THE RIDDLE OR TRAVELLER.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1899
JOHN GIBBON, 35, Thomas Street, Vine Street, Manchester, Blacksmith, THOMAS
READ, 273, City Road, Manchester, Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
An agricultural implement for cutting the wirzles off potatoes, gathering same
and separating the potatoes from the soil.
It consists of a frame of four pieces of iron or steel about five feet long and about
twenty-eight inches wide, on two wheels about three feet six inches diameter (which
we call the main wheels) fixed at the sides of the frame somewhere about the
centre.
The wirzle cutter is suspended from the inside of the frame at the front. 'It is an
iron shaft about one inch diameter and about twenty-six inches long to which four
blades are attached about six inches wide and sharpened like saws.
keyed on one end of the shaft.
T
A cog wheel is
The gatherer is in the centre of the frame and is exactly like a spade, this can be
raised or lowered by means of a lever placed at the side of the frame. The spade
when lowered travels under the drill and transfers the the drill on to a revolving riddle
situated at the end of the gatherer.
1 .
THE RIDDLE OR TRAVELLER.
1.
The riddle is on the same principle as an endless chain the rods being about half
an inch diameter and about twent-four inches long. There are about thirty rods.
The riddle revolves round a shaft situated at the end of the frame and another
shaft situated under the top of the spade, the shaft under the top of the spade having
a cog wheel on one end which by means of a lever at the side of the frame can be
moved into contact with the cog wheel on the side of the frame which will revolve
the riddle towards the end of the frame separating the soil from the potatoes and
depositing the potatoes into a box at the end of the frame.
On the inside of one of the main wheels is attached a cog whed which drives
another cog wheel situated a little farther up the side of the frame towards the front,
this second cog wheel transmitting the necessary motion to the cog. wheels on the
shafts of the cutter & riddle.
Data in day of Wah 1000
JOHN GIBBON, 35, Thomas Street, Vine Street, Manchester, Blacksmith, THOMAS
READ, 273, City Road, Hulme, Manchester, Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature
[Price 8d.1

page_text: 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 potato gatherer and cleaner is an agricultural implement for cutting wirzles
off potatoes, gathering same and riddling or separating the potatoes from the soil.
It consists of an iron or steel frame about five feet long and about twenty four inches
wide on two wheels, marked D D in drawing," three feet six inches in diameter,
which we call the main wheels, fixed at the sides of the frame about the centre.
Keyed on the inside of one of the main wheels is a cog see drawing EE" for trans-
mitting motion to a larger cog "see drawing F F" fixed on the side of the frame
near the front which again transmits motion to the cutter "marked A A in drawing "
and also the riddle "marked CC in drawing."
'
66
The wirzle cutter." marked A. A in drawing" is suspended from the inside, of the
frame at the front by two iron rods at each side of the frame. The cutter consists of
an iron rod namely an axle about one inch diameter and about twenty four inches
long to which four steel blades are attached about a quarter of an inch thick and
about six inches wide and twenty four inches long and sharpened like saws.
A cog
wheel "marked A A in drawing" is keyed on one end of the axle which is driven
from the main wheel D D by the large intermediate cog wheel F F which is fixed at
the side of the frame.
The gatherer "marked B in drawing" is in the centre of the frame suspended by
an iron bar from each side and is exactly like a spade. This gatherer or spade.travels
under the drill of potatoes at a slight angle and transfers the drill. on to a revolving
riddle "marked CC on drawing "situated at the end of the spade or gatherer B.
The riddle or traveller "marked C C" is inade on the same principle as an endless
chain the rods being about twenty four inches long and half an inch diameter, there
are about thirty of these rods and they are two inches apart.
This riddle CC revolves round an iron shaft suspended by an iron bar from each
side of the frame directly under the top of the gatherer B and another shaft suspended
in a like manner at the back of the frame.
2
The iron shaft which is situated directly under the top of the gatherer B has a
small cog wheel keyed on the end of it which is driven by the large cog wheel E E
which also drives the wirzle cutter A. A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim'is:
That the machine when working cuts the wirzles off the tops of the potatoes and
these the gatherer B transferring the whole of the drill on to the revolving riddle
separates the potatoes from the soil without bruising or damaging the potatoes and
depositing the potatoes in a box or basket at the end of the frame does away with the
present method of gathering them by hand.
Dated this First day of November Eighteen hundred and ninety-eight.
JOHN. GIBBON,
THOMAS READ.