Object number
59/159
Title
Reversible balance plough,
Creator
Description
This reversible balance plough was made by Ransome, Sims & Jefferies of Ipswich, and was thought to have been bought originally in about 1900. On a balance plough, each end of the beam has its own share, coulter and mouldboard, facing each other, such that when one end is engaged, the other is lifted into the air. Balance ploughs were specifically designed for use on hillside terrains.
Physical description
1 reversible balance plough: metal; good condition
Label Text
5. Reversible Balance Plough, 1901. Ploughing on a hillside in the normal way could prove laborious because of the uphill trudging required from the end of one furrow to the start of the next in the adjacent section (see No.1). This problem could be overcome by using a plough with a reversible body, or with two different bodies, so that all the furrows could be laid in the same direction. Thus on reaching the end of one furrow, the bodies were switched over so that on the return run the next furrow was laid directly adjacent to the previous one. A number of different design solutions were developed during the later nineteenth century to make this possible. This one follows the balance principle and has two bodies, one of which will turn furrows to the right and the other to the left. At the end of each furrow, the plough handles were unclipped and swung over to the opposite side, dropping the other body into the soil and raising the first one clear. The whole field could then be ploughed in a single operation with all the furrows facing the same way. This example was made by Ransomes, Sims, and Jefferies in about 1900. 59/159.8. Reversible Balance Plough, 1901. Ploughing on a hillside in the normal way could prove laborious because of the uphill trudging required from the end of one furrow to the start of the next in the adjacent section (see No.1). This problem could be overcome by using a plough with a reversible body, or with two different bodies, so that all the furrows could be laid in the same direction. Thus on reaching the end of one furrow, the bodies were switched over so that on the return run the next furrow was laid directly adjacent to the previous one. A number of different design solutions were developed during the later nineteenth century to make this possible. This one follows the balance principle and has two bodies, one of which will turn furrows to the right and the other to the left. At the end of each furrow, the plough handles were unclipped and swung over to the opposite side, dropping the other body into the soil and raising the first one clear. The whole field could then be ploughed in a single operation with all the furrows facing the same way. This example was made by Ransomes, Sims, and Jefferies in about 1900. 59/159.
Production place
Ipswich
Production date
1900 - 1900
Object name
Material
Dimensions
- Length 2060 mm
- Length 540 mm
Associated subject
Associated person/institution
External document
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_13364.tif - High resolution image
- L:\MERL\Objects\JISC 2012\60 series negatives\60_13365.tif - High resolution image
