give the requisite power and will be
much more steady in their action than vertical engines. Upon the
shaft K of the engine is placed a cone consisting of four or more
pinions L of different sizes, which pinions drive the adjustable pinion M,
and through it the wheel N. The pinion M is supported by two arms.O
extending from the axle of the wheel N so far as to keep the pinion always:
in gear with the said wheel. The wheel N may be moved along its
shaft on a feather so that the pinion M will engage any one of the:
pinions L, and thereby vary the speed of the wheel N. Each end of
the shaft P which supports the wheel N carries a loose pinion R. These
pinions engage or gear with inside toothed wheels S attached to the:
wheels B, B. The said wheels are driven by the pinions R when
the latter are thrown in gear by means of clutches T keyed to the
shaft P and moved by levers so as to engage the pinion R. The ploughs*
or cutters are driven by the bevelled wheel U on the shaft K, also
thrown in and out of gear by a clutch, as shown. This bevelled wheel.
by engaging the wheel V turns the shaft W, and through this shaft the
bevelled wheel X at the other end, by which means the ploughs or
cutters may be revolved. The shaft W is supported. at the ends by the
yokes Y, Y', which clasp respectively the shafts K, and a, moving about
them as centres, so that the wheels U, V, and X, X', are always in gear
whether the ploughs be elevated or depressed. The ploughs or cutters
are mounted upon a supplementary frame b, which has the arms c
extending forward to a point at the side of the frame A, where they are
pivoted so as to be movable about an axis in a line with the engine
shaft. The driving toothed wheel X' is keyed to the horizontal shaft a,
and by means of the bevelled wheels g is connected with the vertical
shaft h, which operates the cutters or ploughs. A disc i is keyed to
the bottom of the shaft or spindle h, and the arms k, k, project from
this disc radiating from its centre. I have hitherto employed four arms
but do not confine myself to that number as two can be made to answer
is some cases. These arms are bent at right angles at the outer ends to
form supports for the axes of the hubs m, to which the cutters are
attached. The cutters n pass vertically through the said hubs, and.
when not fastened can turn with them about their axes. For use in

page_text: soil that contains but few stones the cutters are retained in position by
light supporters 7, which may be of cast iron. The said supporters are
bolted to the arms k, and have each a slot made in the projecting end,
which slot clasps the head of the cutters and holds it rigidly in place
under the ordinary strain of ploughing, but if the cutter strikes a stone
or other obstruction one of the projecting lugs or sides will be broken
off. The hub can then revolve the cutter being swept backward until
the obstruction is cleared, when a new supporter can be attached. As
these castings are inexpensive and are easily replaced they will be a
most efficient protection to the cutters, but if the soil be very strong or
full of obstructions the cutters may be kept in position by a stiff spring
attached to the arm k, and curved around so as to clasp the cutter below
the hub. This spring should be sufficiently strong to withstand the
ordinary strain of ploughing but must yield to any great obstruction to
allow the cutters to pass over it. The cutters may be either straight
or curved as may be considered most efficient; they are elevated or
depressed by various devices, one of which shown at t is a screw operated
by a wheel from the platform G. Any suitable seed-sowing device may
be attached to the apparatus a shown at u, such device having
distributing pipes V so that the grain may be sown and then ploughed
or harrowed in. A roller or a series of broad wheels y is attached to the
frame b to run on the ground just in front of the cutters. These rollers
or wheels regulate the depth of the cut and prevent the throwing out
of the cutters by inequalities in the surface.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and shown how the same may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,―
First. A steam plough with the rotating knives n operating in a
horizontal plane and transversely to the travel of the machine, and the
supporting arms k or equivalent devices together with the vertical
shaft h, the whole constructed and operating substantially as herein
described.
Second. The movable frame b, c, operated by the screw tor equivalent
device for raising and lowering the cutters, substantially as described.
Third. Operating the ploughs directly from the engine by the toothed
wheels U, V, X, X', and the shaft W kept in gear as described or
equivalent device, substantially as described.
i

page_text: Fourth. The cutters n either straight or curved rotating in the hubs m
and kept in place by the break pieces r, or springs, substantially as and
for the purpose described.
Fifth. The rollers y attached to the frame b, substantially as and for
the purpose described.
Sixth. The steering apparatus consisting of the wheels C mounted on
the standard D and operated by the wheel E and screw F, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.).
Witness,
THO. N. PALMER,
Clerk to Mess. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.