US1378258A - Device for cutting eyes out of large potatoes for seed - Google Patents

Description

H. J. MANDERFIELD. DEVICE FOR CUTTING EYES OUT OF LARGE POTATOES FCR SEED. vAPPLxcATlgm FILED ocr. 7, 1920.

1,378,258. Patented May 17,1921.

t Egg @a MJ/Zur Izirlsu'i* OFFICE.

ROBERT J. MANDERFIELD, oF-HANCOCK-, MICHIGAN.

DEVICE non CUTTING EYnsoUT or LARGE PoTAToEs Fcilagsnnn.`

Application led October 7, 1920. Serial No. 415,319.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. MANDER- FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hancock, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have invented a new vand useful Device for Cutting Eyes out of Large Potatoes for Seed, of which the following is a specification. Y

The object of my invention is to provide a device of simple construction for cutting the eyes in the shape of a perfect hemisphere from large potatoes for seed, after which the bulk of the potato may be used for food, and to eliminate the great waste which usually occurs where large and well developed potatoes are planted. It is also my object to provide a device which can be easily operated and which is not liable to get out of order, and which also can be readily attached to any table or shelf conveniently.v I attain these and other objects of my invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the inven tion, partly in section, to show the slot 7 Fig.' 2 is a horizontal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, online'S- of Fig. 1';

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of an attachment to be used when it is desired to cut a smaller segment out of the potato.

Like numerals designate like parts in each of the views. 's

Referring to the accompanying drawing, I provide a frame 1 having an arm 8 in which is mounted a clamp screw 9 by means of which the device may be attached to a table or shelf. Frame 1 is provided with a horizontally extending arm 15 terminating in a ring 14 within which is mounted a semicylindrical knife 16 which is attached at its outer end to ring 14'by the pivot 17 and at its inner end is attached to the rod or knife arm 12 which is held in its bearing on arm 15 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1c, 1921.

portion of the plunger 3 is hollow and contains a suitable spiral spring 5 within its hollow or chambered portion 4. Thelowe'r end of this spring rests on an arm- 6'.which` is screwed to the frame l and projects into 'the slot 7 of plunger 3, and the' channel portion 4 to enga e and support the lower end of spring 5, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Arm

6 also functions to'limit the downward -fmovement of the plunger 3 to a distance equal to that of the slot 7 into which it projects.

rIo operate the seed potato cutter the lplunger is manuallydepressed, its rack portion 10 causing segment pinion 11, knife arm 12 and semi-circular knife 16 to rotate a half circle and cut a lsmall 'segment of the potato out including and surrounding the eye which is to be used in planting as seed. The po# tato is held under ring 14, so that the kposition .of the eye of the potato maybe seen while it is being cut out.` Y

When it is desired t0 cut out a smaller portion of the potato than with the devices the potato for food withoutV sacrificing the l amount of nourishment necessary for the potato seed. lThe device cuts out the eye of the potato in a portion in the shape of a small hemisphere, as illustrated in Figs. 4

and 5. Y

What I claim is: Y y

l. In a seed potato-cuttenthe combination of a frame includingmeans for adjustably clamping same toa table, a plunger slidably j mounted in saidframe, said plunger having a knob for depressing the plunger convenv iently, and having a rack portion, aknife supporting arm extending horizontally from the frame and terminating in a ring, a semi-circular knife pivotally mounted, on said ring, a knife arm rotatably mounted on the knife supporting arm and affixed to one end of the knife, a pinion segment mounted on the other end of the knife arm and meshing with the rack portion of the plunger. Y

2. In combination with the mechanism described in. claim 1, resilient' means engaging the plunger and normally holding it in raised position and tending to cause it and the knife to return to original position after the knife and plunger have been operated.

3. In a seed potato cutter, the combination of a frame including means for clamping same to a table, a knife supporting arm integral with the frame and terminating in a ring, a semi-circular knife pivotally mounted at the outer end on the ring, a rod attached to the other end of theknife and a gear element on'the other end of said rod in operative engagement with the rack portion of a plunger, a plunger slidably'moun-ted in the frame and having a rack portion in mesh with the'aforesaid gear element, the plunger having a chambere'd lower end and having a slot opening into said chambered portion, an arm attached to the frame and projecting through the slotted portionof the plunger, and a spiral spring having one of its ends bearing on said arm and having its other end bearing on the plunger to resiliently press the plunger to its raised position'and normally hold the knife inits seat on the knife supporting member.

4. In combination with the apparatus described in claim 3, a ring adapted1 to be mounted on the ring of the knife supporting member, and means for clamping-said ring on the knife supporting member, whereby the operative arc of the knife will be reduced in size. o Y

5. In a seed potato cutter,` the combination of a frame, a plunger slidable in said frame, the plunger having' a rack portion, a knife supporting member integral with the frame, a knife mounted 'on said member, means operatively connecting the knife withthe rack portion of the plunger, a ring adapted to be mounted on theknife supporting member, and clamping means for releasably securing said ring on the knife supporting member, whereby ,the cutting range of the knife will be reduced to cut out a small portion of the potato.

6. In a seed potato cutter, the combination ofa frame, adjustable means for clamping same to a shelf or table, a plunger slidable in said frame, the plunger having a rack portion, a knife supporting member integral with the frame, a knife mounted on said member, means operatively connecting the imite with the rack portion of the plunger,

lknife so that a small portion of the potato surrounding the eye will be taken out by the knife. Y

7. In combination with the mechanism described in claim l, a .ring `adapted to be mounted on the ring carried by theknifesupporting arm and alined with said ring, and means forrclampin-g said ringfto the annular portion of the knife-supporting arm to limit the operating range of the knife member, whereby to effect a greater saving in the bulk of the potato Ywhich is not required for seed.

ROBERT J. MANDERFIELD. i

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