US431311A

US431311A - Potato-digger

Info

Publication number: US431311A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-07-01
Anticipated expiration: 1907-07-01

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. M. BAKER.

POTATO BIGGER. 1 110.431.311. Patented July 1,1890.

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2 Sheets-Sheet. 2.

(No Model.)

E. M. BAKER. l POIATO'DGGBR. `110,431,311. Patented Ju1y1,1890.

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ERASTUS M. BAKER, OF LITTLE UTIOA, NEV YORK.

POTATO-DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 431,311, dated July 1, 1890. Application filed March 27, 1889. Serial No. 305,006. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be 1t known that I, ERAsTUs M. BAKER, a

Vcitizen of the United States, and a resident of Little Utica, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of machines and apparatus commonly called `potato-diggers, and which are designed to be drawn by horses orother power.

The object of my invention is to produce such an agricultural implement which will more effectually operate net only to dig under the potatoes, but to disintegrate the earth in advance of and over the front end of the digging-scoop and separate the potatoes from the earth, and which will more easily break the earth in the rows or hills, and which will also convey the earth, or partly convey it, upward onto and over the scoop.

lllyinveution consists in the several novel features of construction and of operation hereinafter describethand which are specifically set forth and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of my improved potatodigger, the left wheel and driving chain beingoniitted. Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

A is the outer main frame, and the inner auxiliary frame.

l are the wheels, and l the axle by which the main frame is carried. Either integral with the wheels or mounted upon the axle and secured to the wheels or to the axle are driving sprocket wheels or rings 2. The auxiliary frame is pivotally mounted at its rear end upon the shaft 3, and at its forward end it is supported by the cable 4, which is connected to the plate 5. This plate has a flange 5, around which the cable can lap, and a handle l5, by which the plate is rotated on a stud or arbor 5b, projecting from a toothed plate 5c, secured to the front end of the main frame. XV hen the handle is thrown forward, the front end of the auxiliary frame is lowered, and when the handle is drawn backward the front end is raised. Upon the shaft 3 I tix the outer sprocket-wheels 7, located on the outside of the main frame.

8 are sprocket-chains working over the sprocket-wheels 2 and 7 and operatin g to rotate the shaft 3. Upon this shaft I secure the chain-wheels 9.

Adjacent to the front end of the auxiliary frame I mount another shaft 3, carrying chain-wheelsll. Over these chain-wheels is passed an endless belt l2, which is composed of the sprocket-chains 13 and cross-bars 14 and 16.

'To the front bars let of each pair of bars are secured the hook-shaped teeth l5, which rest against the rear bars 16 and are supported thereby, especially when strain is applied to the points of the teeth, so that the teeth will always penetrate the ground to a sufficient depth.

Depending from the frame IS is the scoop 17, supported rigidly by the bars lS.

19 is a brace extending from a point adjacent to the front end of the scoop to the front end of the auxiliary frame. 2() is acoil-spring brace connecting the front end of this frame to the front end of the outerframe and forming a yielding support to the auxiliary frame when the latter is in operative position. In rear of the scoop is the rack 2l, of the same width as the scoop, supported at its front end upon the latter and at its rear end by the bars or rods 22. The front end of the scoop is formed with a cutting-edge and is mounted in an inclined position, and it is further inclined by the depression or lowering of the front end of the auxiliary frame, the pitch of the scoop varying with such depression or lowering, and when not in use the scoop is raised entirely clear of the ground.

It will be observed that the operation'of this machine is compound, in that when the point of the scoop enters the ground as the implement is started forward simultaneously therewith the endless apron 1.2,with its hookshaped teeth l5, is moved rapidly, the points of the teeth entering the ground adjacent to the point of the scoop, and that the broadened points of these teeth will dig up the earth to aid the scoop in entering the ground, and will also aid in conveying the earth and potatoes upward and over the scoop, discharg- IOO ing them upon the rack 21, where the iiner particlesof earth drop through between theY bars and the potatoes are discharged of the rear end of the rack onto the top of the ground.

Having thus described iny invention7 the following is what I'elaim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of the main frame, the shaft journaled on the rear end of the frame, having outer and inner sprocket-wheels, the

' drive-wheels having sprocket-rings, the axle on which the main frame is supported, the. auxiliary frame hinged to said shaft, having` belt working over the inner sprocket-wheels, having cross-bars provided with hook-shaped teeth operating to disintegrate lthe earth in advance of and over the point of the scoop, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the main frame, the shaft journaled on the-rear end of the frame, the inner sprocket-wheels on the shaft, the shaft near the forward end of the auxiliary frame having inner sprocket-wheels, and the endless belt workingover the sprocket-wheels, consisting of the chains and pairs of crossbars, the front cross-bars havin g-hook-shaped teeth secured thereto adapted to rest on the rear cross-bars, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set 1n y hand this 2d day of March, 1888.

. ERASTUS M. BAKER.

In presence of- H. P. DENIsoN, C. WV. SMIT-H.