AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT OR MACHINE FOR TILLING AND RAISING POTATOES, CLEANING ARRISHES AND PULVERIZING THE SOIL
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Henry Sleep at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th June 1882.
WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP, of Crofthole, in the Parish of Sheviock, in the county
of Cornwall "AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT OR MACHINE FOR TILLING AND RAISING
POTATOES, CLEANING ARRISHES AND PULVERIZING THE SOIL
"
This invention has reference to an implement or machine of improved construction
for tilling and raising potatoes, cleaning arrishes and pulverizing the soil.
In carrying out my invention I employ oue, two or more beams to which the
different parts hereinafter described are attached, or instead of beams I may
construct two frames the one fitted into the other, the outside frame to carry the
propelling wheels and bandles, or stilts, while to the inside frame is attached the
body or skife, mould plate, platform, and other parts hereinafter mentioned. The
inside frame is hung to the outside frame by any suitable mechanical arrangement
towards the forward end, while, at the rear of the implement, a lever or levers is
or are attached for the purpose of lifting the inside frame and working parts clear
of the ground, when turning at the headlands or at any other necessary point
Two or more propelling wheels are used, one of such wheels being made either in
one piece or in halves, in either case the periphery of the wheel is constructed of
two rings, turned or made either over edge, or on their flat, to which a suitable
number of cogs is fastened, by means of bolts, or pius, or cast in the same and may
either stand flush with the periphery of the wheel, or beyond the same as may be
found most advantageous for the purpose for which they are needed; or studs may
be used projecting from either side of the wheel, as a substitute for the cogs.
Attached to the said beam or beams, or frame, either before, or behind the aforesaid
wheels, is a peculiarly constructed body or skife, to which is attached, a peculiarly
shaped share, and mould plate, the land side of the mould plate extending in a
curved form, a suitable distance beyond the parallel line, to act as a substitute for
an ordinary coulter, while the backward end of the mould plate is made skeleton-
wise for the purpose of breaking or separating the turning furrow, as it passes
back to an oscillating or shaking platforin, or other suitable mechanical arrangement
as hereinafter described.
Behind the body or skife, attached to and on the same side of the beam or frame,
is a bearing, to carry one end of a shaft, which runs back at a suitable angle, and
terminates in another bearing attached to the opposite beam or side of the frame

page_text: as the case may be, or instead of this arrangement, one long bearing only may be
used and so made as to be attached only to one beam or side of the frame.
Connected to this shaft, are two bars, one standing obliquely slightly turned at
the downward end, to which is fastened or suspended a series of rods in an inclined
horizontal position, these rods, together with the bar making a curved skeleton
platform, the forward part of which, is before the centre of the shaft, and the
backward end behind the centre of the shaft, this with the angle at which the
shaft is set, will allow the backward end of the platform, when the oscillation or
shaking is caused, to come nearer to the ground than the centre of the platform and
so to free itself from what otherwise, might rest or remain upon it. The second
bar attached to this shaft acts as a lever the end passing between the rings, or on
the stud side of the propelling wheel; in either case, the end of the lever coming
in contact with the cogs or studs will by the rotating of the wheel, cause an
oscillating or shaking movement to be given to the platform, riddling the soil
through and leaving the potatoes on the surface of the land. But instead of this
platform, I can use a series of rods, suitably attached to the above mentioned shaft
in a vertical position, and when acted upon by the before mentioned lever, in
connection with the propelling wheel a kicking action is produced, distributing the
soil and bringing the arrish roots and weeds to the top or, if used for potato tilling,
will cover the potatoes, and leave a level surface.
In place of the cogs or side studs before mentioned, I can use a propelling wheel,
or wheels, similar to those of reaping machines either with internal or external
gear arrangement for the purpose of driving a shaft having suitably attached to it
a pinion wheel or wheels and at any suitable part of the shaft, flanges or beaters
may be attached, projecting sufficiently from the shaft to cause (when rotated) the
lifting or working of the lever before mentioned and thus produce the above
described oscillating and kicking action.
In order to give a quicker oscillating and kicking action, I employ a double
lever, consisting of a suitably shaped bar, attached behind to the cross stay of the
stilts or in any other suitable place, and continued forward to the wheel, to take
the place of the other lever, which is shortened and suitably connected to the long
bar, by means of straps, or braces or other mechanical arrangement so that when
the implement is propelled, the desired quicker action, will be produced.
In the foregoing description I have referred only to a single implement I will
now describe the implement as a turn-wrest or right and left hand implement
which would be made on the balance principle, as adopted for steam and other
ploughs, one end being elevated, while the other is in work, the bodies or skifes
and other parts being made right and left hand and acted upon either way of
working, by the propelling wheels being hung in the centre, only one pair of stilts
would be used, hung in the centre being changed from one side to the other, and
held in position by an automatic arrangement.
To prevent potato haulms, or weed gathering in front of the body or skife I
attach to the same a circular knife or saw which rotates close to the edge of the
body or skife the same being made sharp to meet the knife producing a cutting
action similar to shears or scissors the same being rotated by means of gear wheels
or pitch chain either from one of the main propelling wheels, or the hind wheel
suitably placed for the easier carriage of the implement. For the purpose of
making the implement shorter and more compact and giving more room between
the skife and propelling wheels I may use the small guide wheel described in the
specification of Letters Patent granted to me dated the twelfth day of June one
thousand eight hundred and seventy six number 2429.