THINNING TURNIPS IN THE DRILL
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, DAVID BRIGGS, Major General, of Strathairly, Fife, a Deputy Lieutenant,
and Justice of the Peace for the County of Fife, do hereby declare the nature of
my invention for THINNING TURNIPS IN THE DRILL to be as follows:-
"
The invention consists of working a hoe or hoes by a lever directed by "cams
fixed in the centre, or at the sides, of rollers similar to those of an ordinary turnip
Bowing machine.
The lever directly works the hoe or hoes and causes them to separate the turnips
into bunches at regular intervals. It receives the requisite lateral motion from its
inner end being in connexion with the "cams" on the rollers.
The lever turns on a fulcrum bracketted to an iron bar behind the rollers-or
the fulcrum may be placed otherwise if additional power is required.
The outer end of the lever carries the hoe or hoes which are so fixed that they
can be lowered, or heightened, or placed at any angle required.

page_text: I, DAVID BRIGGS, Major General, J.P. & D.L. for Fifeshire, of Strathairly by
Largo, Fife, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for THINNING TURNIPS
IN THE DRILL and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The Invention consists in working a Hoe or Hoes fitted to the long arm of a
pivoted bar to which lateral motion is given by the short arm being in connection
with cams inserted between the small ends of cone shaped rollers of the ordinary
turnip-sowing machine pattern. The bar is so pivoted that when the machine is
in motion and the rollers revolving, the lateral action obtained from the cams
causes the hoe to cross and recross the line of newly brairded plants with rapid and
steady strokes, clearing from 9 to 10 inches, the length of the intervals being
regulated by the diameter of the revolving shaft. The hoe is keyed into its socket
so as to be heightened, lowered, or placed at any required angle according to the
height of the drills, or the condition of the soil. To assist the operation of thinning
scrapers or knives are fitted to the frame of the machine in advance of the hoe,
which scarify the shoulders of the drills up to the line of plants and leave them
sufficiently exposed to receive the full action of the hoe.
The nature of this invention may be moro particularly described and ascertained
in the following terms assisted by the drawings annexed. Figure 1 represents the
elevation and Figure 2 the plan of the machine and Fig. 3 the cross section. On
the connecting shaft a, a, of a pair of rollers b, b, such as are ordinarily used for
turnip sowing machines, triangular plates with curved sides, generally designated
cams, are fixed. In the groove c, c, formed by the cams the short end of a lever d, d,
having its pivot on the frame of the machine at e, e, is controlled by a stud f, f.
The forward motion of the rollers directs the stud round the shoulders of the
cams and communicates a sweeping lateral motion as shewn by letters g, g, g, to
the longer end of the lever whereby the hoes h, h, h at the end of the lover are
caused to cross and recross the lines of plants with a sharp stroke removing surplus
plants, and leaving small bunches from oight to ten inches apart, according to the
diameter of the driving shaft.
The sweeping action of the hoes cleans the crown of the drills of weeds in a
thorough way. The hoes are of forms and sizes adapted to suit the particular
nature of the soil, and the condition of the plant at the time of use.
The sides of the drills are cleaned by ordinary scuffle blades or scrapers i, i, i
fixed in a special way to the strong frame k, k by double headed wedges and
collars, and their position is adjusted at will in a simple manner.
The hoes and scufflers are lifted when required by ordinary hand levers 1, 1, 1 and
suspending rods m, m at the heads of which are graduated slots to provide requisite
adjustment.
When removing the machine from place to place the mechanism of the hoes is
put out of gear by lifting the levers d, d off the pivots e, e and replacing them in
a reversed position with the stud f upwards and disengaged from the groove c, c, c.

page_text: The frame n, n and horse shafts o, o, of the machine are of the ordinary form of
turnip sowing implements.
For the purpose of topping turnips, cutting comfrey or other plants grown in
drills, a cutting blade hinged at the longer end of the lever where the hoes h, h
are shown in the drawings is suspended. This blade is swept right and left across
the drills as shewn by letters g, g, g by the action of the lever, and thus cuts off
the shawa of turnips, or mows down other plants to which the implement may be
applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The application of the cam motion to a pivotted lever bar at the long end of
which a hoe or hoes are caused to strike the lines of young plants in the drill,
dividing them into equi distant clusters.
2. The fitting of the usual drill paring knives or scufflers in a simple and effective
manner fully described herein.
3. The application of the same cam motion to the lever fitted with a cutting
blade, or blades by which I purpose to top turnips, mow comfrey or other plants
grown in the drill.
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