Improvements in Potato Riddles or Screens.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Potato Riddles or Screens.
I, WILLIAM PRESTON, of Kirton, near Boston, in the County of Lincolnshire,
Blacksmith, 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 improvements in potato riddles or screens, and has
for its object to provide an improved article of this class, which shall effectually
riddle or screen large quantities of potatoes at a time in a very expeditious and
effective manner, in order to remove the dirt from the refuse and seed and to
collect the seed, such riddle or screen being at the same time simple in con-
struction and inexpensive of manufacture.
In order that this my said invention may be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect, reference is hereby made to the accompanying sheet
of illustrative drawings, wherein :-
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of the improved riddle or screen.
Fig. 2, being a front elevational view.
Referring to the drawings, wherein like letters of reference indicate corre-
sponding parts throughout the several figures, a represents a rectangular or
other tubular standard socket carried by the legs b.
Within the upper end of the said standard-socket the lower ends of two out-
wardly curved arms care fixed, the upper ends of such arms being bolted,
rivetted, or otherwise fixed at e¹ to a horizontal bracket d, whose ends are slit
horizontally for a portion of their length and the lower parts of such divided ends
bent at right angles thereto to form lugs having hooked ends d².
Passing through a central opening in the bracket is a vertical stem e having
at its upper end a number of divergent members e, which carry a ring c² in
which the receptacle containing the potatoes is held during the riddling or
screening operation.
To the lower end of the vertical stem e tension springs f are attached in any
suitable manner, the other ends of such springs being attached to the curved
arms at f. The said springs exert sufficient upward tension to lift the rocking
arm and screen g clear of the bracket d.
9 represents the screening sieve, which has its sides and rear end dished or
raised somewhat to prevent the spilling of the potatoes during the screening
operation, the mouth g² of such sieve being diminished or tapered and the sides
of such diminished portion turned up to a greater extent than the other parts
of the parts, as at g³.
The said sieve g is carried by a rocking-arm h, pivotally held upon the vertical
stem e by the pin ¹, the ends of such rocking-arm being fixed to two of the
transverse bars of the sieve at h³.
Chains i, or equivalent flexible connections are connected at one of their ends
to the hooked ends of the lugs ¹, the other ends of such chains being con-
nected to one of the transverse bars of the sieve g at ¹.
Similarly a chain j is connected at one of its ends to the lower end of the

page_text: vertical stem f, the other end of such chain being connected to the rear end
of the sieve g. In operation the bagged potatoes are held by the ring and
as the potatoes pour out of the bag or sack the screen or riddle g is given a
rocking motion by hand until such potatoes are properly screened, whereupon they
are delivered into a receptacle through the narrow end g².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The improvements in potato riddles or screens, consisting in a standard
carrying two bent arms carrying at their upper ends a horizontal bracket, having
forwardly projecting lugs at its ends in which bracket is slidingly mounted a
vertical stem carrying at its upper end a sack-holding ring, the lower end of
said vertical stem being connected to the bent arms by tension springs; and a
rocking sieve held by a rocking-arm pivotally mounted upon the said vertical
stem, said sieve having its rear end flexibly connected to the lower end of the
vertical stem; and flexible connections between the lugs on the ends of the
said horizontal bracket and the rocking sieve, substantially as described and
illustrated.
2. In potato riddles or screens, the tubular standard supported by diverging
legs, said standard carrying bent arms whose upper ends are fixed to a horizontal
bracket having forwardly projecting lugs near its ends, and a vertical stem,
slidingly mounted in said horizontal bracket, said vertical stem having diverging
arms at its upper end carrying a sack-holding ring; in combination with a
rocking-arm pivotally mounted on the said vertical stem and fixed at its ends
to a rocking-sieve having its rear end and sides dished and a diminished
mouth, said sieve being flexibly connected with the lugs on the said horizontal
bracket and with the lower end of the sliding vertical stem, all arranged,
combined, and operating, substantially as and for the purpose described, and
as illustrated by the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1800.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for Applicant.