Air separation means for potatoes

Claim 1

IN CONNECTION WITH A POTATO HARVESTING MACHINE, AN APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING POTATOES FROM STONES AND CLODS, HAVING IN COMBINATION: AN OPEN ENDED DUCT COMPRISING A PASSAGE, THE UPPER END OF SAID DUCT FORMING AN AIR OUTLET, THE LOWER END PORTION OF SAID DUCT FORMING A DISCHARGE OUTLET FOR STONES AND CLODS, SAID UPPER END OF SAID DUCT BEING FREE OF OBSTRUCTION THEREABOVE AND HAVING SPACED SIDES AND ENDS, MEANS WITH RESPECT TO SAID PASSAGE SUPPLYING AIR WITH A VELOCITY TO FORM A POTATO SUPPORTING AIR CUSHION ACROSS SAID AIR OUTLET, A DELIVERY CONVEYOR HAVING THE END OF ITS UPPER RUN EXTENDING TO A POINT SHORT OF ONE SIDE OF SAID UPPER END OF SAID DUCT, A ROLLER SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE WIDTH OF SAID CONVEYOR MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID UPPER RUN OF SAID CONVEYOR, MEANS DRIVING SAID ROLLER ON THE ORDER OF TWICE THE RATE OF SPEED OF SAID CONVEYOR TO ACCELERATE THE DISCHARGE OF POTATOES THEREFROM WITH RESPECT TO THE DISCHARGE OF POTATOES FROM SAID CONVEYOR TO ADD IMPETUS TO SAID POTATOES ACROSS SAID AIR OUTLET, TRANSFER APRON MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID ROLLER EXTENDING FROM CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID ROLLER TO THE ADJACENT SIDE OF SAID UPPER END OF SAID DUCT FOR DELIVERING THE POTATOES, STONES AND CLODS ONTO SAID AIR CUSHION FROM A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR THEREWITH, AND A DISCHARGE CONVEYOR RUNNING FROM ADJACENT THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID UPPER END OF SAID DUCT.