IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: POTATO PLANTING
LETTERS PATENT to Henry Gardner of 166 Fleet Street in the City of London
Patent Agent for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES Communicated to him from abroad by Richard Wuensche of
Herrnhut (Saxony)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Gardner at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st September 1882.
HENRY GARDNER, of 166 Fleet Street, in the City of London Patent Agent
IMPROVEMENTS IN POTATO PLANTING MACHINES (Communicated to me from
abroad by Richard Wuensche of Herrnhut. Saxony)
This Invention relates to improvements in machines for planting potatoes at
equal distances apart. Through the lower part of a hopper, passes the flat broad
rim of the planting wheel, which is provided with cavities, in form of a bell in
equal and short distances. The potatoes fall into these cavities, corresponding to
the size of the seed potatoes, while the planting wheel, passes through the hopper.
Sometimes it will happen that the potatoes, even when picked out by good
separating machines, will not be quite of equal size, for instance there may be
among the seed potatoes of the common size of 1 inch and a half, such of ³, 1, 1
and up to 1% of an inch. (The cavities can be made, of course, of any size,
required up to 2 inches in diameter, the largest size allowed). Now, if a potato of
1 inch gets into a cavity not quite filling it up another potato might get into the
same cavity, upon the one of 1 inch, therefore the exposed part of the upper
potato will be cut off in the revolution of the wheel through the hopper.
To obviate this a roller is placed in the hopper across the wheel just as it leaves
the hopper. This roller throws off such potatoes as would be too large for the
cavity thereby preserving them uninjured.
The lower potato remaining in the cavity goes farther on without impediment,
while the wheel revolves, till it reaches the lowest point of the eyeloid, At this
point the potato leaves the cavity and falls into the furrow, which has been made
by a share, fitted to the machine in front of the planting wheel.

page_text: As the planting wheel revolves with equal velocity and the cavities stand in
equal distances, the planting is also quite equally done, every potato, leaving the
machine, as soon as it has got to the lowest point.
On the side where the wheel leaves the hopper, a guard is fixed, to prevent the
potatoes, falling out before. This guard does not prevent the rotation of the wheel,
but keeps the potatoes in their place. Further it may happen, that in spite of
screening, potatoes of a larger size than allowed will be partly jammed into the
cavities. A potato jammed in tightly would naturally not fall out, but remain in
the wheel and leave a vacant place in the furrow at this point at
every revolution.
To avoid this the bottoms of the cavities are provided with round concave plates,
riveted to studs. These studs pass through bosses in the body of the wheel-crown,
and they are provided at the other end with heads.
Between these heads and the bosses, spiral springs are placed, keeping the plates
of the studs on the bottom of the cavities.
A roller, projecting sidewards from the frame is placed inside the crown of the
planting wheel. By this roller the studs, passing underneath are pressed down,
driving out the potato, jammed in.
The potatoes will not be forced out on the lowest point, but a little sooner, for
the purpose of avoiding unequal distances by a sudden discharge. To vary the
distances in planting, the machine is provided with a variable gear, which with the
proper adjustments causes a slower or faster revolution of the wheel and conse-
quently the potatoes are thrown in the furrow in a shorter or larger distance.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Gardner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th March
1883.
HENRY GARDNER of 166 Fleet Street in the City of London Patent Agent
"IMPROVEMENTS IN POTATO PLANTING MACHINES." (Communicated to me from
abroad by Richard Wuensche of Herrnhut) (Saxony)
This Invention relates to improvements in machines for planting potatoes at
equal distances apart, which are fully set forth in the following specification and
accompanying drawings. Figures 1 and 2.
The machine for planting potatoes at equal distances is mounted on a four
wheeled frame and consists of the following parts.
Through the lower part of a hopper E passes the flat broad rim of the planting
wheel A which is provided with cavities G having the shape of a bell at equal
and short distances apart. The potatoes fall into these cavities corresponding to
the size of the seed potatoes while the planting wheel passes through the hopper.
Sometimes it will happen that the potatoes, even when picked out by good
separating machines, will not be quite of equal size for instance there may be
found among the seed potatoes of the common size of one inch and a half, such of
3, 1, 1%, and up to 1/4 inch. The cavities may be made of course of any size
required, up to 2 inches in diameter being the largest size chosen. Now if a potato
of 1 inch gets into a cavity, not quite filling it up, another potato might get
into the same cavity resting on the one of 1 inch, the exposed part of the upper
potato would consequently be cut off during the revolution of the wheel.
To obviate this a roller B is placed in the hopper E above the wheel A just
where it leaves the hopper. This roller throws off such potatoes as would be too
large for the cavity thereby preserving them uninjured.
The lower potato remaining in the cavity is carried around without impediment
while the wheel revolves, till it reaches nearly the lowest point of the periphery of
the wheel. At this point the potato leaves the cavity and falls into the furrow
which has been made by a share fitted to the machine in front of the planting
wheel.
As the planting wheel revolves with equal velocity and the cavities are formed
at equal distances apart the planting is also quite equally done every potato
leaving the machine as soon as it gets to the lowest point. On the side where the
wheel leaves the hopper E a guard-plate M is fixed to prevent the potatoes falling
out untimely. This guard does not prevent the rotation of the wheel but merely
keeps the potatoes in their place.
It may further happen that in spite of screening potatoes of too large a size will
be partly jammed into the cavities. A potato thus jammed in tightly would
obviously not fall out but remain in the wheel cavity and leave a vacant place in
the furrow at every revolution. To avoid this the bottoms of the cavities are
provided with round concave plates riveted to studs D. These studs pass through
bosses in the body of the wheel crown and they are provided with heads. Between
these heads on the bosses, spiral springs are placed keeping the concave plates
fixed to the studs on the bottom of the cavities, A roller C projecting sidewards
from the frame K is placed inside the crown of the planting wheel A, which
roller C revolves on a pin of the projecting bar L. By this roller the studs D.
passing underneath are pressed down pushing the potato out of the cavity. The
potatoes will not be forced out on the lowest point, but a little sooner for the
purpose of avoiding unequal distances.

page_text: '
To vary the distances in planting, the machine is provided with a variable
gear H, gearing with the toothed wheel I on the axle of the planting wheel. F.
This causes a slower or faster revolution of the wheel and consequently the potatoes
are thrown in the furrows at a shorter or larger distance asunder.
Having now described the nature of the. said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed. I declare that I claim: In Potatoe planting machines:
First: The arrangement of the planting wheel A, provided with bell shaped
cavities G and studs D with spiral springs.
Secondly: The arrangement of the hopper E above the planting wheel provided
with a roller B, which prevents superfluous potatoes falling into the bell shaped
cavities.
Thirdly: The arrangement of the rollers C projecting to the plane in which the
wheels A rotate, on purpose to press the passing studs D down, so that the
·· potatoes jammed in the cavities are loosened thus avoiding failures in planting.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Gardner have hereunto set my hand
and seal this nineteenth day of March in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.