IMPROVEMENTS IN POTATO DIGGERS to be as follows
Year: 1884

page_text: WILLIAM RICHARDSON, Church Road, Rainford, near St Helens, Lancashire,
Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
POTATO DIGGERS to be as follows:-
"
The machine is so constructed that it can be adjusted by the person in charge,
who rides on the machine, to suit all classes of ground and dig potatoes in any
stage of their growth. It can be drawn easily by two ordinary horses. A semi-
circular, shoe, to which is attached a number of bent prongs, goes under the potatoes
in the drill. Underneath these prongs is a revolving axle, to which is attached a
number of forks which can be so arranged by the person in charge, as to throw the
potatoes, either on one side of the machine-on both sides of it, or directly behind
the machine.. Revolving knives are attached to cut off the tops, weeds &c. The
machine can be raised out of, or lowered into, the ground, by the driver whilst
sitting on the machine.
Dated this fourteenth day of January 1884.

page_text: .
WILLIAM RICHARDSON, Blacksmith, Church Road, Rainford, near St Helens,
Lancs. do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
POTATO DIGGERS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my said invention, is to effect, by mechanical operations the
digging or raising of potatoes by horse power, which has hitherto been successfully
accomplished by manual labour only. To that end my said invention is constructed,
as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. My chief aim
throughout the construction of my said invention has been, as far as practicable, to
combine lightness with strength, in the shape of a machine which will effectively
do its work and which can be adjusted and regulated, in a short time, by the
person who has charge of the machine.
In the drawings figure 1 is a ground plan of my invention; figure 2 a side
elevation, and figure 3 a front elevation. Figs. 4 to 9 are drawings of separate
parts showing details of some of my improvements.
For this purpose I fix on the main axle A of the machine the driving wheels a
and a 1, of which I construct a 1 so that it admits the tooth wheel b, which is cast
fast to the spokes, within the rim of it. On the main axle A-I fix the frame c
which is made of wrought iron, and swings, and is supported on the main axle by
the bearings d.
From this frame, a little behind the main axle, another axle B, which consists of
a square bar rounded at the ends to turn in the bearings d 1, is suspended by the
stays 61. To the end of this axle I fix the pinnion e which is half shrouded to
strengthen the teeth. This pinnion, fits into, and is caused to revolve; when the
machine is in motion, by the toothed wheel b.
'
On this axle, at convenient dištances apart I fix a series of movable steel forks
or bars y (say eight), which can be placed at different angles to the axle B by
arranging them on the different sides of the squares of the same. These forks are
made in two forms so as to suit different classes of ground; with 'a square hole in
the centre of each to admit the axle B. In fig. 4 I show the form of a double fork
which consists of the two arms 1 and 2, each of which is twisted a little. The
obliquity of these arms will be seen in the drawing. In figure 6, I show the
ground plan of a triple fork (fig. 7), which consists of the three arms 1, 2, 3, which
are all the same length, and the extreme points of which are equal distances apart.
It is evident that the double forks can be arranged in two positions only on the
axle B, by placing them so that one of them crosses the other. This arrangement
of the double forks is specially adapted for stiff ground.
By the modification of the triple forks on the axle B, the potatoes can be placed
on each side of, or directly behind the machine, by altering the position of the
forks on the axle B. It is evident that these forks can be arranged so as to form
a screw or spiral, as shown in elevation in fig. 5, simply by arranging them on the
necessary squares of the axle B which can be taken out of the bearings by
unscrewing the bolts which fasten them, in a short time by the person in charge of
the machine. This figure, (fig 5), shows the elevation of four triple forks and the
screw obtained by one- arrangement of them on the square axle B. The arms
numbered 1 show the first fork which is slided on the axle B, where the arm a is
perpendicular, or at right angles to the square of the axle, the other two arms
taking the positions b and c. The second fork numbered 2, shows the screw
obtained by placing it on the next square, the arm a 1 being at right angles to the

page_text: axle, and hanging vertically-the other two arms taking the positions b1 and c 1.
In the third fork the arm a 2 is perpendicular to the square; 62 and c 2 being the
other two arms. Of the fourth fork a 3 is at right angles to the square, and 63
and c 3 the other two arms. It is by the screw of these forks that the potatoes can
be placed on each side, or behind the machine as above stated.
A little to the front of these revolving forks, I fix the shoe or sock H, which is
supported by the bar k which passes through the stays l. The sock is made in two
forms, one as shown in the drawing, and the other a semicircular one, the former
for light ground and the latter for stiff ground. Both these socks are adjustable by
the bark being movable. At each side of this sock, side wings L are placed, as
also at the ends of the axle on which the forks are fixed as shown in fig. 2 N.
Directly under this sock, I fasten a series of bent steel prongs or fingers f, which
are made in two parts as shown in figs. 8 and 9, joined together by small screw-
bolts. The space o is left so as to allow loose soil to pass through it, and the under
edge o1 is sharpened, thereby forming stationary knives, the object of which is to
cut off any tops or weeds which would otherwise clog on to the revolving axle B.
These prongs are fastened to a bar underneath the sock by small screwbolts,
and are arranged so that the forks on revolving pass between them as shown in
figs. 1 and 3.
To the front of the toothed wheel I fix another pinnion P on the axle p, which is
suspended from the frame by the stays q. Near the centre of this axle I fix two
revolving knives R, and to the frame I fit two stationary knives r. The object of
these knives is to cut away tops and weeds.
To the centre of the driving wheels are fitted the ordinary click and ratchet
boxes for convenience in turning at the end of the drill' &o.
The machine can be put in and out of gear by the lever 8 which is fastened to
the pinnion e, which slides on a floating key.
The point of the sock can be lifted to a considerable height out of the ground by
the lever t. And by the lever v, the whole of the frame can be arranged so that
the front is lowered, and the back raised, thereby raising the forks &c, which
would otherwise catch the ground if being drawn along a rough road or field.
Movable studs are screwed to the rims of the driving wheels, to cause the wheels
to stick to the ground.
The bit, or depth of the sock is controlled by the lever v, which can be reached
by the driver whilst he sits on the seat, which is fitted to the back of the frame.
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:-
First. The arrangement of the parts forming my "Improvements in Potato
diggers," as herein described and illustrated.
Second. The arrangement and form of movable forks on a revolving axle, and of
stationary prongs or fingers between which the said forks revolve, substantially as,
and for the purpose herein set forth.
Third. The arrangement of revolving and stationary knives for the purpose herein
described and illustrated.
Dated this eighteenth day of October 1884.