IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PLANTING POTATOES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Spencer, of Doncaster, in the County of
York, Implement Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR PLANTING POTATOES."
Sealed the 3rd January 1865, and dated the 6th July 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Spencer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th July 1864.
I, JOHN SPENCER, of Doncaster, in the County of York, Implement
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PLANTING POTATOES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of mechanism whereby
potatoes may be deposited in the ground in rows with great regularity and
dispatch. My improved implement may be described as a kind of drill fitted
with a large cup wheel, the upper face of which works in a hopper or drill
box, and the lower rolls over or upon the ground. The ground is to be
prepared either in ridges or furrows for the reception of the potatoes, and two
or more rows may be simultaneously planted if thought desirable. The
periphery of the cup wheel is slightly hollowed transversely and at given dis-
tances apart; cup-shaped indentations are made to receive each a potatoe
from the hopper. At one end of the hopper a roller shaped to fit the groove
in the cup wheel is mounted, and rotary motion from a band on a pulley of
the cup wheel shaft is given thereto in a reverse direction to the cup wheel,

page_text: so that it will act upon the potatoes and prevent them from choking the cup
wheel. Below this roller, and extending near to the ground, is a curved
shield which encloses a large portion of the periphery of the cup wheel, and
prevents the potatoes contained in the cups from falling out until they are
close to the ground. A hopper above the hopper already mentioned is
provided for feeding the lower hopper. In front of this potatoe hopper is a
guano hopper, through the spout of which guano or other manure may be
supplied to the ridges or furrows upon or in which the lines of potatoes are to
be deposited, the discharge of guano being regulated by gearing and stirrers,
or their equivalents, set in motion by the carrying wheels as usual.
The apparatus is mounted on a carriage frame fitted with running wheels
having a telescopic shaft for their axle, the telescopic shaft admitting of the
lateral adjustment of the wheels to suit the position of the ridges or furrows.
A scraper is to be applied to the cup wheel to prevent the accumulation of
dirt on its face.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Spencer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th January 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SPENCER, of Doncaster, in the County of York, Implement Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Spencer, Her special license that I, the said
John Spencer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Spencer, my executors, administrators, and 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
"IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR PLANTING POTATOES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Spencer, 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,

page_text: 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 John Spencer, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention relates to a novel arrangement of mechanism whereby
potatoes may be deposited in the ground in rows with great regularity and
dispatch. My improved implement may be described as a kind of drill fitted
with a large cup wheel, the upper face of which works in a hopper or drill
box, and the lower rolls over or upon the ground. It may be constructed for
depositing two or more rows simultaneously if thought desirable, but in general
I propose to construct the machine with but one cup wheel, as shewn in the
Drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved implement,
Fig. 2 is an end elevation, and Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional
elevation of the same.
A, A, is the cup wheel, the axle of which turns freely in bearings in the
ends of swinging arms A', having for their fulcrum the axle of the running
wheels B, B, which axle also carries the framing of the implement. The
periphery of the cup wheel is slightly hollowed transversely, as shewn at
Fig. 2, and at given distances apart cup-shaped indentations a, a, are made
to receive each a potatoe from the hopper C, which hopper is supported by
the axle of the cup wheel in order that it may always retain the same relative
position with regard to that wheel. These cups a are formed sufficiently large
to receive the largest size of seed potatoe; but in order to adapt the implement
to potatoes of smaller size, or it may be cut in pieces, each cup-shaped
indentation is fitted with a cup a¹ (see Fig. 3), which is detachable and
adjustable, it being held in position by nuts which take on to a screwed stem
at the back of the cup a¹; by means of these detachable cups the inden-
tations may be made so shallow as to prevent the possibility of two potatoes
being received and retained therein. At the forward end of the hopper C a
roller D, shaped to fit the groove in the cup wheel A, is mounted for the
purpose of closing that end of the hopper, and preventing the escape of any
potatoes but those contained in the cups. Rotary motion from a band on a
pulley D' of the cup wheel shaft gives motion to the roller through a smaller
pulley on its axle in a reverse direction to that of the cup wheel, as shewn by
the arrows, so that it will drive back any advancing potatoes which may be
.

page_text: carried forward by friction of contact with the cup wheel, and thus prevent
them from choking that wheel. In advance of this roller, and extending
down near to the ground, is a curved shield E, which encloses a large portion
of the periphery of the cup wheel A, and prevents the potatoes contained in
the cups from falling out until they are brought close to the ground. A rut
or depression is made in the ground for the reception of potatoes by means of
a roller E¹, which precedes the cup wheel A, and is carried by swinging arms
mounted loosely on the cup wheel axle; this roller is raised from the ground
when required by means of a chain E. The hopper C- is supplied with a
regulated quantity of potatoes from a more elevated hopper C', the discharge
from which is adjusted by a slide. In advance of this potato hopper is a
guano hopper F, through the spout of which guano or other manure may be
supplied to the ridges or furrows upon or in which the lines of potatoes are to
be deposited, the discharge of guano being regulated by gearing and stirrers,
or their equivalents, set in motion by the rotation of the carrying wheels as
usual. The running wheels of the implement are mounted on independent
axles, the inner ends of which are inserted in a fixed hollow shaft by means
of clamping screws, as shewn in the detached sectional view, Fig. 4. H is the
hollow shaft fixed firmly to the framing of the implement, and with the axles
I, I, forming a telescopic shaft, which admits of the lateral adjustment of the
wheels to suit the position of the ridges or furrows of the land to be planted.
A scraper K, attached to the lower end of the hopper C¹, serves to close the
hopper at that part, and prevent the escape of potatoes therefrom, and also
removes from the cup wheel any weeds or dirt that may have accumulated on
its face. Before using the implement the ground is to be prepared either in
ridges or furrows for the reception of the potatoes. In order to prevent the
ground from being disturbed after the potatoes are deposited therein, I attach
to the implement a ploughshare and breast L, which as the work progresses
will cover the potatoes lightly with earth; this ploughshare I attach to a
swing lever M, pendent from the axle of the running wheels B by means of a
swing bar M', and adjustable strut rod M³, the regulation of the length of
which rod determines the angle of dip of the share in the ground. A chain N,
pendent from a hand lever O, mounted at the rear end of the framing, is pro-
vided to lift the share clear of the ground when required. To steady the plough
while in action, I provide a check chain P, which being firmly attached to the
framing and to the swing lever M, will serve to counteract the lateral thrust
put on the plough in going through the land. The cup wheel is mounted on
swinging arms, as above described, to admit of its being also lifted free of the
ground when the implement is being transported from place to place; to this

page_text: end chains pendent from the ends of a forked hand lever Q (having its
fulcrum on the framing at R) are attached to the ends of the cup wheel axle ;
the depression, therefore, of the handle of the forked lever will raise the cup
wheel from the ground, in which position it may be retained by securing the
lever by means of a pin or catch.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of improved machinery
for planting potatoes, and explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim the arrangement of machinery constructed and operating as
above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Spencer, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.