A Machine or Apparatus for Cleaning Potatoes and other Roots.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Machine or Apparatus for Cleaning Potatoes and other Roots.
JOHN ATTERTON; Engineer, Ironworks Haverhill Suffolk. I do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
This invention relates to the construction and arrangement of a machine or
apparatus for cleaning potatoes.
The primary object of this my invention is to provide a cheap, easy working and
efficient machine or apparatus for general and household use, the smaller sizes.
being adapted for attaching to an ordinary pail or small bath (round or oval) or
similar vessel used for household purposes.
"
My invention is constructed in the following manner; I employ a cross' bar or
bridge in wood or metal which is secured to the top of pail or vessel by adjustable
clip bolts and thumb nuts, a vertical spindle in- wood or metal is made to pass
through the cross bar or bridge, the lower end of which extends to the bottom of
pail or vessel and is provided with projecting arms to operate upon the potatoes to
be washed after adding sufficient water to cover them.
.
The upper end of spindle projects above the cross bar and is held in position, by
a socket or steadiment in which it is made to revolve, motion' being obtained by a
crank handle at top and by giving a few brisk revolutions of the handle, the
projecting arms in vertical spindle are set in motion and the bottom arms being
triangular they lift the potatoes and cause them to completely change their positions
so rubbing against each other, and together with the action of the water which is:
put in motion by the projecting arms a thorough washing is accomplished; it will
be observed that the above apparatus is adapted for using with existing pails and
vessels as used for ordinary household purposes or with a vessel constructed for the
purpose.
Larger machines intended for use in bakeries or large establishments are con-
structed on the same principles so far as the arrangements for washing is concerned,
but the machines are more substantially made-or built to cope with the extra work to
be done and as a further convenience a false bottom with suitable perforations for
letting through all dirt and refuse but at the same time retaining the potatoes, this
second or false bottom may be fixed or is made to lift the potatoes after washing.
The vertical spindle is driven by gearing, either by hand or power.r
This machine is also adapted for washing carrots, turnips or other roots!
Dimh-1002
I
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION..
-
A. Machine.or Apparatus for Cleaning Potatoes and other Roots..
I, JOHN ATTERTON of Iron Works, Haverhill, Suffolk, Engineer 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 relates to the construction and arrangement of a machine or
apparatus for cleaning potatoes.
The primary object of this my invention is to provide a cheap easy working and
efficient machine or apparatus for general and household use, the smaller sizes being

page_text: adapted for attaching to an ordinary pail or small bath (round or oval) or similar
vessel used for household purposes. Figures 1, 2 and 3 show the machine in the
sma ler sizes.
My invention is constructed in the following manner. In the smaller sizes I
employ a cross bar A (Figures 1 and 3) or bridge in wood or metal which is secured
to the top of the pail or vessel by adjustable clip bolts and thumb nuts. A vertical
spindle B (Figures 1 and 2) in wood or metal is made to pass through the cross
bar or bridge, the lower end of which extends to the bottom of the pail or vessel
and is provided with projecting arms C C to operate upon the potatoes to be
washed, after adding sufficient water to cover them. The upper end of the
spindle (Figures 1 and 2) projects above the cross bar and is held in position
by a socket or steadiment of wood or metal in which it is made to revolve,
motion being obtained by a crank handle at the top, and by giving a few brisk
revolutions of the handle the projecting arms in the vertical spindle are set in
motion and the bottom arms being triangular they lift the potatoes and cause them
to completely change their positions, so rubbing against each other and together
with the action of the water which is put in motion by the projecting arms a
thorough washing is accomplished. It will be observed that the apparatus.shown
in Figures 1, 2 and 3 is adapted for using with existing pails and vessels as used
for ordinary household purposes or with a vessel constructed for the purpose.
Larger machines intended for use in bakeries or large establishments are con-
structed on the same principles so far as the arrangements for washing are
concerned, but the machines are more substantially made or built to cope with the
extra work to be done and according to size of vessels the number of arms is
increased and as a further convenience a false bottom, with suitable perforations
for letting through all dirt and refuse but at the same time retaining the potatoes
is provided. This second or false bottom may be fixed or is made to lift the
potatoes after washing. The vertical spindle is driven by gearing either by hand
or power.
.
Figure 4 shows a sectional elevation of the larger machine adapted for hand
power and provided with a perforated false bottom made to lift the potatoes after
washing, and Figure 5 is a plan of the vessel without the top gearing. This
machine like the smaller ones washes the potatoes by means of triangular cross
arms CC (Figures 4 and 5) revolving over the false bottom but the cross arms in
this larger machine are fixed to a central boss D which is capable of moving up
and down the vertical spindle E when the false bottom is raised or lowered. The
spindle E is provided with a reed extending throughout its length between its
bearings or other arrangement so that the arms must always revolve with the
spindle E. The spindle E is driven from the horizontal shaft F by a pair of
toothed wheels U. U. each of these wheels being keyed to its respective shaft.
On one end of the shaft F a hand crank is keyed. The shaft F is hollow with a
sliding rod within it. The two toothed wheels G G are loose upon the shaft F
and are kept in position end ways by suitable collars fixed to the shaft F. The
sliding rod within the shaft F has two small drivers H H attached to it which
project through slots in F into recesses in the collars. When it is desired
to lift the false bottom. the sliding rod is drawn along inside the shaft F BO
that the drivers H H enter into recesses in the toothed wheels G G and the
wheels G G then. revolve with the shaft F and work the screws J J. The
screws J J are fixed endways in bearings and pass through the socket nuts K K
which socket nuts are fastened to the false bottom. The sliding rod within the
shaft. F is moved by a lever L which has its fulcrum M attached to the crank. A
steel spring N pressing against the lever L keeps the drivers H H out of gear with
the wheels G G until it is required to raise the false bottom when the operator by
sliding his hand along the crank handle presses the free end of the lever L towards
the machine and thereby puts the drivers H H into gear with the wheels G G. A
small catch O is provided to retain the lever in that position as long as required.
PP is a tray or trough (Figures 4 and 5) surrounding the vessel. This tray has

page_text: a sloping bottom falling towards the opening in its side. The vessel is made with
recesses QQ in its sides (Figure 5) for the screws J J so that the screws may not
be in the way of the revolving arms. The vessel is provided with an inlet pipe R
for water (Figure 5) close to the bottom. S (Figures 4 and 5) is the overflow pipe
for water and floating rubbish such as potato shoots. T (Figures 4 and 5) is the
wash out pipe provided with a plug or cock not shown. This arrangement of pipe
attachments allows for a stream of water to flow through the machine while working
and provides for the removal of floating rubbish and from time to time as required
the sediment under the false bottom may be washed out.
The action of this larger machine is as follows-Potatoes are put into the vessel
and water admitted through the inlet R (Figure 5) and as previously described
for the smaller machine (Figures 1, 2 and 3) the potatoes are washed by revolving
the arms by the hand crank. As soon as the potatoes are clean the operator presses
the lever L which puts the toothed wheels G G into gear and continuing to turn the
crank the false bottom then rises and lifts the potatoes out of the water and above
the top of the vessel and the arms as they revolve sweep the cleaned potatoes off the
false bottom into the circular tray where they roll down its sloping bottom to
the opening and into any receptacle placed to receive them. As soon as the clean
potatoes are all discharged, the operator turns the crank in the reverse direction
and lowers the false bottom to its place and then releasing the catch O of the
lever L the machine is ready for a fresh supply of potatoes.
If the potatoes are not wanted to be raised from the vessel by mechanical
means, the gear wheels G G, screws J J, recesses QQ, tray P P, lever L and
fittings M, N and O are all dispensed with, the vertical spindle being driven by
the gear wheels U U from the horizontal shaft F which may then be solid having
a crank handle to put it in motion or fast and loose pulleys may be employed..
This machine in the medium and larger sizes is also adapted for washing carrots,
turnips or other roots.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
1 claim is:
1. In a potato washing machine the revolving arms of triangular sectional
form.
2. The self contained and removable frame of wood or metal for carrying the
central spindle as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
3. The arrangement shown in Figure 4 for lifting the cleaned potatoes out of the
water, consisting of a combination of a false bottom with lifting screws sliding
rod and drivers in hollow shaft, together with the lever L arranged to be operated
upon while the machine is in motion.
4. The sloping bottomed catching tray or trough shown in Figures 4 and 5,
surrounding the vessel, to receive the potatoes and deliver them into a receptacle..
Dated this 13th day of September 1894.
JOHN ATTERTON,
Iron Works, Haverhill, Suffolk.