IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS OR MACHINES FOR RAISING OR LIFTING POTATOES, FOR THINNING AND SCUFFLING TURNIPS OR MANGEL WURTZEL, AND "
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Corbett, of Wellington, in the County
of Salop, Agricultural Implement Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS OR MACHINES FOR RAISING OR LIFTING
POTATOES, FOR THINNING AND SCUFFLING TURNIPS OR MANGEL WURTZEL, AND
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Corbett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st July 1874.
I, SAMUEL CORBETT, of Wellington, in the County of Salop, Agri-
cultural Implement Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS OR MACHINES FOR RAISING
OR LIFTING POTATOES, FOR THINNING AND SCUFFLING TURNIPS OR MANGEL WURTZEL,
AND FOR CLEANING AND FORKING LAND," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists, first, of the following improvements in
potato raising implements or machines:--I attach a frame to two

page_text: travelling wheels, and by means of wheel or chain gearing driven from
the said travelling wheels I drive a revolving fork or forks. To the said
frame at the front of the revolving fork or forks I fix an arm or share
for the purpose of loosening up the ridge and potatoes. I drive the
revolving fork at a quicker speed than the travelling wheels for the
purpose of separating the potatoes from the soil and for placing them on
the surface of the land. To effect this I arrange the revolving fork or
forks diagonally and inclined to the ridge of potatoes to be operated
upon, the bottom of fork or forks standing or projecting underneath the
potatoes; by driving the fork or forks quicker than the travelling wheels,
and arranging the said fork or forks as described, the soil is riddled out
or forked, the potatoes are lifted and left unbruised in a row out of the
way of horses or men.
My Invention consists further in combining a revolving disk provided
with knives with the machine last described, the said disk being
situated in front of the frame. By means of the said revolving disk and
knives the potato tops are cut off before they come into contact with the
revolving fork or forks. The machine may readily be thrown out of gear
for travelling.
My Invention consists further in converting the potato raising
machine herein-before described into a turnip thinner and scuffler. I
effect this by removing the share and revolving cutter in front, and
revolving fork or forks at back, and placing on the axis or spindle
carrying the revolving fork or forks a cutter wheel, which cutter wheel
carries knives for thinning out the turnips. I also fix two scuffle feet to
the frame for the purpose of scuffling between the rows of turnips.
My Invention consists further of an implement or machine for
forking out twitch, constructed as follows:-The said implement consists
of a frame attached to two travelling wheels, and between or behind the
said wheels I fix one or more revolving barrels or cylinders, or spindles
carrying spikes or forks. The said revolving spiked or forked barrels,
cylinders, or spindles are driven by gearing at a quicker speed than the
travelling wheels, and by their action fork up and bring the twitch or
rubbish on to the surface of the land. The forks are made to work up
the land to the depth required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Corbett in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
CORBETT, of Wellington, in the County of Salop, Agricultural Imple-
ment Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Corbett, Her special license
that I, the said Samuel Corbett, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Corbett, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any 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
IMPLEMENTS OR MACHINES FOR RAISING OR LIFTING POTATOES, FOR THINNING AND
SCUFFLING TURNIPS OR MANGEL WURTZEL, AND FOR CLEANING AND FORKING LAND,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Corbett,
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
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Corbett, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :--
My Invention consists, first, of the following improvements in potato
raising implements or machines :-I attach a frame to two travelling
wheels, and by means of wheel or chain gearing driven from the said
travelling wheels I drive a revolving fork or forks. To the said frame
at the front of the revolving fork or forks I fix an arm or share for the

page_text: purpose of loosening up the ridge and potatoes. I drive the revolving
fork at a quicker speed than the travelling wheels for the purpose of
separating the potatoes from the soil and for placing them on the surface
of the land. To effect this I arrange the revolving fork or forks
diagonally and inclined to the ridge of potatoes to be operated upon, the
bottom of the fork or forks standing or projecting underneath the
potatoes. By driving the fork or forks quicker than the travelling
wheels, and arranging the said fork or forks as described, the soil is
riddled out or forked, the potatoes are lifted and left unbruised in a row
out of the way of horses or men.
My Invention consists further in combining a revolving disk provided
with knives with the machine last described, the said disk being situated
in front of the frame. By means of the said revolving disk and knives
the potato tops are cut off before the revolving fork or forks operate
upon the potatoes. The machine may readily be thrown out of gear for
travelling.
My Invention consists further in converting the potato raising
machine herein-before described into a turnip or mangel wurtzel thinner
and scuffler. I effect this by removing the share and revolving cutter
in front and revolving fork or forks at back, and placing on the axis or
spindle which drives the revolving fork or forks a cutter wheel, which
cutter wheel carries knives for thinning out the turnips. I also fix two.
scuffle feet to the frame for the purpose of scuffling between the rows of
turnips.
My Invention consists further of an implement or machine for forking
out twitch, constructed at follows:-The said implement consists of a
frame attached to two travelling wheels, and between or behind the said
wheels I fix one or more revolving barrels or cylinders or spindles
carrying spikes or forks. The said revolving spiked or forked barrels,
cylinders, or spindles are driven by gearing at a quicker speed than the
travelling wheels, and by their action fork up and bring the twitch or
rubbish on to the surface of the land. The forks are made to work up
the land to the depth required.
Having explained the nature of my Invention I will proceed to
describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the manner in
which the same is to be performed.

page_text: Figure 1 represents in side elevation, and Figure 2 in plan an implement
or machine for raising or lifting potatoes, the parts of the said imple-
ment or machine being constructed and combined or arranged according
to my Invention.
a, a, is the frame of the machine supported by tho
travelling wheels b, b; c is the axis or shaft of the travelling wheels;
d is a revolving fork driven from the axis or shaft c of the travelling
wheels by the bevil gearing e, f, and shaft g, the said shaft being con-
nected to the axis of the revolving fork by the universal joint at h. By
means of the gearing described the revolving fork & moves at a greater
speed than the travelling wheels 6, that is to say, the extremities of the
fork travel at a higher velocity than the peripheries of the driving
wheels, so that while the driving wheels roll over the ground the tines of
the fork cut through the ground and have a forking action. The said
fork d is made to cross the ridge of potatoes obliquely or diagonally or
at the angle represented in the plan, Figure 2, and the said fork instead
of working in a vertical plane as represented in the Drawing may be
inclined more or less to the said ridge in either direction. The vertical
adjustment and inclination of the revolving fork d are effected by the
vertical arm d³ on the axis of the fork working in the socket or eye in
the beam or frame a³ of the machine. The revolving fork & is thrown into
and out of gear with the axis or shaft c by means of the sliding
clutch i, operated by the hand rod %, the said sliding clutch being
engaged with or disengaged from the loose bevil wheel f on the said
shaft c.
A partial rotation of the hand rod in one or other direction
throws the clutch i into or out of gear with the bevil. wheel f. A
revolving fork similar to that represented may be arranged on the
opposite side of the machine, that is, the revolving fork d and its gearing
may be duplicated.
for
At the front of the revolving fork d (or forks) is an arm or share
loosening up the ridge and potatoes. The said share is carried by the
vertical bar m, which latter is passed through a fork at n on the frame a
of the machine. The height of the said share is adjusted by means of
a screw pin and screw nut at p, the said screw pin being passed through
one of the series of holes represented in the said bar, and also through
the cyc piece q on the frame a. By means of the connecting rod m³
and lever m the share can be lifted from the land out of action. In
this case the bar m turns upon the connecting pin at p as a centre. At
the back of the revolving fork d (or forks) is a rake 7 for collecting the

page_text: 2º
potatoes scattered by the said revolving fork. The said rake is
situated parallel to the revolving fork. The rake is hooked to the
forked bottom of the vertical part a³ of the frame or beam a² (sec
Figure 1) and is lifted out of action by the chains which is wound
around the handle of the machine.
As the machine or implement is drawn along the land the share 7 first
loosens up the ridge and potatoes, while the revolving fork d, following
the said share, forks the potatoes out, and lifts or raises them from the
soil, the rake collecting and placing the raised potatoes in a row out of
the way of horses and men.
Instead of making the revolving fork of a central boss, and a series of
tines projecting from the periphery of the boss, the said revolving fork
may be made of a flat disk-like plate, as represented in front elevation
and section in Figure 3. This fork is made in one piece by casting, or
is made from wrought iron or steel by stamping or otherwise. The tines
or acting parts, d' of the fork are twisted out of the plane of the central
part, so that the leading or front edge of the tines may not strike directly
against and injure the potatoes, but be presented thereto in an inclined
position. On one side of the centre part of the fork, Figure 3, is the
boss for receiving the axis of the fork, and at the other side are the
eyes d³ for the universal joint.
For the purpose of cutting off the potatoe tops, before the revolving
fork or forks of the machine raise the potatoes, a revolving disk carrying
knives may be combined with the machine, Figures 1 and 2; this part
of my Invention is represented in plan in Figure 4, and the revolving
disk with its knives is represented detached in front elevation in Figure 5.
t is the disk carrying a series of radial knives u, moving in a vertical
plane. The disk t is carried by the frame u², and the latter is supported
by the principal frame a of the machine and by the shaft c. Rotation is
given to the disk and knives t, u, by the bevil gearing and shaft w,
the larger bevil wheel receiving its motion from the shaft c of the
travelling wheels b, b.
In order to convert the potato raising machine, Figures 1, 2, and 4,
into a turnip thinner and scuffler I remove the revolving disk and
knives t, u. I also remove the share l, revolving fork (or forks) d, and
raker,
and I place on the shaft w, which carried the revolving disk and
knives t, u, a cutter wheel of the kind represented in plan in Figure 6.

page_text: The said cutter wheel consists of a disk a, provided with a series of
radial knives y, the acting parts of the knives projecting on either side
the stem carrying them, as represented. The height of the cutter
wheel x, y, or revolving cutter t, u, may be adjusted by raising and
lowering the frame ² carrying the shaft w of the cutter wheel or
revolving cutter, the said frame u² being fixed in its adjusted position by
means of pins passed through holes in the bars 2, 2, on the sides of
the frame ², and also through holes in the principal frame a of the
machine. By means of the cutter wheel x, y, the turnips or mangel
wurtzel are thinned. In combination with the said cutter wheel I use
two scuffle fect for scuffling between the rows of turnips or mangel
wurtzel. These scuffling feet are of the ordinary kind, and are connected
to the bar m, which carried the share l.
Figure 7 represents in side elevation and Figure 8 in plan an imple.
ment or machine for forking out twitch, and for forking and cleaning
land, constructed according to my Invention.
Figures 9 and 10 represent parts of the machine.
In Figures 7 and 8 the working parts of the machine are represented
lifted out of action.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in Figures 7, 8,
9, and 10.
a, a, is the main frame of the machine supported by the travelling
wlicels b, b, at front and by the guiding wheels c, c, at back. Within
the frame a iš a second frame'd supporting the rotating spiked or forked
barrel, cylinder, or spindle e, c, and also the scuffle points f, ƒ. The
said inner frame d is connected or jointed by the eyes d², d², on the front
ends of the side bars of the said frame d to the spindle or shaft 6 of the
travelling wheels b, b, so that the said spiked or forked barrel and
scuffle points carried by the said frame can be lowered to the required
extent for working the land at the desired depth or raised out of action
at pleasure. The said inner frame d is raised and lowered by means of
the long lever turning at g on the upright of the principal frame a,
and jointed at i to the cross bar d³ of the inner frame d. By removing
the cotter pink from the hole in the upright of the principal frame a,
and depressing the lever g, the inner frame d and the parts carried by it
are lowered to the required extent, the inner frame & being fixed in its
depressed or working position by the cotter pin being passed through
I

page_text: the bottom hole m in the upright 7, and the hook or catch n on the
lever being engaged under the principal frame at a', Figure 8.
I
The revolving spiked or forked barrel or cylinder e, e, is driven from
the axis or spindle 2 of the travelling wheels b, b, by the endless
chains p, p, working over pulleys 1, 2, on the ends of the said axis or
spindle 6, and over pulleys ", r, on the ends of the square spindle e² of
the spiked or forked barrel or cylinder e, e. The said spiked or forked
barrel or cylinder e, e, revolves at a greater speed than the travelling
wheels b, b, in consequence of the difference in the diameters of the
respective pulleys over which the driving chains work, so that the
spikes or forks of the said barrel or cylinder have the forking action herein-
before referred to with respect to the forks of the machine, Figures 1
and 2. The spiked or forked barrel or cylinder e, c, is built up of a
serics of short cylinders or bosses, having spikes or forks projecting from
their peripheries, as represented in Figures 9 and 10, which represent
two of the said short cylinders or bosses of the said spiked barrel.
These short cylinders or bosses have square holes in their axes, and are
placed end to end on the square spindle c², adjacent bosses or short
cylinders being arranged on the spindle e² in the positions represented
in Figures 9 and 10, that is, the spikes or forks of one boss are arranged
opposite the spaces on the adjacent boss.
The end bosses of the series have collars upon them which work
against the inner frame d. By building up the revolving spiked barrel
or cylinder in this way, an injured or broken spiked boss can readily be
replaced by a fresh one.
In addition to the scuffle points f, f, on the moveable frame d, a
scuffle point s situated in advance of and between the said scuffle
points ff, is fixed on the middle bar of the principal frame a of the
machine (see Figure S). In place of the front scuffle point s an ordinary
scuffle foot may be used.
When more than a single revolving spiked or forked barrel or cylinder
are combined and worked in the machine, the said barrels or cylinders
are geared together by toothed or other gearing, and are driven from
the travelling wheels in the manner represented, the outer and inner
frames a and d being lengthened to adapt the machine to carry the
additional revolving spiked barrels or cylinders.

page_text: When the frame & is lowered and the machine is at work, the scule
points s, ff, or the scuffle points f, f, and scuffle foot at s break up the
land, while the revolving spiked or forked barrel or cylinder e, e, (or
barrels or cylinders) forks up from the broken up or loosened land the
twitch and rubbish contained in it and brings it to the surface of the
land. The land is thereby effectually cleaned and forked.
When I apply the last described part of my Invention to ploughs for
forking out twitch or for cleaning land, I arrange a driving wheel to run
in the bottom of the furrow, and I connect the said wheel to the beam
of the plough. The said driving wheel is furnished with toothed or
chain gearing for the purpose of driving the revolving forked barrel or
cylinder at the high speed necessary for forking the land as previously
explained. This part of my Invention is applicable to single and
double-furrow ploughs, and also to steam ploughs.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do
not limit myself to the precise details herein described and illustrated,
as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my
Invention, but I claim as my Invention,-
First. The improvements in implements or machines for raising or
lifting potatoes herein-before described and illustrated in Figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, mounting on a
frame and driving from the travelling wheels of the machine one or
more revolving forks, the points of the said fork or forks travelling at a
much higher velocity than the peripheries of the travelling wheels, the
said fork or forks being arranged diagonally or obliquely, and by
preference inclined to the ridge of. potatoes to be operated upon, and
arranging in front of the said fork or forks a share for loosening up the
ridge and potatoes, and behind the said fork or forks a rake for collecting
the raised or lifted potatoes, substantially as described and illustrated;
also constructing the revolving fork or forks of the said machine and like
machines, substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 3, whereby
the bruising of the potatoes during the raising or lifting of the same is
prevented or diminished.
Secondly. The combination with the machine represented in Figures 1
and 2 of a revolving disc provided with knives for cutting off the potato
tops before the revolving fork or forks raise the potatoes, as herein-

page_text: before described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Thirdly. Converting the machine represented in Figures 1 and 2 into
a turnip or mangel wurtzel thinner and scuffler in the manner herein-
before described with reference to Figure 6 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Lastly. The improvements in machines or implements for forking-
out twitch or forking and cleaning land herein-before described and
illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10, of the accompanying Drawings,
that is to say, driving one or more forked or spiked revolving barrels,
cylinders, or spindles from the travelling wheels of the implement at
such a velocity, that the points of the said forked or spiked barrel or
barrels shall travel at a higher velocity than the peripheries of the said
travelling wheels, so as to give to the said forked or spiked barrel or
barrels a forking action, whether the said forked or spiked barrel or
barrels be driven by the chain gearing represented or other gearing;
also the combination of the said forked or spiked barrel or barrels with
ploughs, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated.'
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Corbett, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
GEORGE SHAW.
SAMUEL CORBETT. (L.S.)