Improvements in Planting Implements for Potatoes and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Planting Implements for Potatoes and the like.
I, PERCY RICHARD JULIUS WILLIS, of Fairfield, Kingston-on-Thames, in the
County of Surrey, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (a communication to me from abroad by Chiever Clark Caves and
Lemuel Sherman Caves, both of Fremont, Iowa, U.S.A., Inventors,) to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to that class of agricultural implement used for sowing
seeds, more especially potatoes and such like tubers.
The object of the invention is to provide a machine which will not only drop
the seeds in rapid manner, but will also cut them into halves or more pieces, as
is usual with some kinds of tubers before planting them.
The invention comprises a rectangular frame having supporting wheels at its
rear and vertical supports in front. The supports also serve to make furrows to
receive the seeds. A receptacle is located in the front of the frame and has a
carrier or conveyor mounted therein and serving to convey the seeds rearwardly
to a vertically-elongated box mounted at the rear end of the carrier, and adapted
to receive the seeds at a point intermediate its ends. The conveyor, and also that
hereinafter referred to, may consist of an endless chain, running over sprocket-
wheels, and having discs or scrapers intermittently arranged upon it.
A stationary knife is mounted in the lower part of the box and a plunger is
mounted in the upper portion thereof and serves to move the tubers downwardly
onto the knife. Spring-arms are mounted upon the outer portions of the box
and project into it the free ends of the arms being located above the stationary
knife in order to hold the tuber preparatory to the descent of the plunger. A
movable knife is carried on the plunger and acts in conjunction with the station-
ary knife to sever the tuber.
A box-like casing runs transversely of the frame below the box and has two
carriers or conveyors mounted therein leading respectively to the runners and
serving to convey the seed towards each side of the frame and drop it adjacent
to the runners.
The carriers are driven by gearing deriving its motion from the axle of the
supporting wheels. Motion is also conveyed by gearing to a counter-shaft from
the axle. This shaft carries a disc having a crank-pin connected by a pitman
to the plunger which is thereby reciprocated.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Planting Implements for Potatoes and the like.
I, PERCY RICHARD JULIUS WILLIS, of Fairfield, Kingston-on-Thames, in the
County of Surrey, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of "this
invention (a communication to me from abroad by Chiever Clark Caves and
Lemuel Sherman Caves, both of Fremont, Iowa, U.S.A., Inventors) 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 that class of agricultural implement used for sowing
seeds, more especially potatoes and such like tubers.
The object of the invention is to provide a planter, so constructed that the
potatoes may be introduced whole and automatically cut and delivered to the
ground; a further object being to so construct it that two rows may be planted
at each traverse of the planter.
Reference being had to the accompanying drawings:-Figure 1 is a plan view
of my improved planter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, parts being
broken away. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a combined shoe-runner for use in connection
with the machine. Figs. 5 and 6 are front and side elevations of a stationary
knife or dividing partition adapted to divide the slices of potatoes that have been
cut from the body of the potatoes by a movable knife.
A represents the framing of the machine, the rear portion comprising side
beams 10, 10 and the forward portion side beams 10, 10 which extend beyond the
vertical plane of the outer faces of beams 10, 10. The beams 10, 10 are con-
nected at their outer extremities by a cross-bar 11, and the beams 10 similarly
by a cross-bar 12. 13 is a tongue or pole provided with a whiffle- or double-
trec 14. 15 is a seat at the forward end, fixed to the cross-bar 12, and which
faces rearwardly. 16 is an intermediate cross-bar joining the beams 10, 10 and
partly supporting a seat 17. 17 is a supplementary cross-bar, joining the
beams 10, 10.
18 is a box-casing transversely located where the rear and forward portions
meet, Fig. 3, and is provided with downwardly projecting members 19 at each
extremity. Each projection 19 of the box casing 18 is preferably provided with
a shoe-runner 20, terminating at its rear with forked members 21, between, which
a conductor 22 is located, the upper portion of the conductor being connected to
the upper portion of the shoe-runner. The conductors 22, 22, are formed to fit
snugly around the projecting members 19, 19 (Fig. 3). Cutters,may be, sub-
stituted for the shoe-runners and conductors if desired.
Near the junction of each member 19 with the box-casing 18, and at the
bottom portion of the casing, bevelled gears 23, 23, are mounted upon the rear
ends of shafts 23" 23" suitably journalled, and the shafts 23, 23 carry centrally
with the box-casing 18, sprocket-wheels 24, 24, suitable openings being made
in the box-casing to permit of the sprocket-wheels 24, 24, to extend within the
same (Fig. 3).
+
:
At each side of the centre of the box-casing 18 the bottom portion is cut away
to allow the extension of sprocket-wheels 25, 25, therein, mounted on shafts 25*,
25, and conveying chains 26. 26 are passed around each pair of sprocket-
wheels 24 and 25, being adapted to convey seed potatoes to the extensions 19, 19,
so that they may drop to the ground through the conductors 22, 22.
The bevel gears 23, 23 are adapted to engage with bevel-gears 27, 27,
secured

page_text: to the ends of a driven shaft 28 mounted in bearings 29, 29 attached to the
rear of the box-casing IS (Fig. 1).
The shaft 28 is driven through the sprocket-wheel 30 secured to the same,
usually near its left-hand end, and a chain-belt 31 forming the connection to a
sprocket-wheel 32 secured on the axle 33. The axle 33 is provided with the carry-
ing wheels 34, 84.
The runners 20, 20 support the forward end of the frame, and consequently
front wheels may be dispensed with.
The cross-bar 36 connects the forward beams 10", 10" and at each side of the
forward section is placed a bin 37. The bins are supported at their front ends
from the cross-bar 36, and they are provided with backs of any desired height
which are preferably attached to the forward end of the box-casing 1S.
Between the bins 37, 37 a platform 38 is located having therein a longitudinal
opening 39. To the platform 38 at opposite ends are journalled the shafts 40, 41
carrying sprocket-wheels 43, 43 connected by the conveying chains-42.
Near
the rear upper portion of the chain 42 is mounted a roller 44, it being indepen-
dent of the chain.
At the central portion of the box-casing 18, being a continuation thereof and
in direct communication therewith, is a vertical box 45. This box 45, at each of
its opposite sides, and near its lower end, is provided with openings 46, 46; and
to the upper ends of the same sides are secured springs 47, 47, the lower ends 48,
48 of which are passed within the box 45 through the openings 46, 46, and con-
verge within the box but their extremities are curved in opposite directions
(Fig. 3).
At the back of the box 45 is a longitudinal slot 46, and in the front thereof a
longer longitudinal slot 46 is provided (Fig. 2).
Partitions 45, 45, extend upwards from the horizontal platform 38, between
the bins 37, 37, and the said partitions are preferably made to coincide with the
forward end of the vertical box 45 (Figs. 1 and 2).
A knife or dividing partition 49, bevelled at opposite sides of its upper part,
is vertically attached to the central portion of the box-casing 45, at or near the
bottom, and extends upwards to a point between the lower extremities of the
springs 47, 47 (Fig. 3).
In the upper portion of the box-casing 45 a plunger 50 is slidingly mounted
and has a recess 51 in its lower end capable of receiving a portion of the knife 49.
At the front of the plunger 50 a knife 52 is secured which is bevelled upon its
rear face (Fig. 2). This knife cuts the potatoes fed to it, the knife 49 further
cutting the slices as they are forced upon it by the plunger 50.
A shaft 54 is journalled in a bearing 53, carried by the cross-bar 17 (Figs. 1
and 2), and carries a crank-disc 55 at one end and a sprocket wheel 56 at the
other end which is connected by the chain 57 to a sprocket-wheel 58 on the
axle 33. The crank-disc 55 is connected by a pitman 59 with the plunger 50
which receives a vertical reciprocating movement through the pitman, crank-
disc and driving connections with the axle.
The operation of the implement is as follows:-
Potatoes placed in the bins 37, 37 are taken out by an operator on seat 15, and
placed one after the other on the front conveying chain 42; they are thereupon
taken over the roller 44 into the box 45. As the potatoes advance they will be
sliced by the knife 52, and the plunger 50 will force the slice onto the knife 49
causing it to be sub-divided. A portion of the divided slice will be received on
each of the transverse conveying chains 26, 26 and by them carried to the out-
let 19 of the box-casing 18.
The conveyer 42 may be driven in any suitable manner. In Figs. 1 and 2 a
sprocket-wheel 60 is attached to the shaft 41 and connected by a chain 61 to a
sprocket-wheel 62 located on a short shaft 63 journalled in a suitable bearing
attached to the rear of the box-casing 18. On the shaft 63 is fixed a second

page_text: sprocket-wheel 64 connected by a chain 65 with a suitable sprocket-wheel on the
driven-shaft 28. It is to be understood that the springs 47, 47, at their lower
ends 48, 48 hold the potato fed into the hox 45 whilst it is being cut by the
knife 52, but as the plunger 50 descends the springs are separated as shewn by
dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the slice is removed permitting it to be divided by
the knife 49. The knife 49 is provided with a recess 49" on one side (Fig. 6) to
permit of the downward passage of the reciprocating knife during the action of
the plunger on the sliced portion of the potato.
It will be understood that modifications in design may be used without depart-
ing from the nature of the invention.
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: -
A planting implement for potatoes and the like comprising a frame supported
on wheels, the box-like casing supported in said frame and having lateral exten-
sions projecting downwardly at their ends and fitted with conductors which are
attached to a shoe or share for opening the soil, seats mounted on said frame,
seed receptacles also mounted on the frame, a platform between said receptacles
a conveyer travelling parallel with the platform and adapted to carry seeds to the
box-like casing aforesaid when said seeds are placed thereon, springs on each
side of the casing and projecting therein and adapted to retain the seeds whilst
being cut into parts, a knife and a plunger vertically reciprocable in said casing
a stationary and transversely arranged knife in the lower part of the casing
means, such as a crank-disc and pitman, for reciprocating said knife and plunger,
conveyors arranged to convey the seeds from the casing to the lateral extensions
thereof and from thence to the conductors from which they enter the soil and
the gearing for imparting motion from the drive shaft to the operative parts
set forth, all substantially as described, and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
1
1000