Improvements in Potato Diggers.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1892-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Potato Diggers.
1, WILLIAM GRAY, of Brownrig, North Berwick, in the County of Haddington,
North Britain, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
My said invention relates to potato diggers of the well known Hanson type and
its object is to prevent the choking of parts of the machine by the potato shaws
and earth and to provide labor saving apparatus for gathering the potatoes thrown
out of the drill by the rotating forks of the machine.
When the shaws of a drill of potatoes lie irregularly some of them are apt to
gather and cling round the shank or bracket to the bottom of which is fixed the
share which cuts the drill under the potatoes. To prevent increased resistance
due to such action I attach adjustably to the frame of the machine a kind of
coulter or bar inclined forwards and upwards from a point a little in front of the
bottom of the shank. This bar is sharpened on its lower edge especially at and near
its lower end; or it may be fitted with a rotating disk cutter, and it either cuts the
shaws or drags them forward in a manner to throw them towards the middle of the
drill out of the way of the shank of the share. Or instead of a fixed bar, there may
be a bar centered on a stud and extending forward with a handle, the back end
of the bar being raised by accumulating shaws and the front end being turned
down, on observing which the attendant can give the bar an angular movement
which will turn the shaws towards the drill." I also attach to the machine a
bar which is horizontal or nearly so and extends diagonally over the drill its back
end being at the side towards which the digger forks throw the potatoes. This
diagonal bar moves such shaws as it encounters over towards the delivery side of
the drill. The bar may be centered on a joint and have its back end weighted.
For the purpose of keeping clear the spaces between the prongs of the rotating
forks I provide a loose ring or chain which lying in the spaces and moving about
as the forks rotate dislodges earth from between the prongs.
For separating stones, the potatoes from the digger may be delivered down an
inclined plate having a gap across it with the part below the gap at a slightly
lower level. The stones will slide or move comparatively slowly down the plate
and fall through the gap, whilst the potatoes moving inore quickly will pass
over it.
Dated this Second day of October 1891.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Potato Diggers.
I, WILLIAM GRAY, of Brownrig, North Berwick, in the County of Haddington,
North Britain, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
10 manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described' and ascertained in¨
and by the following statement, that is to say :-
5
My said invention relates to potato diggers of the well known Hanson type,
and its object is to prevent the choking of parts of the machine by the potato
shaws and earth.
When the shaws of a drill of potatoes lie irregularly some of them are apt to
gather and cling round the shank or bracket, to the bottom of which is fixed the

page_text: share which cuts the drill under the potatoes. To prevent increased resistance
due to such action 1 attach adjustably to the frame of the machine an inclined
coulter or bar, having its lower-edge sharpened, or having fitted to it a rotating
disk cutter. By this means the shaws are either cut or dragged forward out of
the way of the shank of the share. Instead of a fixed bar I may employ a bar
centered on a stud and extending forward with a handle the back end of the bar
being raised by accumulating shaws, and the front end being turned down, on
observing which the attendant can give the bar an angular movement, which will
turn the shaws toward the drill. I also attach to the machine a bar which is
horizontal or nearly so and extends diagonally over the drill, its back end being
at the side towards which the digger forks throw the potatoes.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood. I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
showing examples of my improvements in potato diggers.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is a side elevation of parts of a potato digger_as
fitted with one modification of one of my improvements, Figure, 2, is a similar
view of a second modification, and Figure, 3, is a plan of another improvement.
In these drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
In carrying out my invention as shown in Figure, 1, I fix to the shaft, A, of the
machine a kind of coulter or bar, B, inclined forwards and upwards from a point a
little in front of the bottom of the shank, C. This bar, B, is sharpened on its
lower edge, especially at or near its lower end and it either cuts the shaws or drags
them forward in a manner to throw them towards the middle of the drill out of
the way of the shank, C, of the share.
Instead of this fixed bar, B, I may use as shown in Figure, 2, a bar or lever, D,
centered on an inclined stud, E, fixed to the shaft, A, the bar or lever, D,
extending forwards with a handle, F, at the back end. The lower end of the bar
or lever, D, is raised by accumulating shaws and the front end, F, turned down, on
observing which the attendant can give the bar an angular movement which will
turn the shaws forwards and towards the drill.
As a further improvement shown in Figure, 3, I fix to the shaft, A, of the
machine by means of a shank, G, formed on it a bar, H, which extends diagonally
over the drill its back end being at the side towards which the digger forks throw
the potatoes. This diagonal bar, H, moves such shaws as it encounters over
towards the delivery side of the drill. If desired the bar, H, may be centered on
a joint on its shank, G, and have its back end weighted.
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 I
claim is:
1. In a potato digger the application of a fixed inclined coulter or bar sub-
stantially as shown in Figure, 1, of the accompanying drawings and as and for
the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. In a potato digger the application of a bar or lever centered on the shaft of
the machine and arranged substantially as shown in Figure, 2, of the accom-
panying drawings and as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
3. In a potato digger the application of a bar extending diagonally over the
drill arranged substantially as shown in Figure, 3, of the accompanying drawings
and as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of Tul 1805
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.