FARMERS' REGISTER— LORD SOMERVILLE'S CART. 



615 



From the Complete Grazier. 

 FIGURES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF LORD SOMERA'ILLe's DRAG-CART. 



[The marks referred to in the following description as accompanying the cuts, but which do not there ap- 

 pear, were also omitted in the original engraving from which this was copied. The error however is not so 

 important as to prevent the figures being perfectly understood by every reader.] 



Fie. 1. 



Fiff. 2. 



The cut above, Fig. 1. represents a front view 

 of a drag-cart, invented by Lord Somerville; se- 

 lected from Vol. II. of "Communications to the 

 Board of Agriculture." — Fig. L is a cart calcu 

 lated ibr draught, by a single horse in shafts; b b is 

 a friction-bar, or drag, that is fixed behind by a 

 chain, and before by a tooth-rack, delineated at b d 

 which catches on a staple, and by means of which 

 the pressure may be regulated by the driver, ac 

 cording to the steepness of the descent, c is a 

 toothed rack, fixed in the front of the cart, for 

 regulating the position or centre of gravity of the 

 load. In this figure, the IHction-drag is placed 

 lower on the wheel than Lord Somerville original- 

 ly intended, in order to divide the pressure and 

 friction more equally on the opposite side of the 

 wheel: thus the action on each is diminished, and 

 the risk of over-heating and destroying the friction- 

 bar is rendered less than if the whole pressure 

 were applied in one point at the top of the wheel. 



Fig. 2. represents a side view of the same drag- 

 cart, designed to be drawn by two strong oxen, 

 with a pole yoke, and bows, the friction-bar being 

 removed. In this figure, a more simple mode is 

 adopted for regulating the position or centre of 



gravity of the load, as described at ab by the 

 curved iron, perforated with holes for receiving a 

 pin, to keep it at any required height: c is a small 

 chain to prevent the cart from going too far back 

 in fixing it: and the letters d d denote the upper 

 part ol the cart, which is extended to contain 

 bulky or heavy loads. 



The following arc the advantages to be derived 

 from the adoption of the drag here described: — 



1. The degree of friction and pressure may be 

 expeditiously adjusted to the steepness of the de- 

 clivity; so that the cart will neither press forward, 

 nor require much exertion in the draught. 



2. The fi-iction is judiciously applied to the 

 wheel, in such a direction, that a given pressure 

 will produce twice the effect in retarding the pro- 

 gress which it would do if it had been immediate- 

 Ty applied to the body of the cart, or to the axis. 



3. The apparatus is capable of being arranged 

 with such facility, that it may be instantaneously- 

 adjusted, without stopping the cart, or exposing 

 the driver to danger. 



4. It may also be remarked, that still greater 

 benefit may be derived from this invention, by ap- 

 plying it to both the hinder wheels of wagons; 



