IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODES AND MEANS OF DRESSING POTATOES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Hollingworth, of Quarry Mill, in the City
and County of Perth, North Britain, Potato Merchant, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODES AND MEANS OF DRESSING
POTATOES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR."
Sealed the 12th June 1874, and dated the 27th December 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Hollingworth.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 27th December 1873.
I, ALFRED HOLLINGWORTH, of Quarry Mill, in the City and County
5 of Perth, North Britain, Potato Merchant, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODES AND MEANS OF
DRESSING POTATOES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOB," to be as
follows, that is to say :—
This said Invention has reference to the dressing of potatoes or
O riddling and cleaning them, so as to separate the earth from them, and

page_text: the small ones from the large ones; and consists in attaching one or
more riddles with horizontal or inclined wire platforms or frames on a
strong rocking frame upon four, six, or other number of spiral springs,
preferably of the reverse conoidal class, secured to its under edges when
made rectangular in plan, and upon the lower part of an open portable
supporting and protecting frame made with handles for carrying and
removing it from place to place, and it might be with wheels when
desired.
The inclined riddles are each made with a side spout at their lower
edge, the top one, as when two of these are used, with openings or 1
meshes to deliver the medium sized or seed potatoes at the one side, wide
enough to let through the earth and the smaller sized potatoes to the
second inclined riddle with smaller meshes, which only let through the
earth and very small potatoes of no use, and deliver the smaller sized
potatoes of use at the opposite side of the frame from the large ones, 1
the riddling frames and spouts being set at the opposite or different
angles and sides for that purpose, although these seed and small sized
potatoes might be delivered on the same side, while a portable common
riddle with very large sized holes may be laid or attached on the top of
all for retaining only the large sized and marketable potatoes, which 2
would be delivered into bags from the riddle by hand ready for market;
or this top riddle also might be made to deliver the marketable potatoes
to the one side also from an inclined riddle instead of the common
removable riddle on top as described; and the potatoes of course are put
into the top riddle surmounting the whole by the hand or shovel, as 2
desired.
The outer carrying top frame of the whole leaves sufficient room for
the rocking frame of the riddles to be actuated by hand freely within it,
and knock against it occasionally when desired to assist in dislodging and
passing the earth through the riddles, while a bar may be secured to tho 8
top of both frames for preventing the whole from rocking when the
apparatus has to be removed from place to place.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Hollingworth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th June 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
5 HOLLINGWORTH, of Quarry Mill, in the City and County of Perth, North
Britain, Potatoe Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three,
in the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Hollingworth,
Her special licence that I, the said Alfred Hollingworth, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Hollingworth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
5 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 THE MODES AND MEANS OF DRESSING POTATOES, AND-
IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alfred Hollingworth, 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 Alfred Hollingworth, 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 Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, and which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of:
showing the best modes and means I am at present aware of for carrying:
the Invention into effect or practice, the same reference letters indicating
the same parts in the two Figures :—
:

page_text: My said Invention has reference to the dressing of potatoes, or to tho
riddling, cleaning, and assorting of them; so as to separate the earth
from them, and the small potatoes from the large ones in an improved
manner, and by a new or improved construction and arrangement of the
parts of a machine or apparatus therefor.
Figures 1 and 2 are a sectional elovation and a plan respectively of one
modification of my said potato cleaning and dressing machine, and
referring to these Figures.
This machine and its action consist all as follows:-In attaching one
or more riddles A¹, A", formed of horizontal or inclined wire screens a
and frames a¹, or platforms carried by bars a² on a strong rocking frame
or case B, supported on six, or it might be four or other number, of
spiral springs b, preferably of the parallel spiral class (or they may be of.
the reverse conoidal or other equivalent form), secured to the under
corners and edges B' of the frame B, when that is made rectangular in
plan, as shown, and at the under side upon the lower cross bars C¹ of an
open supporting and protecting portable frame C, C, D, made with an
upper rectangular frame C, preferably made of turned hard wood strongly
secured together with four handles c, for carrying and removing the
whole from place to place by having four strong supporting posts D near
the corners, preferably made of iron, to which the lower cross rails C¹
carrying the springs 6 and rocking framo B, B¹, are secured at D³, or
these posts or legs might be made of hard wood with iron feet d, and
when desired it might be made with rolling and carrying wheels for
ease of removal.
f
The inclined riddles A', A", are cach made with a side spout A³, A³,
respectively at its lowest edge, the top riddle A³ (when two of these aro
used) having openings or meshes to deliver the medium sized or sced
potatoes by its spout A² at the one side of the machine z, but wide enough
to let through the earth and the smaller sized potatoes down into the
second inclined riddle A" with smaller meshes, which only let through
the earth and very small potatoes of little or no use or value below the
centre of the machine at ¹, and deliver the smaller sized potatoes of uso
at its spout A³ on the opposite side of the machine from that of the
larger sized potatoes delivered at %, the riddling frames and spouts being
set at the opposite or different angles and sides for that purpose, although
these seed and small sized potatoes might be delivered on the same sido

page_text: with a division board between them. A portable common riddle A. with
very large holes or meshes a is preferably fitted in a recessed holding
part at 6 of the top edges of the rocking frame B above all the other
riddles, for retaining only the large and marketable potatoes, which
would be delivered into bags from the riddle A by hand ready for taking
to market; or the top riddle A might if desired be made to deliver the
marketable potatoes to the one side also from an inclined riddle like the
others A¹, A", instead of from the common round removable riddle A on
top, as shown and described. The potatoes are put into the top riddle A
surmounting the whole by the hand or shovel, as desired.
The outer carrying top frame O of the whole leaves sufficient room.
at C for the rocking frame or case B of the riddles A, A', A", to be
rocked or actuated by hand freely within it, and knock against it
occasionally when desired, to assist in dislodging and passing the earth
through the riddles and delivering the potatoes as stated at the sides, for
removal in carts or otherwise.
When the machine is to be removed the top loose riddle A is removed,
and the bar E may be secured to the top of both frames B, C, at E, for
preventing the inner frame B from rocking, and thus making the whole
rigid and portable, ready for being easily removed from place to place by
the handles c, as shown in Figure 2.
Although the rocking frame B of the riddles A, A', A", has only been
described and shown as set upon a new or improved arrangement of springs
for the purpose of rocking on them, it is to be understood that it might
5 also be hung by such springs for the like purpose, preferably in this case
attached at the opposite side to near the middle of the case between
the planes of the riddles A', A", so that all the riddles would rock,
leaving sufficient space between the springs and the case for the latter to
rock free of the springs.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is or may be performed, I have to state that
I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein described or
delineated, but what I believe to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
5 Letters Patent is,—
First. The construction and arrangement of the parts of a potato

page_text: and rocking the same on a set of spiral or other springs, all substantially
as and for the purposes herein described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
Second. The application and use of springs for carrying and rocking a
frame of riddles of potato "dressing," or riddling and assorting machines, 5
all substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Hollingworth, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
Witness,
W. R. M. THOMSON,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
A. HOLLINGWORTH. (L.s.) :