Year: 1897

page_text: I, EDWARD MAYMAN, of 71, Market Street, Crewe, in the County of Chester,
Joiner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to potato washers and peelers used for washing and
removing the skins from potatoes and the like, and has for its object to reduce
the quantity of water usually used, and also lessen the labour of filling and
refilling. I also facilitate the inspection of the interior of the drum in such
manner that it is easy to ascertain the condition of the potatoes under treatment.
In order to effect these purposes I employ a horizontally disposed drum, capable
of being rotated in bearings formed in the ends of vertical end frames. This
drum is hollow so as to hold the potatoes while they are undergoing the process
of washing and peeling.
It is made of iron, preferably galvanised, and has wood hoops to form the circular
part of the casing. This drum has an opening through which the potatoes can
be inserted and withdrawn. The interior of the drum is lined with a perforated
steel grating, which serves to remove the skins of the potatoes by grating when
the drum is rotated.
In each of the end frames is mounted, so as to be capable of being rotated, a
vertical worm or screw, and each of these has a nut, the female screw of which
engages its worm or thread. To each nut is attached one of the ends of a water
tank which is situate below the drum.
It is fixed in such a manner that when the screws are rotated the nuts and
attached tank rise or fall. By this means the tank can be either brought up close
under the drum, or caused to drop sufficiently far beneath it to enable a removable
tray or vessel to be inserted between the drum and tank.
The upper end of each of the worms or screws are by means of bevel or other
wheels geared with the spindle or gudgeons of the drum.
The gear is so arranged that it can be connected or disconnected with facility
and dispatch, and if necessary automatically. This being effected preferably by
a cone disc.
The potatoes are in the first place deposited in the drum which is then caused
to rotate, the rotation raising the tank until the potatoes are immersed in about
three inches of water, this rotation is continued for a space of about ten minutes
or other convenient time, and the potatoes are then ready to be removed. The
drum is then pushed back into gear with the screws and caused to rotate in the
opposite direction about 20 revolutions, when the tank will have been lowered.
to the bottom of the screws, and will admit of a receiver being placed between the
tank and the drum, and the potatoes removed. The drum can then be refilled
and the process repeated in the same water if desired as many times as necessary
convenient

page_text: The screws can be so arranged that they lift the machine off its feet on to castors
or wheels when it is to be moved from one place to another.
Dated this 20th day of December 1897.
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
An Improved Washer and Peeler for Potatoes.
I, EDWARD MAYMAN, of 71, Market Street, Crewe, in the County of Chester,
Joiner, 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 potato washers and peelers used for washing and
removing the skins from potatoes and the like, and has for its object to reduce
the quantity of water usually used, and also lessen the labour of filling and
refilling. I also facilitate the inspection of the interior of the drum in such
manner that it is easy to ascertain the condition of the potatoes under treatment.
In order to effect these purposes I employ a horizontally disposed drum capable
of being rotated in bearings formed in the ends of vertical end frames. This
drum is hollow so as to hold the potatoes while they are undergoing the process
of washing and peeling.
It is made of iron preferably galvanised, and has wood hoops to form the circular
part of the casing. This drum has an opening or openings through which the
potatoes can be inserted and withdrawn. The interior of the drum is lined with
a perforated steel grating, which serves to remove the skins of the potatoes by
grating when the drum is rotated.
In each of the end frames is mounted,. so as to be capable of being rotated, a
vertical worm or screw, and each of these has a nut, the female screw of which
engages its worm or thread. To each nut is attached one of the ends of a water
tank, which is situate below the drum.
It is fixed in such a manner that when the screws are rotated the nuts and
attached tank rise or fall. By this means the tank can be either brought up close
under the drum, or caused to drop sufficiently far beneath it to enable a removable
tray or vessel to be inserted between the drum and tank.
The upper end of each of the worms or screws are by means of bevel or other
wheels geared with the spindle or gudgeons of the drum.
The gear is so arranged that it can be connected or disconnected with facility
and dispatch, and if necessary automatically. This being effected preferably by
a cone disc.
In order that my invention may be more fully understood and ascertained I
append drawings in which:-
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of my improved potato washer and peeler,
shewing part of drum broken away.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of same.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the cone-disc arrangement, partly in section.
Fig. 4 is a front view of same.
In the various figures the same letters indicate similar parts.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2. A indicates the drum, in which the potatoes or
the like are inserted, part being shewn as broken away to expose the central
cylinder A¹. This drum is preferably composed of galvanised iron ends a these
being connected by iron longitudinal bars, to which are fastened wooden hoops a¹

page_text: arranged circumferentially. These wooden hoops have spaces left between them.
so as to allow the potatoes or the like to be inspected during operation, and they are
lined with a perforated steel or other grating. The drum may be caused to
rotate with the spindle or gudgeons a² in bearings formed in the end frames B.
C indicates the tank for containing the water, and c the nuts or lugs attached to
same, through which pass the vertical screws c¹, for raising or lowering the tank.
These screws rest in bearings 6 or the like in the frame of the machine.
с
At the top of each of these vertical screws is fixed a horizontally disposed bevel
wheel, the teeth of which can be caused to engage the teeth of a similar bevel
wheel c rigidly fixed to each end of the spindle or gudgeons of the drum.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:
The potatoes or the like are first inserted in the drum, and the tank containing the
requisite amount of water being at the bottom of the screw, the drum is rotated
by means of the handle D. The rotation of the drum consequently causes the
corresponding rotation of the bevel wheels mounted on each end of the spindle
or gudgeons a², and these bevel wheels being pushed into gear with the bevel
wheels on the top of the vertical screws c¹ causes the latter to rotate, thereby
raising the water tank by means of the nuts or eyes c. When the tank has risen
sufficiently far to ensure that the potatoes or the like are emerged in the water a
sliding bar or rod c5 comes into contact with a cone disc c attached to one end of
the drum thereby forcing the drum slightly to the right, thus disengaging the
hevel wheels 3 and 4 and throwing the drum out of gear. The tank thus remains
stationary, while the drum can be rotated as long as required to ensure that the
potatoes or the like shall have been thoroughly cleaned. When this is done the
drum is again pushed into gear and rotated in the backward direction, thereby
lowering the tank, and allowing a removable tray or the like to be inserted for
removing the potatoes, which can be removed through a suitable opening in the
drum. A fresh supply of potatoes can then be inserted in the drum, and if
necessary fresh water in the tank, and the operations repeated.
If preferred the cone disc and sliding plate may be fixed to the other end of
the machine instead of to that shewn in the drawings.
In Figs. 3 and 4 is shewn an enlarged view of the disc arrangement for throwing
the drum out of gear.
Disposed at the top of the end of the tank C are a number of projecting pieces e
arranged on the outside and inside of the end of the tank, and projecting from
the top of same in such manner as to form guides for a sliding rod or bar e which
can be inserted and moved by means of a handle e². This sliding rod or bar c
has a curved depression or slot c' formed in its upper face for a portion of its
length, corresponding to the curvature of the side of the cone disc, so that when
the drum has been forced out of gear, and it is desirous to again bring it into
gear, the depression or slot can he brought directly under the coned disc, and
thereby allow the drum to be pushed into gear.
To raise the machine from the ground for the purpose of transportation the tank
is lowered sufficiently to come into contact with, and force down, the brackets G,
which are preferably arranged to slide partly in slots in the side frames, and partly
in slots formed in the ends of the cross stay H. These brackets have wheels or
castors g attached to their lower ends so as to enable the machine to be transported.
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. A machine for washing and peeling potatoes and the like, consisting
essentially of suitable end frames which form bearings for a drum in which the
potatoes or the like are inserted, and a tank for containing water, which tank can
be raised or lowered automatically with the rotation of the drum by means of
vertical screws and bevel wheels, substantially as described and shewn.
2. A machine for washing and peeling potatoes and the like consisting

page_text: essentially of suitable end frames, which form bearings for a drum, in which the
potatoes or the like are inserted, and a tank for containing water, which tank can
be raised or lowered automatically with the rotation of the drum by means of
vertical screws and bevel wheels; and a cone disc and sliding bar for throwing
the drum out of gear with the bevel wheels, substantially as described and shewn.
3. In a machine for washing and peeling potatoes and the like, the use of
vertical end screws for raising and lowering a tank which screws can be auto-
matically disengaged from gear with the drum spindle, substantially as described
and shewn.
4. In a machine for washing and peeling potatoes and the like, the arrange-
ment of gearing for operating and throwing the drum out of gear, substantially
as described and shewn.
5. In combination with the apparatus as hereinbefore described and claimed, the
castors or wheels capable of being forced down so as to raise the machine so as
to enable it to be transported, substantially as described and shewn.
6. A drum for a potato washing and peeling machine, formed substantially as
shewn and described.-
1000
WILLIAM J. MUNDEN,
75, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.