Improvements in Potato Diggers.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Potato Diggers.
I, ANNA VON LOEPER, née Mühlenbeck, of 51, Paulstrasse, Rostock, Mecklen-
burg, German Empire, Gentlewoman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a potato digger, in which the potatoes are lifted out
of the ground and conveyed to an inclined receptacle by means of a rotary drum
furnished with rakes. Accordingly it is no longer possible for the potatoes lifted
out of the ground to fall past the receptacle, which defect is inherent in most
of the arrangements heretofore made use of.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 represents a section on the line
of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a plan of the machine partly in section.
Figures 3 and are details.
The machine is to be propelled in the first place with the aid of draught
animals or motors, but it does not of course exclude its arrangement for working
by manual labour, being for instance built very light in this case. This machine
has two wheels, each of these wheels a and a being adapted to rotate upon an
axle or keyed or fastened in the arms cor c. To the free ends of the
arms cel is pivoted the shaft or pole framing d which can be adjusted in height
by means of a segment e and secured with the aid of pin device of any well known
kind. Upon one wheel axle b rotates a toothed wheel f firmly connected with
the wheel hub and engaging in its turn with another toothed wheel f¹ which is
arranged upon the shaft of the rake drum. The latter is set in rotation and, as
will hereinafter be set forth, serves for lifting the potatoes.
The arrangement is as follows:-Upon the wheel axles b b are loosely arranged
the two-armed levers g g' connected with each other by a transverse rod f2, and
the first of which terminates in front in a handle 2 serving to place the rake
device higher or lower, for which purpose it is guided in the slot and can
be secured in its position by a pin, key or the like. The two-armed levers g g¹
carry at their free end a shaft h, upon which are arranged two spoke discs
at a suitable distance from each other. The discs are connected with each
other by transverse rods and narrower laths! (see also Figure 1), upon the
former being fixed the rakes bent to a suitable shape. It is evident that by
the rotation of the wheels a a' through the medium of the toothed wheels ff',
the spoke wheels i i¹, and the rakes rotate in the opposite direction. By this
rotation of the rake drum the rakes are caused to pass into the ground and to
lift out the potatoes which will remain lying in the round part of the former.
Now, in order that the lifted potatoes may not fall down laterally, the protecting
plates and are provided, these plates being arranged on the sides of the rake
drum and fastened by means of the eyes m on the rod f. At the same time the
plates bear upon the stationary axle h by means of the bosses and are strengthened
by the stays 0. The protecting plates may also be furnished with openings in
order that the earth loosened from the potatoes may partially drop out laterally.

page_text: The protecting plates are joined rearwardly by the inclined collecting receptacle p
which terminates in the chute q. This is provided with a moveable slide p¹
with the aid of which the chute may be closed without the necessity of putting
the machine out of action. As shown in Figure 2, the collecting receptacle has
also openings and is jointed together with a rake like part which extends with
its free end nearly to the periphery of the rake drum without however coming in
contact therewith. The openings of the part 2 are of such a width that the
rakes can conveniently pass through the same, the potatoes being then caught
up by the former and sliding into the collecting receptacle. If desired the
rake-like part 2 may also be dispensed with, as the potatoes will be thrown into
the collecting receptacle p without the same by reason of the centrifugal force
produced by the rotary movement of the drum. Below this collecting receptacle
is the carriage p³ on which the baskets 74 to be filled are placed. If the machine
is to be transported without setting the lifting apparatus in operation it will
be sufficient to move the coupling lever q' which effects the uncoupling in the well
known manner through the intervention of the couplings qq In order that
the tubers, prior to being lifted and passing into the collecting receptacle may
be freed from the tops, the front part of the machine is furnished with a top-
tearing device arranged in the following manner. To the levers c c is fixed a
frames on which is arranged a rake s which is passed in close proximity to the
ground. The rake s¹ is composed of several prongs, the intermediate spaces s
between which become narrower rearwards. If now the machine is moved forward
the tops slide into the intermediate spaces 2, whilst the tubers remain hanging
underneath the rake, being thus already partly removed from the ground. Trans-
versely to the longitudinal movement of the rake s¹ there is an endless band t, (see
Figure 4) which is stretched round two rollers and to which the top-tearing
knives are secured. It is evident that by the movement of the endless band t
the top is torn off and conveyed to one side. The rollers are driven by means
of a bevel wheel w which is driven by a wheel w upon the shaft which in
its turn receives its movement by the bevel wheels wand w, the latter being
keyed upon the hub of the wheel a. In order that the tops which are held in
the rakes may be easily torn off, it is expedient to make the prongs of the
rake triangular, square, or round (see Figure 3). Below the prongs are moreover,
a small number of, three or four, round pins extending into the ground which
have for their object, especially in the case of hard ground, to break up the
earth in order to facilitate the lifting of the potatoes by the rakes. The
mode of operation of the machine is as follows: In the forward movement the
potato tops slide into the rake s¹ and are torn off by the tearing apparatus u and
placed laterally to the machine. In this operation the potatoes are of course
loosened in the ground, in order to be lifted out and conveyed upwards by the
rakes set in rotation. The earth which separates therefrom drops through the
intermediate spaces of the rakes as well as through the intermediate spaces
between the rods of the rake drum downwards. The separation of the earth
in the movement of the machine is facilitated by the fact that the potatoes resting
at first in the rounded part of the several rakes, as soon as in every instance the
uppermost position, as shown in Figure 1 is reached, the potatoes will roll
upon the periphery of the drum to the rear part of the rake which is next in
front. In the continued movement of the drum they then slide along the rear
of the rakes and drop upon the inclined rake 2, in case the latter, which passes
through the rakes, has not already automatically lifted the potatoes. The
tubers now pass into the collecting receptacle p in order to be conveyed thence into
the transporting receptacles 2 which are placed upon the carriage 23 used.
1
1000
GEO. C. DOUGLAS & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 41, Reform Street, Dundee,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Potato Diggers.
I, ANNA VON LOEPER, née Mühlenbeck, of 51,- Paulstrasse, Rostock, Mecklen-
burg, German Empire, Gentlewoman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates to a potato digger, in which the potatoes are lifted out
of the ground and conveyed to an inclined receptacle by means of a rotary drum
furnished with rakes. Accordingly it is no longer possible for the potatoes lifted
out of the ground to fall past the receptacle, which defect is inherent in most
of the arrangements heretofore made use of.
In the drawing left with my Provisional Specification
Figure 1 represents a section on the line of Figure 2.
Figure 2 is a plan of the machine partly in section.
Figures 3 and 4 are details.
The machine is to be propelled in the first place with the aid of draught
animals or motors, but it does not of course exclude its arrangement for working
by manual labour, being for instance built very light in this case. This machine
has two wheels, each of these wheels a and a being adapted to rotate upon an
axle or keyed or fastened in the arms c or c. To the free ends of the
arms ce is pivoted the shaft or pole framing d which can be adjusted in height
by means of a segment & and secured with the aid of pin device of any well known
kind. Upon one wheel axle b rotates a toothed wheel f firmly connected with
the wheel hub and engaging in its turn with another toothed wheel f¹ which is
arranged upon the shaft of the rake drum. The latter is set in rotation and, as
will hereinafter be set forth, serves for lifting the potatoes.
The arrangement is as follows:-Upon the wheel axles are loosely arranged
the two-armed levers g g connected with each other by a transverse rod f, and
the first of which terminates in front in a handle serving to place the rake
device higher or lower, for which purpose it is guided in the slot and can
be secured in its position by a pin, key, or the like. The two-armed levers g gl
carry at their free end a shaft h, upon which are arranged two spoke dises i
at a suitable distance from each other. The discs are connected with each
other by transverse rods and narrower laths (see also Figure 1), upon the
former being fixed the rakes 12 bent to a suitable shape. It is evident that by
the rotation of the wheels a a¹ through the medium of the toothed wheels f f¹,
the spoke wheels, and the rakes rotate in the opposite direction. By this
rotation of the rake drum the rakes are caused to pass into the ground and to
lift out the potatoes which will remain lying in the round part of the former.
Now, in order that the lifted potatoes may not fall down laterally, the protecting
plates and are provided, these plates being arranged on the sides of the rake
drum and fastened by means of the eyes m on the rod f. At the same time the
plates bear upon the stationary axle h by means of the bosses n and are strengthened
by the stays o. The protecting plates may also be furnished with openings in
order that the earth loosened from the potatoes may partially drop out laterally.
The protecting plates are joined rearwardly by the inclined collecting receptacle ?
which terminates in the chute q. This is provided with a moveable slide 1
with the aid of which the chute may be closed without the necessity of putting
the machine out of action. As shown in Figure 2, the collecting receptacle has
also openings and is jointed together with a rake like part 2 which extends with
its free end nearly to the periphery of the rake drum without however coming in

page_text: contact therewith. The openings of the part 22 are of such a width that the
rakes can conveniently pass through the same, the potatoes being then caught
up by the former and sliding into the collecting receptacle. If desired the
rake-like part p² may also be dispensed with, as the potatoes will be thrown into
the collecting receptacle 7 without the same by reason of the centrifugal force
produced by the rotary movement of the drum. Below this collecting receptacle
is the carriage on which the baskets 74 to be filled are placed. If the machine
is to be transported without setting the lifting apparatus in operation it will
be sufficient to move the coupling lever g' which effects the uncoupling in the well
known manner through the intervention of the couplings g² g. In order that
the tubers, prior to being lifted and passing into the collecting receptacle may
be freed from the tops, the front part of the machine is furnished with a top-
tearing device arranged in the following manner. To the levers a c¹ is fixed a
frames on which is arranged a rake s which is passed in close proximity to the
ground. The rake is composed of several prongs, the intermediate spaces $2
between which become narrower rearwards. If now the machine is moved forward
the tops slide into the intermediate spaces 82, whilst the tubers remain hanging
underneath the rake, being thus already partly removed from the ground. Trans-
versely to the longitudinal movement of rake s¹ there is an endless band t, (see
Figure 4) which is stretched round two rollers and to which the top-tearing
knives are secured. It is evident that by the movement of the endless band t
the top is torn off and conveved to one side. The rollers are driven by means
of a bevel wheel w which is driven by a wheel upon the shaft 2 which in
its turn receives its movement by the bevel wheels w³ and w, the latter being
keyed upon the hub of the wheel a'. In order that the tops which are held in
the rake s may be easily torn off, it is expedient to make the prongs of the
rake triangular, square, or round (see Figure 3). Below the prongs are moreover,
a small number of, three or four, round pins extending into the ground which
have for their object, especially in the case of hard ground, to break up the
The
earth in order to facilitate the lifting of the potatoes by the rakes ².
mode of operation of the machine is as follows: In the forward movement the
potato tops slide into the rake s¹ and are torn off by the tearing apparatus u and
placed laterally to the machine. In this operation the potatoes are of course
loosened in the ground, in order to be lifted out and conveyed upwards by the
rakes 2 set in rotation. The earth which separates therefrom drops through the
intermediate spaces of the rakes as well as through the intermediate spaces
between the rods of the rake drum downwards. The separation of the earth
in the movement of the machine is facilitated by the fact that the potatoes resting
at first in the rounded part of the several rakes, as soon as in every instance the
uppermost position, as shown in Figure 1 is reached, the potatoes will roll
upon the periphery of the drum to the rear part of the rake which is next in
front. In the continued movement of the drum they then slide along the rear
of the rakes and drop upon the inclined rake 22, in case the latter, which passes
through the rakes, has not already automatically lifted the potatoes. The
tubers now pass into the collecting receptacle p in order to be conveyed thence into
the transporting receptacles which are placed upon the carriage 23 used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
(1) A potato digger characterized by a rake drum set in rotation and having
rakes entering the ground which lift out the potatoes and convey them to a
collecting receptacle p, after the tops have been removed by means of a transporting
and tearing device tu.
(2) A constructional form of the machine described in the first claim, in which
the wheel hub by means of the wheels f f drives a drum composed of several
free rods k¹, this drum being slid upon a shaft h supported in an adjustable

page_text: frame g and is furnished with rakes entering the ground, which rakes lift
the potatoes from the ground and convey them to an inclined rake 2, whence the
tubers then pass into the collecting receptacle p adapted to be closed by a slide p¹.
(3) A constructional form of the device for tearing off the tops as described in
the first claim, consisting of a rake s¹ in the intermediate spaces 2 of which the
tops are held, whilst an endless band t provided with knives u, which is set in
motion transversely to the movement of the rake by rollers t¹, tears off the tops
and conveys them sideways of the machine.
Dated this 93rd day of January 1900
GEO. C. DOUGLAS & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents, 41, Reform Street, Dundee,
Agents for Applicant.