A plough frame must withstand high twisting forces, especially when in a transport position, therefore, must be flexible to absorb the stresses and strains, yet rigid enough to maintain alignment accuracy. The majority of early tractor mounted reversible ploughs had the furrow width fixed at 12 or 14 inches. To improve output efficiency and plough versatility, furrows had to get wider and be capable of being adjusted.
This was not only to suit soil conditions, but to help reduce manufactures and dealers stocking levels. Output was the key factor and 16 inch ploughs began to appear from Europe. They have been proved wrong, because ploughs are now capable of operating with furrow widths of over 20 inches wide.
However, this was not possible without the development and changes to the shape of the mouldboard. With this change, it allowed for wider furrow slices and faster operating speeds. This was because of the simplicity to hydraulically change the furrow width from within the tractor cab to suit the type of soil being ploughed. As a result, output and ploughing efficiency improved as the operator was able to plough more acres a day.
A plough frame with bodies having an interbody clearance of 85cm All the latest mounted and semi-mounted ploughs can be equipped with either shear bolts, or auto-reset systems. These are to protect the plough from rocks and occasional obstructions. Plough legs fitted with a safety system is essential, because we are using very high horse powered tractors at faster operating speeds.
Modern steels and heat treatment processes also play an important part, because they have greater resistance to wear and can operate under tougher working conditions and at higher operating speeds without breaking. Plough design has developed with civilisation and improvements in its efficiency as farm practices changed.
Although, the plough is not used to the same degree as in the past due to the use of faster and more cost effective one-pass tined implements, its development will continue for eternity as man will always endeavour to find the ultimate solution in soil management for the efficient cultivation and inversion of the soil and production food.
What is revolutionary today will inevitably be overtaken by science tomorrow. It is a known fact; the mouldboard plough has a proven record for efficient soil management. Good ploughing effectively inverts the soil, controls weeds, improves drainage, aerates the soil, improves the soil structure and reduces the risk of disease.
Its use and development will continue to ensure it meets all the demands of farming in the future. Click here for further details. The Society of Ploughmen was founded in It is a registered charity run by volunteers from the farming community. Hand crafted by Exact Marketing. Reversing Mechanism All modern reversible ploughs feature hydraulic reversing systems for turning the plough frame over at the headlands, from the left to the right-hand bodies and vice versa.
Wheel Settings Many years ago, if you had a 75hp tractor on the farm it was big and in most cases was only 2-wheel drive. Frame Design Early reversible ploughs were constructed from rectangular or rail line shaped solid steel bars. Furrow Width Adjustment The majority of early tractor mounted reversible ploughs had the furrow width fixed at 12 or 14 inches. Plough Clearance A plough frame with bodies having an interbody clearance of 85cm The Rotherham was a local plough to Yorkshire which had been improved upon with Dutch designs.
Later on, James Small, a Berwickshire man would improve on this design again. It had an iron blade that was lighter and easier to use than the traditional wooden plough. The Rotherham plough was handled by two horses and one person whilst the traditional plough required four oxen, a ploughman and an ox driver. The Rotherham plough proved to be quicker and more efficient than previous ploughs, as well as reducing the cost for farmers.
For many years this design provided very popular and was used extensively. He eventually produced a universal cast iron shape that turned the soil more effectively with less force, wear and strain on the horse and ploughman. To grow crops in less-fertile areas, the soil must be turned to bring nutrients to the surface. A major advance for this type of farming was the mouldboard plough, introduced in the 18th century. A coulter or skeith could be added to cut vertically into the ground.
Cas chrom means 'crooked foot' in Gaelic. This simple hand tool was developed for working the soil in small areas of land, which were rocky or inaccessible to larger ploughs. Cas chroms were used in the north east of Scotland from the end of the 17 th century. In some areas they were used until the s.
This plough was used in in the Hebrides. It was pulled by a single horse and cut the bottom of the furrow. It was well suited to sandy soil. This type of plough dates back at least to the 17 th century. Used along with the crann nan gad , this cut away the side of the furrow. One man led the horse while another man guided the plough using only one hand.
This type of plough was used on light sandy or peaty soil and is probably from Orkney. Ploughing matches developed in the later 18 th century when the new swing ploughs were first used on a wide scale. They had long mouldboards to cut neat and straight furrows. This helped to generate pride in the work of the ploughman. This pride became competitive. Ploughing matches were a good way to improve skills and technology.
Producing a good furrow was the height of skill. The standfast plough featured a bar-point at its front tip. The Oliver plough had a reversible mouldboard, which could swing round so the furrows can be ploughed to either side. If the plough hit a stone, the point would not be damaged. Made by Howard of Bedford, this plough was used for lifting potatoes. It split the drill as it moved along, bringing the potatoes to the surface. The soil dropped back through the tines of the plough's forks.
Made by Newlands of Linlithgow, this plough was used to prepare the soil, setting up the drills ready for planting potatoes or turnips. Straight evenly spaced drills made the ploughing look smart and professional. From the mids, there was enormous change in plough development.
Some horse ploughs were replaced by arguably more efficient steam units with large multi-furrow balance ploughs. Ten years later, in , David Peacock received a plow patent and eventually procured two others.
However, Newbold sued Peacock for patent infringement and recovered damages. It was the first patent infringement case involving a plow. He received two patents , one in and the other in His plow was cast iron and made in three parts so that a broken part could be replaced without purchasing a whole new plow.
This principle of standardization marked a great advance. By this time, farmers were forgetting their former prejudices and were enticed to buy plows. Though Wood's original patent was extended, patent infringements were frequent and he is said to have spent his entire fortune in prosecuting them. In , John Deere developed and marketed the world's first self-polishing cast-steel plow. These large plows made for cutting the tough American prairie ground were called "grasshopper plows.
Skilled blacksmith William Parlin of Canton, Illinois began making plows around He traveled around the country by wagon selling them. In , John Lane patented a "soft-center" steel plow. The hard-but-brittle surface of the tool was backed by softer, more tenacious metal to reduce the breakage. The same year, James Oliver—a Scottish immigrant who had settled in Indiana—received a patent for the "chilled plow. The pieces which came in contact with the soil had a hard, glassy surface while the body of the plow was made of tough iron.
Oliver later founded Oliver Chilled Plow Works. From the single plow, advances were made to two or more plows fastened together, allowing for more work to be done with approximately the same amount of manpower or animal-power. Another advance was the sulky plow, which allowed the plowman to ride, rather than walk. Such plows were in use as early as The next step forward was to replace animals that pulled the plows with traction engines.
By , farm tractors were both doing the work better and pulling more plows—horsepower engines could pull 16 plows, harrows, and a grain drill. Farmers could thus perform the three operations of plowing, harrowing, and planting all at the same time and cover 50 acres or more in a day. Today, plows are not used nearly as extensively as before. This is due in large part to the popularity of minimum tillage systems designed to reduce soil erosion and conserve moisture.
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