Improvements in Frames for Supporting Riddles and Screens in use for Sorting or Riddling Agricultural Produce, and for other Analogous Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 5th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 21st June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Frames for Supporting Riddles and Screens in use
for Sorting or Riddling Agricultural Produce, and for other
Analogous Purposes.
I GEORGE COTTON of Middlewich in the County of Chester, Draper do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
:-
The object of this invention is to dispense with hand labour in riddling or sorting
agricultural produce &c.
I employ a pair of metallic standards or pillars with hurdle feet for securing into
the ground and braced together at their upper extremities. Along the length of these
standards I arrange sliding sockets which are capable of being secured at any desired
height by set screws or in any other convenient manner. From hooks projecting
from the upper pair of such sockets and at a convenient height for emptying into a
sack alongside I suspend a riddle-and by preference my improved riddle for which
I have obtained Provisional Protection No. 850189 by means of a chain on one side
and a spiral spring on the other side of each. of the sockets or suspended from the
cross head above and thus by pulling the riddle on one side and so distending the
spiral spring and then letting it go I impart to the riddle a sensitive vibratory
motion which serves to assist the riddling or sorting operation.
Upon the lower sockets I can support one or more sloping wire screens or gratings
turned up at the edges to prevent the material falling off sideways and thus I am
enabled to riddle or sort produce of various sizes and to lead the same off into their
several receptacles placed to receive them.
In some cases and for simpler frames I employ a single standard with the upper
extremity projecting forward to form the support for the suspended riddle.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1889.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Frames for Supporting Riddles and Screens in use
for Sorting or Riddling Agricultural Producé, and for other
Analogous Purposes..
I GEORGE COTTON of Middlewich, in the County of Chester, Draper, 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:
The object of this invention is to dispense with hand labour in riddling or sorting
agricultural produce &c.
On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved riddle
frame or produce sorter. Fig. 2 illustrates a sectional view of one side of the same.
Fig. 3 is a front exterior view, Fig. 4. a plan view and Fig. 5 a sectional view
of the other side (the latter shewing the top riddle (dotted) in the tilted position.
In all the views a. a are a pair of wooden (or metallic) standards braced
together by cross pieces 6 and forming the supports for the riddling frame c.
This frame is suspended by chains or iron rods d at each of the four corners
carried up at an angle as illustrated to hooks or their equivalents e on the inside of
the stand.
Being thus mounted the riddle frame c is very sensitive as by pulling it on oneside
and then letting-go again I impart to the said riddle frame a vibratory motion which
materially assists the riddling or sorting operation.

page_text: Within this frame c I support one or more sloping wire screens or gratings-the
lower screen of inclining towards the outlet or spout g the intermediate screen h
inclining in the opposite direction towards its outlet i and the upper screen j being
arranged horizontally and mounted in a separate frame k. This frame k is hinged to
the frame beneath by suitable hinges and is capable of being tilted (say to
the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5) so as to facilitate the removal.
of the contents therefrom through the outlet into a sack, basket or other
receptacle.
These wire screens are of a different mesh or arranged with different sized inter-
stices the upper one being the more open mesh, the intermediate screen of a closer
mesh, and the lower or bottom screen be closer still. It will be seen that by so
graduating the size of mesh I am enabled to sort and separate the various sizes of say
potatoes or other similar produce.
The intermediate screen could also be arranged to tilt and when it is desirable to
prevent the contents escaping through its outlet i I sometimes affix to the under side
of the top frame k a flap or other similar device (shewn dotted in Fig. 5) so that
only by lifting or tilting the frame k can the contents be removed from such inter-
mediate compartment.
In some cases the top screen is surrounded by a wooden edgin. of sufficient
depth to retain its produce thus forming a riddle which can be remo d bodily with
.its contents.
To sort a greater variety of sizes of produce all that is to be done is to in-
crease the number of screens or to replace the old ones with a finer or more open
screen.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The improved construction of produce sorting apparatus consisting of a wooden
or other frame suspended and capable of oscillating to and fro substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
2. The improved construction and arrangement of apparatus consisting of a
frame provided with wire or other screens mounted and operated substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying
drawing.
Dated this 1st day of Anril 1800
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.