AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUL- TIVATING LAND
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Irwin, of Wellingborough, in the County of
Northampton for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUL-
TIVATING LAND."
Sealed the 12th May 1863, and dated the 1st December 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Irwin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st December 1862.
I, JOHN IRWIN, of Wellingborough, in the County of Northampton, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MACHINE
FOR CULTIVATING LAND," to be as follows:-
This machine is designed principally to give the effect of ploughing and
cross cultivating at one operation, but it may be used also with advantage
for removing "twitch" or "couch-grass" and weeds from land and for
manuring.
The machine consists principally of a central frame supported upon two.
wheels (about three or four feet in diameter) and having a hinged frame at
back and front provided with a guide wheel, fitted with a socket joint and a
guide lever. The hinged frames have each two cross bars, the first carrying
five coulters, and the second four shares or "shell boards." These frames are
hinged or jointed to the central frame of the machine, and provided with a
lever or other suitable mechanism, so. that either frame can be raised whilst

page_text: the other is lowered in order that only one set of coulters and "shell boards"
(namely, those in advance) shall be in operation in whichever direction the
machine may be drawn, the other (or hinder) set of coulters and "shell
boards being raised up out of the soil. The machine is intended to be
drawn to and fro across the land by horses, or by means of ropes actuated by
a stationary steam engine, in a similar manner to an ordinary steam ploughing
machine. The central frame of the machine is provided with a vertical shaft
driven by suitable toothed gearing from the main. axle, on which the running
wheels are keyed. This vertical shaft is provided with two or more horizontal
arms, having knives or tines projecting downwards into the soil at an angle
inclining forwards in the direction in which the shaft revolves.
It will be evident that as the machine is drawn over the land these knives
or tines revolving horizontally on the vertical shaft will cross cultivate or
intersect the furrows thrown up by the shares or "shell boards" which it
follows, and thus the land is cultivated in both directions at one time. The
tines will also bring up to the surface any "twitch," couch grass, or weeds
that may be in the land, and if manure has been previously laid' on the
surface it will also be stirred into the ground by their action.
For this purpose the coulters may be dispensed with, and a row of double
shares or "shell boards" employed, so as to throw the ground into a "stitch,"
the manure falling into the furrows, and being covered over by the action of
the revolving tines. The main axle is provided with suitable reversing gear,
so as always to drive the revolving tines in one direction, whether the machine
is going backwards or forwards.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Irwin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
June 1863..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
IRWIN, of Wellingborough, in the County of Northampton, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said John Irwin, Her special licence, that I, the said" John'
Irwin, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Irwin, my executors, "administrators, and assigns, should át

page_text: 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 MACHINE FOR CULTIVATING LAND," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said John Irwin, 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 John Irwin, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Drawings, that
is to say:-
This machine is designed principally to give the effect of ploughing and
cross cultivating at one operation, but it may be used also with advantage
for removing "twitch", or "couch grass' and weeds from land and for
manuring.
The machine consists principally of a central frame supported upon two
wheels (about three or four feet in diameter) and having a hinged frame at
back and front provided with a guide wheel, fitted with a socket joint and a
guide lever. The hinged frames have each two cross bars, the first carrying
five coulters, and the second four shares or "shell boards." These frames are
hinged or jointed to the central frame of the machine, and provided with a
lever or other suitable mechanism, so that either frame can be raised whilst
the other is lowered; in order that only one set of coulters and shell boards."
(namely, those in advance) shall be in operation in whichever direction the
machine may be drawn, the other (or hinder) set of coulters and "shell
.boards being raised up out of the soil, or the coulters and "shell
boards" may be fixed in rails attached to the central frame, and raised or
lowered as required by means of screws or racks. The machine is intended
to be drawn to and fro across the land by horses or by means of ropes
actuated by a stationary steam engine, in a similar manner to an ordinary
steam ploughing machine. The central frame of the machine is provided
with a vertical shaft connected by suitable toothed gearing to the main axle,
on which the running wheels are keyed. This vertical shaft is provided with
two or more horizontal arms, having knives. or tines projecting downwards
"

page_text: into the soil at an angle inclining forwards in the direction in which the shaft
revolves, or if preferred, the arms may carry a rim, in which the tines are
fixed either in an inclined or perpendicular position.
It will be evident that as the machine is drawn over the land these knives
or tines revolving horizontally on the vertical shaft will cross cultivate or
intersect the furrows thrown up by the shares or "shell boards" which it
follows, and thus the land is cultivated in both directions at one time. The
tines will also bring up to the surface any "twitch," couch grass, or weeds
that may be in the land, and if manure has been previously laid on the
surface it will also be stirred into the ground by their action.
For this purpose the coulters may be dispensed with, and a row of double
shares or "shell boards" employed, so as to throw the ground into a "stitch,"
the manure falling into the furrows and being covered over by the action of
the revolving tines. The main axle may be provided with suitable reversing
gear, so as always to drive the revolving tines in one direction, whether the
machine is going backwards or forwards.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "An Improved
Machine for Cultivating Land," I will now proceed to describe more in detail
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, and in order that the same may be distinctly understood I
have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have
marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding with
those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say:-
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 represents a front view of the improved
machine; Figure 2, a side view, and Figure 3, a plan or horizontal view of the
same as seen from above.
a, a, is the central frame supported upon the two wheels b, b, keyed upon
the axle c, c. To this frame a, a, is hinged at back and front a frame d, d,
each frame d, d, carrying a guide wheel e, e, provided with a socket joint and
guide lever or rod. Each frame d, d, is also furnished with a chain and
pulley f, f, by means of which it may be raised off the ground by the lever g, 9;
h, h, h, h, are four rails (two in front and two behind the central axle) fur-
nished with coulters i, i, i, i, and "shell boards" k, k, k, k. These rails may
either be connected to the hinged frames d, d, or to the central frame a, a.
In the former case they will be raised up out of the ground by the raising of
the hinged frame, whilst in the latter case they must be furnished with
screws, as shown at 1, l, or with racks and pinions, so as to be raised up
independently of the hinged frame. The dotted lines k*, k*, show the double
shares for covering in manure. The central frame a, a, of the machine is

page_text: provided with a vertical shaft m, m, connected by the skewed bevil wheels n, n,
to the main axle c, c, upon which the running wheels b, b, are keyed. This
vertical shaft m, m, is furnished at its lower end with horizontal arms o, o,
carrying a rim p, p, in which are fixed knives or tines 9, 9, 9, 9. The machine
is propelled and worked by means of a rope from a stationary engine passing
around the grooved pulley s, s, at the upper end of the vertical shaft m, m.
The action of these revolving knives or tines following the coulters and "shell
boards" will be to intersect or cross cultivate the furrows thrown up by the
latter, so that the land is cultivated in both directions at one time, as previously
described. The main axle may be provided with suitable reversing gear, so
as always to drive the vertical shaft m, m, in one direction, whether the
machine is going backwards or forwards, by providing it with another skewed
bevil wheel at the other side of the vertical shaft, and connecting the two by a
coupling box, so that either one may be thrown into gear with the wheel on
the shaft m, m, whilst the other is thrown out of. gear. The vertical
shaft m, m, is also provided with a spiral feather or groove, and a nut or
screwed collar r, r, (see Figure 1,) by turning which (by means of a key) the
tines may be raised up off the ground when going to or returning from the
field, and lowered into action again when required.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for "An
Improved Machine for Cultivating Land," together with the manner in which
the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I would
remark, in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention the improved machine
for cultivating land, as shown in the Drawings hereto annexed, and above
particularly described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Irwin, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
BRISTOW HUNT.
Solr. & Patent Agent, .
1, Serle St., Lincoln's Inn.
JOHN IRWIN. (L.s.)