An Improved Potato. Planter.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 6th Jan., 1894
.PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Potato. Planter.
I, ALVIN GEORGE GEKELER of Frostburg, County of Alleghany State of
Maryland, United States of America, Minister of Gospel, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a potato planter having for object a more rapid and a
much easier and cheaper method of planting potatoes than is possible with
a hoe..
It consists of a frame mounted upon a two wheeled cart. At the front of the
frame two cultivator shovels fixed on bars may be raised and lowered by means of
lever, toothed segment and rack mechanism. A chain wheel fixed on one of the
travelling wheels drives through a smaller chain wheel a shaft at the back of the
machine but in a somewhat elevated position. The shaft carries wheels corre-
sponding with wheels or pullies carried by the machine nearer the ground. Each
set of wheels carry a potato carrier fed by a boy riding on the machine, the
potatoes being carried down obliquely and dropping at regular intervals into the
furrows. The seed potatoes are carried in a box upon the frame. As they drop
from the respective pockets of the carriers they are covered by a foot.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1893.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
An Improved Potato Planter.
I, ALVIN GEORGE GEKELER of Frostburg, County of Alleghany, State of
Maryland United States of America, Minister of Gospel, do hereby declare 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 the planting of potatoes in a much quicker, easier,
and cheaper manner and with greater regularity than is possible with a hoe.
In the drawing
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the potato planter of this invention, Fig. 2 a plan
view thereof and
Fig. 3 a detail view of the toothed or sprocket driving wheel in connection with
one of the travelling wheels with clutch arrangement for throwing the machine in
gear.
and out of
a is the front beam of the frame which is located upon a two wheeled vehicle.
On said beam and about three feet apart are carried two cultivator shovels b which
make the furrows for the reception of the seed. The rods or bars leading upwards
from the shovels are toothed at the back and may be raised and lowered by
operating toothed quadrants c. d is the toothed or sprocket driving wheel mounted
on the inner side of one of the travelling wheels and on the axle of the same. By
means of the clutch arrangement consisting of laterally formed teeth on it and on
the nave of the travelling wheel and sleeve d¹ it may by operating lever & be
placed in and out of gear with the travelling wheel.

page_text: At the rear end of the frame and carried in bearings e there is mounted a shaft f
on which is fixed a toothed wheel g in connection by a pitch chain or link belt g¹
with wheel d. Two other wheels or pullies i are also fixed on shaft f about three
feet apart and in line with the cultivator shovels b. k is another shaft mounted
towards the front of the machine in bearing brackets depending from the under side
of the frame and parallel with shaft f, said brackets being stayed by rods l. On
this shaft kare fixed two wheels m in the same plane as wheels and also in line
with the cultivator shovels. n are endless seed potato carriers carried on wheels i, m.
They are furnished, at suitable distances apart, with pockets by which the seed
potatoes are carried downward and forward and dropped into the furrows when they are
covered over with earth by a foot or scraper o located behind each cultivator shovel.
The upper or feed portion of the potato carriers runs in a trough p furnished at the
bottom with friction rollers to prevent undue wearing of the carrier belts. The
trough may be covered over below the level of the cart box or potato holder
is left open at top so that the seed potatoes may be placed upon the carriers, which
is done by a boy riding on the machine. The pockets with which the carriers are
furnished consist of pieces of light sheet iron about three inches square bent so as
to form a right angle having one side about two inches and the other side about
one inch in length, the shortest side being rivetted to the leather or canvas belts of
the carriers.
but
Feet or scrapers o are V shaped and secured to a swinging frame directly behind
the carriers, the points of the V feet being towards the rear, thus it will be seen
that the earth from both sides of the furrows will be drawn into the same and into
the furrows thereby covering the seed potatoes. The frame to which feet o are
attached consists of two bars r connecting by means of staples the feet with the
front beam a and of a cross bar on each end of which a scraper is fixed. The
height of the feet from the ground may be regulated by raising or lowering central
vertical rod projecting up through the bottom of the cart box and therewith also
the feet frame to the middle of the cross bar of which the bottom part of rod ¹ is
fixed.
The machine may be provided with seats for the driver and feeder of the
machine.
I am aware that machines are used for planting potatoes and therefore do not
claim priority for the invention of such a machine generally.
It is characteristic of the potato planter of this invention that the seed which is
always in sight of a person in the cart box is carried down to near the ground and
dropped but a few inches whereby full opportunity is given to detect poor seed or
accidental omission thereof and thereby the danger of breaking off potato sprouts
is greatly lessened. The carriers are preferably fed by hand for the purpose of
obtaining simplicity in the machine and of avoiding injury to the seed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a machine for planting potatoes, a cart, the frame, the box supported within
the frame, the shovels, the seed carriers located between the side bars of the frame
and the box, and provided with dropping pockets, said carriers extending from
about the level of the cart box to the level of the shovels, the V shaped scrapers
secured to a frame and in line with and directly behind the carriers said frame
being movably attached to front cross beam of cart frame and held obliquely by a
central rod, passing from cross bar of frame through bottom of cart box, substan-
tially as described and shewn.
2. In a machine for planting potatoes, a cart, the frame, the box supported
within the frame, the shovels, the seed carriers located between the side bars of the
frame and the cart box and provided with dropping pockets, said carriers consisting
of endless belts passing obliquely down between said frame bars and box and over
pullies below and above the box and terminating near the ground behind the

page_text: shovels whereby seed deposited in the pockets near the rear and top of the box is
dropped direct from the pockets into the furrow, substantially as described and
shewn.
Dated this 28th day of November 1893.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.