US55246A - Improvement in horse hay-forks - Google Patents

Description

C. N. CULVER;

Horse Hag/Forkl No. 55,246. Patentedlune. 5, 1866,

f 75M y www' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

o. N. oULvEn,jo r' BOWLING GREEN, o'HIo'.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,246, dated June 5,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, C. N. (JULVER, of Bowling Green, in the county of Wood and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Im inovements in Hay-Forks; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and complete description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specitication, in which- Figure l represents the fork and its connections. Figs. 2 and 3 are detached sections.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the views.

My iml'irovement relates to hay-forks constructed and operating as hereinafter described.

A A, Fig. l, is a pair ofcurved metallic forks. Each fork consists of two prongs, as shown in Fig. 3, curved outward from each other in the desired manner. The prongs are attached to shanks B B, that are pivoted together by a pin at C. This connection forms ajoint allowingthe forks to open and close.

I) is a head-block, to which the forks are connected by chains E E, attached to the forks and the sides of the head-block. The block is wood,and in the lower part ot' it, in a slot, F, is pivoted a hook, G. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.)

H is a lever, pivoted at one end to the block, and the other end passes through a staple, c,

` and extends beyond the side of the block. On

one side of the block is pivoted, at c, a rightangled lever, I, as seen in Fig. 2, one end of which extends under the lever H, and to the other end is attached a cord, T.

Above the block is a pulley, J, the bearings J of which extend down, are formed into one piece that is attached to the top ot' the block, so that the pulley can be turned-round, or the loaded fork to adapt itself to any position required in elevating the hay. Around the upper part of the head-block is a metal plate or rim, k, through which the lower end of the bearings J passes.

L M are pulleys similar to the pulley J, suspended by means ofl hooks m attached to the top of the bearings m', in the position represented. N is a rope, attached at one end to a ring or collar, c', on the lower end of the bearings J', from which it extends up over the pulley L, down under the pulley J, and up over the pulley M, and to this end the power is applied in elevating the hay.

In the upper ends of each of the forks are links p, that are inserted in a ring, a. This .hay drop down into the bay.

ring is placed upon the hook G, which is adjusted up under the lever Hforholding the forks in the position for elevating the load.

The manner in which this fork as constructed and arranged operates is as follows: The forks A A are extended or spread apart,as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. l, when the 'links 19 are extended in a horizontal position. The forks are now inserted or forced into the hay, when the head D is brought down and the ring a placed on the hook G, which is then turned up and adjusted under the lever H, that holds it securely. The power is then applied to the lower or free end of the rope N, which, as the rope is drawn over the pulleys,raises the head D and its connections, elevating the fork.

When the forks are tirst drawn upward the weight of hay in theforks forces or draws the forks nearer together in the hay until the chains E E are straight, which then supports the load. When the hay is raised over the bay, or place where it is to bedelivered, it is discharged by pulling` the cord T, that raises the lever H, disengaging the hook G, when the ring et slides olf and the weight of hay in the forks ycauses them to spread, letting` the The fork is then lowered to receive another load, as before described. y

lt is desirable to have the hay to be elevated under the fork, and the pulley L to be over across the hay, for when the fork is raised it is carried in an inclined direction toward the pulley L, and can be discharged at any point between the load and pulley L. If the fork were raised in a vertical direction, it would have to be carried or swung` horizontally over the hay and held there by hand till the load was discharged; but with this arrangement the loaded fork is brought into the right position at the same time that it is elevated, with no more labor or inconvenience, and. can be distributed throngh all parts ot' the bay, as the load can be discharged at any place between the load and pulley L, and the pulley can be suspended in diferent parts of the hay.

/Vhat I claim as my improvement, and dcsire to secure by Letters Batent,is

The arrangement of the levers H and I, in combination with the hooks G, ring a, links p, and forks A A, operating in the manner and by the means substantially as described.

Witnesses: C. N. OULVER.

W. H. BURRIDGE, A. W. MCGLELLAND.

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