IMPROVEMENTS IN POTATO DIGGING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, ANDREW POLLOCK of Mauchline in the County of Ayr, Agricultural Implement
and machine maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN POTATO DIGGING MACHINES" to be as follows:-
This invention which has for its object improvements in potato digging machines
relates to the apparatus by which the "graipes" are thrown into and out of
action.
.
The apparatus as improved consists of a crank arm secured to or formed on the
usual hand lever employed in lowering and raising the rear end of the frame,
carrying the "sock" and the "graipes," into and out of working position.
This hand lever is situated on a shaft or stud at the front end of the frame and
the crank arm on it is connected by a rod or link either direct to the clutch by
which the usual bevel pinion on the shaft carrying the " graipes" is thrown into
and out of gear with the bevel wheel on the main axle of the machine, or an
intermediate lever may be used between the link and the clutch. By means of
the invention the same action which lowers and raises the "graipes" into and out
of working position also gears and disengages them with the bevel wheel on the
main axle.

page_text: Improvements in Potato Digging Machines.
I, ANDREW POLLOCK of Mauchline in the County of Ayr, Agricultural Implement
and Machine Maker, 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 which has for its object improvements in potato digging machines
relates to the apparatus by which the "graipes" are thrown into and out of action
and as seen in elevation at fig. 1 and in plan at fig. 2, of the annexed drawings the
apparatus as improved consists of a crank arm A, one end of which is centred on a
pin fixed in a bracket B, whilst its other end is acted on by the usual hand lever C,
employed in lowering and raising the rear end of the frame D, carrying the
"sock" and the "graipes" into and out of working position. The band lever C,
is centred upon the axle of the front wheel E of the digging machine and it is
connected to the frame D, by a pin or stud F, bolted or otherwise secured to the
front of the said frame the bracket B, carrying the crank arm A being also situated
upon the said pin or stud. As shown by the drawings the arm A, is connected by
a rod or link Ct to one end of a lever H which is centred on the frame D, and
whose other end acts on a clutch I, situated on the shaft J, carrying the graipes 80
as to render the bevel pinion K loose upon the said shaft and stop the rotation
of the graipes when desired.
It will thus be seen that by means of the invention the same action which
lowers and raises the graipes into and out of working position also gears and
disengages them with the bevel wheel L on the main axle M of the machine for,
when the hand lever C, is depressed in the direction of the arrow fig. 1, the said
movement depresses the forward end of the frame D, which turning on the axle M
as a centre causes the graipes carried by the rear end of the frame to be elevated.
The lever C, on being depressed also comes in contact with the crank arm A,
which moving in the direction of the arrow fig. 1, draws the link G, forward, and
the said link acting on the lever H throws the clutch out of gear with the pinion K
whereby the said pinion is rendered loose upon the shaft J and the rotation of the
said shaft with its graipes is stopped. When the hand lever C, is again elevated
so as to lower the graipes and sock into working position the spring N on the
shaft J, forces the clutch I back into gear with the pinion K thereby rotating the
shaft J, and with it the graipes.
The hand lever C, is retained in the position to which it is adjusted by means
of a spring lever and rack quadrant as is well understood in practice in such
machines.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
In a potato digging machine the combination of the crank arm A, link G,
lever H, clutch I and spring N whereby on actuating the hand lever C, the
lowering of the graipes into working position and gearing them with the driving
axle or the raising of the graipes out of working position and disengaging them
with the driving axle are performed simultaneously substantially as described.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of January 1886.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Agents.