THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Ut 



objection of one layer being coiled over the other, and 

 of the difficulty in practice of making the coils carefully. 

 Mr, Fowler now employs an endless rope, working on 

 and off two grooved pulleys. By this arrangement the 

 labour of coiling the rope, and the danger of overrun- 

 ning itself in uncoiling, are entirely done away with ; 

 and a saving of rope, moreover, cflected, equal to from 

 one-third to one- half, as compared with the old system, 

 whether of travelling or fixed windlasses. Nor do the 

 advantages of this simple arrangement end here : as the 

 pull of the engine on the plough is more direct and 

 steady, the strain on the rope and its wear and tear are 

 much lessened ; and where deemed advisable, the power 

 of two small engines, one at each end of the field, may be 

 used in place of one large engine. The weight of each 

 engine and windlass being thus reduced, they can be 

 more easily transported from place to place. The wind- 

 lasses are connected with the engine at the smoke-box 

 end, and are capable of being easily attached or detached. 

 The wire rope is joined together in lengths by means of 

 eyes, so that any desired adjustment can be quickly 

 made to the length of the field to be cultivated. Any 

 deviation in the fence of a field from a straight line can 

 be compensated for by the ploughman, who rides along 

 with the plough-frame as it traverses the field. This 

 is done by coiling the wire rope round small drums 

 hung in the frame of the plough, and thus arranged : 



Let aa lb represent the side-frames of the plough, and 6 d 

 two drums, with their shafts I'evolving ii\ bearings carried 

 by the side-frames. The two side flanges of each drum 

 are provided with internal wheels, which engage with two 

 internal pinions fixed on a shaft parallel with. the shaft of 

 the drum. The shafts carrying these pinions are con- 

 tinued beyond the side of the plough-frame, and provided 

 with handles. By turning these in the desired direction, 

 the pinions gearing with the teeth on the flanges of the 

 drums turn these round, and coil or uncoil the rope. 

 Clicks, orparls, and rachet wheels are provided to each 

 of the drums, to prevent them turning in the opposite 

 direction. As the fences vary in outline, shortening or 

 lengthening, as it may be, the respective " bouts" of the 

 plough, the rope can be coiled on, or uncoiled from the 

 drum, shortening or lengthening it as desired. 



The rope being thus fastened at points which are 

 stationary, is thus practically an endless one, and, in 

 addition to being more economically worked, presents 

 the advantage of an arrangement by which a second im- 

 plement, as a harrow, can be used on the return mpe. 



A few notes on the arrangement of the mechanism of 

 the windlass and carriage may be here acceptable. 



The two drums (a b), or pulleys, round which the 

 endless wire-rope passes, have their shafts vertical, their 

 upper ends being supported in bearings made on the 

 transverse frame of the engine carriage, their lower ter- 

 minations revolving in steps, supported by a plank. 

 To the top of the left-hand drum (a) a spur-wheel (c) 



is fixed, a similar wheel (d) being provided to the right- 

 hand drum (b) ; the two wheels (e and <l) being geared 

 together by an intermediate wheel (e), the axis of which 

 is supported by suitable bearings attached to the framing. 

 In advance of the left-hand drum (a) and parallel to its 

 shaft, a vertical shaft (/) is supported in suitable bear- 

 ings; this carries a horizontal pinion (g), which en- 

 gages wih the spur-wheel (c) of the left-hand drum (a). 

 According to the direction in which this pinion (g) is 

 made to revolve, so is the direction in which the drums 

 (rt and i) revolve, and the wire- rope made to traverse. 

 The intervention of the intermediate wheel (e) between 

 the two drums (a) (b) causes their direction of revolu- 

 tion to be coincident. We have now to note the ar- 

 rangement by which the direction of motion of the 

 horizontal pinion (g) is changed as desired. To 

 the same shaft which carries this pinion (g) a 

 bevil wheel (h) is hung. Above this horizontal 

 bevi! wheel (/^) a cross shaft (i) is supported on bearings 

 carried by the framing. At opposite ends of this cross 

 shaft a right-hand bevil pinion (j) and a left-hand one 

 (k) are keyed ; these gear with the bevil-wheel (h). 

 These bevil pinions (j and k) are capable of revolving 

 independently of the shaft (i), and it is only when a 

 sliding clutch (/) provided to the shaft, and which can 

 slide longitudinally along it, but has no motion inde- 

 pendent of it, is made to engage with either one or other 

 of the pinions, that these partake of the motion of the 

 cross shaft (i), and by consequence actuate the horizon- 

 tal bevil-wheel (/*). Thus, when the clutch (I) is in the 

 centre of the shaft (i) , the two pinions do not partake 

 of the motion of the latter; the shaft simply revolving 

 in the eye of the pinion ; but by moving the clutch (I) 

 by means of a suitable lever, so that it engages with one 

 of the pinions, this partakes of the motion of the 

 shaft (i), which is communicated to the wheel (h), the 

 pinion (j), and the drums (a and h). By this arrange- 

 ment, according to the direction in which the wire rope 

 is desired to be moved, the clutch (l) is moved to one side 

 or the other, engaging either with the left-hand bevil- 

 pinion (k), which moves the rope, say up the field from 

 the engine, or with the right-hand pinion (_;), which 

 moves the rope down the field, that is toward the en- 

 gine. To the outer end of the cross shaft {i), fast and 

 loose pulleys are keyed in. A strap from the driving- 

 pulley or the crank shaft of the engine passes over one 

 of these, according as the shaft (i) is required to be in 

 motion or otherwise. The wire-rope is kept in position 

 on the drums (a and b) by means of two small pulleys, 

 which press on the rope as it passes on and ofF the 

 drums. 



It now remains for us to notice the method by which 

 the power of the engine is made available to work the 

 whole apparatus along the field, coincident with the 

 advance of the plough, as it makes one set of furrows 

 after the other. Parallel to the cross shaft (z), a second 

 shaft (ill) is supported on bearings ; to the end of this 

 a spur-wheel (n) is provided, which gears with a pinion 

 (o) on the end of the cross shaft (?). To the opposite 

 end of the shaft {m) an endless screw (p) is fixed ; this 

 engages with the screw teeth on the bottom flange of a 



