IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR BREAKING OR OPENING LAND
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ager, of Aylsham, in the County of Norfolk,
LL.D., for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS
FOR BREAKING OR OPENING LAND."
Sealed the 16th October 1861, and dated the 6th May 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. left by the said George Ager at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
May 1861.
I, GEORGE AGER, of Aylsham, in the County of Norfolk, LL.D., do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR BREAKING OR OPENING LAND," to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to a combination of means in which series of
revolving or moveable prongs, or cutters, or tines are employed in opening or
breaking land, and to operating upon the soil as broken and raised by one set
of teeth by means of other teeth. I employ a ring or series of rings of
teeth arranged and supported in a frame with capability of adjustment, and in
connection therewith according to my present improvements, I apply another
ring or series of rings revolving in the same direction and having prongs,
cutters, or teeth, which may be curved or straight, such ring or rings of teeth
having motion given to them and being caused to revolve between and clear
the earth from the rows of teeth in the former rings of teeth. In place of
I also sometimes employ other
rings the teeth may be radial or partly so.

page_text: series of teeth caused to revolve in position to receive the earth from these
clearing rings of teeth, and thereby pulverize the soil more effectually in such
soils as the same may be required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Ager in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
November 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
AGER, of Aylsham, in the County of Norfolk, LL.D., send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Ager, Her special licence that I, the said George Ager,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Ager, 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
MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR BREAKING OR OPENING LAND," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Ager, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 George Ager, 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:-
The improvements relate to a combination of means in which series of
revolving or moveable prongs, or cutters, or tines are employed in opening or
breaking land, and to operating upon the soil as broken and raised by one
set of teeth by means of other teeth, I employ a ring or series of rings of teeth
arranged and supported in a frame with capability of adjustment and in
connection therewith, according to my present improvements, I apply another

page_text: ring or series of rings revolving in the same direction, and having prongs,
cutters, or teeth, which may be curved or straight, such ring or rings of teeth
having motion given to them and being caused to revolve between and clear
the earth from the rows of teeth in the former rings of teeth. In place of
rings the teeth may be radial or partly so. I also sometimes employ other
series of teeth caused to revolve in position to receive the earth from these
clearing rings of teeth, and thereby pulverize the soil more effectually in such
soils as the same may be required.
But that the nature of the improvements and the means which I adopt in
carrying the same into effect may be better understood I will proceed more
fully to describe the same aided by the accompanying Drawing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figures 1 and 2 shew two side views, and Figure 3 a plan of apparatus
arranged according to my improvements. It will be seen that some of the
parts are similar to those shewn and described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me, bearing date the 27th day of April 1860,
No. 1062.
a and b are the supporting or carriage wheels, the axles of which are affixed
to and support the frame c; d, d, are a series of cutters or tines affixed to
rings d', d', upon an axle d², similar to those described in the Specification of
my former Patent referred to. The axle d² is supported in bearings carried
by the frame e, which at one end turns in the standards c¹ of the frame c, and
towards the other end is formed with racks e¹, the teeth of which are taken
into by the teeth of pinions f, f, affixed to axes f¹, one on each side, and which
turn in bearings carried by the framing c. Upon each of these axes f¹ is
also affixed a pinion f taken into and capable of being simultaneously
operated by the screw threads g formed on the axle g', which is capable of
being operated by a key or other suitable means to cause it to revolve and
thereby raise or lower the opposite end of the frame e, and thereby raise or
lower the rings of tines or cutters d; but according to my present improve-
ments the frame e also carries another axle h, carrying other rings of teeth
or tines adapted to operate upon the soil as broken and raised by the teeth,
or tines, or cutters d. The rings of teeth or tines ¹ have motion given to
them in the same direction as those of the
tines d in the following
manner; upon the axle d is affixed the pinion i, which by means of the
intermediate wheel ¹ gives motion to the pinion affixed upon the axle h,
by which the motion is given to the rings of teeth h¹ in the desired direction.
In place of the teeth h¹ being affixed to rings they may radiate at once from
teeth or

page_text: the axle h, or incline thereto. The. dotted lines ; indicate other teeth affixed
to an axle, supported by a frame from the frame e, and having rotary
motion given to them by means of a strap or band, or by toothed wheels from
the axle h. The object of these teeth ; when used is to clear the teeth h¹, and
thereby, as stated, to pulverize the soil more effectually, and if desired there
may be several rows of these clearers j.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the means
which I have found to answer in carrying the same into effect, I would have
it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details shown, nor
do I claim the various parts separately considered, but what I do claim is the
adaptation or combination of means for breaking or pulverizing land, sub-
stantially as described.
In witness whereof, I; the said George Ager, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this First day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
GEORGE AGER.
(L.S.)