US2421425A

US2421425A - Retainer shield for potato diggers

Info

Publication number: US2421425A
Application number: US640660A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leszkowicz Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-01-11
Filing date: 1946-01-11
Publication date: 1947-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 1964-06-03

Description

June 3, 1947. 1 sz ow cz 2,421,425

RETAINER SHIELD FOR POTATO DIGGERS Filed Jan. 11, 1946 9 null H mun Inventor Jose viz jeszl awzcz,

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Patented June 3, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RETAINER SHIELD FOR POTATO DIGGERS Joseph Leszkowicz, Brookhavcn, N. Y. Application January 11, 1946, Serial No. 640,660

3 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in retainer shields for potato diggers, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described, which will substantially minimize the loss of potatoes as they are transferred from the digging onto the picking machine of the harvester. This transferring process usually takes place between two sections of conveyor and it frequently occurs that potatoes are thrown ofi to the ground owing to the velocity of the first conveyor, rather than being deposited thereby onto the second. My improvement hereinafter more particularly described is designed to eliminate this condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a retainer shield which does not interfere with th operation of the harvesting machine, particularly when the latter is turning corners at the end of each row.

A further object of the invention is to provide a retainer shield which is of a simple but sturdy construction and which can be readily applied to both new and existing harvesting machines.

With the above and other important objects in view, and such other objects as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, my invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion of the harvesting machine with my invention illustrated in situ thereon.

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the retainer shield.

Figure 4 is a typical cross-sectional elevation taken in the vertical plane of the shield shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an end view showing my stop bracket.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, my invention comprises the retaining shield l assuming the form of an arcuate blade 2, the upper flat portion 3 of which extends to form an arm 4. An aperture 5 is provided near the end of the latter, which accommodates a suitable bolt 6 whereby the shield l is pivotally connected to the side member 1 of the potato digger 8, near the discharge end thereof.

When the shield is not being used it may be withdrawn out of the way as shown by the phantom lines 9 and allowed to rest against an offset bracket Ill. The latter is secured to the side member 1 by means of two bolts H, one of which also serves to anchor a suitable tension 2 spring l2. The remaining end of this spring is attached to the remote end of the shield l by means of a bolt l3 which passes through a suitable aperture l4 formed in the shield.

It will be noted that the mutual relationship of the pivot point 6 with respect to the anchor points Hi and I3 is such that the tension or the spring l2 may be utilized to hold the retaining shield in either the operating or in the withdrawn position.

Having thus detailed the construction of my invention, I shall now describe its method of openation.

Potatoes dug up by the digger 8 are passed upwardly along a conveyor l5, whereupon my retainer shield I will tend to deflect the same onto the conveyor l6 of the picking machine I! and thus eliminate the inconvenience and loss caused when they are thrown over the side of the machine by the velocity of the conveyor [5.

It is found in practice that there is a tendency to throw potatoes over one side only, namely the left side, and for this reason 1'. illustrate my invention as installed on that side of the machine. However, a, similar improvement may, of course, be added to the opposite side if it is considered necessary.

When the harvester reaches the end of the row of potatoes, the shield may readily be withdrawn out of the way as already explained to the position shown by phantom lines 9, whereupon the machine may freely negotiate the turn before commencing to work on a new row.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In association with potato harvesting machines having a digging conveyor and a picking conveyor, a. retainer shield comprising, in combination, a blade, a pivot bolt, and a spring, said blade being connected to the side of one of said conveyors by said pivot bolt, and said spring maintaining said blade against the corresponding side of the remaining of said conveyors.

2. In association with an articulated potato harvesting machine having a digging conveyor and a pic ng convey a retainer shield comprising, in combination, a blade, a pivot, bolt, a spring, and a stop, said blade being connected by said pivot bolt to one side of said digging conveyor and rotatable thereon between the limits of said picking conveyor and said stop under the control of said spring.

3. In association with an articulated potato harvesting machine having a digging conveyor and a, picking conveyor communicating therewith, a retainer shield adjacent the junction of said conveyors, said shield comprising, in combination, a vertically extending blade arcuated at the lower end thereof, a pivot bolt, a tension spring and a stop bracket, an arm formed at one end of the essentially flat upper portion of said blade, said arm having an aperture formed near the outer end thereof, said pivot bolt extending through said aperture and connecting said blade to one side of said digging conveyor, the arcuateend of said blade normally being adjacent, to the corresponding side of said picking conveyor, said bracket being secured to said digging conveyor, said spring connecting said bracket with said blade, and said blade being retractible against said bracket under the control of said spring,

JOSEPH LESZKOW'ICZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 453,130 Ritscher May 26, 1891 1,090,012 Bauerle Mar. 10, 1914 1,090,418 Schneider Mar. 17, 1914