IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRILLING AND HOEING LAND
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Priest and William Woolnough, the younger,
Agricultural Implement Makers, of Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRILLING AND HOEING
LAND."
Sealed the 26th December 1861, and dated the 9th July 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Priest and William
Woolnough at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 9th July 1861.
We, ALFRED PRIEST and WILLIAM WOOLNOUGH, the younger, Agricultural
Implement Makers, of Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRILLING
AND HOEING LAND," to be as follows:-
Our first improvement in the fore carriage steerage used for drills & horse
hoes consists in fixing a shaft in front of the steerage posts or top rail, on
each end of which a screw sheave is fixed, with or without multiplying wheels,
and the crank handle, which is held by the man steering; chains are wound
round these screw sheaves, and, passing through friction rollers, are attached
at the other end to the front frame of the drill. As the man turns the wind-
lass handle, one chain winds to the same extent as the other unwinds, thus
giving such rigidity to the steerage and power to the man steering that how-
ever rough & cloddy the land he is always enabled to keep the steerage wheels.
in the right track.

page_text: Secondly, in turning drills & horse hoes, a turntable (not new, but invented
by ourselves) is provided. The present improvement consists in fixing this
turntable or other similar contrivance to a lever or levers, and attaching the
levers to the implement. When required to turn at the headlands, the turn-
table is lowered under the wheel for it to turn on, and again raised by the
same means when the implement is round. For this purpose it is necessary
that the fulcrum of the lifting lever should be at a point distant from the
centre of the axletree upon which the travelling wheel turns, and slotted or
otherwise, to suit the different circles marked by the travelling wheel and
turntable, otherwise the lever would not carry the turntable under the wheel
or clear of it.
Thirdly, to raise or lower the ends of the bar that carries the jointed ends
of the levers of drills & horse hoes. In both implements, when swing irons
are used to steer the levers, this bar is usually attached at each end to the
bottom of a pair of jointed irons suspended from the frame. Our. improve-
ment is in attaching the tops of the jointed irons to a shaft made with double
cranks or levers so constructed that by depressing one lever the other is
raised, & vice versa, the jointed swing irons being retained in the required
position by means of ratchet wheels & palls. The levers which carry the hoes,
and the guard bar in which they work up & down, are attached to cranks or
eccentrics fixed to the side frame by chains, and thence connected to the
handle by which the man steers; by this means, when the steering handle is
depressed, the hoes are taken out of work.
Fourthly, in making the bottom or wearing part of drill coulters loose or
detached from the body of the coulter. Hitherto drill coulters have been cast
in one piece, that is, the coulter & stalk together, or the coulter separate &
attached to hammered. iron stalks. The. improvement is for making the
coulter itself independant of the stalk, in two parts, the lower or wearing part
being made with projections or tenons to fit into corresponding mortices in the
upper part.
Fifthly, in drilling or sowing compost or artificial manures, the box, of the
implement in which it is contained is usually made whole, the manure being
carried to the barrel that delivers it by means of stirrers placed inside. Our
improvement.is in making the front part of the box nearest the bottom to
vibrate by means of eccentrics. or cranks driven by gear-wheels, or other suit-
able machinery, so that at each motion of this vibrating door a regular
quantity of manure is continually supplied, to the barrel that delivers it into
the spouts or distributing hod.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Priest and William Woolnough in the Great Seal
⚫ Patent Office on the. 8th January 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ALFred
PRIEST and WILLIAM WOOLNOUGH, the younger, Agricultural Implement
Makers, of Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, send greeting.
"WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Alfred Priest and William Woolnough, the younger, Her special licence that
we, the said Alfred Priest and William Woolnough, the younger, our exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alfred Priest
and William Woolnough, the younger, our 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
inight 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 MACHINERY FOR DRILLING AND HOEING LAND," upon the
condition (amongst others), that we, the said Alfred Priest and William
Woolnough, the younger, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 we, the said Alfred Priest and William Woolnough,
the younger, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
imanner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in implements for drilling
and hoeing land. The first is in the fore carriage steerage commonly used on
drills and horse hoes, and consists in fixing a shaft in front of the steerage posts
or top rail. On each end of this shaft screw sheaves and the crank handles,
by means of which the attendant regulates the steerage, are hung. Chains
are fixed to and wound round these screw sheaves, and passing through friction
rollers are attached at the other end to the front frame of the implement. As
the man turns the windlass handle one chain winds round the sheave to the
same extent as the other unwinds, thus giving such rigidity to the steerage

page_text: and power to the man steering, that however rough and cloddy the land, he is
able to keep the steerage wheels in the proper track. We prefer to put
multiplying wheels on the end of the screw shaft, so that the speed of that
shaft may be slower than that on which the crank handle would then be fixed.
Secondly, in turning drills and hoes at the headlands, in order to bring the
travelling wheel into its former wheel track, and prevent the young plants
from being cut up by the turning of the wheel, we provide a turntable upon
which the wheel may be placed and turn. Hitherto these turntables have
been suspended by chains, from the implement when in motion requiring to
be let down and placed under the wheel when turning. Our improvement
consists in fixing it or similar contrivance to a lever or levers, and attaching
such levers to the arms of the implement, so that, when turning, the turntable
may be placed under the wheels by mechanical means, and taken up again in
a similar manner. For this purpose it is necessary that the fulcrum of the
lifting lever should be at a point distant from the centre of the axletree, or if
placed on the axle centre, must be slotted or otherwise to suit the different
circles marked by the travelling wheel and turntable, otherwise the lever would
not carry the turntable under the wheel or clear of it.
Thirdly, in raising or lowering the horizontal bar or bars which carry the
fixed ends of the levers of drills and horse hoes, and in the facility afforded
for taking the implement out of work while in motion. Instead of suspending
the swing or pendant irons (to which the horizontal bar is usually attached at
each end) from the frame of the implement, we suspend them from a rocking
shaft with double cranks or levers, so placed that when one lever is depressed
the other is raised, and vice versâ, the pendant irons and horizontal bars
being retained in the position required by ratchet wheels and palls. The hoe
levers and guard bar, in which they work up and down, are attached to
cranks or eccentrics fixed to the side frame by chains, and thence connected
to the handle by which the man steers; by this arrangement, when the steering
handle is depressed, the hoes are taken out of work.
Fourthly, in making the wearing part of drill coulters loose or detached
from the body of the coulter itself. Hitherto drill coulters have been cast or
forged in one piece, that is, the coulter and stalk together, or the coulter blade
cast by itself and afterwards rivetted to wrought-iron stalks. Our improve-
ment is in making the coulter blade (independant of the stalk) in two parts,
so that when the false bottom or shoe becomes worn it may easily and cheaply
be replaced. We make the shoe or wearing part with projections or tenons
to fit into corresponding mortices in the body of the coulter.
Fifthly, in drilling or sowing compost, or artificial manures, the box of the

page_text: drill has hitherto been made whole, the manure being carried to the barrel
that delivers it by stirrers placed inside. Our improvement is in making the
front part of the box nearest the bottom to oscillate by means of eccentrics or
cranks driven by gear wheels or other suitable machinery, so that at each
motion of this vibrating door a regular quantity of manure is continually
supplied to the barrel that delivers it into the spouts or distributing hod.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we proceed to describe
motion of this vibrating door a regular quantity of manure is continually
supplied to the barrel that delivers it into the spouts or distributing hod.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we proceed to describe
the manner of performing same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shews a side elevation of a horse hoe with a fore steerage attached;
Fig. 2, plan of same; Fig. 3, back view of same; Fig. 4, side elevation of
turntable and lever, different views of which are also shewn in Figs. 1, 2, & 3;
Fig. 5, a right-hand side view or elevation of a manure box; Fig. 6, a back
view of same; Figs. 7, 8, 9, & 10, plans and sections of drill coulter, so much
of a horse hoe and drill with our improvements attached being therein shewn
as will serve to explain the nature and operation of our Invention. The
ordinary fore carriage steerage is so well known that it is unnecessary to
explain more than the details of our improvement..
a is a shaft fixed in front of steerage posts; b, b, are screw sheaves
hung on same; c, c, are internal gear wheels, and d, d, pinion wheels gearing
into same; e, e, crank handles, by which the man regulates the steerage from
either side; f, f, are chains fixed to and wound round the screw sheaves b, b,
and attached at the other end to the frame of the implement; 9, 9, are
friction rollers through which the chains pass: When the crank handles e, e,
5 are moved to and fro to regulate the steering, the chain is wound on one
sheave to the same extent as it unwinds off the other, so that to whatever
angle the steerage may be guided with regard to the hoe, it may always
be held perfectly rigid in that position until again required to move it.
h, in Figs. 1, 2, & 3, shews our improved turntable in different positions under
the travelling wheels. i, Fig. 4, is a side view of the lifting lever, a back
view of which is also shewn in Fig. 3; j, the fulcrum of the lever; k, the
ratchet; and 1, the palls.. It will thus be seen that when the lever is pulled
down, as indicated by the dotted lines, the turntable is released from the
wheel, and the lever retained in its place by the ratchet and palls. m, Fig. 3,
shews a similar contrivance,-fixed outside the travelling wheel on the axle of
the hoe. This lever requires to be slotted where it fits on the axle, so as to
admit of the turntable being carried clear of the wheel tire; we also fix the
turntable to the lifting lever, so as it may yield more or less according to the

page_text: nature of the ground. The plan of raising or lowering the bars that carry'
the fixed ends of the levers of drills and horse hoes is thus arranged :-
n, n, are the two horizontal bars; o, o, the swing or pendant irons; p, p, the
cranks fixed on the shaft q; r, r, handles also fixed to the shaft q; and s,
the ratchet and palls. When the handler is pulled down, the cranks p, p,
and pendant irons o, o, are raised, so that the horizontal bars n, n, may be
set at any inclination required, the shaft q being retained in its place by the
ratchet and palls 8, 8.
t,.t, are the hoe levers; u, u, cranks fixed at side of
frame; w, the steerage handle, all of which are connected by the chains x, x,
so that when the steerage handle w (which is jointed in the middle, as shewn,
Fig. 2) is depressed, the hoe levers and hoes are lifted out of the ground.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation of our improved drill coulter; Fig. 8, a front
elevation of same; Fig. 9, section across a¹, b¹; and Fig. 10, another side
elevation, shewing the shoe or wearing part detached, the dotted lines
indicating the size and shape of the coulter when the detached shoe is fitted
in its place. The shoe is fastened by an iron or wooden peg.
Fig. 5 is the elevation of the off side of a manure box, and Fig. 6, back
view. of same. cis the oscillating door; d¹, a shaft running the width of the
box, which shaft receives motion from the gear wheels at the side; e¹ are
bearings in which the shaft revolves. The shaft is provided with small
eccentrics or cranks where it passes through the door hinges f¹. It will
thus be seen that as this door is kept in a continued state of agitation by
being moved to and fro in a rapid manner, as above described, the manure is
continually being pushed forward on to the delivering barrel g', which receives
and delivers it either in rows or broadcast, as required.
What we claim and wish to be protected by Letters Patent is, effecting
the objects herein referred to in the manner described, or any colorable
imitation thereof.
In witness whereof, we, the said Alfred Priest and William Woolnough
the younger, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh day
of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
Witness,
JAMES EP. LAWRENCE,
Kingston, Surrey.
ALFRED PRIEST.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM WOOLNOUGH, JN³. (L.S.)