IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR THE GATHERING AND CLEANSING OF ROOT CROPS, STONE GATHERING, EMBANKMENT MAKING, AND ROAD GRADING
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Waugh, of Bradford, in the County of York,
Consulting Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS
FOR THE GATHERING AND CLEANSING OF ROOT CROPS, STONE GATHERING,
EMBANKMENT MAKING, AND ROAD GRADING."
ealed the 19th January 1877, and dated the 25th July 187
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Waugh at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th July 1876.
JOHN WAUGH, of Bradford, in the County of York, Consulting Engineer. "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR THE GATHERING AND CLEANSING OF ROOT
CROPS, STONE GATHERING, EMBANKMENT MAKING, AND ROAD GRADING."
The object of this Invention is to provide improved facilities for the more
expeditous and economical gathering and cleansing of potatoe and other root
crops.
My Invention consists of such a combination of parts as are capable of accomplish-
ing the above object, and may be described as follows:-To a framework of wood
or iron resting upon two front and two back wheels of a gauge to suit the distance
between the furrows right and left of the stitch, ridge, or drill it is proposed to
gather from, I attach at the front end a scoop, share, or gatherer, consisting of a
tongue and longitudinal rods of iron, thus forming a screen bent to the required
form, the ends of which (opposite to the tongue) terminate in an inclined plane in
a contrary direction to that of the scoop itself. This scoop is capable of very nice
adjustment by hand to the depth of soil which it is required to take into the scoop.
From the back part of the scoop the potatoes are carried by an ordinary elevator
worked by two pitch chain wheels, one on each side of the machine. The elevator
is composed of bars extending across the macbire and secured to the chain on each
side of the same, at convenient distances, are placed bars containing prongs of the
required length slightly curved. These prongs are set to the pitch of the distance
between the bars terminating the scoop or gatherer. Through the space between
the bars of the scoop and elevator the soil falls to the ground thoroughly pulverized,
whilst the potatoes and wicks (the latter a most pernicious weed) are carried up
towards the screen'd hopper at the back part of the machine into which they fall,
and the potatoes thence into the bags placed to receive the same, the wicks being
picked out by the man on the platform behind, this man is in such a position as to
[Price 6d.]

page_text: be able to drive the machine, regulate the gatherer, attend to the bags, and pick off
the pernicious weeds called wicks or switches.
For the more effectually ridding the soil from the elevator, I secure one or more
tappets to the front shaft of machine, which tappets in revolving strike a weighted
and counterbalanced lever centred on studs fixed to the framework of the machine.
The counterbalancing of such lever or levers permits the same to be regulated so
as to strike the under side of the top of elevator and the top side of the bottom of
elevator with greater or less force as is required.
The cleansing of the potatoes from soil is very important as affecting the storing
of the same when well cleansed, that is freed from the soil, they can be stored at
once, and with a better chance of keeping for a length of time. My machine is a
good cultivator and may be used for the gathering of other root crops than those
herein mentioned, as a stone gatherer the implement may be used, also for the
making of embankments and the grading of roads, for the latter, use the scoop and
elevator have no spaces for soil to drop through, all being carried forward and
deposited into a box formed on the platform herein referred to.
Steam power or that of horses can be yoked up to the machine in the ordinary
way.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Waugh in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th January
1877.
JOHN WAUGH, of Bradford, in the County of York, Consulting Engineer. "Iм-
CLEANSING OF ROOT
PROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR THE GATHERING AND
CROPS, STONE GATHERING, EMBANKMENT MAKING, AND ROAD GRADING."
The object of this Invention is to provide improved facilities for the more
expeditious and economical gathering and cleansing of potatoe and other root
crops.
My Invention consists of such a combination of parts as are capable of accom-
plishing the above object and may be described as follows:-To à framework of
wood or iron resting upon two front and two back wheels of a gauge to suit the
distance between the furrows right and left of the stitch ridge or drill it is proposed
to gather from, I attach at the front end a scoop share or gatherer consisting of a
tongue and longitudinal rods of iron, thus forming a screen bent to the required
form, the ends of which (opposite to the tongue) terminate in an inclined plane in
a contrary direction to that of the scoop itself. This scoop is capable of very nice
adjustment by hand mechanical arrangement to the depth of soil which it is
required to take into the scoop; from the back part of the scoop the potatoes are
carried by an ordinary clevator worked by two pitch chain wheels onc on cach
sido of the machine. The elevator is composed of bars extending across the
machine and secured to the chain on cach side of the same, at convenient distances
are placed bars containing prongs of the required length slightly curved. These
prongs are set to the pitch of the distance between the bars terminating the scoop
or gatherer. Through the space between the bars of the scoop and elevator the
soil falls to the ground thoroughly pulverized, whilst the potatoes and wicks (the
latter a most pernicious weed) are carried up towards the screen'd hopper at the
back part of the machine into which they fall, and the potatoes thence into
the bags placed to receive the same, the wicks being picked out by the man on
the platform behind; this man is in such a position as to be able to drive the
machine, regulate the gatherer, attend to the bags and pick off the pernicious
weeds called wicks or switches. For the more effectually ridding the soil from the
elevator I secure one or more tappets to the front or back elevator shaft of the
machine, which tappets in revolving strike a weighted and counterbalanced lever
centred on studs fixed to the framework of the machine, the counterbalancy of

page_text: such lever or levers permits the same to be regulated so as to strike the under side
of the top of elevator, and the top side of the bottom of elevator with greater or less
force as is required. The cleansing of the potatoes from soil is very important as
effecting the storing of the same. When well cleansed, that is, freed from the soil,
they can be stored at once and with a better chance of keeping for a length of time.
My machine is a good cultivator and may be used for the gathering of other root
crops than those herein mentioned, as a stone gatherer the implement may be used,
and for the making of embankments and the grading of roads, for the latter use
the scoop and elevator have no spaces for soil to drop through, all being carried
forward and deposited into a box similar to a cart body formed on the platform
herein referred to. Steam power or that of horses can be yoked up to the machine
in the ordinary way.
I will now describe the accompanying Drawings in which like parts are indicated
by like letters and figures.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 a back end view.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the curvature of the tongue or cutting edge of
the scoop. Fig. 4 is a plan of my apparatus.
I construct a metal or wood frame indicated by the letter A, carried by two
front wheels B and two back wheels C. I have only drawn lines showing the
circumference of these wheels in order that the other parts of the apparatus may
be more clearly seen. The wheels C are mounted on a shaft or axle C¹ that passes
through and secured in the centre bosses d of the upright brackets D; on to the
boss of one of these back wheels C is keyed a spur wheel E which gears into another
spur wheel F, that is keyed on to the end of the top shaft J of the elevator or
diagonal screen G. To the frame A at the front end of the apparatus I secure
brackets H in which is centred the bottom shaft K of the elevator G; within the
frames A and on each end of the shafts J and K I secure pitch chain wheels J' and
K', around each pair of which I place an endless pitch chain, one on each side of
my apparatus, which are connected together transversly by light rods, by which
means an endless elevator or diagonal screen is formed; to the front part of the
brackets H I centre a shaft L to which are secured the longitudinal bars forming a
screen in the scoop or share M; the front part or tongue of M at M' is arranged
with a sharp edge for cutting away the soil forming the ridge, which can be taken
off the other portion of the scoop for the purpose of being sharpened when it has
become blunt or dull; through the bosses of brackets N which are secured to the
frames A, I place a shaft N' on which I secure levers 0 and O¹, the levers O
are coupled to the scoop. M by connecting rods P. The lever O at O is fitted
with a circular nut Q passing through the jaws of the lever, through this
nut is screwed the rod R which extends back to the platform A and is
secured in the lug D' forming part of the upright bracket D. The end of
rod R at R is prepared so that the attendant of the apparatus by screwing the
same can regulate the scoop M to cut the soil forming the ridge to the depth
required to clear the root crops, or lift the scoop so that the cutting edge will be
clear of the soil; the axle B₁ of the front wheels B is secured to the stay S by
means of lock pin S' in the usual manner, in order that the apparatus may be
enabled to turn round a curve with ease; to the axle B¹, for the means of traction,
I secure hooks or any other ordinary appliance to which the horses or traction
engine may be yoked.
It will be readily understood that when the apparatus is travelling up the
furrows, and the scoop M regulated to cut the soil forming the ridge, the soil will
pass up the scoop and carry the potatoes along with it, part of the soil falling
through the openings between the longitudinal bars of the scoop; the potatoes and
wicks are forced to the summit of the scoop at T, and fall into the recess T¹ when
the prongs X that are fixed to the cross bars, forming the endless screen G, will lift
and carry them up the elevator to the top, when the potatoes will fall into the
screened hopper U, through the opening V, into the bags or hampers that are placed

page_text: under the said opening, the attendant who stands on the platform A¹ picks the
weeds or wicks from the top of the elevator or out of the hopper U.
In order to clear the soil from the diagonal screen or elevator I fix a lever W,
centred on a shaft or stud that is worked by means of a tappet, on the top or bottom
shaft, as the case may be, and causes the lever to strike the transverse bars of the
screen and shake the same so that the soil falls off.
To prevent the soil and potatoes from falling off at the sides of the scoop or the
diagonal screen I fix metal plates on each side of the same so that the potatoes
when once in the scoop are compelled to travel up the diagonal screen and into the
hopper U.
Figs. 5 and 6 show an arrangement by which the potatoes are assisted forward
up the scoop into the recess T¹, thus relieving the scoop of the accumulation at the
'point of rotation, which latter is accomplished either by gearing or by preference a
pitch chain.
Figs. 7 and 8 shew a modification of the mechanism for raising or depressing the
scoop.
I fix a bracket N to the frame A, which is arranged for the reception of a
worm Y between the projections at the top of the bracket the worm Y gears into
a worm wheel Y', which is keyed on the end of shaft N1, so that by turning the
rod R, which extends back to the platform of the apparatus and on which the
worm Y is keyed, the wheel Y¹ will revolve and elevate or depress the levers O and
scoop M.
I desire it to be understood that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein described and delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original
and claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
1st. The arrangements of such parts as have produced a new and useful combina-
tion.
2nd. The scoop with its raising and depressing gear as herein described.
3rd. The "reliever" as shewn in Figs. 5 and 6.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Waugh, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord 1877.
JOHN WANIGH
(IS)
Signed and sealed by the said
John Waugh, in the pre-
sence of
JOHN GILL,
Draughtsman,
Bradford.