A NEW OR IMPROVED RIDDLE SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CLEANSING AND ASSORTING POTATOES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Davenport, senior, of Pittenweem, in the
County of Fife, North Britain, Farmer, for the Invention of "A NEW
OR IMPROVED RIDDLE SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CLEANSING AND ASSORTING
POTATOES."
"
Sealed the 19th July 1870, and dated the 3rd February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Davenport at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd February 1870.
I, JAMES DAVENPORT, senior, of Pittenweem, in the County of Fife,
North Britain, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED RIDDLE SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CLEANSING
AND ASSORTING POTATOES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to a new or improved riddle specially
adapted for cleansing and assorting potatoes, consists of a square or other
rectangular box or chamber supported on legs or standards, on the top
of which box a riddle or sieve is placed, which riddle or sieve is capable
of being moved in a forward and backward direction over the box by

page_text: means of grooved or flanched wheels or rollers attached to it, which run
on rods or rails fixed at the top or upper part of the box.
The potatoes to bo cleansed and assorted are placed on the riddle or
sieve, which is then actuated as above set forth by the attendant, the
carth adherent to the potatoes being thereby detached falls down through
the box or chamber on to the ground, at the same time the small or
unmarketable potatoes fall down through the meshes of the riddle or
sieve to an inclined plane or grating inside the box or chamber, thence
through an opening in the side of the box or chamber into a basket or
other receptacle placed to receive them. After the assorting is com-
pleted the riddle or sieve is tilted up at one end and the cleansed
potatoes thrown out into any suitable receptacle.
In order that the apparatus may be the more easily removed from
one place to another two or more wheels are attached to the logs or
standards of the box or chamber, which is also provided with two shafts
or handles by which the attendant moves it along the ground.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Davenport in the Great Scal Patent Office
on the 1st August 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
DAVENPORT, senior, of Pittenweem, in the County of Fife, North Britain,
Farmer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing dato the Third day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the 33rd
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said James Davenport, Her special license
that I, the said James Davenport, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Davenport, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED RIDDLE

page_text: SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CLEANSING POTATOES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Davenport, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Davenport, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters-and figures marked. thercon, that is to say :-
My said Invention, which relates to a new or improved riddle specially
adapted for cleansing and assorting potatoes, consists of a square or
other rectangular box or chamber supported on legs or standards, on the
top of which box a riddle or sieve is placed, which riddle or sievo is
capable of being moved in a forward and backward direction over the
box by means of grooved or flanched wheels or rollers attached to it,
which run on rods.or rails fixed at the top or upper part of the box..
The potatoes to be cleansed and assorted are placed on the riddle or
siove, which is then actuated as above set forth by the attendant, the
carth adherent to the potatoes being thereby detached falls down through
the box or chamber. on to the ground, at the same time the small or
unmarketable potatoes fall down through the meshes of the riddle or
sieve to an inclined plane or grating inside the box or chamber, thence
through an opening in the side of the box or chamber into a basket or
other receptacle placed to receive them. After the assorting is com-
pleted the riddle or sieve is tilted up at one end and the clcaused
potatoes thrown out into any suitable receptacle.
In order that the apparatus may be the more casily removed from:
one place to another two or more wheels are attached to the legs or
standards of the box or chamber, which is also provided with two shafts
or handles by which the attendant moves it along the ground..
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be carried into effect, reference

page_text: being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :—
:
'
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended, Figure 1 is a side
elevation, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 an end clevation of the potato
cleansing and assorting apparatus which constitutes this Invention.
On these several Figures corresponding parts are indicated by the same
letters of reference.
'
--
1520
The apparatus consists of a rectangular box or chamber A, supported
'partly by the legs or standards B and partly by wheels C, the bearings
of which are carried in the lower ends of the first pair of legs or 1
'standards. To the upper end of the standards B guide rods D arc
attached, on which a riddle or sievo E is placed, as shown, and the
riddle or sieve is capable of being moved in a forward or backward
direction over the box or chamber A by sliding it along the rods D. Tho
potatoes to be cleansed and assorted are placed on the riddle or sieve E, 1
which is then actuated by an attendant, and the earth adherent to
the potatoes being detached by their friction against the meshes of tho
riddle falls down through the box or chamber A on to the ground, to
permit of which the bottom of the box or chamber is composed of a
series of bars F, as more particularly shown in plan at Figure 2, at the 2
same time the small potatoes or such as are unmarketable fall down
through the meshes of the riddle or sieve E on to the bars F, which are
so arranged that such potatoes as may pass through the meshes of the
riddle E cannot pass between the bars, but are discharged from the box
or chamber A through the opening G, more particularly seen at Figure 1, 2
and fall into a basket I or otlicr receptacle placed to receive them. In
order to prevent the potatoes which pass through the meshes of the
riddle E from lodging in the box or chamber the bottom thereof is
inclined towards the opening G, as shown in dotted lines at Figures 1
and 3, or the bars F may be set at a greater angle if desired. When the 3
operation of cleansing and assorting the potatoes is completed the riddle
or sievo E is tilted up at one side, and the potatoes contained therein
are thrown out into any suitable receptacle. In order to facilitate the
removal of the cleansed potatoes from the riddle or sieve an opening is
formed in one side, and a lip or shute inserted therein, as shown more 3
particularly at J, Figure 2.
It is preferred to construct the bearings of the riddle or sieve in the
'mannow 'shown in "dotted lines at Time 2 that is to sav the honrings

page_text: at one side of the riddle or sieve are arranged so as to encompass the
guide rod D, thereby forming a hinge on which to turn up the riddle,
and the bearings a at the other side are forked, as shown, in order to
permit the riddle to be tilted up when it is required to remove the
potatoes contained therein. In lieu of this method the riddle may be
carried on grooved or flanched wheels or rollers arranged to run on the
top of the guide rods D, and pieces of india-rubber or other elastic
-material-may-be-attached_to_the_upper_ends of the legs or standards B
to act as an abutment to the riddle or sieve, which riddle may be made
of any desired dimensions longitudinally. The apparatus is also pro-
vided with two handles K in order that the attendant may the more
casily move it from one place to another.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
hercin-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the general arrangement
and construction of mechanism constituting the potato cleansing and
assorting apparatus herein-before described and shown on the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Davenport, senior, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of July Onc
thousand eight hundred and seventy.