Iм- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DIGGING POTATOES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hanson, of Dough, Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ireland, Land Agent and Farmer, for the Invention of "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DIGGING POTATOES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hanson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th July
1855.
I, JOHN HANSON, of Dough, Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland,
Land Agent and Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR DIGGING POTATOES " to be
as follows:
This Invention relates to a mechanical arrangement or apparatus to be used
for digging or removing growing potatoes from the earth as a substitute for
the ordinary hand-fork system, the object being the more rapid and economical
removal of the roots. The implement consists of a light open timber frame
supported on four running wheels, the motion of the main axle being applied
to the driving of an arrangement of rotatory digging forks. It is drawn by a
pair of horses attached to a transverse bar at the end of the frame opposite
to the forks, the connection being similar to that usually adopted in the
common plough. The end transverse bar projects at one side, & serves as a
handle for turning the machine at the headlands. The front pair of running
wheels next the horses are of large diameter, and they are furnished with
radial spikes on their peripheries, so as to have a firm hold upon the ground

page_text: in revolving, and thus provide sufficient resistance for the fork-driving action.
The main axle revolving with these large running wheels carries a toothed
bevil wheel, in gear with a bevil pinion fast on the forward end of a horizontal
shaft, supported in bearings in the centre of the hind part of the frame. The
opposite end of this shaft projects slightly at the extreme rear of the frame,
at which part it has upon it two or more radial rotating forks, which of course
revolve in a plane at right angles to the line of the implement's path.
At the part of the frame immediately behind the small back running
wheels there is attached a horizontal plough piece, slightly inclined on its
upper surface, the rear portion of which is just clear of the forks as they
work round.
This plough piece, which is adjustable vertically to suit the depth of action
equired, passes along beneath the drill of potatoes deep enough to lift up
both the manure and the potatoes. In this way, as the manure and potatoes
are elevated upon the incline, the rotatory action of the forks scatters out the
potatoes, which can then be easily removed. Provision is made for allowing
one of the large driving wheels to turn back, to facilitate the turning of the
implement at the end of a drill.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hanson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOIN
HANSON, of Doagh, Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Land Agent
and Farmer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Hanson, Her special license that I, the said John Hanson, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Hanson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
DIGGING POTATOES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Hanson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particu-

page_text: larly 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 John Hanson, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
upon
the
My said Invention relates to a mechanical arrangement or apparatus to be
used for digging or removing growing potatoes from the earth as a substitute
for the ordinary hand-fork system, the object being the more rapid and
economical removal of the roots. The implement consists of a light open
timber frame supported on four running wheels, the motion of the main axle
being applied to the driving of an arrangement of rotatory digging forks.
It is drawn by a pair of horses attached to a transverse bar at the end of the
frame opposite to the forks, the connection being similar to that usually adopted
in the common plough. The end transverse bar projects at one side, and
The front pair
serves as a handle for turning the machine at the headlands.
of running wheels next the horses are of large diameter, and they are furnished
with radial spikes on their peripheries, so as to have a firm hold
ground in revolving, and thus provide sufficient resistance for the fork-driving
action. The main axle revolving with these large running wheels carries a
toothed bevil wheel, in gear with a bevil pinion fast on the forward end of
a horizontal shaft, supported in bearings in the centre of the hind part of the
frame. The opposite end of this shaft projects slightly at the extreme rear
of the frame, at which part it has upon it two or more radial rotating forks,
which of course revolve in a plane at right angles to the line of the imple-
ment's path. At the part of the frame immediately behind the small back
running wheels there is attached a horizontal plough piece, slightly inclined
o its upper surface, the rear portion of which is just art the forks ag
they work round. This plough piece, which is adjustable vertically to suit
the depth of action required, passes along beneath the drill of potatoes <leep
enough to lift up both the manure and the potatoes. In this way, as the
manure and potatoes are elevated upon the incline, the rotatory action of the
Provision
forks scatters out the potatoes, which can then be easily removed.
is made for allowing one of the large driving wheels to turn back, to facilitate
the turning of the implement at the end of a drill.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall

page_text: now proceed to describe the several explanatory Figures on the Sheet of
Drawings hereunto attached.
Figure 1 on the Sheet of Drawings is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is an
end elevation, of a digging machine complete, as constructed according to one
modification of my said Invention; Figure 3 is a plan of the same, with the
cover removed, which protects some of the driving details.
The digging
details are carried by a long light timber frame A, supported upon two pairs of
running wheels B and C, the latter being of comparatively small size, and
serving merely to support the front end of the machine. I have herein-before
referred to these small running wheels as being placed behind the main
driving wheels according to one modification; but either that plan, or the
arrangement represented in the Drawings, may be used, accordingly as the
constructor of the implement may think best. The machine is drawn along
by means of a transverse bar D, fixed across the front ends of the longitudinal
pieces of the framing, and this transverse bar is made to project on one side,
as at E, to serve as a lever handle, by means of which the machine is turned
at the headlands. The two horses by which the machine is drawn are attached
to a ring F, capable of adjustment upon the vertical bar G, carried by the
transverse bar D, and connected to another cross bar on the framing behind
by a. curved branch. The front small running wheels C are carried in forks
H, which are fixed in a transverse spindle I, and this spindle is carried in
bearings upon brackets J fixed to the framing A, and has fixed to it a
lever K, by means of which the forks II can be set at any angle so as to raise
or lower the level of the wheels C, this adjustment tilting the machine more
or less, and determining the acting level of the working details at its opposite
end. The lever K is fixed in any required position by means of the catch
plate L. The main wheels B are of large diameter, and are furnished on
their peripheries with projecting spikes M, which enter the ground and insure
the turning of the wheels, so as to drive the digging details as the macbine is
drawn along. The wheels Bare themselves loose on the shaft or axle N;
but the latter has keyed upon it at each end a crank O, which gears with a
stop P, fixed upon the nave of the wheel, by means of which the rotation of
the wheels causes that of the shaft N. This shaft carries a pair of large
bevil wheels Q. fitted upon it with grooves and feathers, so as to be adjustable,
transversely as regards the machine-by-means-of-a clutch and the lever R.
In the central space between the two bevil wheels Q. and fast on a horizontal
shaft S, lying longitudinally as regards the machine, is placed a bevil pinion T.
arranged so as to be driven by either of the bevil wheels Q. accordingly as
these are adjusted by the lever R; the shaft S is carried in bearings upon

page_text: the cross pieces of the framing A, and projects beyond the extreme hinder
end of the framing to receive the rotatory digger disc U. This disc is fast
upon the shaft S, and has bolted to it a number of digger forks V. As the
machine is traversed along, these forks revolve rapidly in a plane at right
angles to the line of traverse, and, entering the drill or ridge of potatoes,
scatters these out from the earth. The earth and potatoes are primarily lifted
by means of a species of inclined plough plate W, which is carried by an
arm X at one side of the back end of the framing A, and is situated with
its front lower point in advance of the digger forks V, so as gradually to raise
up the earth and potatoes to the digging forks. As it is desirable in digging
a large field of potatoes to throw the potatoes always towards the same side
of the drill or ridge which is being dug, whether the machine be traversing
this ridge in one direction or the other, the duplicate bevil wheels Q are
employed, as already described, so that the rotatory digging forks may be
driven in either direction; and as the arm X of the plough piece W would
be in the way of the potatoes which the forks throw out when rotating in the
reverse direction to that for which the machine is represented in the Drawing
as set, this arm X is hinged, so that the plough piece W can be turned up
out of the way, whilst a duplicate plough piece w, carried by an arm a on
the other side of the framing, and represented in the Drawings as turned up,
is turned down in place of the plough piece W. The plough pieces W and w
are each held fixed in an elevated position when required by a pin passed
through a pair of lugs Y upon the framing, between which lugs the supporting
arm X lies when turned up. When turned down, the plough piece is secured
by a hinged piece Z, fastened by a pin, as shewn in Figure 1. A curved bar a
is fixed near the front end of the framing, for the purpose of turning down
on each side the above-ground portions of the potato plant as the machine
traverses along.
Amongst the various modifications of which the herein-before described
apparatus is susceptible, it may be deemed in some cases desirable to fit a pair
of coulters with small mould shares on each side of the framing in advance of
the digging details, for the purpose of paring off the sides of the drills, so as to
leave a diminished width of drill to be lifted by the plough piece or elevator.
According to another modification, a single wheel may be used in front instead
of two, as herein-before described; this single wheel to be used only on
turning the machine at the headlands, or on removing the machine whilst not
working, being lifted out of the way of the drill when the machine is at work.
A screen may be fitted to the machine to prevent the potatoes from being
thrown too far or too high; this screen consisting, for example, of a curtain

page_text: of sacking or netting, suspended in the course of the stream of potatoes from
a suitable arm fixed upon and projecting laterally from the framing. The
potatoes being thrown against this screen will fall from it so as to be deposited
in a regular row as the machine passes along. In some cases, as, for example,
where the ground is very hard, the lifting plough piece may be modified from
that herein-before described, so as to render it more efficient. Thus, this
piece may be in the form of a ribbed sock (resting on a sole shoc, such as is
used in ploughing), being composed of a number of iron bars, welded together
at the point, and spreading out more or less behind. This plough piece may
be attached in any convenient manner to the framing of the apparatus, as, for
example, to a transverse bar or frame piece passing immediately below the
shaft S of the rotatory digging forks.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or appa-
ratus for digging or extracting potatoes out of the ground, as herein-before
described.
Second, the system or mode of scattering or throwing potatoes out of the
drills or ridges in which they are grown, for the purpose of facilitating their
collection or gathering in, by means of digging forks, rotating at right angles
to the drill or ridge, or to the line of traverse of the apparatus, acting alone or
in combination with a lifting plough piece or elevator, as herein-before described.
Third, the system or mode of digging potatoes by means of rotatory digging
forks driven by the rotation of the wheels, and the traverse of the carriage
upon which the apparatus is fitied up as herein-batione described.
Jon Hanson, have heren set my
In witness whereof; I, the said
hcondi