IMPROVEMENTS IN SEED DRILLS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Minshall Baxter, of 36, Bedford Gardens, Ken-
sington West, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEED DRILLS."-A communication from abroad by
Alfred Ernest Hollings, of James Street, Hamilton, Ontario, in the
Dominion of Canada.
Sealed the 29th May 1874, and dated the 9th December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Minshall Baxter at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th December 1873.
I, MINSHALL BAXTER, of 36, Bedford Gardens, Kensington West, in
the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEED DRILLS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to improve the construction of seed
drills, and the improvements relate partly to the construction of the seed
measurers for delivering a continuous and even supply of seed to the
tubes which are to deliver it into the shallow trenches formed by the
coulters, and also to automatic apparatus for throwing the seed measuring

page_text: apparatus out of action whenever the coulters are raised up so as to be
clear of the land.
For delivering a measured supply of grain to each of the jointed tubes
which lead in rear of the coulters I employ a disc wheel having a short
cylinder around its circumference and projecting from it on both sides.
This wheel is for the most part enclosed within a case, which it divides
vertically into two compartments, into either one or other of which grain
is supplied continuously from the seed box according to the bulk of
grain to be delivered.
The case is composed of two side pieces, which come one on either
side of the disc, and close up to the ends of the cylinder which is at the
periphery of the disc wheel. The axis of the disc wheel passes through
both side pieces, and has a square hole formed through it in order that
when a number of the measurers are mounted in a row below the seed
box a square shaft may be passed through all of them, and give to them
a revolving motion. Above the top of each disc wheel is a bridge piece
which completes the division of the case into two compartments.
The lower part of each compartment is of a curved form like the
lower part of a letter J, the axis of the disc wheel being at the centre
of the curve. The grain thus rests against one half only of the disc,
whilst the opposite part is exterior of the case, and as the lower part of
the compartment curves upwards the grain rests upon its bottom and
cannot flow out of the outlet orifice at the end of the curve so long as
the disc wheel is not revolved, but when the wheel is revolved it carries
the grain round with it and raises it above the outlet orifice, from which
it drops into the jointed tubes which convey it into the trenches formed
by the coulters.
In order to ensure that the grain shall thus be carried round with the
disc wheels as they revolve there are slight projections made at intervals
on the interior circumference of the cylinders which are around their
periphery.
The quantity of grain delivered by the seed measurers is capable of
being varied by varying the speed at which the disc wheels are driven.
In order to control the delivery of the grain from the seed box into
either the right or left-hand compartments of the seed measurers,
according to the size or quantity of grain to be delivered, there is at the

page_text: bottom of the seed box a slide with a number of holes formed through
it, one for each seed measurer, and the slide can be moved endwise so as
to bring these holes to coincide with the entrances to the right or left-
hand compartments of the measurers as desired. The upper surface of
the slide inclines in all directions to the several holes so that all the seed
in the seed box can be delivered from it.
The square shaft which passes through the several disc wheels has
upon it at one end a toothed wheel which by an intermediate wheel is
put into gear with another toothed wheel on the hub of the supporting
wheel which is on that side of the machine, and thus motion is given
from this wheel to the several disc wheels of the measurers.
The intermediate wheel is carried by a lever, which when the coulters
are raised is raised also, and the intermediate wheel is thus moved out of
gear with the other wheels. By this means the the measuring apparatus
is automatically thrown out of action whenever the coulters are raised
so as to be clear of the land.
The speed at which the disc wheels of the measurers are driven may
be varied by varying the proportions of the gear wheels.
Each measuring apparatus may be fitted with a separate slide to shut
it off from the seed box so as to put it out of action. Thus a portion
only of the width of the machine may be used when sowing along head-
lands and such like.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Minshall Baxter in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 9th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MINSHALL
BAXTER, of 36, Bedford Gardens, Kensington West, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Minshall Baxter, Her

page_text: special license that I, the said Minshall Baxter, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Minshall
Baxter, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEED DRILLS," a communication to him from abroad by
Alfred Ernest Hollings, of James Street, Hamilton, Ontario, in the
Dominion of Canada, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Minshall Baxter, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly 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 Minshall Baxter, 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 to improve the construction of seed
drills, and the improvements relate partly to the construction of the seed
measures or distributors for delivering a continuous and even supply of
seed to the tubes which are to deliver it into the shallow trenches formed
by the coulters, and partly to automatic apparatus for throwing the seed
measuring apparatus out of action whenever the coulters are raised up
so as to be clear of the land.
For delivering a measured supply of grain to each of the jointed tubes
which lead in rear of the coulters I employ a disc wheel having a short
cylinder around its circumference and projecting from it on both sides.
This wheel is for the most part enclosed within a case, which it divides
vertically into two compartments, into either one or other of which grain
is supplied continuously from the seed box, according to the bulk of
grain to be delivered.
The case is composed of two side pieces, which come one on either
side of the disc, and close up to the ends of the cylinder which is at the
periphery of the disc wheel. The axis of the disc wheel passes through

page_text: both side pieces, and as a square hole formed through it in order that
when a number of the measurers are mounted in a row below the seed
box a square shaft may be passed through all of them and give to them
a revolving motion. Above the top of each disc wheel is a bridge piece
which completes the division of the case into two compartments.
The lower part of each compartment is of a curved form like the
lower part of a letter J, the axis of the disc wheel being at the centro
of the curve. The grain thus rests against one half only of the disc,
whilst the opposite part is exterior of the case, and as the lower part of
the compartment curves upwards the grain rests upon its bottom and
cannot flow out of the outlet orifice at the end of the curve so long as
the disc wheel is not revolved, but when the wheel is revolved it carries
the grain round with it and raises it above the outlet orifice, from which
it drops into the jointed tubes which convey it into the trenches formed
by the coulters.
In order to ensure that the grain shall thus be carried round with the
disc wheels as they revolve there are slight projections made at intervals
on the interior circumference of the cylinders which are around their
periphery.
E
The quantity of grain delivered by the seed measurers is capable of
being varied by varying the speed at which the disc wheels are driven.
In order to control the delivery of the grain from the seed box into
either the right or left-hand compartments of the seed measurers,
according to the size or quantity of grain to be delivered, there is at
the bottom of the seed box a slide with a number of holes formed
through it, one for each seed measurer, and the slide can be moved end-
wise so as to bring these holes to coincide with the entrances to the right
or left-hand compartments of the measurers as desired.
The upper
surface of the slide inclines to the several holes, so that all the seed in
the seed box can be delivered from it.
The square shaft which passes through the several disc wheels has
upon it at one end a toothed wheel which by an intermediate wheel is
put into gear with another toothed wheel on the hub of the supporting
wheel which is on that side of the machine, and thus motion is given
from this wheel to the several disc wheels of the measurers or dis-
tributors.

page_text: two parts of the hopper casing, and is thus prevented from rising, whilst
at the same time the projections rest upon small lugs cast with the
casing, and thus the bridge piece is kept from resting upon the top of
the wheel. There is an opening in the side of each part of the casing
at d', as shewn, which forms the outlet mouth of the hoppers through
which grain is caused to escape whenever the wheels are revolved. The
two sides of the casing d are kept at the requisite distance apart from
one another so as not to bear against the central wheel by distance pieces
cast upon them at d², and through these distance pieces rivets are passed,
as shewn, which hold together all the parts of the measurer or distributor.
Through the central boss of each wheel is a square hole, through which
passes the spindle 6 by which the several wheels are to be driven.
The several seed measurers are, as before stated, mounted in a row
below the bottom of the seed box f. At the bottom of the seed box is
a slide g, with openings through it, which by shifting the slide to the
right or left can be brought over either the right-hand hopper or the
left-hand hopper of each seed measurer, according to the size or quantity
of seed which is to be measured out. h is a filling block which can be
dropped behind either the right or left-hand end of the slide to keep it
in whichever position it may have been moved into. Between the bottom
of this slide and the upper end of each seed measurer are also other
slides of thin sheet metal, by which the entrance of grain into any of
the measurers may be cut off if desired, whilst other of the measurers
remain in action, which is sometimes of use when sowing seed over a
narrow width, as at a headland. The shaft 6 at its end has upon it a
toothed wheel k, which by intermediate wheels / is driven from a toothed
wheel m on the hub or stock of one of the carrying wheels. The inter-
mediate wheels are carried by a lever o which at one end is free to turn
around the axle of the carrying wheel, and at its other end can be
connected to a notched plate p. From the back of the plate p project
two pins, which pass through slots in the metal plater which forms the
end of the seed box. The pin at the upper end of the plate p is also
connected to a bell-crank lever 8, on the other arm of which is a pin
which when the coulters are in the ground is acted upon by a projection
n from the bar or barrel t, to which are connected the several chains by
which the coulter levers are raised, as is usual.
+
When the barrel t is in the position shewn in full lines in the Drawings
น

page_text: the lever handle w raised out of the ground the projection n moves away
from the bell-crank levers and allows the notched plate p to drop,
carrying with it the lever o and intermediate gear wheels 7, and by this
means the intermediate wheels are put out of gear with the toothed
wheel on the shaft b, so that the wheels of the several measurers cease
to be driven immediately that the coulters are raised from the ground.
In order that the amount of grain delivered by the measurers may be
varied to any extent desired the wheels 7 may quickly be taken off and
replaced by others of different diameters. And in order that whatever
intermediate wheels are used they may whenever the coulters are in the 1
ground be held in gear with the wheel 7 there is a projection on one side
of the lever o which can be sprung into any one or other of the notches
in the plate p, and when so sprung into one or other of these notches is
held from escaping from it by a spring # fixed to the opposite side of
the lever, and which bears against the casing by which the several gear 1
wheels are enclosed. This casing is not shewn in the Drawings.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
1. The arrangement of seed measuring or distributing apparatus, sub-
stantially as herein described.
2. The arrangement of apparatus for putting the seed measurers or
distributors out of action whenever the coulters are raised out of the
ground.
2
In witness whereof, I, the said Minshall Baxter, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of 2
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
stantially as herein described.
2. The arrangement of apparatus for putting the seed measurers or
distributors out of action whenever the coulters are raised out of the
ground.
2
In witness whereof, I, the said Minshall Baxter, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of 2
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.