IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF POTATO DIGGERS, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER DRAUGHT IMPLEMENTS.” PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lewis Augustus Aspinwall, of Albany, in the State of
New York, United States of America, but at present of 33, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF POTATO DIGGERS, PART OF SUCH IMPROVEMENTS BEING
APPLICABLE TO OTHER DRAUGHT IMPLEMENTS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lewis Augustus Aspinwall at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th November 1877.
LEWIS AUGUSTUS ASPINWALL, of Albany, in the State of New York, United
States of America, but at present of 33, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF POTATO DIGGERS, PART OF SUCH
IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER DRAUGHT IMPLEMENTS."
Those improvements have chiefly reference to potato diggers, having a spade in
front and a revolving separator appliance behind, but certain parts are applicable to
other draught implements.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me on the 6th November 1876,
No. 4288, I have described such an implement. According to this present Invention
I preferably support the spade or plough underneath and near the point, and I form
it with an inclination towards the open side of the machine, that is, the side opposite
to the separator bearing, for the purpose of delivering or turning over the earth,
potatoes, and tops towards the said open side, thereby enabling the implement to
dig the potatoes and clear one ridge without interfering with the one last dug and
cleared, and also generally to assist or improve the operation of separating the
potatoes, and prevent clogging.
I form the free end of the separator with fingers, preferably curved, and crossing
each other; they may be two in number. The object of this improvement is to
loosen the potatoes from the plants, and also to cause a more perfect separation from
the earth.

page_text: The lead wheel, according to the present arrangement, carries a great part of the
weight and pressure caused by the digging. For the purpose of easing or overcoming
this I connect the whipple-trees to a draught rod, starting from a point sufficiently
below the centre of the main wheels as to counteract this tendency, and I connect
the whipple-tree to the draught rod in the ordinary manner by a staple. To the
side of the pole I fit a swivel hook or pin, passing through an eye on the draft rod,
and having a rocking or swivelling action, so as to allow the required movement of
the draught rod as the machine moves over the inequalities of the ground, or the
swivel pin may be fitted to the top or bottom of the pole.
To
The driver's seat, as ordinarily made in some draught implements, is formed with
an arm passing through a straight taper socket in the framing of the machine
prevent the liability of this arm to slip out of its socket I form the bottom end of
the arm in front with a nose, which locks under the bottom of the socket, or,
according to another or better arrangement, I make the socket and arm with a
curve down towards the front.
The draught arrangement and the mode of holding the driver's seat are applicable
to other diaught implements.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Lewis Augustus Aspinwall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th May 1878.
LEWIS AUGUSTUS ASPINWALL, of Albany, in the State of New York, United
States of America, but at present of 33, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF POTATO DIGGERS, PART OF SUCH
IMPROVEMENTS BEING APPLICABLE TO OTHER DRAUGHT IMPLEMENTS."
These improvements have chiefly reference to potato diggers, having a spade in
front and a revolving separator appliance behind, but certain parts are applicable to
other draught implements.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me on the 6th November 1876,
No. 4288, I have described such an implement. According to this present Invention
I preferably support the spade or plough underneath and near the point, and I form
it with an inclination towards the open side of the machine, that is, the side opposite
the separator bearing, for the purpose of delivering or turning over the earth,
potatoes, and tops towards the said open side, thereby enabling the implement to
dig the potatoes, and clear one ridge without interfering with the one last dug and
cleared, and also generally to assist or improve the operation of separating the
potatoes and prevent clogging.
I form the free end of the separator with fingers, preferably curved, and crossing
each other; they may be two in number. The object of this improvement is to
loosen the potatoes from the plants, and also to cause a more perfect separation from
the earth.

page_text: The lead wheel, according to the present arrangement, carries a great part of the
weight and pressure caused by the digging. For the purpose of casing or over-
coming this I connect the whipple-trees to a draught rod, starting from a point
sufficiently below the centre of the main wheels as to counteract this tendency, and
I connect the whipple-tree to the draught rod in the ordinary manner by a staple.
To the side of the pole I fit a swivel hook or pin, passing through an eye on the
draught rod, and having a rocking or swivelling action, so as to allow the required
movement of the draught rod as the machine movos over the inequalities of the
ground, or the swivel pin may be fitted to the top or bottom of the pole.
The driver's seat, as ordinarily mado in some draught implements, is formed with
an arm passing through a straight taper socket in the framing of the machine. To
prevent the liability of this arm to slip out of its socket I form the bottom end of
the arm in front with a nose, which locks under the bottom of the socket; or,
according to another or better arrangement, I make the socket and arm with a curve
down toward the front.
The draught arrangement and the mode of holding the driver's seat are applicable
to other draught implements.
On the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the
implement; Figure 2, vertical longitudinal section; and Figure 3, plan of the same;
Figures 4 to 6, aro details.
The platform A' rests with two loops All on the wheel axlo B, which carries the
loose carriage wheels C and C¹. The plough D is by means of a twisted plate D'
fastened to the framing A, which by means of the belt a¹ is fastened to the platform
A. The framing A. has four other belt holes. By placing the bolt u' in one or
other of the holes the mutual position of the framings A and platform A' can be
altered, whereby the position of the pole is altered relatively to the carriage wheels
C, C. The bell-crank lever G rests with its roller b on the platform A, to which
the pole P is fastoned The lever G is by means of a bolt a connected with an arm
from the framing A, and serves to raise the plough above the ground when it is
desired to turn the implement, or to convey it along. The screw serves to regulate
the depth of the spade or plough, because the screw is connected to the coulter N
carrying the front wheel O', and thus serves to alter the position of the plough
relatively to the wheel O' which runs in the furrow.
The separator, which is shewn in cross section in Figure 2, and in longitudinal
section in Figure 4, consists in this case of the two blades, bars, or paddles c, c, (but
might be made with three blades); their free ends or fingers are crossed and twisted.
These bars c, c, are near their outer ends, and also in several other places united by
means of cross pieces f,f, which, especially towards the supported end of the separator,
may be formed at the centre in the shape of rings so large in diameter as to be well
clear of the spindle d, as shown.
The greatest diameter of the separator is in the middle, that is, at the furrow
ridge. The blades c, c, should by preference diverge from the length direction of
the spindle d, and be of a twisted or spiral form, and with an increasing pitch, so as
to level the ridge more rapidly, and thus expose the potatoes and throw them to
one side. The ends of the blades c serve to separate the potatoes from their
plants.
The wheels C, C', are loose on the axle, which latter may be made to partake of
the movement of the wheels by throwing the pawl J into the ratchet wheel K,
which is fast on the axle B Lis a tooth wheel fast on the axle B, and gearing
with the pinion M on the separator spindle d. The latter is supported at one end
only, and works in the bush g, it turns in the opposite direction to that of the
road wheel C.
The coulter N runs in the furrow, and serves to push the potato plants to each
sido. The horn O serves to raise the plants, and to assist the plough in its work.
The ploughshare has an inclination down towards the open or right-hand side of the
machine, as indicated on the Drawing. It may be formed with fingers q jointed to
tho under side; they are fair with the top surface of the plough when in their lowest

page_text: position, but may rise to clear obstructions, and thus assist in separating the potatoes
from the mould, and prevent clogging.
To ease the weight on the front wheel O' I hook the whipple-tree to a staple k
on a draught rod 7, which by means of a bolt m on a swivel hook or pin n is con-
nected to the pole P. The swivel hook n can freely turn in an eye bracket o, fixed
to the side of the pole P; the staple / has play in the oval eye in the end of the
draught rod 7, the other end of which is connected to the coulter N carrying the
front wheel O¹. The bracket o may be fixed on one side of the pole P, or on the
upper or lower side of same.
The driver's seat P' is quite behind, and thereby lightens the work of the imple-
ment; the arm p of the seat, instead of fitting a plain taper socket, as heretofore
usual, I form with a nose below, as shown in Figuro 5, to lock under the bottom of
the socket; or the socket and arm may be curved down towards the fiont, as shown
in Figure 6. The object is in both cases the same, viz., to prevent the arm from
slipping out of its socket.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention I declare
that I claim,
Firstly. The construction of the revolving separator, consisting of blades, bars, or
paddles free at one end and supported at the other end, substantially as set forth.
Secondly. The form and arrangement of the plough applied to a potato digger,
constructed substantially as set forth.
Thirdly. The draught arrangement applied to potato diggers and to draught imple-
ments generally, substantially as set forth
And, Fourthly. The mode or means of fixing the driver's seat applied to potato
diggers, and to draught implements generally, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lewis Augustus Aspinwall, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
L ATIGS
ASPINWALL.
01