An Improved Machine for Digging and Screening Potatoes..
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1892-Accepted, 6th Aug. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Digging and Screening Potatoes..
I, FRANCIS WILLIAM LEE, of Woodend, in the Colony of Victoria, Blacksmith,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has been devised for the purpose of providing a machine which
will raise potatoes out of the ground and deposit them in lines upon the surface
without bruising or otherwise injuring them.
The essential feature of this improved machine for digging and screening potatoes
consists in the employment of a pair of forks which are alternately turned so that
they carry the earth and potatoes up a set of curved inclined bars and discharge the
latter on to other inclined bars whereby they are still further screened and delivered
in rows on to the surface of the ground, said forks being automatically turned
lengthwise to the machine whilst travelling upwards and crosswise to the machine
whilst travelling downwards.
These said forks are each provided with an upwardly projecting stem or arm
whose upper part is formed with two feathers, or is made flat and is bent or twisted
at a certain distance from the end so that the fork on its lower end will be auto-
matically turned into the required position at a certain part of the stroke.
Each of these forks is provided with an upwardly projecting stem or arm which
is passed between a pair of guide rolls mounted in bearings upon some fixed part
of the machine, and which serve to alternately turn said forks in opposite directions
for about a quarter of a revolution, that is, through an angle of 90°, so that when
travelling upwardly they will lie in the direction of travel of the implement, and
when travelling downwardly they will lie across the direction of such travel so
that they will pass each other in their up and down movements. This turn is
given to said forks by providing the upper ends of their shanks with projecting
webs or feathers adapted to fit between the flat parts of the herein before mentioned
guide rolls. These said webs or feathers are bent or twisted near their lower enda
so that their main portion projects at right angles to said lower ends. Each of
the forks is connected by an adjustable block fixed upon its shank with a two-
throw crank, which latter is mounted in bearings on some fixed part of the framing
of the machine and is driven by bevel gearing from the main axle of the machine.
Secured to the same framework as certain curved bars in front of the latter is arranged
a horizontal ploughshare which is curved in cross-section somewhat to the same
shape as said bars, and whose forward end is slightly lower than the level of said
bars, said share being arranged at such an incline as that it will raise the earth
and potatoes on to the surface of said curved bars as the machine progresses.
When such earth and potatoes reach said bars they are subjected to the action
of the two forks above described, which are continually reciprocated by the
rotation of a two-throw crank, and are automatically turned lengthwise of the
machine in travelling upwards by reason of the webs on their shanks fitting
between the two guide rollers above described. As soon as said forks arrive near
the uppermost limit of their strokes, the twists in their webs passing between the
fixed guide rollers turn said forks through an angle of about 90°, that is, for about
quarter of a revolution, and keep them in position cross-wise to the travel of the
machine, until the other fork has passed them on its up-stroke, when the returning
fork will be turned back into its working position, that is, so that it lies in the
direction of the travel of the machine. This fork will continue to be lowered
by the revolution of its crank, and will engage with any earth and potatoes which
have been delivered on to the curved bars, and will then carry the potatoes up said
pars, and will deliver them on to other inclined bars at the side whereby said

page_text: potatoes will be delivered on to the surface of the ground in a continuous row,
the earth being allowed to drop through the bars will be thoroughly removed from
said potatoes.
A hand lever fitted with a spring catch adapted to engage in a toothed quadrant is
mounted upon the framing of the implement in à convenient position alongside
the driver's seat, and is connected by a rod or bar with the framing carrying the
ploughshare and the first mentioned set of curved bars in order that said share and
said bars may be raised from off the surface of the ground when required, the
effect of pushing said lever forwards being to turn said frame backwards upon the
axle of the implement.
To enable the depth of cut of the share to be regulated at will, this share is
arranged to slide vertically upon the side bars of the framing above referred to,
and is connected to a screw-threaded rod passing through a correspondingly screw-
threaded boss on a lever or hand wheel which can be rotated as required, to raise
or lower said share.
Dated this 19th day of August One thousand eight hundred and ninate_one
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Digging and Screening Potatoes.
1, FRANCIS WILLIAM LEE, of Woodend in the Colony of Victoria, Blacksmith,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 been devised for the purpose of providing a machine which
will raise potatoes out of the ground and deposit them in lines upon the surface
without bruising or otherwise injuring them.
The essential feature of this improved machine for digging and screening potatoes
consists in the employment of a pair of forks which are alternately turned so that
they carry the earth and potatoes up a set of curved inclined bars and discharge
the latter on to other inclined bars whereby they are still further screened and
delivered in rows on to the surface of the ground, said forks being automatically
turned lengthwise to the machine whilst travelling upwards and crosswise to the
machine whilst travelling downwards.
These said forks are each provided with an upwardly projecting stem or arm
whose upper part is formed with two feathers, or is made flat and is bent or twisted
at a certain distance from the end so that the fork on its lower end will be auto-
matically turned into the required position at a certain part of the stroke, as will
be well understood from the following description, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings, wherein
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved potato digging and screening
machine with the near side driving wheel removed in order to better illustrate the
construction of such machine.
Figure 2 is a plan, and
Figure 3 is a rear elevation thereof, whilst
Figure 4 is a detached plan of the frame or support for that part of the
mechanism which automatically turns the forks, above referred to, into their
required positions.
:
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A-A represent the pair of forks which as hereinbefore mentioned carry the
potatoes up a set of curved inclined bars B and discharge them on to another set
of inclined bars or screen C down which they fall on to the surface of the ground.

page_text: Each of the forks A is provided with an upwardly projecting stem or arm a
which is passed between a pair of guide rolls a' mounted in bearings upon some
fixed part of the machine and which serve to alternately turn said forks in
opposite directions for about a quarter of a revolution, that is, through an angle
of 90° so that when travelling upwardly they will lie in the direction of travel of
the implement and when travelling downwardly they will lie across the direction
of such travel so that they will pass each other in their up and down movements.
This turn is given to said forks by providing the upper ends of their shanks a
with projecting webs or feathers a adapted to fit between the flat parts of the
guide rolls a'. These said webs or feathers are bent or twisted near their lower
ends so that their main portion projects at right angles to said lower ends. Each
of the forks A is connected by an adjustable block d fixed upon its shank a
with a two-throw crank D, which latter is mounted in bearings d on some fixed
part of the framing of the machine, and is driven by bevel gearing d from the
main axle E of the machine. Secured to the same framework as the curved
bars B in front of the latter is arranged a horizontal ploughshare b' which is
curved in cross-section somewhat to the same shape as said bars, and whose forward
end is slightly lower than the level of said bars, said share being arranged at
such an incline as that it will raise the earth and potatoes on to the surface of
said curved bars B as the machine progresses. When such earth and potatoes
reach said bars B they are subjected to the action of the two forks A which are
continually reciprocated by the rotation of the two-throw crank D and are auto-
matically turned lengthwise of the machine in travelling upwards by reason of the
webs a' on their shanks a fitting between the two rollers. a. As soon as said forks
arrive near the uppermost limit of their strokes, the twists in the webs a² passing:
between the fixed guide rollers a' turn said forks through an angle of about 90°
(that is, for about a quarter of a revolution) and keep them in position cross-wise
to the travel of the machine, until the other fork has passed them on its upstroke,
when the returning fork will be turned back into its working position, that is so
that it lies in the direction of the travel of the machine. This fork will continue
to be lowered by the revolution of its crank and will engage with any earth and
potatoes which have been delivered on to the curved bars B and will then carry
the potatoes up said bars and will deliver them on to the inclined bars C at the
side whereby said potatoes will be delivered on to the surface of the ground in a
continuous row, the earth being allowed to drop through the bars will be thoroughly
removed from said potatoes.
A hand lever F fitted with a spring catch adapted to engage in a toothed
quadrant is mounted upon the framing of the implement in a convenient position
alongside the driver's seat, and is connected by a rod or bar f' with the framing
carrying the ploughshare and curved bars B in order that said share and said bars
may be raised from off the surface of the ground when required, the effect of
pushing said lever forwards being to turn said frame backwards upon the axle of
the implement.
To enable the depth of cut of the share to be regulated at will, this share is
arranged to slide vertically upon the side bars of the framing above referred to, and
is connected to a screw-threaded rod passing through a correspondingly threaded
boss on a lever or hand wheel which can be rotated as required to raise or lower
said share.
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. A machine for digging and screening potatoes, having a pair of forks
(such as A) which are turned approximately a quarter of a revolution, that is,
through an angle of about 90° at or near the end of such movement or stroke and
which serve to carry the earth and potatoes elevated by the machine up a series of
bars or rods (such as B) said forks being automatically turned, as just described,

page_text: :
so that they can pass each other, whilst the one is on its up and the other on its
down stroke, substantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained
and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Second. In a machine for digging and screening potatoes the combination with
a fork (such as A) formed on or secured to the lower end of a shank or bar (such
as a) of a pair of guide rollers (such as a') mounted in fixed bearings and arranged
to work against each side of said shank or bar the latter being provided with pro-
jecting webs or feathers (such as a²) turned or twisted through an angle of about 90°
and being moreover mounted upon or connected to a crank (such as D) the whole
being constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein
-described and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Third. In a machine for digging and screening potatoes the combination with a
pair of forks (such as A) provided with means (such for instance as the projecting
webs or feathers (a2) working between fixed rollers (a¹) for automatically turning
said forks through an angle of about 90° at each stroke or upward and downward
movement of a two-throw crank (such as D) upon which said forks can be supported,
substantially as and for the purposes herein described, and explained and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In a machine for digging and screening potatoes the combination with a
two-throw crank (such as D) connected to and operating a pair of forks (such as A)
the latter being provided with means whereby they can be automatically turned
approximately a quarter of a revolution, that is, through an angle of about 90° at
each stroke or upward and downward movement of an axle (such as E) fitted with
land wheels and connected to said two-throw crank by bevel or other gearing, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated
in my drawings.
Fifth. In a machine for digging and screening potatoes the combination with a
fork (such as A) provided with means (such for instance as a crank shaft D)
projecting twisted webs or feathers (such as a) and guide rollers (such as a¹)
whereby it can be automatically turned approximately a quarter of a revolution,
that is, through an angle of about 90° at each stroke or upward and downward
movement, of a series of curved rods or bars (such as B) arranged beneath said
fork together with a slightly inclined ploughshare (such as b¹) in front of said
bars, the whole being constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes
-herein described and explained and as illustrated in my drawings.
Sixth. In a machine for digging and screening potatoes the combination with a
series of curved bars (such as B) preferably arranged transversely to the machine
of a series of inclined bars (such as C) extending down from some fixed part of
the framing of the machine to a point slightly below the upper ends of said first
: mentioned curved bars, a space being left between the two sets, and the whole
being constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Seventh. In a machine for digging and screening potatoes the combination with
a fork (such as A) fitted with means (such for instance as the twisted projecting
webs or feathers a², guide rollers a' and crank shaft D) whereby it can be moved up
and down and be turned round approximately a quarter of a revolution, that is,
through an angle of about 90° at each stroke, of a series of curved bars (such
as B) together with a slightly inclined ploughshare (6¹) secured upon a frame and
connected with a hand lever (such as F) whereby said frame can be raised or
lowered or be adjusted into any desired position, substantially as and for the
purposes herein described and explained and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
T1
נ.ג
1
FRANCIS WILLIAM LEE.