Improvements in Potato Diggers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan.,
1900
Improvements in Potato Diggers.
I, DAVID BUCHANAN, of 9, Clive Road, Auburn, in the Colony of Victoria,
Mechanical Engineer, 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:-
My invention comprises improvements upon the potato digging machine
described in the Specification of my British Patent Number 8531, dated 24th April
1899. I have found it desirable to dispense with the front roller in the con-
struction therein described, and I substitute mechanism which will more
effectually deal with and discharge from the machine the potato haulms or tops
and weeds met with. That is to say, I provide at the machine front a pair of
adjustable rollers of special construction which rotate as hereinafter described
as the potato digger is drawn forward. The potato plant tops together with any
wdeds there may be are taken up between the said rollers and are cast on one
side of the machine without finding their way on to the screen or riddle. The
potatoes, which are prevented from entering between these rollers, are taken
direct on to the screen and then dealt with as described in my Specification of
Patent aforesaid. Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which the
invention is illustrated in conjunction with some of the other parts which are
described in my former Specification,-Figure 1 exhibits a front elevation,
from above, parts being broken out to more clearly disclose other parts, Figure 2
a side elevation, and Figure 3 a plan view.
The machine is now supported at the front by any suitable side wheels 1, 1
and to take up the haulms and weeds in the path of the machine I provide two
rollers 2, 2, each tapered at its front end, and supported by a frame 3, which is
hinged at the point 4 to an upturned portion of the frame % of the riddle. The
front of frame 3 is supported by an arched or other carrier 5, to which is attached
a chain or rope 6 connected to windlass W. Either the shaft E of the screw by
which the potatoes are carried up the riddle as described in Specification of
Patent No. 8531, dated 24 April 1899 is connected to the axle of one of the
rollers 2 by any suitable means, for example by a flexible shaft 7 shown in
Figure 3 in dotted lines so as to cause the roller so connected to turn outwardly
as shown by arrow a in Figure 1, or any other well known means of giving
rotary motion to a roller 2 is adopted. 8 is a movable plate over the rollers
which acts as a guard. It is fitted on a shaft 9 with handle 10 by which it can
be suitably adjusted in position, so as to cause the weeds and tops to be thrown
out over one or other of the rollers, that is to say to which ever side of the
machine is desired. The angle iron main frame Z of the machine which is
turned upwards at the front as already mentioned has a number of holes 11 in
it to enable the hinged roller frame 3 to be pinned or secured temporarily in
suitable adjustment so that the rollers may be raised or lowered to suit working
requirements. By shortening or lengthening the chain 6, the rollers can be

page_text: caused to work at different angles to suit the work required, that is to say they
are not necessarily horizontal.
The wheels 1, I are preferably also made adjustable in height by any of the
numerous known means for which I claim no novelty and none of which I show.
A guard fork (seen in Figure 1) is fixed with its prongs 12, 13, below the res-
pective rollers, on the inner side as shown and between these prongs the weeds
and haulms dealt with will pass. These prongs are set close enough to keep
back or strip off any potatoes which may be attached to the stalks as the latter
are drawn upwards by the action of the rollers. The front of each prong is
bent upward to lie close to the tapered part of the rollers. A sheet metal guard 14
is fixed vertically at the back of the rollers 2 to prevent the weeds &c. getting to
the screen of the machine. The draught is suitably connected in front of the
parts shown in drawings, the rear part of a shaft or pole N being shown in
Figure 2. In the working of the potato digger containing my improvements
the machine when it moves forward causes the shaft E (of the screw which
'elevates the potatoes) to revolve and thus turns one of the rollers 2 as shown by
arrow a; the weeds and tops met with are received between the tapered or
conical parts of the rollers 2, by which they are guided towards the centre su
that they there become caught between the rollers and are carried upward where
they meet the curved guard. 8 which blocks their progress to one side, leaving
them then to be carried over to and dropped clear of the other side of the
machine. The rollers 2 will each turn, one as shown by arrow a, the other as
indicated by arrow b, as soon as weeds get between the rollers which are adjusted
close enough together to effect this purpose.
When the ground is free from weeds and potato plant tops the rollers 2 may
be detached or disconnected from the digger by suitable pins or connections
being used to enable this to be done.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
-
1. In a potato digger, the combination with the frame thereof of a pair of
adjustable revoluble rollers each having a tapered front, and a fork under said
rollers, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
"
2. In a potato digger, the combination with the frame thereof of a pair of
rollers 2 (each having a tapered front) attached to a frame 3, and pivoted or
hinged at the rear 4, to one of a series of holes 11, a carrier 5 and a chain or
connection 6 to a windlass as W or the like all substantially as and for the pur-
poses set forth.
3. In a potato digger, the combination with the frame thereof of a pair of
adjustable revoluble rollers each having a tapered front, means (as a flexible
shaft) for causing revolution of one of said rollers as the machine advances, a
fork beneath and an adjustable guard above the said rollers, and a vertical sheet
metal guard at the rear of the rollers all substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.