Improved Implements for Use in Topping and Tailing Turnips.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Implements for Use in Topping and Tailing Turnips.
ANDREW BURNS, Potato Merchant, Wester Norton, Ratho, N.B., do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The topper consists of a V shaped knife with two guards underneath for resting on
the turnip; the whole attached to a pole about 4 ft. long. With this implement
the topping is done by a boy or girl any time before being tailed. The tailer consists
of a rod or axle about 4 ft. 8" long with a wheel attached at either end carrying two
shares & rooting two drills at once. This arrangement is fixed to the back portion
of an ordinary drill grubber & drawn by one horse. By this process about six acres
can be tailed per day.
I, ANDREW BURNS, Potato Merchant, Wester Norton, Ratho, N.B., 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 relates to improved implements for use in topping and tailing
turnips and consists of a topper capable of being operated by hand whereby the
leaves or shaws may be removed on one occasion and allowed to wither somewhat
before the tailer is brought into use. The tailer consists in the substitution, in an
ordinary drill grubber drawn by one horse, of two shares or socks for the ordinary
grubbing tines or prongs, the said shares rooting or tailing two drills or two rows at
once. In the said grubber all the tines are removed and the rear of the machine is
supported or carried by a pair of wheels the axle of which is keyed or secured within
the sockets which, in the usual way, support the said tines.
With the said implements, turnips may be first topped and if interfered with by
stress of weather or other circumstances, allowed to remain sitting in the drills, the
shaws meanwhile withering whilst the turnips themselves are kept fresh by reason of
the little interruption given to their growth.
But in order that my said invention may be more readily understood and easily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which :-
Fig. 1 is an elevation and
Fig. 2 a plan of the topping knife as constructed in accordance with my invention.
Ki 2 is an elevation and

page_text: Fig. 4 a plan of the tailing machine.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the said drawings, the topper consists of a V shaped
knife A having two guards a shaped as shewn, situated beneath the blade, the said
guards resting upon the turnips enabling the knife to ride easily over without in any
way damaging them. The said topping knife is attached to a pole say about 4 feet
long and may be used by a boy or girl any time before the turnips are tailed.
The tailer is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings and consists of a one
horse grubber frame of any existing pattern or form from which the tines or prongs
have been removed. The knives for tailing the turnips consist of a sock or share B
shaped as shewn and attached to the leg b which may be retained in the tine sockets
by wedges c to enable their depth to be varied. The rear of the grubber frame is
supported by two carrying wheels D rotating upon an axle d provided with two
projections d¹ which, like the sock or share legs, may also be retained in the rear
socket by wedges c¹.
A guard plate E shewn more particularly in Fig. 1 may be situated at the inner
side of the sock or share that is to say in proximity with the sock or share leg for the
purpose of causing the turnip tops or shaws to fall to the one or outside of each
drill.
With my said implements it has been found possible to top and tail about six
acres of turnips per day thus enabling considérable quantities to be lifted at a verý
moderate cost.
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. The implement for removing the tops of turnips, constructed in the manner as
herein before described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
2. The general arrangement and construction of parts constituting my improved
implement for tailing turnips, substantially as herein before described and shewn in
the accompanying drawings.
3. The substitution for the tines or prongs in an ordinary drill grubber of a pair of
tailing shares or socks and a pair of carrying wheels, arranged substantially in the
manner as and for the purpose herein before described and shewn in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this: 20th day of Santamba 1000