Improvements in Machines for Digging Potatoes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th June, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 13th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Digging Potatoes.
We, JAMES EDWARD RANSOME and JAMES ARTHUR LEWIS both of Orwell
Works, Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to means for adjusting the depth of the digging apparatus,
on those digging machines especially which have at the rear end of the main frame
a share and also a transverse rotary digger revolving on a longitudinal axle driven'
by gearing connected with the main road wheels. It has hitherto been usual to
adjust the share separately from the rotary digger or in some cases a rough adjust-
ment of the whole has been obtained by tilting the frame. Now according to this
invention the share and the rotary digger are raised or lowered together and without
any material change of inclination. To effect this the frame work carrying the share
and the longitudinal axle is bolted rigidly to the draft pole and the rotary digger
is attached to the rear end of the axle. All the gearing required to revolve the
digger, with the exception of one spur wheel is carried by this upper frame. The
road wheels which are also driving wheels are mounted on an axle on an inde-
pendent and lower frame. The lower frame is jointed and connected at its rear
with the upper frame-whilst in front it is connected with it by a connecting link
and a lever so that the distance between the upper and lower frames at the fore
end can be adjusted. A gear wheel in the lower frame gears into a gear wheel in
the upper frame and this latter being concentric with the joint connecting the
frames, it always remains in gear with it whether the frames are adjusted to suit a
greater or lesser depth of the rotary digger. It will be seen that by depressing
the fore end of the lower frame the hind end of the upper frame is raised, and with
it the share and rotary digger which it carries. The share and rotary digger
having been once adjusted relatively in their proper positions, they always remain
so as they are simultaneously moved when the end of the upper frame is raised or
lowered as described above.
The motion from the road wheels may be imparted to the gearing for driving
the longitudinal axle and rotary digger by means of chains and sprocket wheels
instead of by spur gearing.
The pitch of the share is always maintained and at whatever depth at which the
machine is set being practically though not absolutely moved in a vertical direction
only.
It will thus be seen that this invention mainly consists in carrying the digging
apparatus on a second frame independent of the main frame which carries the
driving or road wheels, so that the digging apparatus can be raised or lowered
together as required.
D
1900
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Digging Potatoes.
We, JAMES EDWARD RANSOME, and JAMES ARTHUR LEWIS, both of Orwell
Works, Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, Engineers, 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 relates to means for adjusting the depth of the digging apparatus

page_text: invention the share and the rotary digger are raised or lowered together and
without any material change of inclination. We effect this by the means indicated
by the annexed drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 show a potato digging machine in plan, end elevation and side
elevation, the side elevation has the near wheel left off for sake of clearness.
Figures 4 and 44 and Figures 5 and 5 show modifications.
A is the rotary digging wheel, it has arms B on which are the skimmers C.
DD are the road wheels. E is a spur wheel on the axle driving a pinion F. On
the same shaft with the pinion F is also the bevelled wheel G working into a bevel
pinion H upon the axis of the wheel A.
That which particularly relates to this Patent is the method of obtaining the
vertical adjustment of the share J and the rotary wheel A.
A lower frame K K which carries the axle of the road wheels and also the spur
driving wheel E is distinct and separate from the upper frame L L which carries
the share J and rotary wheel A at the rear. The upper frame L L is jointed to
the lower frame K K by a transverse joint and spindle M N, which carries the
spur pinion F driven by the spur wheel E on the main axle. On M N the bevel
wheel G also runs and is connected to the spur pinion F by clutches on the bosses
of each wheel. The bevel wheel G drives the bevel pinion H on the front end of
the longitudinal spindle which carries the transverse rotary wheel A. To the fore
part of the upper frame L L is rigidly attached the pole P, and this upper frame
is connected to the lower frame K K by connecting rods OO and a lever R which
is held as required at various positions by a segmental rack and catch. By moving
this lever the vertical distance of the front part of the upper and lower frames can
be altered at pleasure. The effect of this is to raise or lower the upper frame and
with it the share and skimmers; and as the other end of the pole is supported by
the horse an almost vertical adjustment of the share is obtained and the inclination
or pitch of the share J is not altered.
In Figure 3, the position of the share J, rotary wheel A and the frame L L,
when raised by the lever, is shown by the dotted lines.
This adjusting frame is applicable to transverse rotary diggers, whether such
digger is fitted with skimmers as shown, or with forks, tines, or other devices as
used in other potato diggers.
We have now described particularly the details of an arrangement by which the
lift of the rotary digger and share in connection with it is practically vertical.
The frame carrying these parts with which the pole is rigidly connected being
lifted by a direct or indirect thrust on the road wheels whilst the end of the pole
remains in its former position.
By this arrangement neither the pitch of the share nor the inclination of the
rotary wheel is practically altered.
We do not however intend to confine ourselves to the exact mechanical details
or arrangement described, as the same result can be obtained by other equivalent
niechanical devices. What we desire to be understood as the essential part of our
invention is the vertical motion of the lift obtained substantially as described by
lifting the digging apparatus by a thrust on the road wheels; and not as in some
other potato diggers by mounting the gearing on a frame which turns on the road
wheel axle as its centre.
Amongst other equivalent mechanical arrangements the same lift can be obtained
shown by Figures 4 and 5.

page_text: Figures 4 and 4ª show an arrangement whereby the frame L is raised and
lowered to and from the axle by means of the lever R and link O which is.
connected direct to the axle and causes it to travel in the quadrant T, at the
extreme end of the quadrant T the curve is formed so that the wheel E falls out.
of gear with the wheel F and so does away with the necessity of having a clutch
on spindle N.
Figures
and 5ª show another arrangement. The frame L is raised and lowered
to and from the axle by means of the lever R and quadrants QQ gearing into
the pinions U U which are loose on the axle, the pinions U U also gear into the
quadrants T T, the latter being fixed to the frame L L. On revolving the
pinions UU by means of the quadrants Q Q the quadrants T T and with them
the frame L is raised or lowered.
It will be seen that the quadrants or guides T T are equivalents for the sides of
the lower frame K and serve to guide the axle in a circular path around the joint
and spindle M N.
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 :-
1. Machines for digging potatoes in which a transverse rotary digger is carried
by a frame fixed to the pole or shafts, and is driven from a transverse axis on that
frame, which axis itself receives motion from the axle of the road wheels by spur
or other gearing and in which also the adjustment of the depth of the rotary
digger may be effected without derangement of the gearing by the movement of
the axle in a circular course around the gear axis.
2. Machines for digging potatoes in which a transverse rotary digger is mounted
on its carriage in such manner that by means substantially as described it may be
raised and lowered relatively to the ground in a nearly vertical direction as herein
set forth.
3. Machines for digging potatoes substantially as described and represented by
the annexed drawings.
Dated this 9th day of March 1893.
J. E. RANSOME,
J. A. LEWIS.