Improvements in and relating to Potato Digging and like Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 6th Nov., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Potato Digging and like Machines.
I, ERNST HAMPEL, Manufacturer, of 7, Dorf Strasse, Haunold, Silesia, in the
Empire of Germany, 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:-
This invention relates to that class of agricultural machines used for digging
out or extracting potatoes. Up to the present time machinery to perform this
work has been of an inefficient character, so that to a large extent hand labour has
had to be depended upon, only a small percentage of the annual crop being
harvested by machines, because the horse power required was so considerable for
the perfect releasing of the potatoes from the soil that the machines could not in
the majority of instances be worked profitably. One of the reasons for the excessive
horse power required was that the potato tops and the weeds found in the field
necessitated a stoppage of the harrowing or picking up portion of the machine,
because the removal of these potato tops could only take place when the velocity
obtained from the traction wheels was sufficient to put in action the usual wheel
for removing the potato tops and weeds.
The present invention consists of a machine which can easily be operated by
two horses, and it is distinguished from those hitherto known and previously
referred to by having a circular harrow arranged behind the ploughshare, which
has short teeth in advance of the harrow teeth acting upon the weeds and tops
to convey them to one side, thus allowing the main harrow teeth to perform the
operation of extracting the potatoes; the soil being suitably broken up by plough-
shares. Thus the operations are continuous and simultaneous, and are carried
out row after row by an up and down journey in the field, the potatoes being
separated in small heaps to one side of the machine.
The method of carrying this invention into effect is illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings as follows:—
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine.
Figure 2 is a plan.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively elevation and plan of the portion of the harrow
which does the weeding.
Figure 5 is a vertical section showing the complete harrow in detail.
On reference to these drawings it will be seen that a frame c¹ carries two traction
wheels a, a, fitted with suitable spiked projections b which grip in the soil. These
spiked projections b may be of any suitable form, capable of withdrawal from
the soil as the machine travels forward. On the front of the frame a draw-bar c
for yoking the team to, is provided. Upon the axle d, of the wheels a, a, two
bevil spur wheels e, e', are keyed, and situated between these spur wheels is a
small bevil wheel g, which can be made to engage as required with either of the
wheels e, e', by means of the lever f moving the spur wheel g to one side or the
other. The small wheel g is keyed upon one extremity of a shaft h, while at

page_text: the other extremity a similar bevil wheel i is fixed, which in turn gears
with a bevil wheel fixed upon the top end of a shaft rotating
in suitable bearings on the frame-work, and at an angle with the ground,
as clearly shown in Figure 1. This shaft carries the circular harrow m, so
that when the machine is drawn forward the harrow may be rotated in either
direction by putting the wheel into gear with either of the bevil pinions e, e¹,
the direction being changed according to the side upon which it is desired to
place the potatoes.
'
The circular harrow m consists of twelve radiating arms n¹, to n¹, inclusive,
and cach of these arms has two steel teeth t¹¹ attached to their extremities in
the positions clearly shown in the drawings, while fixed to the ends of these
arms n', to n¹s, inclusive are extension pieces carrying short steel teeth, which
operate to remove the weeds and potato tops in a manner hereinafter described,
the teeth acting upon the soil to extract potatoes. The shorter teeth t which
tear away the
potato tops and weeds and throw them on one side may be arranged
to oscillate and facilitate the falling off of the tops and weeds from the teeth, and
in order that these weeds and tops may be conveyed towards the outside, and not
fall in upon the teeth which are harrowing the potatoes, two curved ribs u are
fixed over the extension (as shown on Figures 3, 4 and 5) which lead off the
weeds and tops in an upward direction away from the harrow teeth until they
are carried round and cast off to one side of the machine. The circular harrow
may be arranged to enter to any required depth in the soil by altering the depth
of the ploughshares, r, and the depth of the following-wheel o, which slides
on a bracket o suitable for this purpose.
...
The ploughshares r, r¹, break up and loosen the soil in front of the harrow m,
and these shares are applied in such a manner to the machine that they may
be lifted as required out of the soil on either side. The shares are fixed to a
share-holder 4. which in turn rotates upon a supporting block p fastened to the
framework c. The levers s, 8, pivotted upon the side of the framework are
so disposed that in one position they hold either share-holder rigidly down in
the soil, but when released they allow the share-holder to swivel to either side,
lifting out either share as may be required.
The operation of the hereinbefore described mechanism is as follows:-
The pulling of the team of horses sets in motion the machine, and the bevil
wheels e, el, through the bevil cogs g, i, and k, rotate the inclined shaft l, carrying
the harrow m. The ground is cut up by the ploughshares, and as the teeth t
which remove the weeds and potato tops are in advance of the harrow teeth
loosened soil and the absence of the weeds allow these harrow teeth to easily and
rapidly extract the potatoes and deposit them in heaps on either side of the machine
according to the direction of rotation of the harrow.
:
the
Thus the amount of tractive force on the driving wheels a, a, is very slight in
comparison to the machines at present in use, because the circular harrow does
not, like the wheel now used, exert its power upon a fixed body, but upon a com-
paratively free one, as the ploughshares have loosened the soil, and the extensions
carrying the teeth have removed the potato tops and the weeds.
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:
4
4
1. In potato digging and like machines the provision of a circular harrow having
short teeth in advance of the digging or extracting teeth for removing the weeds 5
and potato tops, the whole in combination wih adjustable ploughshares immedi-
ately in front of the circular harrow, all substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
2. In potato digging and like machines in which short teeth are fixed in
advance of the main teeth and the circular harrow the provision of inclined rods 5
or bars over the short teeth as a means for preventing the weeds and tops falling
back into the main potato harrowing teeth, substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 3. The improved potato digging machine substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of September. 1897.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.