US1274042A - Potato-cutting machine. - Google Patents

Description

0. HOLT.v

POTATO CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED `u ov. l. 1an.

Patented July 30, 1918.v

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INVENTOR 05cm flair WITNESSES ATTORNEY 0. HOLT. PoTATo cuTrING MACHINEl APPLICATION FILED NOV. l. 1917.

1,274,042, Patented July 3o, 1918.

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f i dimi' fait INVENTOR wlmasses Z sv ATTORNEY OSCAR HOLT, 0F ROTHSAY, MINNESOTA.

POTATOPCUTTING MACHINE.

-Specication ofVLettex-s Patent.k 7 Patented July 3Q, 19178,

v Application `filed November 1,1917.` Serial N o.y 199,699.

To all lwhom it may concern.' Y

Be it knownthat I, OSCAR HoLT, aleiti- Zen of the United States, residing at Rothsay, R. F. D. #3, in the county of Wilkin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Potato-Cutting Machines, of which .the followinCr is a specification. n. Y

l This invention relates to potato cutting machines, and more particularly to a maf chine for cutting seed potatoes.

Onev of the main objects of the invention isto provide a machiney of simple construction and operation which may, be Aproduced at comparatively small cost for cutting potatoes into suitable pieces for seed purposes.

A further object is to provide a machine so constructed as to accommodate potatoes of different'sizes and provide substantially uniform pieces for'seed. A further object is to provide a machine in which the means-for cutting the potatoes will act to automatically discharge theV potatoes from the machine after being cut. Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings: c Figure 1 is a side view of a machine constructedin accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2,-2 of Fig. 1. ,y y y Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig-2. Fig. 5 is an underneath viewof the cutting block and bla-des carried thereby. 4 i

The body` ofthe .machine is in the form of a4 supporting/stand having the legs` 1, 2,

3, and 4, side beams 5,.and.crossbeams 6.- l A Y longitudinally i extending' yfoot lever 7 is rockably mounted intermediate its end'son a cross-bar. 8 secured in the legs 2 and 4. The forward end of this lever is kprovided with a central slot 9 which receives the lower end of a link 10 pivotally secured therein by a'pin 11 passed through alined bores in the link and lever. The upper end portion of this link is slotted longitudinally Y to provide a clamp in which is loosely se-l cured a stirrupV 12 the upper ends of the arms of which are rigidly secured to the cross bar of a yoke 13 rockably mounted in a U-bracketzll secured to the upper'ends of the legs 2 and 4. A coil' tension spring 15 is secured at one end'to the link 10`.and at the other end to foot 1ever.7. By this construction, when 'the inner end ofthe foot lever isdepressed, the outer end of yoke 13 will be raised and, when the .foot lever is released, spring 15Y will act to returnthe lever and the linkto their initial positions. A cutting block 1 6 is pivotally secured 60 between the inner endsV of the arms17 of yoke 13. This block is normally disposed in a substantially vertical plane, the longitudinal center line Vof the Vblock being in the,

. samevertical plane as the center ofY the sloti6`5 or opening 18 extending vbetweenthe leaves- 19 and 2O of a receiving hopper, which are rockably mounted in the side beams 5. The Y outer edge lofl-leaf19 issecuredto a4 trans-Y...

versel shaft 21 rockable in the side beams, 70 thefouter edge of leaf 20-being secured .to asimilar shaft 22. Shaft 21 is provided, at

Y one end, with van integral rearwardly direct- .'gral with shaft 22. The ends of the cranks 23 and 24 ,are bent to form eyes through Vwhich are secured the Vends of a coil ten--A sion spring 25. This tension spring/acts to normallyk hold thescranks `lin substantially horizontal position soy 'asto maintain the leaves 19 and 20 of the receiving hopc per in raisedposition. By this construction,l .i

whentheblock 16 is depressed for the cut- 85 ting operation, ,the leaves 19 and 2O will be `forced downward and outward as indicated in Fig. l of thedrawings soas Vto discharge from the.` receiving l hopper the potatoes LH which have been cut,l simultaneously with '90.

kthe cutting operation.

As will` be noted Amore clear-'lyifromV A 2 of the drawings, the leaves of the receiving lhopper are provided, contiguous with their."

inner vedges and in theirupperfaces, with coperating recesses which form a'substantially (circular.` receiving recess 26, an intervmediate Substantially elliptical recess`27, ,and a smaller velliptical recess 28.V The'.f..-

leaves are furtherprovided with transverse alined slots extending from the innerledge of each leaf'which form` slots 29, 30, 31, and

32 extending transversely of the hopper Lfrom the centraliopenin lor slot 18- and at'y right angles thereto. K he central slotv 18 105 and the Vtransverse slots communicating s' therewith are adapted to receive the cutting members 18a, 29a, 302.31, and v32a whichare secured in the block l16 and projectbelowthe rsame to form a cutting grid.

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In using this machine, the small potatoes will be placed in the end elliptical recess 2.8, the medium size potatoes in recess 26, and the large potatoes in the central recess 27, IVhen the block 16 is depressed, the potato in recess 2G will be cut into. four sections, the large potato in recess 27 into eight sections, and .the small potato in the recess QS into two sections. By this arrangement, I insure that the potatoes will be divided into pieces of substantially uniform size regardless of the size of the potato being cut. For this reason, this machine is well adapted for use in connection with potatoes which have not been sorted or graded and is, therefore, very practical in that it avoids the necessity of grading the potatoes ipreliminary to cutting them for seed. After the potatoes have been cut, Vthe block continues its downward movement and 'engages the upper surfaces of the leaves 19 and 20 of the receiving hopper so as to force the same downward and outward thus discharging the cut potatoes from the hopper which may be received in any suitable receptacle suspended beneath the machine. When the potatoes have been thus cut and discharged from the machine, the pressure on vthe foot pedal 7 is removed, and spring 15 acts to return the cutting mechanism and the operating means therefor to their initial positions.

To insure proper operation of the block 16, a guide member 33 is secured to one side beam 5. This guide member projects vertically adjacent one end lof the block and receives a guide pin 34 secured in the block and slidable between the arms of member 33. 'The'pin 34 and member 33 cooperate to maintain the block in vert-ical position during its movement toward and away from the receiving hopper. A stop 35 is secured in the member 38 for engagement by the guide pin 34 and serves vto positively limit the upward lmovement of the block.

To permit adjustment of the cutting mechanism, the yoke 13 is provided in each arm 17 with a series of ,spaced apertures for lreceiving the pivot rod 3.6, and link 10 is `provided with a series of spaced apertures for receiving the -pin 11. By this means, the cutting mechanism may be adjusted'so as to insure accuracy of operation thereof.-

It will be evident that there may be slight changes in the construction and arrangement of the different parts of my invention without departing from the field and scopeV of the same, and I intend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in this application in which a preferred form only of my invention -is disclosed.

That I claim is: l

1. In potato cutting machines, a receiving hopper lprovided with a plurality of closure members movable downwardly so as to open the hopper, means for normally holding said members in raised position, and a cutting device movable toward and away from the hopper so as to cut potatoes placed in the saine, said cutting device being movable into engagement with the closure members so as to 4open the hopper and discharge the cut potatoes therefrom.

2. In potato cutting machines, two rockably mounted leaves having their inner edges adjacent so as to form a receiving hopper, said leaves being provided in their upper faces with recesses for receiving potatoes to be cut, means for normally holding the leaves in raised position, a block mounted .above said leaves and movable toward and away from the same, a cutting device carried by the block .and projecting from the lower face thereof for cutting potatoes placed within the recesses of the leaves, and means for actuating said block, the block being movable into engagement with said leaves so as to depress the same, and discharge the cut potatoes.

3. In potato cutting machines, two leaves rockably mounted at their outer edges and having their inner edges adjacent, said leaves being provided in their upper faces with recesses for receiving potatoes, means for normally holding the leaves in raised position, a block mounted above said leaves and movable toward and away from the same, and a cutting member carried by said block land positioned to pass between the two leaves when the block is depressed so as to cut potatoes placed in the recesses of the leaves and permit the block to engage said leaves n so as to rock the same downward' and `outward and discharge the cut potatoes therefrom, said blocks being movable into engagement with the leaves so' as to depress the same. n

et. In potato cutting machines, two leaves roekably mounted at their outer edges and lhaving their inner edges disposedpin parallel .spaced relation, said leaves being provided in their upper faces with recesses of different sizes for receiving potatoes to be cut, the leaves being further provided withy transverse slots extending from the inner edges thereof across the recesses, the number of slots for the recesses varying, means for normally holding the leaves inl substantially horizontal position, a bloglr mounted above said leaves and movable toward and away fromv the same, Athe center with the transverse slots of the leaves, and means for actuating said block.

5. In potato cutting machines, a supporting frame, spaced transverse shafts rockably mounted therein and provided at one end with oppositely directed cranks, a tension spring secured to the free ends of said cranks, supporting leaves secured at their outer edge to said shafts and having their inner edges disposed in spaced relation, said leaves being provided in their upper faces with coperating recesses which form recesses of different sizes for receiving pota toes to be cut, said leaves being further provided with transverse slots extending from the inner edges thereof crossing the recesses, a block mounted above the leaves and movable toward and away from the same, a cutting device carried by Vsaid block and projecting beyond the lower face thereof consisting of longitudinally and transversely disposed cutting elements so arranged as to be operated through the space between the leaves and the transverse slots in the leaves, and means for actuating said block.

6. In potato cutting machines, a hopper provided with a plurality of closure members movable into .position to open the hopper and discharge cut potatoes therefrom, said closure members being provided in their upper faces with recesses of different sizes for receiving potatoes to be cut so as to supe port the potatoes placed therein in position over the spaces between the two said mem bers, and a cutting knife movable toward and away from the said closure members and operative between the same Yso as to cut potatoes placed therein when the knife is depressed. Y

In testimony whereof I aiix my vsignature in presence of two Witnesses. l

Y OSCAR HOLT.

Witnesses:

MELVIN HAMON, A. N. GLASGOW.

Copies of this patent muy be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G.

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