GB449699A - Improvements in or relating to planting potatoes and machines therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

449,699. Implements for working land; distributers for manures and potatoes. ROSS, A. F., Rosslea, Girvan, Ayrshire. Feb. 2, 1935, No. 3493. Addition to 415,492. [Class 6 (i)] A furrow-making and dibbling machine, on which potato-planting and manure-distributing apparatus may be mounted, has dibbling appliances arranged to act in the path of each land wheel and other dibbling appliances arranged to act in the wake of each plough or other furrow-forming device, except one, so that during each course the machine dibbles both previously and freshly-formed furrows and leaves undibbled one freshly-formed furrow, like the apparatus described in the parent Specification. The wheel-following dibblers may be carried by the pivotally-mounted forks 3 which carry the track markers. They are carried by axles 4 mounted in the forks 3, and each comprises spokes 6 and conical heads 5. Each marker 7 is carried by a loosely mounted shaft 8 provided with a handle 9. When the marker is operative the handle 9 bears against a projection 11 and it is moved out of operation by bringing the handle 9 over a projection 10. The length of the markers 7 may be such as to hold the dibblers out of contact with the ground when the markers are in action. A dibbler and its associated marker may thus be put into or out of action separately. The plough-following dibbling appliance is carried by a shaft 12 projecting from a sleeve 13 on the reduced end of a shaft 15 which is attached to a bracket 16 on the machine. This dibbler may be turned about the shaft 15 to bring it into position behind either the plough 18 or the plough 19, and is locked in either position by the engagement of projections 21 with notches under the action of a spring 22. In a modification, conical dibbling members are mounted on the rims of the travelling wheels 1. The plough-following dibbler may be movable along a transverse bar, or may be carried by a rod movable in a horizontal plane about a pivot. If there are three or more ploughs the multiple-wheel dibbler described in the parent Specification may be used. The dibblers may be weighted, and the wheel-following dibblers may be attached to the frame of the machine. Manure may be distributed broadcast or in the furrows by distributing mechanism arranged in front of the dibblers. Potatoes may be dropped into the dibbled holes either mechanically or otherwise, a potato box being provided for each dibbler.