Year: 1896

page_text: We, JAMES EDWARD RANSOME and JAMES ARTHUR LEWIS, both of Orwell
Works, Ipswich in the County of Suffolk, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this Invention to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to that class of potato digging machine which has a
share for going under the roots and a rotary vertical wheel at the rear end working
transversely to the rows of potatoes and driven by suitable gearing from the road
wheels.
This rotary wheel has hitherto consisted of a centre boss carrying fixed arms
these arins having prongs, forks breasts, or other suitable parts for throwing out
the potatoes, fixed to their extremities Heretofore these prongs have not usually
been made of the best shape for raising the potatoes in the best and easiest manner
because if sa made they would carry round with them a lot of earth potatoes
haulms and weeds.
According to this invention the prongs or other like parts are made to curve
forward at the bottom so as to enter the ground easily and to have a lifting rather
than a pressing action in passing through the soil containing the potatoes and
thus raising them more perfectly and with less expenditure of power.
In order not to carry round with them either the soil potatoes haulms or weeds
the arms instead of being rigidly fixed on the centre boss, are so carried that at
the right moment after lifting the potatoes they may be turned partly round so
that the formerly upturned points of the prongs may be so directed as to free the
potatoes haulms and weeds and deliver them on to the land on the off side of the
machine.
This turning motion may be effected by a cam fixed to the frame of the machine
and acting at the right time on short lever arms attached to the inner ends of
the carrying arms. The same cam also brings the prongs back into the right
position for again entering the soil.
This arrangement allows the prongs to be made of the best form and curvature
for raising and delivering the potatoes and also when in another position for
getting clear of weeds and haulms.
The turning motion may be effected by other mechanical means.
J. E. RANSOME.
J. A. LEWIS,

page_text: We, JAMES EDWARD RANSOME and JAMES ARTHUR LEWIS, both of Orwell
Works, Ipswich in the County of Suffolk, Engineers, 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:-
These improvements relate to that class of potato digging machine which has a
share for going under the roots and a rotary vertical wheel at the rear end working
transversely to the rows of potatoes and driven by suitable gearing from the road
wheels.
This rotary wheel has hitherto consisted of a centre boss carrying fixed arms
these arms having prongs, forks, breasts or other suitable parts for throwing out
the potatoes, fixed to their extremities Heretofore these prongs have not usually
been made of the best shape for raising the potatoes in the best and easiest manner
because if so made they would carry round with them a lot of earth potatoes
haulms and weeds.
According to this invention the prongs or other like parts are made to curve
forward at the bottom so as to enter the ground easily and to have a lifting rather
than a pressing action in passing through the soil containing the potatoes and
thus raising them more perfectly and with less expenditure of power.
In order not to carry round with them either the soil potatoes haulms or weeds
the arms instead of being rigidly fixed on the centre boss, are so carried that at
the right moment after lifting the potatoes they may be turned partly round so
that the formerly upturned points of the prongs may be so directed as to free the
potatoes haulms and weeds and deliver them on to the land on the off side of the
machine.
This turning motion may be effected by a cam fixed to the frame of the machine
and acting at the right time on short lever arms attached to the inner ends of
the carrying arms. The same cam also brings the prongs back into the right
position for again entering the soil.
This arrangement allows the prongs to be made of the best form and curvature
for raising and delivering the potatoes and also when in another position for
getting clear of weeds and haulms.
The turning motion may be effected by other mechanical means.
We effect this by the means indicated in the annexed drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 show an elevation and sectional plan of the rotary digging 3
wheel A with arms B having forks at their ends.
This wheel A is fixed to the shaft C which is preferably driven by the road.
wheels through gear wheels in the manner described in the Specification of the
Patent No. 11185 of the year 1892.
The arms B insted of being rigidly attached as hitherto to the wheel A are free 4
to turn in bosses D and are controlled in their movement by a cam G fixed to the
frame L of the machine. At the inner end of each of the arms B is a short lever E
carrying to avoid undue wear a friction runner F which revolves on a pin attached
to the lever E.
As the rotary digging wheel A revolves the forks on the ends of the arms B are 4
made by the cam G to take up their correct positions in the several points of revolu-
tion for entering the ground lifting the potatoes delivering them at the right place
and freeing themselves from weeds and haulms.

page_text: Figure 3 is a plan looking on the top and Figure 5 is a plan seen from under-
neath. H is the path of the cam on which the runners F revolve and the part J
forms a double cam in that part of the revolution where it is necessary.
The forks at the ends of the arms B may be replaced by other digging
appliances.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The combination with the rotary digging wheel of means for causing its
arms to rotate on their own axes.
2. The means substantially as described whereby the arms are caused to rotate
on their own axes.
3. The combination with the arms referred to in the preceding claims of digging
parts of such shape as to have a lifting action whilst entering and passing through
the crop.
4. Potato diggers substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 10th day of August 1897.
J. E. RANSOME.
J. A. LEWIS.