Improvements in Sowing Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sowing Machines.
I, ERNST CROLL, of 2 Kauptstrasse, Langensalza, Germany, Manufacturer of
Agricultural Machines, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for object a sowing machine which while being thoroughly
efficient shall be simple and cheap to construct. According thereto I provide the
seed distributing box or boxes with small wheels of peculiar construction they
being furnished with teeth of wedge-like form, as hereinafter fully described.
The wheels are located in the interior of the seed-box immediately opposite the
adjustable seed-exit slots or openings; the arrangement being such that the seed
is caught in the vacant spaces between the consecutive teeth of the wheels and is
pressed outwards through the exit slots or openings of the seed-box by means of
the oblique surfaces of the teeth.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings show respectively a partial cross
section and a partial plan of the seed box of a sowing machine according to my
invention.
Fig. 3 is a back elevation shewing the adjusting apparatus;
Figs. 4 and 5 show, to a larger scale, a sowing-wheel in front elevation and cross
section respectively;
.
Figs. 6 and 7 show, also to a larger scale, a slide-arrangement in vertical section
and horizontal section respectively;
Fig. 8 is an elevation of the slide-operating apparatus; and
Figs. 9 to 11 represent two constructions of cam suitable for actuating the slide-
apparatus.
a are the peculiarly formed wheels hereinbefore referred to; they are arranged
in the interior of the seed box near to the bottom thereof aud close to the
openings & therein in such a manner that they will, as they revolve, move forward
the seed towards the said openings. Each of the wheels a is provided on its
periphery with wedge-shaped teeth d, which end in points either on both sides of
the wheel (as shown in full lines in Fig. 5) or on one side only (as indicated by the
modified construction shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5), and broaden inwardly in a
wedge-like manner, and so form a circular row of wedge-shaped points. When
one of these wheels is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow I (Figs. 1, 2
and 4), seed is caught in the recesses between the consecutive teeth thereof and
the ascending surfaces y of the teeth press the seed through the openings c. fare
blocks arranged in the seed box and having inclined upper surfaces to guide the
seed down towards the lower portions of the wheels a. The regulation of the
quantity of seed sown is effected simultaneously and uniformly for all the seed exit
openings by suitably adjusting the breadth of the said openings. For this
purpose there are secured on a rod g, slides h, which are caused to more or less
cover, or completely close, the openings c by moving the rod g longitudinally.
For the purpose of shifting the rod 9 us required, it is connected to a two-armed
lever k, which is pivoted at i and whose end 7 engages in, or embraces, (as the case
may be) a cam m (Figs. 8 to 11). One half of the guiding periphery of the cam m
is such as to give a straight development while its other half is helical. The
cam m is mounted on the shaft n for moving the seed-funnels and is consequently
moved with the latter. To permit of the adjustment of the slides h, the cam m is

page_text: not fixed on the shaft n but is only held in rotative connexion therewith by a half
claw-clutch o keyed fast on the shaft n, so that after disengaging the cain a from
the half clutch o, the former can be rotated on the shaft n. To enable this to be
done, the cam is liberated by means of a handle p that is screwed on the shaft n,
whereupon a spring 7 inserted between the half-clutch o and the cam m presses the
latter from the former.
h
When the cam m is so placed that during half a revolution of the shaft n for the
purpose of adjusting the seed-funnels, its helical curve is in engagement with the
end of the lever k, the rod g will be shifted end ways a certain distance and
the slides consequently opened to a determined extent. When, however, during
another half a revolution of the shaft n and consequently of the cam m, the straight
guiding-portion of the latter is in engagement with the end of the lover &, tho
slides are not shifted and the seed-slits c remain open.
с
The cam m may be in the form of a cam shaped groove (see Figs. 9 and 10) or
a cain shaped ridge, (see Fig. 11), the effect being the same in each case.
For enabling the seed openings e to be closed separately, there are provided
slides s, which are located behind the slides and are movable in guide t. The
slides have bent ends a arranged to hear against a wedge-shaped strip u secured
to the rear wall of the seed box . When one of the slides is drawn up into the
position shown in Fig. 6, the end a wedges itself against the wedge-shaped strip u
whereby the slide is held fast in its open position. In this manner the fixing of
the slides by screws is obviated.
The wheels a of which there may be any desired number, are located in the
eced-box on a driving shaft e and are arranged at suitable distances apart.
Dated this 29th day of February 1896.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
1, ERNST CROLL of 2 Kauptstrasse, Langensalza, Germany, Manufacturer of
Agricultural Machines do hereby declaro the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention has for object a sowing machine which while being thoroughly
efficient shall be simple and cheap to construct. According thereto provide tho
seed distributing box or boxes with small wheels of peculiar construction they
being furnished with teeth of wedge-like form, as hereinafter fully described.
The wheels are located in the interior of the sced-box immediately opposite the
ndjustable seed-exit slots or openings; the arrangement being such that the seed
is caught in the spaces between the consecutive teeth of the wheels and is pressed
outwards through the exit slots or openings of the seed-box by means of the
oblique surfaces of the teeth.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification show
respectively a partial cross section and a partial plan of the seed-box of a sowing
machine according to my invention.
Fig. 3 is a back elevation showing the adjusting apparatus.
Figs. 4 and 5 show, to a larger scale, a sowing wheel in front elevation and cross
section respectively;
Figs. 6 and 7 show, also to a larger scale, a slide-arrangement in vertical section
and horizontal section respectively;

page_text: Fig. 8 is an elevation of the slide-operating apparatus; and-
Figs. 9 to 11 represent two constructions of the cam suitable for actuating the
slide-apparatus.
a are the peculiarly formed wheels hereinbefore referred to; they are arranged
in the interior of the seed-box b near to the bottom thereof and close to the exit.
openings c therein in such a manner that they will, as they revolve, move forward
the seed towards the said openings. Each of the said wheels is provided on its
periphery with wedge-shaped teeth d, which end in points either on both sides of
the wheel (as shown in full lines in Fig. 5) or on one side only (as indicated by the
modified construction shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5), and broaden inwardly in a
wedge-like manner, and so form a circular row of wedge-shaped points. When
one of these wheels is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow I (Figs. 1, 2
and 4) seed is caught in the recesses between the consecutive teeth thereof and.
the ascending surfaces y of the teeth press the seed through the exit openings ca
fare blocks arranged in the seed-box and have inclined upper surfaces to guide
the seed down towards the lower portions of the wheels a.
C
The regulation of the quantity of seed sown is effected simultaneously and
uniformly for all the seed exit openings c by suitably adjusting the breadth of such
openings. For this purpose there are secured on a rod g, slides h, which are
caused to more or less cover, or completely close, the said openings by moving the
rod g longitudinally. For the purpose of shifting the rod 9 as required, the said
rod is connected to a two-armed lever k, which is pivoted at i and whose end l'
engages in, or embraces, (as the case may be) a cam m (Figs. 8 to 11). One half
of the guiding periphery of the cam m is such as to give a straight development so
as to hold the lever stationary while its other half is helical. The cam m is
mounted on the shaft n for moving the seed-funnels and consequently moves with
the latter. To permit of the adjustment of the slides h, the cam m is not fixed on
the shaft n but is only held in rotative connexion therewith by a half claw-clutch o
keyed fast on the shaft n, so that after disengaging the cam m from the half
clutch o, the former can be rotated on the shaft n. To enable this to be done, the
cam is liberated by means of a handle p, that is screwed on the shaft n, whereupon
a spring 7 inserted between the half-clutch o and the cam m presses the latter from
the former.
When the cam m is so placed that during half a revolution of the shaft n, for
the purpose of adjusting the seed-funnels, its helical curve is in engagement with
the end of the lever k, the rod g will be shifted endways a certain distance and the
slides consequently opened to a determined extent. When, however, during
another half of revolution of the shaft and consequently of the cam m, the straight
guiding-portion of the latter is in engagement with the end I of the lever k, the
slides are not shifted and the seed slits c remain open.
The cam m may be in the form of a cam shaped groove (see Figs. 9 and 10) or
a cam shaped ridge, (see Fig. 11), the effect being the same in each case.
For enabling the seed exit openings e to be closed separately, there are provided
slides s, which are located behind the slides h and are movable in guides t. The
slides s have bent ends s' arranged to bear against a wedge-shaped strip u secured
to the rear-wall of the seed-box b. When one of the slides s is drawn up into the
position shown in Fig. 6, the end a wedges itself against the wedge-shaped strip u,
whereby the slide is held fast in its open position. In this manner the fixing of
the slides s by screws is obriated.
The wheels a, of which there may be any desired number, are located in the
seed-box on a driving shaft and are arranged at suitable distances apart.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A sowing machine provided with wheels a having wedge-shaped teeth d,
which are pointed on one or both sides and increase in breadth downwardly and

page_text: backwardly and are adapted to catch the seed and force it outwards through the
sced exit openings a of the seed-box, substantially as hereinbeforo described.
2. A sowing-machine of the kind specified in the preceding claim, in which the
regulation of the seed-slits c is effected uniformly and simultaneously by means of
slides which are secured on a rod y and can be adjusted as desired by means of a
cum m, which is mounted on the seed-funnel shaft n so as to be capable of being
loosened and adjusted thereon and which has a partly straight and partly curved
guide-surface, and a two-armed lever which, during the revolution of the shaft n,
can be operated by the said cam to actuate the said rod y substantially as heroin-
before described.
3. In a sowing-machine of the kind specified in Claim 1, the arrangement of
slides for separately closing the seed-openings e, these slides each having a bent
upper end which, when the corresponding slide is pushed up, will become wedged
against a wedge-shaped strip u so as to hold the said slide in the open position,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In a sowing-machine, the combination and arrangement of parts constituting
the improved means described and shown for supplying eced to the seed exit
openings and for regulating the size of said openings.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, Loudon, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.