IMPROVEMENTS IN POTATOE RIDDLERS
Year: 1884

page_text: We GEORGE KEARSLEY of Ripon, Implement Manufacturer and GEORGE
MANGLES of Great Givendale Borobridge Yorkshire Farmer do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POTATOE RIDDLERS" to be as
follows:
This invention has for its object improvements in potatoe riddlers.
Our improved potatoe riddler sorts the potatoes into three sizes, and separates
the soil at one operation.
It consists of a frame with two horizontal guide rods or rails supporting a box
in which the riddles are mounted. The box is carried on wheels and can be moved
to and fro along the guide rods or rails by manual labor to cause the necessary
agitation. The upper riddle which is mounted on pivots off the centre to facilitate
the removal of the potatoes as hereinafter described is of a size to retain only the
largest potatoes, below it is an inclined riddle of a size to retain the potatoes of a
medium size, and beneath this again there is a stationary screen, through which
the soil can pass,
but which retains even the smallest potatoes.
All that passes through the first riddle is directed by an inclined board to the
upper end of the second riddle and in descending along this riddle the potatoes of
small size are separated, they. fall through on to the fixed screen and finally pass off
from this at the end.
The potatoes of medium size being retained by the lower riddle descend over its
surface and are directed into a receiver or on to the ground.
The upper screen as already stated is arranged to turn upon pivots off the centre
Whilst at work this screen is retained in a horizontal position by a string or
otherwise, and at the end of the operation this string is slackened; the riddle then
tips and the potatoes roll off and are led away into a suitable receiver.
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page_text: We GEORGE KEARSLEY of Ripon, Implement Manufacturer and GEORGE
MANGLES of Great Givendale, Borobridge, Yorkshire, Farmer do hereby declare
the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN POTATOE RIDDLERS" 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 for its object improvements in potatoe riddlers.
Our improved potatoe riddler sorts the potatoes into three sizes and separates the
soil at one operation.
It consists of a frame with two horizontal guide rods or rails supporting a box
in which the riddles are mounted. The box is carried on wheels and can be moved
to and fro along the guide rods or rails by manual labour to cause the necessary
agitation. The upper riddle which is mounted on pivots off the centre to facilitate
the removal of the potatoes as hereinafter described is of a size to retain only the
largest potatoes, below it is an inclined riddle of a size to retain the potatoes of a
medium size and beneath this again there is a stationary screen through which the
soil can pass but which retains even the smallest potatoes.
All that passes through the first riddle is directed by an inclined board to the
upper end of the second riddle and in descending along this riddle the potatoes of
small size are separated, they fall through on to the fixed screen and finally pass
off from this at the end.
The potatoes of medium size being retained by the lower riddle descend over its
surface and are directed into a receiver or on to the ground.
The upper screen as already stated is arranged to turn upon pivots off the centre.
Whilst at work this screen is retained in a horizontal position by a string or
otherwise and at the end of the operation this string is slackened; the riddle then
tips and the potatoes roll off and are led away into a suitable receiver.
In order that our said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a potato riddler constructed in accordance with
our invention.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan; this figure shows the lower part of the machine.
Figure 4 is a plan showing the upper part.
Figure 5 shows separately a side elevation of the box containing the riddles.
Figure 6 is a plan of one of the riddles.
A. A is a frame consisting of four uprights suitably connected and provided with
wheels A¹, and handles A2, to facilitate removal from place to place. At the upper
part of the frame are two horizontal guide rods or rails B. B. and these support a
shaking box C by means of small wheels C¹ C¹ which rest on the rods or rails.
C2 is a handle provided upon the shaking box at one side; by means of this
handle it can be moved to and fro along the rods or rails in such manner as to
agitate the contents of the box.
D is a riddle mounted within the box on pivots D¹ D¹ which are off the centre
of the riddle. D³ is a string connected with the riddle D and passing out of the
box over a pulley; by means of this string the riddle D can be held up in a
horizontal position which is the position it occupies during riddling.

page_text: The potatoes are put in at the top of the box C and all except the largest
potatoes pass through the riddle D on to a riddle E below and they are directed to
the higher side of this riddle by the inclined board F. The riddle E is seen in
plan in Figure 6, it is fixed within the box C in a permanently inclined position.
The riddle E stops the potatoes of medium size but the smallest potatoes and the
soil with which they are mixed pass through and fall on to the stationary inclined
screen G underneath the shaking box C; the screen sifts out the smallest potatoes
allowing the soil to fall through and accumulating in a heap beneath the
machine.
When the riddling of the lot of potatoes placed in the box is complete the
string D2 is released, and the riddle D then drops down into an inclined position
allowing the largest potatoes which it supports to roll off by the spout H where
they may be received into a sack or allowed to fall on a heap which is kept within
bounds by side boards I. I.
The potatoes of medium size (called set potatoes) which are stopped by the
riddle E roll down it and drop into the inclined receiver K which conducts them
away to the side of the machine where they form a heap.
The smallest potatoes roll down the fixed screen G, they form another heap on
the opposite side of the machine.
Thus at one operation the potatoes are separated from the soil and sorted to
three different sizes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
First. In a potato riddler the shaking box C with the pivotted screen D
retaining the largest potatoes and then inclining to deliver these potatoes to a
spout substantially as described.
Second. The combination in a potato riddler of the shaking box C the riddles D
and E and the inclined screen G the. whole so arranged as to separate the potatoes
from soil and sort them into three sizes at one operation substantially as described.