IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR POTATO DIGGING, SEPARATING, AND COLLECTING, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR SEPARATING FROM, AT, OR NEAR THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND STONES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF A LIKE NATURE
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Green, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS OR
MACHINERY FOR POTATO DIGGING, SEPARATING, AND COLLECTING, APPLICABLE
ALSO FOR SEPARATING FROM, AT, OR NEAR THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND
STONES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF A LIKE NATURE."
Sealed the 17th June 1879, and dated the 19th December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Green at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th December 1878.
JOHN GREEN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND RELATING TO APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR POTATO DIGGING, SEPARATING,
AND COLLECTING, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR SEPARATING FROM, AT, OR NEAR THE
SURFACE OF THE GROUND STONES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF A LIKE NATURE.”
This Invention has for its object a machine that will dig up the potatoes, separate
them from the tops and soil, and deposit them all together in heaps at intervals
along the ground.
For digging I use a plough, the depth of which can be regulated by hand wheel
on frame. This plough ploughs up soil, potatoes, and all accessories into a large
conical riddle rotating on a horizontal axis on the frame, and armed with a worm
or vane, or preferably one or more series of vanes or deflectors, which elevate the
potatoes, tops, and stones into a cylindrical or nearly cylindrical riddle. This riddle
has an annular cylindrical compartment all round, formed by strong wire or bars
sufficiently near together to prevent the potatoes falling through, but the cylindrical
riddle forming its interior annulus is of a wide enough mesh nearest the conical
riddle to allow small potatoes to enter, and the meshes increase in size to the other
end till they are sufficiently large to take the finest size potatoes.
Beyond this is the supporting wheel, the end of the cone forming the other support.
Both cone, annular chamber, and wheel are attached to the same shaft and revolve
[Price 6d7

page_text: with it. The vanes continue the entire length of the riddles, and carry the refuse
out on the side next the wheel.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The man sitting on his seat on the frame guides the frame, which is drawn by
horses, by means of a handle, worm, and wheel, and pivoted lever, or other appa-
ratus such as is used in steam ploughing, the horses or engine, as the case may be,
drawing it so straight as not to require any more adjustment than can be accom-
plished by such an arrangement for guiding. He also by another hand wheel
regulates the depth of the plough if necessary. The plough digging up the potatoes
throws them into the riddle along with all the dirt. As the matter is revolved on
the riddle the loose dirt gets shaken out, the potatoes gradually fall into the annular
chamber, and the tops are ejected at the other side. When the annular chamber is
nearly full, the ploughman pulls a lever, that by suitable mechanism, preferably an
inclined friction plane, lifts the catches of one or more of the doors forming the
periphery of the annulus, and the potatoes fall out in a heap. As the open doors
pass round they come under a roller cam or its equivalent, and are automatically
closed, the spring catch keeping them closed until again opened by the friction plane
or its equivalent.
The pole for attaching the horses is movable, and can be adjusted to any of two
or more pivots, as desired. I sometimes arrange the machine so that the tops shall
not be taken through the riddle at all. This may be effected by revolving rakes or
cutters in front of the plough or other convenient mechanism, which turn the tops
aside from the plough.
The vanes or deflectors need not be solid, but can be in the form of wires, fingers,
or riddles, as desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Green in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th June
1879.
JOHN GREEN, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND RELATING TO APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR POTATO DIGGING, SEPARATING,
AND COLLECTING, APPLICABLE ALSO FOR SEPARATING FROM, AT, OR NEAR THE
SURFACE OF THE GROUND STONES AND OTHER ARTICLES OF A LIKE NATURE."
Fig. 1 is an end elevation, Fig. 2 plan, and Fig. 3 sectional elevation of my
machine.
This Invention has for its object a machine that will dig up the potatoes, separate
them from the tops and soil, and deposit them all together in heaps at intervals along
the ground.
For digging I use a plough A, the depth of which can be regulated by hand-
wheel B on frame C. This plough ploughs up soil, potatoes, and all accessories into
a large conical riddle D rotating on a horizontal axis E on the frame C, and armed
with a worm or vane, or preferably one or more series of vanes or deflectors F, F,
which elevate the potatoes, tops, and stones into the cylindrical or nearly cylindrical
riddle G. This riddle has an annular cylindrical compartment H all round, formed
by strong wire or bars sufficiently near together to prevent the potatoes falling
through, but the cylindrical riddle forming its interior annulus is of a wide enough
mesh nearest the conical riddle to allow small potatoes to enter, and the meshes
increase in size towards the other end till they are sufficiently wide, to admit the
largest sized potatoes. Beyond this is the supporting wheel J, the end J¹ of the
cone D forming the other support.
The cone D and annular chamber H are
attached to the same shaft E, and revolve with it. The vanes F continue the
entire length of the riddles D and G, and carry the refuse out on the side next
the wheel J.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The man sitting on the seat K on the frame guides the frame, which is drawn by
horses, by means of a handle L, worm and segment N, and pivoted lever O, forming
a sort of bell crank with it, or other apparatus such as is used in steam ploughing,
the horses or engine, as the case may be, drawing it so straight as not to require
any more adjustment than can be accomplished by such an arrangement for guiding.
He also by another hand wheel B and lever Q regulates if necessary the depth of
the plough A, it being pivoted at R so as to be adjustable. The plough digging up
the potatoes throws them into the riddle D along with all the dirt. As the matter
is revolved on the riddle the loose dirt gets shaken out, the potatoes gradually fall
into the annular chamber, and such tops as still remain after the action of wheel S
are ejected at the other side. When the annular chamber H is nearly full the
ploughman pulls the lever U, that by suitable mechanism, preferably an inclined
friction plane V, lifts the catches W of one or more of the doors forming the peri-
phery of the annulus, and the potatoes fall out in a heap. As the open doors pass
round they come under a roller cam X or its equivalent, and are automatically closed,
the spring catch keeping them closed until again opened by the friction plane V or
its equivalent.
The pole Y for attaching the horses is movable, and can be adjusted to any of two
or more pivots, as desired.
I sometimes arrange the machine so that the tops shall in great part not be
taken through the riddle at all. This may be affected by the apparatus shown in
the Drawing. Wheel S, revolving on the ground as it is dragged along, is keyed to
an axle on which are a series of tappets that keep jerking the fingers T, T. These
at each jerk throw the stalks on them away behind the plough. This I believe to
be a useful addition but not a necessary part of my Invention.

page_text: Having now described my Invention, and the best modes known to me of carrying
it into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not claim broadly the principle
of digging up potatoes by machinery, riddling them, and depositing them in heaps,
ridges, or lines, but that what I believe to be new and desire to protect under the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. In a potato digging machine a conical revolving sieve, substantially as and
for the purposes described.
2nd. The mode of steering potato digging machines and the like, and apparatus
for effecting the same, substantially as herein described.
3rd. The combination of a plough (such as A), riddle (such as D), chamber for
retaining the potatoes (such as H), and vanes or guides (such as F) for guiding the
potatoes or other materials up the inclined riddle.
4th. The general arrangement and combination of details, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Green, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy nine.
Witness,
WP. THOMPSON,
British & International Patent Agent,
6, Lord St.,
Liverpool,
(& 323, High Holborn,
London, W.C.)
JOHN GREEN. (L.S.)