CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS
Year: 1841

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM TO WHOM, THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
I, THEOPHILUS SMITH, of Attleborough, in the County of Norfolk, Farmer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-one, and in the fourth year of the reign of
Her said Majesty, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Theophilus Smith, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, Her
especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Theor
philus Smith, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said
Theophilus Smith, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within that part of Her Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain
and, Ireland. called. England, Her Dominion of Wales, Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and
also in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso, that I, the said Theophilus Smith, shall cause a description
of the nature of my said, Invention, and the manner in which the same is to
be performed, to be enrolled in Her, said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in

page_text: part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that the nature of my said improvements in ploughs
consists in the addition thereto of certain contrivances, by means of which
both the breadth and depth of the furrows, and also the line of direction
thereof, can be regulated and varied at will by the person using the plough
without stopping it for that purpose, and the manner, in which the same is to
be performed is ascertained and set forth in the following description thereof,
reference being had to the several Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
Figure 1 represents the manner in which the said improvements are
adapted to what is commonly called a fen plough. A is the breast and share;
B, the coulter; C, C, the handles; D is the beam; E is the hake, to which
the drag chain is attached, moving vertically upon a centre pin at f, which
passes through the two side irons of the hake and through the beam; G is a
lever, working through a guide frame. H; and centred on a fulcrum pin in an
upright I. A forked connecting piece K. connects the lever c with the inner
extremities of the hake irons e... Several holes are provided for the insertion
of the pins both in the connecting piece K-and-in-the upright I, in order to
increase the range of the adjustment at pleasure. Within the guide.frame H
on the left side there are a number of pins or studs for holding the lever G
in any position in which it may be placed, a spring on the right side of the
lever pressing and keeping it constantly between the pins: On raising the
handle of the lever G, its other end with the connecting piece K and the inner
ends of the hake ironse are depressed, which raises the drag chain, and causes
the share A to cut deeper into the earth. On the other hand, by depressing
the lever G the drag chain is lowered, and the depth of the furrow propor-
tionally diminished.
Figure 2 shews a common swing plough, fitted with another arrangement
of mechanism for varying at will the depth of the furrow. An upright I on
the beam of the plough D carries a fulcrum pin, on which a 'bell crank L
works. One of the arms of this bell crank is attached by a connecting piece K
-to the inner extremity of the hake d, while its other arm is attached by a pin
joint to the end of a long handle M. This handle works backwards or forwards
through a guide iron N; which is supported by a curved piece of timber' rising
from the beam and attached to one of the plough handles. On the top of this
curved piece within the guide there is a..pin or stud, and a number of holes
are made in the handle M for its reception, so that by placing the pin in one
of these holes the handle is held fast in any position in which it may be placed.
On lifting the handle M and pulling it towards the tail of the plough, the bell

page_text: crank raises the inner extremity of the hake, which depresses the drag chain
to which the horses or other animals are attached, and consequently lifting the
ploughshare; diminishes the, depth of the furrow.. On the other hand, if the
handle M.is pushed towards the head of the plough, the bell crank depresses
the inner end of the lake, by which the drag chain is elevated and the plough-
share forced downwards, increasing the depth of the furrow to any desired
extent..
1.
.
Figure 3 shews an arrangement of mechanism for varying the depth of the
furrow, as applied to. wheel ploughs. A, as before, is the breast and share;
B; the coulter; C, C, the handles; D, the beam, prolonged and supported at
its further end by a roller d on the cross, rail of the frame or gallows O, which
cross rail may be set at any required height by pins inserted in the two upright
sides. The frame O is mounted on two small wheels, and is drawn by the
drag chain E. It is affixed to the plough beam by a chain P, and also by a
bar which is bolted to the top rail of the frame. The other end of the
bar Qis pinned to a.lever R, which rises perpendicularly between the handles
C, C, and works in a curved guide frame F, furnished on the inside with studs
or pins for holding the lever R in any position in which it may be placed.
When the lever R is drawn back towards the: tail of the plough, the angular
position of the frame or gallows O is altered, and, being drawn inwards, raises
the beam D, and consequently the point of the ploughshare, by which means
the depth of the furrow is diminished. But if the handle of the lever R is
pushed towards the head of the plough, the frame or gallows O is moved out-
ward, and the beam of the plough lowered. The ploughshare, consequently,
enters deeper into the earth, and cuts a deeper furrow.
.
Figure 4 shews a second modification of apparatus, adapted to wheel ploughs,
for effecting the required alteration in the breadth and depth of the furrow.
Instead of the arrangement of levers, &c. just described, a nut S is supported
by an universal joint on the top of the frame or gallows O. Near the handle
of the plough an upright rises from the beam, which carries a journal T. In
this journal an iron rod or shaft V revolves, having at the tail end a small
winch handle; the other end of the shaft V has a screw cut upon a portion of
its length which works in the nut S. On turning the handle of the shaft V,
therefore, the top of the frame is drawn towards or pushed away from the
5 plough, according to the direction in which it is turned, and by this means the
elevating or. depressing of the ploughshare and consequent increase or diminu-
tion of the furrow is accomplished as before.
Figure 5 exhibits a third arrangement for the same purpose, adapted to
wheel ploughs. In this arrangement the extremity of the beam is jointed and

page_text: turns upon a centre pin at f, and its extreme end rests upon the cross rail of
the frame or gallows, to which it is fastened by a pin. G is a lever, working
in a guide frame H, and centred on a fulcrum pin in the upright I. One end
of the lever G is attached by a connecting piece K to the inner end of the
jointed portion of the beam. Within the guide frame H are pins for keeping
the lever in any required position. By shifting the lever G up or down, the
ploughshare is raised or depressed, and the depth of the furrow increased or
diminished, as before described.
Figure 6 shews the manner in which a screw and traversing nut -may be
employed to give motion to the bell-crank lever L (Figure 2) instead of the
lever G. Two uprights W, W, carry a screwed shaft V, upon which the
traversing nut X moves backwards and forwards, this nut being attached to
one of the arms of the bell-crank lever. On turning the handle of the shaft V,
the required elevation or depression of the ploughshare is effected.
Figure 7 represents a fourth arrangement, applicable to wheel ploughs. The
end of the beam D is jointed and supported as before described. In the
upright I 'a bell-crank lever L is centred, one of its arms being attached by
the connecting piece K to the inner end of the jointed portion of the beam,
while its other end is affixed to the end of a bar G, which is jointed to a lever
R, rising perpendicularly between the bandles C, C. The lever R works in a
guide frame, furnished with pins and a spring for holding the lever in its posi-
tion, as before described. By moving this lever backwards 'or forwards the
required alteration of the ploughshare is effected, and the deepening or other-
wise of the furrow accomplished.
Figure 8 represents a swing plough, furnished with an apparatus similar to
that already described for increasing or diminishing the depth of the furrow;
and also with an additional apparatus for the purpose of keeping the plane of
the plough coincident with the line of draught, or for setting it at any con-
venient angle thereto. The end of the beam D is jointed and moves vertically
upon a centre at f. W, W, are two uprights raised upon the beam, which
carry a horizontal shaft V, having a winch handle at one end and a screw nut
on the other throughout a portion of its length. X is a traversing nut,
attached to one arm of a bell-crank lever L, working in the upright I; the
other arm of the bell crank is attached to the inner end of the jointed portion
of the beam. On turning the handle of the shaft V the nut X raises or
depresses the ploughshare, as before described. Supported by a projection at
the lower part of the first upright W, and laying above the beam of the plough,
there is a shaft Y, furnished with a handle at the hindermost end, and with an
universal joint at ý. The end of the shaft beyond this joint terminates in a

page_text: trundle or pinion z, as shewn more clearly in Figure 9, which is a plan of this
portion of the plough beam. The hake irons pass above and below the beam,
and work round upon a pin joint at P. The upper iron carries a toothed rack
On turning the
or segment Z, Z; the teeth of which take into the trundle z.
shaft Y, the trundle working in the toothed rack or segment causes it to tra-
verse, carrying with it the drag chain E, to which the horses or other animals
are attached, the motion being to the right hand or to the left, according to the
direction in which the handle is turned.
Figure 10 shews another arrangement of mechanism for traversing the
drag chains of swing ploughs, in conjunction with the elevating or depressing
apparatus, shewn and described in Figure 1. The hake terminates in a curved
this
iron rod, which is a portion of a circle struck from the centre a¹; upon
segment a coupling piece b', to which the drag chain is attached, traverses
freely backwards and forwards. An iron bar c, d, turning on the centre a¹,
carries at one end a toothed segment Z, Z, while the other end is bent down-
wards into a portion of a circle struck from the centre e³, and passes through
an eye in the coupling piece b¹; a trundle on the end of the shaft Y takes
into the curved rack, and when turned causes it to traverse and guide the
drag chain either to the right or left of the plane of the plough, as may be
expedient. The drag chain is raised or lowered at the same time, if needful,
by the apparatus before described.
Figure 11 shews the manner in which the same object as that last provided
for may be obtained in wheel ploughs, by constructing the frame or gallows O
in a suitable way. A roller g' is placed between two uprights h, h, at any
approved elevation for carrying the end of the plough beam D, furnished with
one or other of the contrivances for raising or depressing it, before described.
These uprights h, h, pass through the top rail of the framing, and carry' a
horizontal toothed rack; a shaft i passes from near the handles of the plough
to the top rail of the framing, where it is attached by an universal joint to the
axle of a pinion k, supported in suitable bearings. This pinion takes into
the rack, and on being turned, causes it to traverse to the right or to the left,
according to the direction in which it is turned, thereby giving the required
deflection to the body of the plough. Instead of the rack and pinion a pulley
and chains may be used for traversing the uprights. >
5 And having now fully specified and set forth the nature of my said improve-
ments, and the manner in which the same are performed, I declare that what
I claim as my said invented improvements in ploughs are, the various additions
thereto, represented in the several Drawings hereunto annexed, and herein-
before particularly described, whereby the breadth and depth of the furrow

page_text: may be varied. at the pleasure of the person using the plough without stopping
the same for the purpose, and by some of which improvements also the plane
of the plough may be kept coincident with the line of draught, or set at any
convenient angle thereto. And I claim each of the said additions in the
general system of action peculiar thereto, however the same may be imma-
terially altered, or varied by a different arrangement of-the-parts, or by the
substitution of one equivalent mechanical.contrivance.for another.
And such my said Invention being, to the best of my knowledge and belief,
entirely new, and never before used within that part of Her Majesty's United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England, Her, Dominion of
Wales, Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,.. the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey,
Alderney, Sark, and Man, or in any of Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plan-
tations abroad, I do hereby declare this to be my Specification of the same,
and that I do verily believe this my said Specification doth comply fully. 'and
in all respects, without reserve or disguise, with the proviso in the said herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent_contained.;_.wherefore I hereby claim to
maintain exclusive right and privilege to my said Invention.....
In witness whereof, I, the said Theophilus Smith, have hereunto set my
. hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of August, One thousand eight