IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING OR CLEANING POTATOES OR OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCE
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Boardman, of Rainford, in the County of Lancaster,
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING OR
CLEANING POTATOES OR OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCE,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tho said John Boardman at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th June 1881.
JOHN BOARDMAN, of Rainford, in the County of Lancaster.
IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING OR CLEANING POTATOES OR
PRODUCE."
"IMPROVEMENTS
OTHER SIMILAR
In washing or cleaning potatoes or other similar roots or produce as at present
considerable time and labour is expended. Now my Invention is designed to
provide an apparatus that will perform this work efficiently and with but little
loss of time or labour.
It consists of a churn or cone-shaped barrel formed with a worm or archimedean
screw through its centre, and placed in a case or trough of any suitable size or
shape, containing water in which the potatoes or other articles are to be washed.
The produce is introduced through a hopper at one end into the barrel, and is
passed along by the screw to the other end; the rubbing action of the vanes and
sides of the screw and barrel effect the cleansing required, and it escapes at the
other end through a suitable aperture for the purpose provided with shoot to
conduct it to hampers or other receptacles. The screw and barrel are rotated by
means of a handle on the end of an axis, which supported on suitable bearings
traverses the length of the apparatus. Or it may be worked by power or any of
the well known ways of imparting motion to an agricultural or domestic machine.
The barrel is perforated, or may be made with holes or opening in any convenient
manner to allow of the free entrance of the water and of the escape of the mud or
clay washed from the articles. The contour of the barrel is preferably cone shaped,
and I prefer to arrange that the water in the outer case shall just reach to the
level of the bottom of the barrel at the narrow end, so that when the potatoes or
other articles reach that end they will be out of the water.
I do not confine myself to the exact details given, as the barrel and screw may
be differently arranged, as one only may rotate; or they may rotate in opposite
directions and thus cause more friction or rubbing, and the barrel may be cylindrical
instead of conical.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by tho said John Boardman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
December 1881.
JOHN BOARDMAN, of Rainford, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR WASHING OR CLEANING POTATOES OR OTHER SIMILAR
PRODUCE."
In washing or cleaning potatoes or other similar roots or produce as at present
considerable time and labour is expended. Now my Invention is designed to
provide an apparatus that will perform this work efficiently and with but little
loss of time or labour.
It consists essentially of a churn or cono shaped barrel placed in a trough of
water, through which the potatoes or other produce is passed by means of vanes
in the form of an archimedian screw.
Referring to the Drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved washing
machine; Fig. 2, an end elevation, showing the larger end at which the produce
is introduced; Fig. 3, sectional elevation, showing plainly the vanes which carry
or move the potatoes through the machine; and Fig. 4, an end elevation of the
small or exit end of the machine. In these A is the cone shaped barrel formed
with a worm or archimedean screw B through its centre, and placed in a case or
trough C of any suitable size or shape, containing the water in which the potatoes
or other articles are to be washed. The worm B is attached to the barrel, and at
the larger end is about two inches in height, gradually increasing in height as it
reaches the other. The produce is introduced through a hopper D at one end into
the barrel A, and is passed along by the screw B to the other end; the rubbing
action of the vanes and sides of the screw and barrel effect the cleansing required,
and it escapes at the other end through a suitable aperture for the purpose pro-
vided with shoot E to conduct it to hampers or other receptacles. The screw and
barrel, which preferably are in one and revolvo together, are rotated by means of a
handle F on the end of an axis G, which supported on suitable bearings H traverses
the length of the apparatus. Or it may bo worked by power or any of the well
known ways of imparting motion to an agricultural or domestic machine. The
barrel is made of laths or strips of wood, with spaces of about one inch between
each; or may be perforated or made with holes or openings in any convenient
manner to allow of the free entrance of the water and of the escape of the mud or
clay washed from the articles. The contour of the barrel A is preferably cone
shaped, and I prefer to arrange that the height of the water in the outer case C
shall just reach to the level of the bottom of the barrel at the narrow end, so that
when the potatoes or other articles reach that end they will be out of the water.
I do not confine myself to the exact details given, as the barrel and screw may be
differently arranged, as one only may rotate; or they may rotate in opposito
directions, and thus cause more friction or rubbing, and the barrel may be
cylindrical instead of conical and placed either horizontal or on an incline.
Having now described my Invention and the best mode known to me for
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to bo new
and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The manufacture of apparatus for washing or cleaning potatoes or other similar
produce, in which the produco to be operated upon is introduced at one end of a
barrel or cylinder revolving in a trough of water and carried or passed to the
other by means of an archimedian screw, substantially as described and shown.
2. In an apparatus for washing or cleaning potatoes or similar produce the uso
of an archimedean screw inside and attached to a cone or cylinder with which it
it revolves, substantially as and for the purposes described.

page_text: 3. In an apparatus for washing or cleaning potatoes, etcetera, the combination
of the barrel and vanes or screw with the trough for containing water, the hopper
for introducing the produces, and the spout for discharging the same, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Boardman, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
J. O. O'BRIEN,
Clerk to
Messrs. Wm. P. Thomson & Co.,
Patent Agents,
Liverpool & London.
JOHN BOARDMAN. (L.S.)