AN IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE CULTIVATION OF GREEN CROPS."
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marcus Eustace, of Hampstead Glasnevin, in
the County of Dublin, Ireland, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN THE CULTIVATION OF GREEN CROPS."

page_text: the tufts left growing is effected with regularity and rapidity, such
machine being termed "green crop spacing machine."
This machine consists of a number of similar parts, of which there may
conveniently be six to eight, coupled together side by side, and all
drawn across the drills by horse or other suitable power, being guided by
means of a pair of stilts like those of a plough held in the hands of the
driver. Each of the parts thus coupled together consists of a front and
a hind portion united together. The front portion is somewhat like an
inverted trough consisting of a top piece with two sides projecting down-
wards. The lower edge of each of those sides is of a curved form, so
that as the machine is drawn across the drills this front portion is made,
by passing over the drills, to rise and sink with a wave-like motion.
The hinder portion is of similar construction, with sides also curved at
their lower edges so as to have a similar movement in passing over the
successive drills. The hinder portion, however, has in front of it, and
between it and the front portion, an inclined blade like that of a hoe
projecting from it. The position of this hoe is so adjusted to that of
the curved sides above described, that as the hoe approaches the summit
of each successive drill its edge is made to enter the soil under the
plants. Being drawn forward with the advance of the machine it clears
off from the drill a width of plants equal to its own breadth, and being
then lifted by the action of the curved side with a certain degree of
suddenness the plants and mould drop from its blade into the furrow
between the drill that has been operated on, and the next drill in
succession.
As drills and furrows sometimes differ in width the curved sides of
the front portion are made adjustable longitudinally, so that they may
be set forwards or backwards relatively to the hoe to suit different
widths of drilling. This adjustment may be effected by longitudinally
slotting the holes through which pass the bolts or screws used for
securing those sides, so that they may be moved and fixed more or less
backwards or forwards, as the case may be.
It may be readily understood that a number, such as six or eight, of
the parts fitted with hoes above described, being coupled together side
by side with narrow spaces between them will when drawn across the
drills have the effect of simultaneously clearing a number of spaces
equivalent to the number of hoes engaged, leaving tufts of plants
remaining on the drills in the intervals between the hoes. These

page_text: intervals may be adjusted so as to make the tufts of greater or less
width, by placing distance pieces or collars of various widths on the bolts
or bars by which the several parts of the apparatus are coupled together
or by equivalent means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Marcus Eustace in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARCUS
EUSTACE, of Hampstead Glasnevin, in the County of Dublin, Ireland,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Marcus Eustace, Her special
license that I, the said Marcus Eustace, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Marcus Eustace, 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 "AN IMPROVED APPA-
RATUS TO BE USED IN THE CULTIVATION OF GREEN CROPS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Marcus Eustace, 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 Marcus Eustace, 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
6.11

page_text: Drawing, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to
say:
In the cultivation of green crops, such as turnips and the like, it is
usual to sow the seed on drills in a continuous line; and after the young
plants have sprouted to remove with a hoe worked by hand all the
plants, except tufts of a few together, left at regular intervals, which
tufts are afterward thinned by hand.
This Invention relates to a method of effecting the operation usually
performed by hoeing by the use of a machine, whereby the spacing of
the tufts left growing is effected with regularity and rapidity, such
machine being termed "green crop spacing machine."
This machine consists of a number of similar parts, of which there
may conveniently be six to eight coupled together side by side, and all
drawn across the drills by horse or other suitable power, being guided by
means of a pair of stilts, like those of a plough, held in the hands of the
driver. Each of the parts thus coupled together consists of a front and
a hind portion united together. The front portion is somewhat like an
inverted trough, consisting of a top piece with two sides projecting
downwards. The lower edge of each of those sides is of a curved form,
so that as the machine is drawn across the drills this front portion is
made by passing over the drills to rise and sink with a wave-like motion.
The hinder portion is of similar construction, with sides also curved at
their lower edges, so as to have a similar movement in passing over the
successive drills. The hinder portion has in front of it and between it,
and the front portion an inclined blade like that of a hoc projecting
from it. The position of this hoe is so adjusted to that of the curved
sides, above described, that as the hoe approaches the summit of each
successive drill its edge is made to enter the soil under the plants.
Being drawn forward with the advance of the machine it clears off from
the drill a width of plants equal to its own breadth, and being then
lifted by the action of the curved sides with a certain degree of sud-
denness the plants and mould drop from its blade into the furrow
between the drill that has been operated on, and the next drill in
succession.
As drills and furrows sometimes differ in width the curved sides of
the front portion are made adjustable longitudinally, so that they may

page_text: widths of drilling. This adjustment may be effected by longitudinally.
slotting the holes through which pass the bolts or screws used for
securing those sides, so that they may be moved and fixed more or less
backwards or forwards, as the case may be.
It may be readily understood that a number such as six or eight of
the parts fitted with hoes above described being coupled together side
by side with narrow spaces between them will when drawn across the
drills have the effect of simultaneously clearing a number of spaces
equivalent to the number of hoes engaged, leaving tufts of plants remaining
on the drills in the intervals between the hoes. These intervals may be
adjusted so as to make the tufts of greater or less width by placing
distance pieces or collars of various widths on the bolts or bars by which
the several parts of the apparatus are coupled together, or by equivalent
means.
The Drawing hereunto annexed shews a perspective of an implement
constructed according to my Invention, consisting of six like parts
coupled together drawn by horse or other convenient power accross the
drills, and guided by a pair of stilts in the manner of a plough. Each
of the six parts consists of a front portion A and a hinder portion B
made like an inverted open trough with sides A¹ and B' having curved
edges. The sides A' are attached to the part A by means of bolts passing
through horizontal slots in the latter, so that the sides may be moved and
fixed more or less forwards or backwards relatively to the hoe blade, as
before described. The front and hinder portion A, A¹, B, B¹, are connected
together by bars C, and from these bars brackets extend downwards to
carry the hoe blades D, which are attached to the brackets by means
of bolts passing through slotted holes, as shewn, so as to admit of
vertical adjustment of the blades. The several parts of the implement
are connected together laterally by bolts E, and distance pieces F are
placed between the parts to space them as required. The holes in the
frames A, A, B, B', through which the bolts E pass are slotted verti-
cally, as shown, in order to allow the different frames to accomodate
themselves to the surface of the ground. It will be seen that as this
implement is drawn across the drills G the curved edges of A¹ and B₁
act in combination with the drills and furrows as guides, imparting to
the implement a wave-like motion, such that the hoe blades D are made
to dig from the top of each successive drill portions of the rows of
plants, leaving tufts standing in the spaces between the hoes.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim, the use for hoeing green
crops of apparatus consisting of a number of hoe blades guided in their
vertical movement, and arranged side by side, so as to constitute one
implement, which is drawn across the drills, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marcus Eustace, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 19th day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
MARCUS EUSTACE. (L.S.)