An Improvement in connection with Potato Digging Machinery.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in connection with Potato Digging Machinery.
DANIEL BRAGG, Farmer Southwaite Hall Carlisle, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This improvement consists in reversing the action of the machinery & the
revolving forks so that the potatoes can be delivered either to the right or to the
left as it suits the machine best on uneven, sidebank or hilly land. All existing
potato diggers deliver the potatoes to one side only & in practice I find the work
can be more satisfactorily done when the machine can have its action reversed so
that the potatoes will be delivered down an incline rather than against it.
However uneven the land may be a potato crop can be much more successfully
raised by this arrangement.
To detail the principle of my double actioned gearing with diggers that get up
their action quickly by means of a large pinion fixed on the main axel & running
direct in the revolving fork shaft pinion, I have two large intermediate pinions in
place of the one, both running loose on the main axel, either of which can be used to
drive the fork shaft by means of a double gearing catch between them, which can
be moved lengthways on the main axel by a handle & slipped into corresponding
gearing catches in either of the two large pinions as required. The large pinions
are well bossed out from the inside to allow of the double gearing catch to run
clear between when the machine is required to run out of gear. The double
gearing catch revolves perminently with the main axel by means of an inlaid key,
but as above stated can be moved freely lengthways on the key & shaft.
With potato diggers where the speed is got up by a slower action, that is by
three small pinions, one in the centre of the main shaft or axel, which drives a
small pinion on an intermediate shaft on which a larger pinion is also fixed, which
drives the fork shaft, I have, as in the former arrangement, two pinions of the
same patron running loose on the intermediate shaft & geared in each side of the
fork shaft pinion. The small pinion between the former mentioned I have arranged
with gearing cogs which can be slipped into either pinion as the action is required
by means of a handle. The under pinion on the main axei which drives the small
gearing pinion I have made twice the breadth to allow the latter to slide & yet
remain in gear.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in connection with Potato Digging Machinery.
I, DANIEL BRAGG of Southwaite Hall, Carlisle, in the County of Cumberland,
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 has reference to machines for digging potatoes, and has mainly
for its object to provide a machine by which the digging and clearing potatoes off

page_text: the land, can be performed equally effectively under varying circumstances as to
the nature of the surface formation of the land.
In the potato fields on a hill side or bank, or uneven ground, a machine of the
ordinary kind when going in one direction, has to throw the potatoes in the direction
of the downward slope or incline of the hill, while when going in the opposite
direction, it has to throw up potatoes on the side on which the land is rising; and
it is found, that in making this course, the work of the ordinary rotating fork
digging machine is not properly performed, and moreover the potatoes are not all
removed from the laud and thrown up clear onto the surface.
According to this invention, my improved machine is so constructed and adapted
as to be capable of delivering the potatoes raised, on the downward incline whether
the machine is going in one direction or the other, and this is effected by constructing
the machine so that the tool or fork is adapted to revolve in either direction at will;
that is, the fork or tool is driven through a reversing gearing, which can be set by
band to drive it-the tool or fork-in one or the other direction, and so that,
always, it will deliver on the side required, namely, in the case of a hill, on the
down incline of such hill.
My improved machine involving the construction, and adapted to act as described,
is shewn in two arrangements or modifications in the accompanying drawings. In
these drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation and Figure 2 a plan shewing one
modification; while Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 4 plan shewing
another nodification.
Referring now to these drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the
machine shewn consists substantially of a frame a of angle bars, supported and
adapted to travel on the wheels b and shaft c; the delivery or digging fork or
tool d carried on the shaft d'; and the gearing hereinafter described between the
shaft c and the tool shaft d¹. This gearing comprises duplex bevel wheels e on a
secondary shaft f, carried in the frame a; an intermediate bevel pinion g fixed on
the shaft and permanently in gear with both bevel wheels e, and driven
alternately as one or other of the wheels e are revolved; spur wheels h and i
mounted respectively on the shafts c and f; clutch projections; at each side of, and
on the toothed pinion ; and a lever k by which such clutches j and wheel i are
together moved longitudinally upon the shaft f. The wheel i is about half the
width of the clutches j, is free to slide longitudinally on the shaft f, but it is fixed
as regards rotary movement on the shaft, by a feather or key, in the well known
way, which allows of the longitudinal movement. The part of the wheels e with
which the clutches j engage, consists of clutch projections e¹ on the inner faces of
the bosses of the wheels, with which the clutch parts on the wheel i engage and
disengage in the well known manner of ordinary notched clutches.
The action of the machine is as follows:-'
-The wheel g gears permanently with
the wheels e, and these wheels e, in the position of the parts shewn in Figure 2, are
free to revolve in either direction on the shaft f, this position being that in which
the machine can be moved about without revolving the tool d. Then, when the
machine is in action, to cause the tool d to revolve in the direction required, the
wheel and clutches ; will be moved by the handle k so as to bring one of these
clutches into engagement with the clutch e' of that one of the two bevel wheels e
which will revolve the tool d so as to deliver the potatoes onto that side of the
machine desired. Taking it that the machine in this bout, has delivered the
potatoes onto the downside of a hill, then when the machine is turned round after
having dug one row of potatoes, the gearing and tools are reversed by working the
handle k so as to stand in the opposite end to which it stood before, and it will
again, in the next bout, deliver the potatoes on the downside of the hill; and by
reversing the gearing at the end of each row, the continuous downside delivery of
potatoes is accomplished.
In the modification shewn in Figures 3 and 4, the bevel wheels e are mounted
directly on the wheel shaft c, and the wheels i and h and shaft f, as shewn in the
former machine, are not employed; while a simple double clutch is mounted on the

page_text: с
shaft c between the two wheels e, and is adapted to engage with one or other of
these wheels by moving the reversing lever k in one or other direction. To
disengage the clutch from either wheel e, as appearing in the drawing, it is left in
the mid position, out of gear with both the wheel clutches e'.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein described improved potato digging machine, namely, a machine
constructed and adapted to deliver the potatoes at either side thereof, at will;
substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. The potato digging machine, having a digging tool or fork adapted to
revolve in either direction, and mechanism for actuating same, arranged, combined,
and operating particularly as set forth with reference to and shewn in Figures 1
and 2, and Figures 3 and 4, respectively, of the drawings.
Dated this 21st day of April 1896.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.