Apparatus for separating stones from potatoes and other like root crops

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR SEPARATING STONES AND POTATOES IN WHICH THE DUG OUT POTATOES TOGETHER WITH THE STONES ARE DELIVERED TO THE DEVICE COMPRISING; A CONVEYOR BELT HAVING AN UPPER SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL REACH TO WHICH THE STONES AND POTATOES ARE DELIVERED AT ONE END, SPACED SUPPORT ROLLERS ABOUT WHICH THE BELT PASSES, ELASTIC SUPPORT ROLLERS ON THE OUTER FACE OF THE BELT ARRANGED AT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL DISTANCES AND PROTRUDING IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE SURFACE OF THE BELT TO FORM A CONTINUOUS FIELD OF THE ELEMENTS, SAID ELASTIC ELEMENTS BEING SPACED APART A DISTANCE WHICH IS SMALLER THAN THE AVERAGE DIAMETER OF THE POTATOES AND BEING RESILIENT TO A DEGREE SUCH THAT THE STONES ON THE BELT WILL BEND THE ELEMENTS DUE TO THE SPECIFIC WEIGHT OF THE STONES AND THE STONES WILL THEREFORE PENETRATE RELATIVELY FREELY INTO THE FIELD OF THE ELEMENTS, THE RESILIENCE OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING SUCH THAT THE ELEMENTS ARE RESISTANT TO BENDING UNDER THE LESSER SPECIFIC WEIGHT OF THE POTATOES WHEREBY THE POTATOES WILL BE CARRIED ALONG BY THE TOPS OF THE ELEMENTS AND ARE THUS SUPPORTED BY THE FIELD OF ELEMENTS IN SUCH POSITION THAT THEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE BELT SEPARATELY FROM THE STONES AND MEANS FOR DISCHARGING POTATOES LATERALLY FROM THE BELT TO THE SIDE OF THE DEVICE COMPRISING A BRISTLED ROLLER MOUNTED ABOVE THE BELT SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL THERETO AND INCLINED AT AN ANGLE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE BELT AND DRIVEN IN ROTATION IN A DIRECTION SUCH THAT THE SIDE OF THE ROLLER TOWARD THE BELT MOVES IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE BELT, SAID BRISTLED ROLLER BEING SPACED FROM THE BELT SO THE BRISTLES THEREOF PASS CLOSE BY THE TIPS OF SID ELEMENTS.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR SEPARATING STONES AND POTATOES IN WHICH THE DUG OUT POTATOES TOGETHER WITH THE STONES ARE DELIVERED TO THE DEVICE COMPRISING; A CONVEYOR BELT HAVING AN UPPER SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL REACH TO WHICH THE STONES AND POTATOES ARE DELIVERED AT ONE END, SPACED SUPPORT ROLLERS ABOUT WHICH THE BELT PASSES, ELASTIC SUPPORT ROLLERS ON THE OUTER FACE OF THE BELT ARRANGED AT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL DISTANCES AND PROTRUDING IN A DIRECTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE SURFACE OF THE BELT TO FORM A CONTINUOUS FIELD OF THE ELEMENTS, SAID ELASTIC ELEMENTS BEING SPACED APART A DISTANCE WHICH IS SMALLER THAN THE AVERAGE DIAMETER OF THE POTATOES AND BEING RESILIENT TO A DEGREE SUCH THAT THE STONES ON THE BELT WILL BEND THE ELEMENTS DUE TO THE SPECIFIC WEIGHT OF THE STONES AND THE STONES WILL THEREFORE PENETRATE RELATIVELY FREELY INTO THE FIELD OF THE ELEMENTS, THE RESILIENCE OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING SUCH THAT THE ELEMENTS ARE RESISTANT TO BENDING UNDER THE LESSER SPECIFIC WEIGHT OF THE POTATOES WHEREBY THE POTATOES WILL BE CARRIED ALONG BY THE TOPS OF THE ELEMENTS AND ARE THUS SUPPORTED BY THE FIELD OF ELEMENTS IN SUCH POSITION THAT THEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE BELT SEPARATELY FROM THE STONES AND MEANS FOR DISCHARGING POTATOES LATERALLY FROM THE BELT TO THE SIDE OF THE DEVICE COMPRISING A BRISTLED ROLLER MOUNTED ABOVE THE BELT SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL THERETO AND INCLINED AT AN ANGLE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE BELT AND DRIVEN IN ROTATION IN A DIRECTION SUCH THAT THE SIDE OF THE ROLLER TOWARD THE BELT MOVES IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE BELT, SAID BRISTLED ROLLER BEING SPACED FROM THE BELT SO THE BRISTLES THEREOF PASS CLOSE BY THE TIPS OF SID ELEMENTS.