An Improved Machine for Digging or Raising Roots, such as Beetroot, Turnips, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897
An Improved Machine for Digging or Raising Roots, such as
Beetroot, Turnips, and the like.
A communication by CARL THOMANN, of 43, Wittekindstrasse, Halle-on-Saale,
in the Empire of Germany, Manufacturer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham in
the County of Warwick and 322, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil 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 has for its object an improved machine for digging or raising
beetroots, and the like, by means of which the roots are topped, the leaves
delivered to one side, and the roots pulled up.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete machine ;
Figure 2, a plan view;
Figure 3, a cross section of a partially dismounted fork wheel;
Figure 4, a side view of a portion of the fork wheel;
Figure 5, a detail of the fork wheel;
Figures 6-9, various forms of construction of the lifters ;
Figures 10-14, various views of the topping device;
Figure 15, an elevation partly in section of the device for carrying away the
severed leaves.
The arrangement is as follows:-
A cranked shaft 4 is mounted in a longitudinal bar 1, the front end of which bar
carries the fork 2 of the front wheel 3, the outer axle pins 5 of the said shaft 4
receiving the rear wheels 6. In the front part of the bar 1 is arranged an
arrangement for topping the roots which are to be pulled up, as shown in
Figures 10-14 in detail, and behind this topping device is a device for conveying
to one side the leaves which have been cut off, which device is also mounted on the
bar 1.
On the centre part of the cranked shaft 4 are mounted two fork wheels A, the
arrangement of which is shown in Figures 3-9. A seat 7 is also arranged on the
fore part of the bar 1, on which seat the driver of the machine can sit, and steer
the machine by means of a handle 8. The cranked shaft 4 is also provided with a
curved piece 9, from which a chain 10 runs to a winch or winding device 11 mounted
on the rear end of the bar 1, so that by means of this winch, the bent piece 9, and
with it the crank shaft 4, may be moved in the direction of the arrow 12, and the
whole machine may be raised up to the level of the wheels 6.
In order to allow of the machine being more easily understood, the three
mechanisms, namely, topping device, conveying device and fork wheels, will now
be described separately, and their mode of working will also be separately
described.

page_text: 1. TOPPING DEVICE.
The topping device is shown in Figure 1 in a position ready for use, whilst
Figures 10-14 show the other side. A frame or bracket 13 is attached to the bar 1,
which bracket carries at each of its ends, a hollow guide piece 14. A vertically
adjustable shaft 16 is mounted in the guide piece 14, which guide piece is provided
with rollers 15, said shaft being guided between the rollers, and having at its lower
end a projecting shoe 17. The rear part of the said shoe is provided with a vertically
adjustable triangular shaped knife 18 (see plan view of the knife in Figure 13). The
downward movement of the shaft 16 with the shoe 17 and knife 18 is further adjusted
by spiral springs 19, engaging on the upper part of the shaft. An S-shaped bar 20
is fixed on the front end of the slide shoe 17 and the upper end of the shaft 16, which
bar has for its object to divide the crowns of leaves of the roots, and to catch the dry
leaves. This S-shaped bar is omitted in Figure 11, for the sake of clearness. As
seen from the front it only forms a straight line. The upper end of the shaft 16
is also provided with an arm 21 bent out in a half-heart form, as shown in
Figure 11. In Figure 10, for the sake of clearness, the visible arm is partly
broken off, and in Figure 14, such an arm is shown in side view. Both arms form,
as shown in Figure 11, a heart shape. The lower end of each arm 21 is provided
with a shoe 22, extending in the form of the slide shoe 17.
The mode of working of this topping device may be understood from the
following:
:-
On the machine moving forward, the slide shoe 17 slides over the root 23
(Figure 1) in front of it. The front point of the side shoe 17 and the S-shaped
bar 20 divide the leaves, and the shoe 17 slides over the crown of the root until the
knife 18 comes in contact with the crown of the root and cuts it off. The root
crown is simultaneously nicked or slit by the shank 24 (Figures 10 and 13), which
is sharpened in front. By the compulsory form of slide shoe 17, it is possible to
head at equal distances from the top roots which lie deep or stand high, as the slide
shoe is pushed up between two rollers 15 in the guide piece 14 as far as is
necessary. it frequently happens, however, that single roots do not lie in the
direct line of movement of the shatt 17, but stand somewhat to one side. In such
a case, the roots would not be engaged by the slide shoe 17, and therefore would
not be topped. In order to avoid this drawback, two side shoes 22 are employed,
so that one or other of them still engages the roots lying to one side, and brings
the topping device into a correct position as regards height, and the knife 18 cuts
off the root crown to the desired thickness. In order however to allow sufficient
room on the forward movement of the shoe to clear the crown of leaves standing
separately, the carriers of the side shoe 22, that is to say, the arms 21, are formed
in a heart shape.
THE ROOT CROWN AND LEAVES CONVEYING DEVICE.

page_text: THE FORK WHEELS.
Each fork wheel consists of two guide pieces 34 mounted on the crank shaft 4,
which guide pieces may be adjusted on the shaft, but are not allowed to rotate
(see Figures 3 and 5). On the nave of each guide piece a flat disc 36 is revolubly
arranged, which carries on its inner side several round projections 37 arranged in a
circle. In the projections of one disc, a revoluble screw bolt 38 is mounted, the
screw end 39 of which engages in the projection of the other disc, so that, by
turning the screw bolt 38, the two disc may be adjusted with the guide pieces 34
on the cranked shaft 4 to or from one another. On the periphery of each disc 36,
on the inner side, are arranged boxes 40, open to the outside, their side walls
having conical or bevelled slots 41, normally directed towards the axis. A lifting
or grip device, as shown in Figures 6 and 9, is inserted between each two boxes.
The gripping devices 42, may, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, consist of broad
spades, whilst the spade shaped part 43, as appears in Figure 6, is shaped in cross
section like a lens. The gripping device may, however, as shown in Figures 8
and 9, be fork shaped, the cross piece 44 of the fork being, as shown in Figure 9,
also lens shaped, that is to say, sharpened off to both sides, and the fork tines 45
being triangular. The object of this is to prevent stones, clods of earth and dry
Jeaves or weeds from becoming fast between the fork tines. The shank or shaft 46
of each gripper device is provided at both sides with a pin 47, and at its end with
a slide roller 48. The gripper is mounted with the pins 47 in the conical or
bevelled slits 41 between each two boxes 40.
In order to prevent any springing or falling out of the digging, lifting or
gripping devices, they are provided at the sides with two lateral flanges 49, over
which engage cover plates 50, fixed on the periphery of the cheeks or discs 36
between the gripper devices (see Figure 4). In this manner, in case a gripper
device be damaged, it may be replaced without dismounting the fork wheel
itself.
In order to prevent the penetration of dirt into the interior of the fork wheel,
each disc 36 is provided with a cylindrical casing 51, both of which may be adjusted
telescopically one into the other. The slide rollers 48 travel in curved grooves 52:
on the guide pieces 34. The guide pieces are so formed and mounted that the
grooves 52 separate at B (Figures 1 and 5), that is to say, at this moment the
gripper elements are moved against one another, that is to say, locked. They
penetrate the earth on the forward movement of the machine and stick laterally
into the earth, press the latter against the root which is to be lifted, and partially
draw it out on the forward movement of the machine.
If the machine has moved so far forward that that pair of gripper devices which
held under the root have reached the point D (Figure 1) the gripper devices are
gradually opened, as the grooves 52 from this point gradually commence to
approach. From the point D up to B, the grooves 52 run parallel, that is to say,
the gripper devices remain open.
The
If smaller roots are to be lifted, the two discs 36 are somewhat separated, so that.
the outer ends of the gripper elements approach one another rather more.
latter are arranged so closely to one another that even the smallest roots cannot
slip through between two adjacent parts. In order to be able to remove or inter-
change the gripper devices, it is necessary to remove the slide rollers 48. For this
object, openings capable of being closed with covers 53 are arranged in the discs,
so that the hand can be passed into the interior of the fork wheel.
The discs 36, which stand opposite one another, of both fork wheels are, as
shown in Figures 2 and 3, provided with a projection 54, over which the projections
of casing 55 attached to the bar 1 engage. One of the fork wheels A is provided
with a circular rack 56, which drives the shaft 26 by means of a bevel wheel 57
mounted on said shaft. The cylindrical casing 55, in which simultaneously the
other end of the shaft 26 may be mounted, has for its object to shut off the interior

page_text: between the two fork wheels, and prevent the penetration of earth into the gearing.
The two fork wheels may be also adjusted on the crank shaft 4 in case the rows of
roots stand at different distances apart. In such a case it is necessary to make
also the casing 55 telescopically adjustable. In order to facilitate the penetration
of the gripping devices into the earth. two adjustable equally toothed knives 58
may be arranged on the casing 25 of the leaf conveying device, which knives have
for their object to loosen the earth.
The machine may be provided with only one or more than two fork wheels.
The machine may also work without the topping and throwing or conveying
devices, both of these mechanisms being removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign.correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A root digging or raising machine for topping and pulling roots. such as
beetroots, turnips and the like, which consists of a device for cutting off and
removing to one side the crowns of the roots, and a device for raising or pulling
up the topped roots by means of revolving fork wheels, the forks or gripping
elements of which are formed as spades or forks and are adapted to close at the
moment of penetrating into the ground and to open on leaving the same, substan-
tially as described.
2. In a root digging or raising machine such as described, a tipping device for
cutting off the root crowns, comprising a shaft (16) adjustable in a holder (14)
between rollers, and a forward-projecting slide-shoe (17) carried by the lower end
of said shaft and provided with a knife (18), the upper end of the shaft being
connected in front with the front part of the slide-shoe (17) by means of an
S-shaped rod (20), and having at the sides two heart shaped curved arms (21)
provided at their lower ends with similar slide shoes (22), the whole adapted for
the purpose of enabling the topping knife to always penetrate the root at an equal
distance from the top by means of the forward sloped shape of the slide-shoe, and
of enabling the leaf crown to be divided by means of the S-shaped rod, the dry
leaves to be held up and roots which stand to one side to be also reached by means
of the heart shaped arms (21) with their slide shoes (22) and topped by the knife,
substantially as described.
3. In a root digging or raising machine such as described, a throwing or
conveying device characterised by a flexible band (31), carried horizontally, and
normal to the direction of travel, over two rollers, which band is provided with
elastic arms (32), and is driven by means of bevel wheels and chain gearing from
one of the fork wheels, said chain gear being contained in a dust-tightly closed
casing (25) with the object of moving out of reach of the fork wheels the root
crowns severed by means of the topping device, and thereby to prevent any choking
of the said fork wheels, substantially as described.
4. In a root digging or raising machine such as described, the arrangement of
fork wheels, comprising two guides (34) adjustable on a fixed shaft with grooves
formed on their periphery, in combination with two revolubly arranged cheeks or
discs (36) simultaneously adjustable towards or away from one another with the guide
pieces, the periphery of said discs being provided with boxes open to the outside,
and standing inwards, between each two of which boxes a gripper or lifting
device is mounted having its pin resting in slots therein, the shank of said gripper
projecting into the fork wheel and carrying a roller engaging with one of the guide
pieces, whereby the gripping devices are moved against one another by means of
the guide pieces (34) by the rotation of the discs which are connected with one
another, and whereby the normal distance apart of the gripping devices standing
opposite one another may be suitably adjusted to correspond to the size of the
roots to be raised, substantially as described.
5. In the fork wheels of a root digging or raising machine such as described, the
arrangement of cover plates between each, two grippers or lifting devices on the

page_text: periphery of the discs in such a way that the cover plates engage over the flange
of the gripping devices and thereby prevent any springing out of the latter, and
render it possible to change the gripping devices without dismounting the fork
wheels, substantially as described.
.
6. In the fork wheels of a root digging or raising machine such as described,
the combination of the two cheeks or discs with a telescopically adjustable casing,
with the object of preventing the penetration of mud or dust into the interior of
the wheel, substantially as described.
7. In the guide pieces (34) of a root digging or raising machine such as described,
the arrangement of cam grooves on the periphery of the guide pieces in such a
way that the grooves which run parallel extend symmetrically apart at the point
where the gripping devices are intended to close, and at those points where the
gripping devices are intended to open the said grooves run symmetrically towards
one another substantially as described and shown.
8. A form of construction of the hereindescribed gripper or lifting device for
root digging or raising machines, characterized by the part which penetrates the
earth having either the form of a broad spade or a fork with short tines, the fork
tines being triangular, and the cross piece of the fork or of the spade having the
cross section of a lens, substantially as described and shown.
9. A modification of the hereindescribed machine for digging or raising roots,
consisting in the same being provided with only fork wheels, for the purpose
of lifting the roots without cutting off their crowns, substantially as described.
10. In the root digging or raising machine such as described, the arrangement of
equal tooth shaped adjustable preliminary cutters (58) in front of each fork wheel,
with the object of facilitating the penetration of the gripping devices (42) substan-
tially as described.