IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hornsby and James Edwin Phillips,
both of Spittlegate Ironworks, Grantham, in the County of
Lincoln, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS."
Sealed the 24th January 1871, and dated the 29th October 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hornsby and
James Edwin Phillips at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 29th October 1870.
We, RICHARD HORNSBY and JAMES EDWIN PHILLIPS, both of
Spittlegate Ironworks, Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLOUGHS,""
to be as follows :-

page_text: and upon one of the handles or slits which inclines away from the beam
we fix the hinder plough in such manner that it can be moved along it,
and so we adjust the distance between the lines of work of the two
ploughs as we may require. We do not notch or cut the beam or stilt
in order to fix the plough bodies thereto, but we employ screw clips at
the front and back of the body in order to clamp it tightly to the beam
or to the stilt. The body in each case has projections upon it at the
place where the hinder clip comes and the beam of the stilt passes.
between these projections. Near where the forward clip comes the body
is provided with a set screw to rest on top of the beam or stilt, this screw
forms a stop to resist the downward pressure of the share or mould board
and by means of it the share can be set to the inclination desired. The
beam is supported in front by an inclined wheel running in the angle of
the furrow cut at the bout, the stem of this wheel which is adjustable
vertically is carried by a cross slide which is clipped to the under side
of the beam by a screw clip which also carries the draught plate. This
arrangement admits of the adjustment of the leading furrow wheel both
in its distance from the beam, and also along the beam to or from the
leading plough. The land wheel is carried by a lever arm on an axis
running horizontally across the plough frame, and when the plough
arrives at the headland it is tilted out of the ground by depressing this
wheel by means of a lever handle connected by a rod with an arm on
the transverse axis. A set screw moving with the lever handle and
taking a bearing on one of the stilts regulates the inclination of the arm
on which the land wheel is mounted when the plough is at work.
In order to faciliate the turning of the plough when it is raised out
of the land by the depression of the land wheel we take the weight of
the plough off the shares by means of a small wheel running in the
furrow of the leading plough. This wheel is supported by an arm on an
axis received into the frame of this plough and a link connects the arm
with another short arm on the transverse horizontal axis already
mentioned. This small furrow wheel when the plough is at work is
carried slightly above the bottom of the furrow, but when the land wheel
is depressed to raise the plough out of work this wheel is also forced
down for a short distance until it is just below the level of the shares, and
the plough is then supported on it and the land wheel and is readily
turned. In order to insure the lubrication of the axis of the lift wheel,

page_text: we form it hollow with a perforation through it within the wheel. This
hollow is filled with oil through an oil hole at the side which may be
plugged. There is a furrow wheel at the back of the implement in the
rear of the hinder plough; it is carried by a stem from the frame of this
plough, so that when the plough is adjusted in position on the stilt it
carries the furrow wheel with it, a set screw is provided in the connection
between the stem and the plough body for the adjustment of the furrow
wheel laterally should it be necessary. The mould boards are as usual
supported at the back by adjustable screw stays, and in order that they
may fit closely to the shares, however they may be adjusted, they are
formed in front to a circular are and the bolt which fixes them to the
body is in the centre of this are. The back of the share is formed to a
corresponding curve.
In order as far as possible to reduce the wear of the wheels and axles
and to facilitate the removal of the wearing parts we case the studs
which support the wheels with tubes of chilled cast iron and these on
the inner side are formed with overlapping flanges to exclude grit from
the nibbing parts. The boss of the wheel is also of chilled cast iron, and
is separate from the other parts, to which it is connected by bolts..
In some cases in order to steer the plough when at work as far as is
requisite to straighten the furrow, we arrange the leading furrow wheel.
in such manner that it can be moved whilst the plough is at work either
to or from the plough beam, but still remaining parallel therewith. For
this purpose we carry the wheel on a bar connected with the beam by
two links of equal length which we cause to incline by means of a
steering handle pivoting on the beam. We also construct single furrow
wheel ploughs without any sole or side plate, and we employ in addition
to the leading wheels a wheel under the mould board and running in
the angle of the furrow to take the side thrust of the plough. The
stem of this wheel is fixed by a clip to the beam or to the stilt which
admits of its being adjusted up or down, and in this way the plough
share is set to an inclination suitable to the work without the use of a
lever neck or an adjustment between the beam and the plough body.
The wheel is also capable of a lateral adjustment by moving it along the
beam or stilt which is inclined at the place where the wheel stem is
clipped to it. The stilt which carries this wheel is fixed to the beam and
the other stilt to the plough body.

page_text: 1
In some cases we apply to this plough an additional land wheel, its
stem is clamped to the beam or stilt behind the plough body. We
sometimes fix knives to the back of the mould boards of ploughs to
divide the furrow as it is turned, or in some cases we employ a knife
formed so as to remove the upper angle of the last turned furrow.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Hornsby and James Edwin Phillips in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th April 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
HORNSBY and JAMES EDWIN PHILLIPS, both of Spittlegate Ironworks,
Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Richard Hornsby and James Edwin Phillips,
Her special license that we, the said Richard Hornsby and James Edwin
Phillips, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said Richard Hornsby and James Edwin Phillips, our 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
PLOUGHS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Richard
Hornsby and James Edwin Phillips, our executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 we, the said Richard Hornsby and James Edwin
Phillips, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in

page_text: 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 :-
•
This Invention has for its object improvements in ploughs.
In constructing double furrow ploughs we fix the leading plough upon a
straight beam to which the handles or stilts of the plough are attached,
and upon one of the handles or stilts which inclines away from the
beam we fix the hinder plough in such manner that it can be moved
along it and so we adjust the distance between the lines of work of the
two ploughs as we may require. We do not notch or cut the beam or
stilt in order to fix the plough bodies thereto, but we employ screw clips
at the front and back of the body in order to clamp it tightly to the beam
or to the stilt. The body in each case has projections upon it at the place
where the hinder clip comes and the beam or the stilt passes between
these projections. Near where the forward clip comes the body is provided
with a set screw to rest on top of the beam or stilt. This screw forms
a stop to resist the downward pressure of the share or mould board and
by means of it the share can be set to the inclination desired. The beam
is supported in front by an inclined wheel running in the angle of the
furrow cut at the last bout; the stem of this wheel which is adjustable
vertically is carried by a cross slide which is clipped to the under side
of the beam by a screw clip, which also carries the draught plate. This
arrangement admits of the adjustment of the leading furrow wheel
both in its distance from the beam, and also along the beam to or from
the leading plough. The land wheel is carried by a lever arm on an
axis running horizontally across the plough frame, and when the plough
arrives at the headland it is tilted out of the ground by depressing
this wheel by means of a lever handle connected by a rod with an
arm on the transverse axis. A set screw moving with the lever handle
and taking a bearing on one of the stilts regulates the inclination of
the arm on which the land wheel is mounted when the plough is at
work.
In order to facilitate the turning of the plough when it is raised out of
the land by the depression of the land wheel we take the weight of
the plough off the shares by means of a small wheel running in the
furrow of the leading plough. This wheel is supported by an arm on
an axis received into the frame of this plough, and a link connects this.
arm with another short arm on the transverse horizontal axis already
mentioned. This small furrow wheel when the plough is at work is

page_text: carried slightly above the bottom of the furrow, but when the land
wheel is depressed to raise the plough out of work this wheel is also
forced down for a short distance until it is just below the level of the
shares and the plough is then supported on it and the land wheel, and is
readily turned. There is a furrow wheel at the back of the implement
in the rear of the hinder plough, it is carried by a stem from the frame
of this plough so that when the plough is adjusted in position on the
stilt it carries the furrow wheel with it, a set screw is provided in the
connection between the stem and the plough body for the adjustment
of the furrow wheel laterally should it be necessary. The mould boards
are as usual supported at the back by adjustable screw stays, and in
order that they may fit closely to the shares however they may be
adjusted they are formed in front to a circular arc, and the bolt which
fixes them to the body is in the centre of this arc. The back of the
share is formed to a corresponding curve.
In order as far as possible to reduce the wear of the wheels and axles,
and to facilitate the renewal of the wearing parts, we case the studs
which support the wheels with tubes of chilled cast iron, and these on
the inner side are formed with overlapping flanges to exclude grit from
the rubbing parts. The boss of the wheel is also of chilled cast iron and
is separate from the other parts to which it is connected by bolts.
In some cases in order to steer the plough when at work as far as is
requisite to straighten the furrow we arrange the leading furrow wheel
in such manner that it can be moved whilst the plough is at work either
to or from the plough beam, but still remaining parallel therewith. For
this purpose we carry the wheel on a bar connected with the beam by
two links of equal length which we cause to incline by means of a
steering handle pivotting on the beam.
We also construct single furrow wheel ploughs without any sole or
side plate, and we employ in addition to the leading wheels a wheel
under the mould board and running in the angle of the furrow to take
the side thrust of the plough. The stem of this wheel is fixed by a clip
to the beam or to the stilt which admits of its being adjusted up or
down, and in this way the ploughshare is set to an inclination suitable
to the work without the use of a lever neck, or an adjustment between
the beam and the plough body. The wheel is also capable of a lateral
adjustment by moving it along the beam or stilt which is inclined at
the place where the wheel stem is clipped to it. The stilt which carries

page_text: Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 is a plan of a double furrow
plough constructed according to our Invention. a is the beam, and
b, b', are the stilts or handles bolted to it. The stilt 6 on the right-hand
side is fitted within the channel of the beam; the stilt 6 on the left-
hand side for the greater part of its length is channelled on the side like
the beam, and it carries the hinder plough body. It may be in one
piece with the beam a in place of in two parts, as the Drawings represent.
c, c, are the plough bodies, they are cast with lugs c¹, which embrace
the beam, and the screw staples or clips a bind them tightly to it. At
the fore part of the body there is a lug projecting over the beam, and a
set screw c² passes through it to adjust the inclination of the body to
the beam. The hinder body is also cast with a horn c³, to which the
coulter e is fixed. At the front of the beam is the draft plate f, and
in the casting of which it forms part two passages are formed at right
angles to each other; through the upper one the end of the beam passes
and a locking screw f¹ holds it securely. Through the lower passage
the horizontal cross bar or slide 9 passes and is screwed by a binding
screw; h is a socket piece, also with two passages through it, which is
similarly clamped upon the bar g, and holds the vertical stem of the
leading furrow wheel i, so that the stem is adjustable up and down in
the socket, and laterally along the bar g; h* is the land wheel of the
plough it is carried by an arm 7 on a transverse horizontal shaft, which
is held in the long socket or bearing m; this bearing is secured by the
same bolts which attach the stilts to the beam; n is an arm pinned upon
the axis and connected by the rod o with the handle p; q is a set screw
i

page_text: in an arm connected with this handle, it bears on the top of the stilt b',
and this retains the wheel arm at any inclination to which it may be
set. The arms and n are formed with teeth which lock together, as
the Drawing shews, and when set are retained by a nut on the end of
the axis. The axis at its other end has an arm upon it, and this by a
connecting rod is linked with an arms jointed at s¹ to the body of the
leading plough. This arm carries the small wheel s², so that, as will be
seen when the handle is drawn back, the two wheels are simultaneously
depressed in respect to the frame and so the ploughs are raised at the
headland, and when so raised can be readily turned or moved from place
to place. The arms is made broad on the under side, so as to take a
bearing on the sole of the furrow if the wheel s2 should sink in the soil,
and in such cases the wheel may advantageously be removed; the broad
surface of the arm being then brought down on to the top of the furrow.
t is the hinder furrow wheel, it is carried by a stem t¹, which is fixed to
the body of the hinder plough; it is held between four lugs on the body
by an eye bolt & passing through and drawn up by a nut on the other
side; u, u, are the ploughshares, which fit on to the plough bodies in
the usual way; they terminate at the back in a circular arc, and the
mould boards fit to them; v¹, v¹, are the bolts by which the mould
boards are fixed to the plough bodies, and v², v², are adjustable screw
stays supporting the mould boards at the back. The stay of the mould
board of the leading plough passes to the stilt b, and that of the hinder
plough is supported from the axis of the rear furrow wheel.
By forming the share and mould board in the manner shown, the
back of the mould board can be set in or out, and the share will fit
closely to it in either position. The shares also may be made lighter
than heretofore.
Figures 3 and 4 show to a larger scale the method of securing the
plough body; it is in all respects similar to that above described, except
that the projections previously mentioned which embraced the beam are
dispensed with, the ends of the screw staple which clamps the body to
the beam taking their place, the staple being passed through holes
formed for it in the body.
Figure 5 is a section through the boss of one of the wheels with its
axis. a, a, are the spokes, and b a ring cast with them; c is the wearing
piece of the wheel, it is a chilled casting and is fixed in the ring 6 by
the bolts d; e is the wearing piece of the axle, it is also a chilled casting,
b

page_text: and has a hollow within it to hold oil for lubrication; f is a cap to
retain the wheel on its axis, and g is a pin or bolt passing through the
axis piece e and through the stem for carrying the wheel and fixing them
firmly together.
Figure 6 is a side view and Figure 7 a plan of a plough very similar
to that already described, except that it is furnished with a steering
lever a for guiding it in lieu of its being guided by the stilts. This
lever as is also shown at Figure 8 turns on a vertical pin 6 fixed in the
casting c on which the draft plate is formed. The lever a is jointed
at a', and the portion of it in rear of the joint is of wood; d is a notched
plate into which a projection on the lever drops to retain it in any
desired position. The end of the lever in front of the pin b is forked
and embraces a projection upon the piece e in which is a socket holding
a horizontal bar f, on which the wheel is clamped as in the plough
already described. The socket piece e is connected with the casting c
by the two links which control the piece and bar f, so that it can be
moved by the steering lever in or out, but all its positions are parallel.
In these Figures there are dotted lines showing the land wheel in a
more forward position than that which the full lines indicate.
It may
be thus placed if preferred, and the slight variation in the arrangement
of the arms and parts which this change renders necessary are also
indicated. The small wheel s² is also dispensed with, the arms being
used without it.
We would here remark that in speaking of double furrow ploughs we
include ploughs such as are sometimes made to turn simultaneously
a greater number of furrows. In such cases the arms should be in the
furrow of the centre plough.
Figure 9 is a side view and Figure 10 is a plan of a single furrow
plough constructed according to our Invention. a is the beam to which
one of the stilts 6 and the plough body care bolted, the other or right
hand stilt being fixed to the plough body; d is the mould board with its
stay e, and fis the share; g and h are the leading furrow and land wheels,
they are carried by a cross bar, clamped to the beam in the manner
described in respect to Figs. 1 and 2, except that the draught plate is
in this case a separate piece; i is an inclined wheel running in the furrow
under the mould board or in the space which the mould board is
clearing; its stem passes through a screw clip, as is also shewn in
Figure 11, and is thus clamped to the beam. By moving this clip along

page_text: the inclined portion of the beam the position of the wheel can be adjusted
in a lateral direction, and it can be adjusted vertically by sliding the
stem through the clip. An additional land wheel is also in some cases
mounted on the stem of the furrow wheel i as is clearly seen in Figure 11;
I is a knife fixed to the back of the mould board to divide the furrow
slice, the knife may be so arranged as to cut off either the upper or
lower angle as is shewn in Figure 12. If the lower angle is cut off the
bottom is better filled, and if the upper. angle is removed there is less
work left for the harrow to do.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
of performing the same we would have it understood that we claim, —
First. The construction of the framing of double furrow ploughs on
which the plough bodies, coulters, wheels, and parts connected therewith
are fixed substantially in the manner described in respect to Figures 1,
2, 6, and 7.
Second. The construction of the framing of ploughs in such manner
that the plough body may be secured to the beam or part which carrics
it by clips without notching, cutting, or perforating the beam or other
such part substantially as described.
Third. The arrangement for attaching to the beam the adjustable
cross slide which carries the leading furrow wheel substantially as
described in respect to Figures 1, 2, 9, and 10.
Fourth. The arrangement to aid in raising double furrow ploughs out
of the land and in supporting them whilst turning, consisting of a support
which can when the ploughs are to be raised be brought down upon the 2
sole or bottom of the furrow of the forward plough substantially as
described.
Fifth. The arrangement for raising double furrow ploughs out of
the land by the simultaneous depression of the land wheel and a support
resting on the sole or bottom of the furrow of the leading plough 3
substantially as described.
Sixth. The arrangement for supporting the hind furrow wheel by
means of a stem fixed to the plough body substantially as described.
Seventh. The construction of the mould board and share with the
joint between them, a circular arc in the centre of which is the bolt 3
which secures the mould board to the plough body substantially as
described.

page_text: Eighth. The construction of plough wheels and axles so that the
wearing parts may be readily renewed in the manner substantially as
described.
Ninth. The arrangement for steering double furrow ploughs by
mounting the leading furrow wheel with the axis and the stem which
carries it in such manner that whilst the plough is at work they may
by means of a steering lever be moved to and from the plough beam
substantially as described.
Tenth. The construction of the frame of single furrow ploughs (that
is to say, the combination of the beam plough body and stilts) and the
arrangement of the wheels on such frame substantially as described.
Eleventh. The construction of single furrow ploughs with four
supporting wheels substantially as described.
Twelfth. The arrangement of a knife on the mould board to divide
the furrow as it is turned, removing the upper or lower angle therefrom
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Hornsby and James
Edwin Phillips, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.
RICHARD HORNSBY.
(L.S.)
JAMES EDWIN PHILLIPS. (L.S.)