IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR LIFTING FOTATOES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Hunter, of. Maybole, in the County of
Ayr, North Britain, Agricultural Implement Maker, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR LIFTING FOTATOES."
Sealed the 4th March 1873, and dated the 10th September 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Hunter at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th September 1872.
I, THOMAS HUNTER, of Maybole, in the County of Ayr, North Britain,
Agricultural Implement Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR LIFTING POTATOES,”
to be as follows, that is to say :-
".
This Invention has for its objects simplicity, efficiency, and economy
in the construction and use of implements for lifting potatoes.
An implement made with the improvements has a handled frame
something like that of a plough, and is arranged to be drawn by horses.
At the front end there is a concave roller which runs along the top of

page_text: the drill, laying down the shaws as it proceeds, and each outer side of
this roller is furnished with knives or cutting edges which cut off the
excess of the shaws.
In some cases a dividing board or plate is fitted a little in front of the
concave roller to divide and lay the shaws right and left. A little
behind the roller there are two small shares, one on each side, which cut
small furrows away from the sides of the drill so as to leave little work
for the main lifting parts, which consist of two pronged pieces or lifters.
entering one from each side into the drill and beneath the potatoes at
some distance behind the shares. Each lifter is formed or fixed on the
lower end of an arm or shank inclined downwards and forwards from
the frame in a vertical longitudinal plane, or nearly so. The lifter is
pointed at its most forward part which is towards the side, and from the
point a rib extends horizontally in a direction inclined inwards and back-
wards, whilst a number of prongs spring from this rib in an upward and
backward direction. The action of these lifters is to raise and loosen the
potatoes without injuring them, and so that they can be easily picked
out by hand. The implement is provided with a pair of wheels on a
cross axle connected to the frame by levers admitting of the frame being
raised and lowered, and facilitating the turning at the headlands.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Thomas Hunter in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th March 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HUNTER, of Maybole, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, Agricultural
Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of September, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Hunter, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Hunter, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Hunter, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no

page_text: 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 Apparatus for LIFTING POTATOES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Thomas Hunter, 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 Thomas Hunter, 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 in writing, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its objects simplicity, efficiency, and
economy in the construction and use of implements for lifting potatoes. .
And in order that my improvements and manner of constructing the
implement may be properly understood I hereunto append a Sheet of
explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and representing
the said implement, Figure 1 of the Drawings being a plan, and Figure 2
a side elevation, whilst the same reference numerals are used to mark
the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
My improved implement is made with a handled frame something
like that of a plough, and consisting of two longitudinal frame bars or
beams 1 connected by two strong transverse stays 2, 3, near the middle, by
a transverse head plate 4 at the front end, to which the hake or drawing
shackle is connected, and by a pair of bowed bars 5 near the back end.
The transverse stays 2, 3, are at one side fixed by screw nuts inside and
outside of the longitudinal frame 1 to admit of the longitudinal frames
being adjusted more or less apart, and for the same purpose elongated
holes are provided for the bolts attaching the head plate 4. The imple-
ment is designed to be drawn along a potatoe drill by a pair of horses
proceeding along the furrows on each side. At the front end there is a
.concave roller 6 which runs along the top of the drill, laying down the

page_text: shaws as it proceeds; and in cases where the shaws are large each outer
side of this roller 6 may be furnished with knives or cutting edges to cut
off the excess of the shaws on each side.
In some cases also a dividing board or plate may be fitted a little in
front of the concave roller 6 to divide and lay the shaws right and left.
This concave roller 6 runs upon an axle connected by rods 7 to the
beams 1, and a curved scraper 8 is held near its upper surface to clean it. A
little behind the concave roller 6 there are two small shares 9 which are
fixed by shanks 10 to the beams 1, and which cut small furrows away
from the sides of the drill so as to leave little work for the main lifting
parts. Next behind the side shares 9 there is a plain middle roller 11
which crushes down and pulverises the centre of the drill, and which is
carried by arms 12, capable of adjustment as to height, in sockets fixed
on the beams 1%; the lifting parts consist of two slightly twisted
plates 13, 14, each formed in one piece with or attached to a shank 15, 16,
fixed one to each beam 1. These lifting plates 13, 14, enter into the
drill beneath the potatoes and combine with prongs 17, 18, springing
from their back edges to loosen and lift them partially out of the soil.
.The prongs 17, 18, are hinged to the plates 13, 14, and can be set at the
most suitable inclination in any case by means of lever handles 19, 20.
The implement is provided with a pair of wheels 21, set on the ends of
a cranked axle 22, held in bearings 23, on the beams 1, and having
attached to it a hand lever 24, by means of which the frame can be
raised and lowered to adjust it for action and to facilitate its turning at
the headlands. The usual catch plate 25 and catch lever 26 are pro-
vided in connection with the lever 24.
In order to render the action of the implement as complete as possible
a small harrow 27 is arranged to be drawn after it by a pair of chains 28;
and this harrow which still further loosens and exposes the potatoes is
provided with two guard rods 29 fixed to the front tine, which make the
shaws or stalks pass off at each side and prevent the harrow from
becoming clogged. The implement requires little or no guiding, so that
the attendant can walk at one side of the harrow.
Having thus particularly described my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the
precise details herein described and delineated; but that what I believe

page_text: to be novel and original, and. claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The arranging or combining together of parts to form a potatoe
lifting implement, substantially in the improved manner herein described
and delineated.
2. The fitting of the implement with a concave roller in front, as and
for the purposes herein-before described.
3. The fitting of the implement with the forward pair of side shares
for ploughing off the sides of the drill, as herein-before described.
4. The constructing and arranging of the lifting plates (13, 14,) with
their back prongs (17, 18,) substantially in the improved manner herein
described and delineated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Hunter, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
THOS. HUNTER. (L.S.)