IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DISTRIBUTING FARM-YARD MANURE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY SKINNER, of Cote Town, Leslie, Insch, in the county of Aberdeen,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR DISTRIBUTING FARM-YARD MANURE," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in machines or apparatus for distributing
farm-yard manure on to land.
The improved apparatus consists of a hopper, which may be attached to the back
of the cart or wagon which carries the manure; and the bottom of this hopper is
formed of angle or T iron bars, or of boards of wood set on edge, and separated
from each other to such an extent as to leave narrow slots between them. These
bars or boards extend to some depth and form a box-like framing with upper and
lower horizontal bars, which are secured by bolts to the cart or wagon framing.
Up through the slots formed between the bars or boards forming the bottom of the
hopper pass a series of spiked bars or spiked segments, which are carried by
oscillating links or arms in front, and are acted on by cranks or eccentrics connected
to them between the supports and the spiked ends. A spiked bar or segment is
provided for each slot or division, each bar or segment being armed with a number
of spikes; and each bar or segment, or two or more of them, may be acted on by
a separate crank on the same crank shaft. Thus, if there are three spiked bars
or segments, a three-throw crank shaft may be used, or a number of cranks
corresponding to the number of bars or segments may be employed. The action of
the cranks is to raise the spikes slightly through the slotted bottom of the hopper,
while the spiked bars are traversed towards the rear of the machine, that is, while
they carry with them a portion of the manure in the hopper and discharge it out
by the rear end; and in returning to the forward position, these spikes aro
depressed below the level of the bottom or floor of the hopper. One set of the bars
or segments may be traversing rearwards while other sets are moving forward, so
that a constant and approximately uniform quantity of manure is carried away and
dropped over the end of the hopper. The cranks and other gearing and also the
securing bolts are well forward within the box-like framing below the floor of the
hopper, and are out of the way of any manure which may drop through. In lieu
of feeding out the manure by reciprocating spiked bars or segments as described,
a series of endless bands provided with spikes, which project up through the floor
of the hopper, may be used and be traversed continuously by means of rollers or

page_text: pulleys on a rotating shaft replacing the crank shaft. The crank shaft or the
rotating shaft is driven by gearing or by bands from the cart or wagon wheel or
axle of the machine, so that the rate of delivery of the manure may correspond to
the rate of movement of the cart or wagon over the ground. At the rear end of
the hopper are fitted a series of adjustable boards or guards, which are suitably
inclined to direct the manure into the drills, or to one side or other of the machine.
These boards or guards may have a jogging or shuffling motion imparted to them
to prevent clogging, and they may be hinged by a rod, chain, or other appliance
when not at work, or this appliance may enable the manure to be distributed at
any angle for hilly land. When distributing broadcast these guards may have in
their place a suitably constructed guard or board with corrugations suitably
angled to secure broadcast distribution. These boards or guards, whether for drills
or broadcast, may be removed when not at work or when the cart or wagon is
coming and going to be refilled.
A rocking shaft provided with spikes may be fitted over the hopper to prevent
too rapid delivery of the manure. The bars or boards which form the floor of the
'hopper, may also have a jogging or shuffling motion imparted to them to prevent.
clogging; and two or more distributing hoppers may be fitted behind the cart or
framing carrying them.
1001

page_text: I, HENRY SKINNER, of Cote-Town, Leslie, Insch, in the County of' Aberdeen,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR DISTRIBUTING FARM-YARD MANURE"; and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This Invention relates to improvements in machines or apparatus for distributing
farm-yard manure or other matters on to land.
A modification of the improved machine is illustrated in side elevation, end
elevation and plan in figures 1, 2, and 3. Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are detailed
views hereinafter referred to.
The improved apparatus consists of a hopper A which may be attached to the
back of the cart or wagon W which carries the manure; and the bottom A¹ of this
hopper is formed of angle T iron or flat bars, or of boards of wood or sheets of iron
set on edge and separated from each other to such an extent as to leave narrow
slots a between them. These bars or boards extend to some depth, and form
a box-like framing, with upper and lower horizontal bars which are secured by
bolts to the framing of the machine, or to the cart or wagon framing. Up through
the slots a formed between the bars or boards forming the bottom of the hopper, .
pass a series of spiked bars or spiked segments B, which are carried by oscillating
links b in front, and are acted on by cranks or eccentrics C connected to them
between the supports and the spiked ends. A spiked bar or segment B is provided
for each slot or division a, each bar or segment being armed with a number of
spikes, and each bar or segment, or two or more of them, may be acted on by
a separate crank on the same crank shaft. Thus if there are three spiked bars
or segments B, a three-throw crank shaft may be used, or a number of cranks,
corresponding to the number of bars or segments may be employed. The action of
the cranks is to raise the spikes above the level of the slotted bottom A¹ of tho
hopper A, while the spiked bars B are traversed towards the rear of the machine,
that is while they carry with them a portion of the manure in the hopper, and
discharge it out by the rear end; and in returning to the forward position, these
spikes B are depressed below the level of the bottom or floor A' of the hopper A.
One set of the bars or spiked segments may be traversing rearwards, while other
sets are moving forward, so that a constant and approximately uniform quantity of
manure is carried away and dropped over the end of the hopper A. The cranks C
and other gearing, and also the securing bolts are well forward within the box-like
framing below the floor of the hopper, and are out of the way of any manure which
may drop through. In lieu of feeding out the manure by reciprocating spiked bars
or segments as described, a series of endless bands B¹ or a rotatory drum B provided
with spikes which project up through the floor of the hopper may be used, and be
constructed as shown in figures 4 and 5. The hopper in this case is formed by
a grating of bars of iron, or boards of wood. The endless bands may be traversed
continuously by means of rollers or pulleys D on a rotating shaft E replacing the
crank shaft C of the first arrangement. A rocking shaft F provided with spikes f
and operated by levers F¹ from the crank C, may be fitted over the hopper to
prevent too rapid delivery of the manure. If one rocking shaft be used, the speed
of the same may be in proportion to the number of bends in the crank shaft C
below, so that the rocking shaft may travel forwards each time the spiked segment
or segments on one bend of the crank shaft comes above the floor of the hopper A.

page_text: Two or more rocking shafts F see figure 7, may be used in proportion to the
number of bends on the crank shaft below, the spikes f on which rocking shafts
will move backwards or forwards in unison with the motion of the spiked segments
below. Two or more distributing hoppers G may be fitted behind the cart or
framing carrying them. The hopper may be divided into two divisions, so that
the machine may be constructed to distribute into two drills. The machine may
be driven by a pitch chain H and wheels or other gearing H¹ from the hub of the
cart wheel. By constructing the machine to lie across the end of the cart, greater
facility exists for depositing the manure into the drill as the manure falls vertically
and may be kept from spreading too far by suitable guides K of iron or wood
which if removed enables the machine to distribute the manure broadcast. The
crank shaft and distributing apparatus is driven by gearing H I, J, from the cart
or wagon wheel or axle of the machine, so that the rate of delivery of the manure
may correspond to the rate of movement of the cart or wagon over the ground.
At the rear end of the hopper are fitted a series of adjustable boards or guards K,
as shown in figures 2 and 6, which are suitably inclined to direct the manure into
the drills, or to one side or other of the machine. These boards or guards may
have a jogging or shuffling motion imparted to them by the cranks C and links K¹
to prevent clogging, and they may be hinged by a rod, chain, or other appliance
when not at work, or this appliance may enable the manure to be distributed at
any angle for hilly land. When distributing broadcast, these guards K may be
dispensed with altogether, or they may have in their place a suitably constructed
guard or board with corrugations suitably angled to secure broadcast distribution.
The machine may be driven by spur, bevel, or any suitable type of gearing with
suitable clutch arrangements, and the gearing may be constructed on a separate
. framing from the distributing apparatus, which may be made to fit to any cart
separate from the gearing; thus enabling one distributing apparatus to serve two
carts or wagons each of which may have a set of gearing bolted to it, as is indicated
in figure 8. Thus while one cart is distributing with the apparatus, the other is
being refilled, and can be lifted or hinged on from the empty one to the refilled one.
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,
First. The combination of parts forming the improved manure distributing
apparatus herein described and illustrated.
Second. The arrangement in manure distributing apparatus of the hopper with
slotted bottom, through which operate a series of spiked segments or endless spiked
bands or drums, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The combination with the spiked segments operating in the slotted
hopper of the rocking spiked shaft serving to prevent too rapid delivery of
manure, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this Twentyseventh day of December 1884.