Improvements in Lifting Apparatus for Cultivators and Harrows.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lifting Apparatus for Cultivators and Harrows.
We, ROBERT HENRY FOWLER and THOMAS BENSTEAD, both of The Steam
Plough Works, Leeds, in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in lifting apparatus for cultivators
and harrows and is applicable more especially where the implements are drawn by
ropes actuated by steam or other motive power.
Heretofore the usual custom has been to raise such implements by means of a
cranked axle, quadrant and V shaped lever.
By the present improvements the lifting is obtained by circular racks secured to
and revolving with the road wheels and by arms fixed on the main axle which are
coupled to the frame which carries the tines or tools and which by clutches can be
locked to the circular racks and made to turn with them for about of a
revolution and be then automatically disengaged therefrom. The clutches are
made of such form that they can be thrown into gear by means of a hand lever
under the control of the operator seated on the implement. The apparatus is so
arranged that the cultivating tools may be raised out of work at any time at the
will of the operator without stopping the implement. This facilitates the cleaning
of the tools when there is a tendency of their choking from their working in foul
land.
In one arrangement (as applied to cultivators for deep cultivation where the
tines are carried from the main frame) the circular racks fixed concentrically to
each main wheel are formed of a series of semicircular notches in their inner
circumference.
The main axle near each end has a radial arm fixed to it and also has fixed
to it at its centro a quadrant with teeth on part of its circumference. Cross shafts
each extending half across the machine parallel with the main axle are pivotted to
the radial arm and quadrant and are also carried in bearings on brackets fixed on
the frame which carries the tines or tools.
Rather more than one half of the outer ends of the cross shafts is cut away-the
remainder forms the catch to engage with any one or other of the notches of the
circular rack. When the cross shafts are turned into one position the uncutaway
portions of the ends of the cross shafts are clear of the notches of the circular
racks but when a partial turn is given to them they engage with one or other
of these notches and then the axle turns with the wheel and the tines are lifted.
The band lever has a tooth upon it which when the tines have been raised can
if desired be caused to engage with one of the teeth of the quadrant on the axle
and hold the tines out of the ground.
As the wheels revolve and the cross shafts are carried upwards the arms on
these shafts become unsupported and turn back to their original position and the
tines again drop on to the ground.
When the apparatus is applied to harrows in which the tines or tools are
carried by independent under frames the arms fixed on the main axle may have a
projecting arm to which the harrow frame is attached by a short coupling chain,
the chain serving as a flexible connection between the two.
The action of the circular racks secured to the road wheels and the cross shafts

page_text: whose ends form clutches, would remain the same as described for cultivators
except that the main axle and main frame would always have the same relative
position.
A weighted arm or arms on the cross shafts tends to turn the shafts into position
to make the clutches engage with the racks. Normally they are held out of
engagement with the racks by a pin on another arm of the shafts coming against
a curved arin of the haud lever. When the hand lever is pulled over and a
partial turn thereby given to it, the curved arm is moved away from the pin and
the weighted arm is then free to turn the clutches nol make them engage with
the circular racks. The main axle then turns for a time with the wheel and after
it has made a partial turn the clutches become disengaged from the circular racks
and the clutches remain in one uniform position whilst the racks revolve.
Dated this 27th day of February 1896.
R. H. FOWLER..
THOMAS BENSTEAD.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lifting Apparatus for Cultivators and Harrows.
Wo, ROBERT HENRY FOWLER and THOMAS BENSTEAD, both of The Steam
Plough Works, Leeds, in the County of York, Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object improvements in lifting apparatus for cultivators
and harrows and is applicable more especially where the implements are drawn by
ropes actuated by steam or other motive power.
By the present improvements the lifting is obtained by circular racks secured to
and revolving with the road wheels and by arms fixed on the main axle which
arins are coupled to the frame that carries the tines or tools and can by clutches
be locked to the circular racks and made to turn with them for about of a
revolution and be then automatically disengaged therefrom.
The drawings annexed shew lifting apparatus for cultivators and barrows
arranged in accordance with our invention.
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 show it applied to a cultivator.
In Figure 1 which is a side elevation the tines are shewn in work. Figure 2 is
an end elevation of one half of the implement. Figure 3 shews the apparatus in the
act of lifting and Figure 4 is a half plan view. The construction is the same on
both sides of the machine.
A is the axle, B is one of the road wheels and B a circular rack carried by it.
CC are arms fast on the axle-these arms are pivotted to brackets D which are
fast with the frame E to which the tines are secured. F is a spindle the inner end
of which is supported at the centre of the machine by one of the arms C its outer
end passes through the pivot which links the other arm C to the main frame E.
Rather more than one half of this outer end is cut away-the remainder forms
the catch to engage with any one or other of the semicircular notches of the
circular rack B which is fast with the main wheel-G is an arm fast on
the spindle F, its weight tends to turn the spindle into the position shewn
in Figure 1-a pin G' carried by an extension of this arm G coming against the
central arm C on the axle keeps the spindle from turning beyond this position-
G' is another pin carried by the arm G by which the spindle can be turned into
such a position that the clutch piece on the end of the spiudle engages with one
or other of the notches of the circular rack B'.

page_text: Figures 5 and 6 shew full size views of part of the circular rack and the clutch
piece in two positions one shewing it engaging with the rack the other shewing it
out of engagement.
I is a hand lever, its pivot is carried by bracket pieces I which extend upwards
from a bar forming part of the frame E. KK are arms extending from the
band lever-one comes below the pin G' of the arm G on the spindle F which
extends to one side of the machine and the other below the pin G of the arm G
on the spindle extending to the other side of the machine.
L is a notched rack fast with the central arm C which is fixed on the axle.
H' is a tooth upon the hand lever H which when the tines have been raised up
out of the ground can be made to engage with one or other of the notches of
the rack L and so keep the tines in their raised position.
When by pulling over the hand lever H the clutch pieces on the en'ls of the
spindles have been made to engage with the racks B which are fast with
the wheels B the frame E is lifted by the revolution of the wheels until by
the continued turning of the wheel the clutch pieces at the end of the spindles F
are carried up to some distance beyond the level of the axle the clutch, pieces
can then descend out of the semicircular notches of the circular rack B' and the
frame E can again descend uuless it is upheld by the tooth H' on the band
lever H.
In Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 we have shewn the apparatus applied to a harrow in
which the tines or tools are carried by an independent under frame which is
suspended by chains from arms which are fixed on the axle.
Figure 7 is a side elevation shewing the harrow teeth in work. Figure 8 is an
end elevation. Figure 9 is a side elevation with the harrow teeth out of work
and Figure 10 is a plan view of the same.
M is the axle turning in bearings on the main frame N. O is one of the road
wheels and Pa circular rack fast upon it. Q are arms fast on the axle M.
R is a frame which has the harrow teeth fixed to it and which is suspended by
chains R' from the arms Q. SS are spindles carried by the arms the outer
end of each forming a clutch piece to engage with one or other of the semi-
circular notches of the circular racks P. TT are arms fast on the spindles S,
their weight tends to turn the spindles into a position in which the clutch pieces
at their ends engage with the circular racks P. U is a hand lever its pivot is
carried by bars forming part of the main frame N. V are arms extending from
the pivot of the hand lever U.
When the hand lever is in the position shewn in Figure 7 the arms V come
against pins T projecting from extensions of the arms T and hold up these arms
in such a position that the clutch pieces on the ends of the spindles S do not
engage with the circular racks P, but if the hand lever be turned into the position
shewn at Figure 9 the armis V are moved away from the pins T and then the
arms T are free to turn the spindles S into position for the clutch pieces at their
ends to engage with the racks P and the frame carrying the harrow teeth is
raised.
W is a notched rack fast with the central arm Q which is fixed on the axle.
U is a tooth on the hand lever U which when the harrow teeth have been lifted
and are out of action can be made to engage with one of the notches in the
rack W and so retain the frame which carries the harrow teeth in its raised
position.
Figures 11 and 12 show another arrangement of our lifting apparatus.
Figure 11 is a side elevation and Figure 12 is a half rear elevation.
The hand lever A controlling the lifting action is hung by a loose link or links L
on the bracket K fixed to the main axle G and is coupled at its extreme end to a
short arm B fixed on the clutch shaft. When the lever A is pulled over about
an eighth of a revolution the clutch shaft C is partially revolved and so brings the
clutch into gear with the circular rack D on the road wheels E causing the lifting
arms Fon the axle G to rise and so lift the cultivating tools H. The clutch

page_text: shaft C has also a projection I which having travelled the necessary distance
strikes a stop bracket J this twisting the shaft and throwing the clutches out of
gear and so allowing the arms F to drop and lower the tools again into the ground.
This mechanism is absolutely automatic, and ensily operated by the steereman.
M is the steering wheel and N is the lever for retaining the tools in the position to
which they are raised. The arrangement of main axle lifting arms clutch shafts,
and circular racks remain as previously described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Lifting apparatus for cultivators and harrows in which the partial rotation of
the axle or lifting axis is obtained by locking it with the rond wheel by means of
a circular rack upon the wheel and n spindle or shaft with catches or clutch pieces
carried by arms upon the axle or lifting axis substantially as described.
2. The arrangement of circular racks fast on the main wheels the crank arms
fast on the axle having the frames carrying the tines or teeth suspended from them
and the catches by which the arms can be locked to the circular racks and
thereby caused to lift the tines or teeth out of the ground and which catches
then automatically disengage themselves from the circular racks substantially as
described.
3. Lifting apparatus substantially as described for cultivators and harrows.
Dated this 19.11
R. H. FOWLER.
THOMAS BENSTEAD.