GB455227A - Improvements in or relating to potato and like planting machines - Google Patents

Abstract

455,227. Planting-machines. FERGUSON, C. S. R., 119, Dudley Road, Whalley Range, Manchester. April 15, 1935, Nos. 11539 and 24220. [Class 6 (i)] In a machine for planting potatoes &c. comprising a reservoir 6 from which the tubers are fed singly by a conical rotary floor 7 mounted on a vertical spindle 8, the outlet of the reservoir is controlled by a feed-drum 23 mounted on a spindle 24 arranged radially of the vertical spindle 8, the drum being provided with pockets each of which receives a single tuber, fed into it from the end of the drum, and delivers it to apparatus which deposits it in a furrow made by a ploughshare on the machine. The machine frame 1 is mounted on a front swivel wheel 4 and laterally adjustable rear wheels 3, which may have V-shaped rims to run on ridges. The spindle 8 is driven through a countershaft 13 from the wheels 3 or from a dibbler wheel 19 running in the furrow. The drum 23 is driven by a chain from the shaft 13. A wall 22 in the reservoir or hopper 6 is provided with an outlet 21 furnished with a spring- controlled door 30. The end of the feed-drum 23 has its periphery 23a inclined as shown to facilitate the entry of the tubers into the pockets 29. The tubers fall on a rotary table 31 having an inclined corrugated surface which feeds them to an outlet 33 in a fixed central part 32, from which they fall on an oscillating conveyer 34. The table 31 is driven by a pinion 37 on the shaft 13 gearing with an annular gear wheel 36. The conveyer 34 is supported by a link 38 and connected by a link 39 to a crank 40 on a shaft 41 driven from the shaft 13. A trap 43 and a sliding conveyer floor 45 are connected by link-work to the crank 40 and are arranged to deliver the potatoes one at a time to a conveyer wheel or band 51, which drops them in the holes made by the dibbler wheel 19. Inclined furrow-closing discs 62 may be raised by means of a lever 61 and the dibbler wheel 19 by means of a lever 59 &c., the axle 18 moving in a slot 56. Specification 422,356 is referred to. According to the second Provisional Specification the reservoir may be a spritting box having one side adapted to be let down or opened.