A NEW OR IMPROVED POTATO DRILL
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest Von Swinarski, of Kruszewo, in the
Province of Posen, and Kingdom of Prussia, for the Invention of
"A NEW OR IMPROVED POTATO DRILL."
Scaled the 13th May 1875, and dated the 30th March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest Von Swinarski
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th March 1875.
I, ERNEST VON SWINARSKI, of Kruszewo, in the Province of Posen,
and Kingdom of Prussia, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED POTATO DRILL," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to supersede the present usual mode of
planting potatoes, whereby they are placed in irregular distances and
depths on the hard furrow bottom, and whereby the air is greatly
prevented from access during germination, also to permit the more.
effectual use of potato digging machines.
By my Invention the potatoes are sown or planted in soft porous soil in
regular distances apart, and in equal depths so that a potato digging
machine can be usefully employed.

page_text: The machine frame is carried on two hind wheels fixed on their
axle and on a front steering frame and wheel. The machine consists
essentially of three parts, viz., a double coned drum containing the seed
potatoes, a ploughing apparatus, and tubes for conveying the seed
potatoes to the soil.
The ploughing apparatus consists of a share on cach side, and a
central double share placed some distance further back than the side
shares all the shares are attached to one frame or bar which is
suspended by pivoted rods and chain gear, and by wire ropes and pulleys
and lever gear can be raised out of the ground and some 5 or 6 inches
above the same and fixed in position by pawl and ratchet as required,
the point of attachment for the chains to the plough share frame can be
shifted from one notch to another in the usual manner, so as to regulate
the depth of furrow. The drum turns in bearings on the front part of
the framing, and is caused to rotate by wire, rope, or other gear from
the hind wheel axle, and by a friction clutch it may be set in and out of
gear as required. The drum is placed across the machine and is of a
double cone form, larger at each end, where it has openings near the
circumference at regular intervals, say four, which openings are con-
nected to cups inside the drum. The openings are closed by valves and
springs and opened when in the upper position by the valve coming in
contact with a catch fixed on the framing; a potato is thus allowed to
fall out into the tube placed against it which conveys it down to a place
just between each outer or side share and the central plough share, and
in the longitudinal direction about where the side shares start from the
plough frame.
The cups are in an inclined position and so curved that by the time
each cup
arrives to its uppermost position, all potatoes have fallen out of
it except one which then is passed into one of the two tubes as afore-
said. The drum is by preference corrugated or formed of staves length-
wise, in order to counteract the side pressure of the potatoes against
each other caused by the conical form and to relieve the cups similarly.
The handles for throwing the drum in and out of gear, for raising and
lowering the plough shares, and for turning the steering wheel are all
arranged close to the driver whose seat is at the rear of the machine.
}

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Ernest von Swinarski in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ERNEST
VON SWINARSKI, of Kruszewo, in the Province of Posen, and Kingdom
of Prussia, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Ernest Von Swinarski, Her
special licence that I, the said Ernest Von Swinarski, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ernest Von
Swinarski, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"A NEW OR IMPROVED POTATO DRILL," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Ernest Von Swinarski, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Ernest Von Swinarski, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is
to say :-
The object of this Invention is to supersede the present usual mode of
planting potatoes, whereby they are placed in irregular distances and
depths on the hard furrow bottom, and whereby the air is greatly

page_text: prevented from access during germination, also to permit the more
effectual use of potato digging machines.
By my Invention the potatoes are sown or planted in soft porous soil
in regular distances apart and in equal depths, so that a potato digging
machine can be usefully employed.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side elevation of potato
drill constructed according to my Invention; Fig. 2 is a front view
of same, and Fig. 3, a plan; Fig. 4 is an enlarged end view of the seed
drum, and Fig. 5, a part cross section through part of the drum showing
the mode of delivery of the seed potatoes therefrom.
A is the frame of the machine which is carried on two bind wheels B
fixed on their axle D, and on a front steering frame and wheel C. The
machine consists essentially of three parts, viz., a double coned drum U
containing the sced potatoes, a ploughing apparatus Z, Z, Z², Z³, and
tubes ff, for conveying the seed potatoes to the soil. The ploughing
apparatus consists of a share Z' and Z on each side, and a central double
share Z³ placed some distance further back than the side shares Z' and Z³,
all the shares are attached to one frame or bar Z which is suspended by
pivoted rods F, and chains E, the points of attachment of which can be
placed higher or lower in the notches of the rack G in the usual way for
ploughing at different depths. The plough can be raised out of the
ground and some 5 or 6 inches above the same by means of the groove
pulleys H, H, wire ropes and levers J, J, it can be fixed in position as
required by pawls K, K, and ratchet wheels L, L.
The cord M passes
over the rollers N, N, to the plough itself, which on being raised swings
round the points F', F¹, on the rods F, F, and takes a position close under
the framing so that the shares are some 5-6 inches free of the ground.
Under the discs H, H, there is a horizontal disc O which by means of
the cord M is connected to the steering wheel C, so that the latter is
operated correspondingly by turning the disc O. The discs H, H,
and O, are within easy reach of the driver whose scat is immediately
behind on the board Q. The drum turns in the bearings R, R, on
brackets S, S, or otherwise on the front part of the framing, and is
caused to rotate by a chain T and the chain pulleys N' and N³, or by
wire rope or other gear from the hind wheel axle D in the same
direction as the latter or in the opposite direction; W is a clutch on the
hind axle D, and W! a lever whereby the pulley N2 and hence also the

page_text: drum is put in and out of gear as required. The drum U is placed
across the machine, as shown, is of a double cone form larger at
cach end where it has openings at regular intervals, here four in number
connected to cups a inside the drum; the openings are closed by the
levers b, b, and valves c, c, the springs & tend to keep them closed. By
the rotation of the drum some potatoes will collect in cach cup, and
remain therein till it comes into the upper position a, Fig. 4; then the
free end of the lever ' comes in contact with a catch e fixed on the
framing or bracket s, the flap or valve e is then quickly opened and a
potato is allowed to fall out of the cup a into the tube f placed against
it, and which conveys it down to a place just between each outer or side
share Z and Z³, and the centre plough share Z³, and in the longitudinal
direction about where the side shares start from the plough frame Z.
The cups a are in an inclined position and so curved that by the time
each cup arrives at its uppermost position all potatoes have fallen out of
it again, that is back into the interior of the drum, except one, which
is then passed into one of the two tubes fas aforesaid. The potatoes are
beforehand well sorted as to size. When the machine comes to the end
of the field the drum is clutched out while turning round.
The conical form of drum is chosen in order to facilitate the potatoes
falling towards the cups, even when few in number, so that the last
potato is utilized. The drum is by preference corrugated or formed of
staves lengthwise, as shown, in order to counteract the side pressure of
the potatoes against each other caused by the conical form. The swelled
out form at each end also tends to relieve the cups similarly.
The potatoes fall through the tubes f, f, on the ground which has been
loosened by the plough share Z, Z². The potatoes are then covered by
the plough with loose earth.
Fig. 6. shows a modified form of the cups in the drums, the cup
here follows the circumferential curvature of the bellied out part u of
the drum in order to facilitate the free fall of the potatoes. The slide c
need not shut more than about one-third, as it by its rapid opening in a
very inclined position throws the potatoes towards the interior of the
drum; fis the tube for conveying the potatoes down to the furrow. This
tube should be as straight and vertical as possible. For this purpose
the width of the plough and the distance between the wheels may be
increased.

page_text: The drum may advantageously be placed much lower than here shown,
and the drum made in one cylindrical or double coned piece openworked
as shown or closed, but then formed with internal conical ribs for the
purpose set forth. The drum may be made of cast iron and be actuated
in any suitable manner; it may for instance be driven by wheel gearing a
on one or both sides.
I do not claim the arrangement of the plough for forming and
covering up the furrows nor the means for raising and lowering the
plough, nor the mere mechanical means for actuating the drum and the
slides for the cups, as all these parts may be varied very considerably
without departing from the nature of this Invention, but I do claim,―
Firstly. The application of a hollow double coned drum or drums
formed openworked with slits longitudinally or nearly so, or a double
coned drum formed closed and with internal ribs longitudinally or nearly
so, or a cylindrical closed drum with conical ribs longitudinally or nearly 1
so for the purpose set forth, and provided with equidistant cups
which are automatically closed and opened by the revolution of the
drum in combination with shoots or tubes for conveying the potatoes
down to the ground, all substantially as set forth.
Secondly. The hollow drum or drums fitted and operating, sub- 2
stantially as set forth, in combination with delivery shoots or tubes,
substantially as set forth, and with plough apparatus for forming and
covering furrows.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest Von Swinarski, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.