A Potato Lifting or Digging Machine.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 13th Mar., 1897
A Potato Lifting or Digging Machine.
ANDREW BURNS Potato Merchant Wester Norton Ratho N.B. do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
To lift potatoes by machine instead of hand graiping as is present in use for
lifting green or young potatoes for market. This is quite distinct from any other
potato digger at present in use. Two potato graips are attached to a revolving
crank one or two drills being lifted at once. The potatoes are lifted at the side of
the drills and thrown out as by manual labour.
I, ANDREW BURNS, of Wester Norton, Ratho, N.B. Potato Merchant, 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 a potato lifting or digging machine and has for its
object to provide a machine for lifting green or young potatoes for market, having
an action similar to that of hand graiping and which will lift the potatoes at the
side of the drills and throw them out without injuring them.
But in order that my said invention may be more readily understood and easily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is an elevation.
Figure 2 a plan and
Figure 3 an end elevation of my improved machine.
In carrying out my invention I employ a frame A of angle or other iron
mounted upon a pair of carrying wheels B in any convenient manner. To the rear
end of the machine I mount within suitable journals or bearings a, secured to the
frame, two shafts or spindles C C¹ to which are keyed cranks c c for carrying a
graip D. The shank or stem of the graip is preferably formed of channel iron and
is provided with a bush d for connecting it to the crank c and is secured to the
crank c¹ by a bush a connected in such a manner to a link hinged to the stem
that the angle of the graip can be adjusted relatively with the ground.
The cranks are also provided with an extension to balance or assist the graip
during its upward movement.
For the purpose of driving the said cranks I provide the ends of the shafts or
spindles C C with toothed or spur wheels E which are rotated by means of a

page_text: third spur wheel El mounted upon a shaft C2 working in the journals a secured to
the frame; the said spur wheel E' being operated through the medium of a bevel
wheel F, secured to the axle of the carrying wheels B, engaging with a smaller
bevel wheel F¹ upon the shaft C².
A fly wheel C is secured to the shaft C2 to increase the driving power.
The graip is thrown into and out of action by a clutch G operated from any
convenient part of the machine.
Two parers or shoes H are also provided for paring or cutting away the earth
from the sides of the drills in order to lessen the shock upon the graip. These
shoes or parers have their inner blades h formed curved or shaped as shewn in
order to undermine the drill and are so mounted that they can be adjusted both
vertically and horizontally so that they can be set to drills of any depth or
breadth.
The parers are preferably placed, one slightly in advance of the other.
Upon either of the parers or shoes though preferably upon that secured nearest
the graip I attach a rod J of any suitable length and metal having one end bent
half round for the purpose of retaining the shaws until the graip has entered the
drill, the end pointing towards the ground serving to guide any shaws that may be
out of line.
The said rod is held in position within a socket formed upon the sleevej by a
set pin; the sleeve itself being also retained in position in a similar way so that
the rod can be adjusted vertically and lengthwise.
As the prongs of the graip are liable to wear down very quickly I make all the
prongs K removable so that when worn or accidentally broken they can be replaced
without the necessity of making a new graip, and thereby saving labour and
expense.
The prongs referred to are made with a socket k adapted to slip over short
projections formed on the graip, the said sockets being wedged on and retained
in their position by the force with which they come in contact with the ground.
The prongs are preferably bent downwards at the points so as to lessen the
tendency to damage the potatoes and are provided with guard pieces k³ to prevent
stones jamming between the prongs.
A lever and quadrant L is also provided at the front of the machine for keeping
the parers and graip free from the ground during transit and also for regulating
them during their operation.
Although I have described and shewn one graip operated by two cranks I may
when desired employ two graips operated by means of a double crank which can
be revolved by means of the same gearing as first described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
In a potato lifting or digging machine, the employment of the graip D, or
graips, rotated by means of the cranks c, c', or crank, driven by gearing from the
main axle of the machine whereby the potatoes are lifted at the side of the drills
and thrown out as by manual labour, substantially as herein before described and
shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of Desember 1906
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Agents.