US857379A - Horse hay-fork. - Google Patents

Description

. J. M. BOYD.

HORSE HAY FORK.

APPLIGATION FILED SBPT.'6, 1904.

No. 857,379. PATENTED JUNB18,--1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witne se s: I Inventor:

. PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

I No. 357,379.

. J- M- O HORSE HAY FORK. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a, 41904.

' 2SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor:

JOHN M. BOYD, OF FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN.

HORSE HAY-FORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed September 6, 1904:. Se al NO- 223,381.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. Born, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fond du Lac, in the county of Fond du Lac and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse Hay-Forks, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in horse hay forks of the kind commonly known as grapple forks, and has for its object to provide a fork simple in construction, sure, safe, and convenient in operation, which will take large loads, and may be easily returned to the operator after discharging its load, without catching in bunches of hay, etc, over which it may have to slide, as when a mow is nearly full, etc, and which will return with the points of its prongs guarded, so that there will be no danger of impaling the operator, as when a forkreturns wide open, and in which the lock will be automatically set as the fork descend and strikes the load, when the trip rope is slacked. I attain these objects by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in'which- Figure 1. is a side elevation of the fork, formed with two prongs, and spread open ready to thrust into the hay, Fig. 2, shows the position ofthe different parts after the fork has been set in the hay and the load is being raised, Fi 3, shows several detail views of the for fz head andspear, Fig. 4, shows the fork formed with four prongs, two on each side, and in a closed position, Fig. 5, shows the position of the difierent parts when the load is being discharged, Fig. 6, the position of the parts as the fork returns to the operator, and Fig. 7, the position they assume as the fork descends and strikes the load, throwing the upper ends of the prongs or tines back and automatically setting the locking mechanism Figs. 8, 9, and 10, are

' detail views of different parts.

In the drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, h. indicates the fork head, formed with an upper circular portion h provided with an annular o ening whereby it may be attached to the li ting device, a central opening 6. through which the tripping cord 7. may pass, an ear or side extension 71 at each side, to which the upper ends of the bails b. b. of the fork may be ivotally attached, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.) shouldered. d. below and at each side of the central opening 6. to prevent said bails closing together too far, and a lower extension h to which a removable spear 8. may be attached, said spear being formed with a forked upper end s. adapted to engage with said lower extension h*. for this purpose, and to be held in place by a bolt 8 lugs or extensions h. 71;. being also provided to project down at each side of the central part of said u per end of the spear, at each side of the for red end 8. to hold it in place sidewise, as in the left hand view in Fig. 3., in which view one side of theupper forked end of the spear is shown as broken away to show the construction of these parts.

a. a. are the prongs or tines of the fork, pivoted between the lower ends of the bails b. b., said bails being arranged in pairs at each side of the fork, (see Fig. 4.) and pivoted at their upper ends to the ears or side extensions W. at each side of the fork head h. as shown, and between these bails are also pivoted catches a. 0., in proper position to engage the upper ends of the prongsa. a. and

also looking dogs or levers Z. Z. adapted to engage and lock said catches and hold the prongs in position while the load is being elevated, said catches, shown, in detail in Fig.' 9., being formed with a front downwardly extending portion 0. adapted to engage the upper end of the prong 0., a rear downward extension 0 and an upward extension c adapted to engage with the lower extension Z. of the locking dog or lever Z. A channel or recess is also formed around the hubs or pivoted parts of this catch and lever, to provide room for springs f. 7. coiled around said hubs, the view at the right in Fig' 9. showing the recess or channel in the catch 0., the spring being removed, and also the position of the spring in dotted lines, coiled around the hub of the lever, one end being hooked over the lever, and the other end hooked over the edge of the bailb. to give it the tension desired, and to hold it in place, and the view at the left in the same figure showing the spring f in place around the hub of the catch, one end being hooked I over the rear end of the catch, and the opposite end being provided with a hook to hook over the edge of the bail that is removed as shown in the figure, to give a better view of these working parts. I11 this View the spring f. is also shown in position as coiled around the hub of the lever, and hooked over the edge of the bail Z)., and as when under tension, the construction of the opposite side of this lever being shown in Fig. 10, showing the channel or recess provided for the spring.

The dotted lines in Fig. 9. represent the upper end of the prong or fork tine, the view at the right of said figure showing the position of the different parts when said prong is locked in place, as in Figs. 1. 2. 4. and 7 (in which the catch and lever are shown partly in dotted lines,) and the view at the left as below its pivot, in the usual manner for forks of this class, as in Fig. 1.

Zr. is a guard, formed at the lower end, as at kt, to engage in a bearing p. provided near the upper end of the prong a., and at the upper end it is bent sidewise and curved up to pass between the bails b. above the locking lever, and provided with a hook 7c. to hook over the edge of one of the bails to hold it in place as in Figs. 1. and 2. and being adapted to slide-up and down along'said bails as the prongs open or close, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. 5. and 6., to prevent hay catching over the upper endsof said prongs, .as it will sometimes do without a guard, though the fork may be used without this guard if desired, and also without the spear 8., as in Fig.

7., in which said spear is shown in dotted lines, in which cases these parts shown in dotted lines in Figs. 5. 6. and 7. would be omitted. m. and n. Fig. 8. are modified forms of this guard, .being formed of flat pieces or barsof iron or steel, instead of a round rod as at Zn, with bearings n. m. at the upper ends to engage and slide up and down between the bails Z)., and forksn m at the lower ends to attach to the bearing 9. at the upper end of each prong. These guards may be bent to one side, as shown at If. and n to pass at one side of the locking lever- Z or they may be made straight, as at m., and the outer end of the lever Z. may bebent to one side out of their way, (as shown in dotted lines at y'. 'in Fig. 10.,) or they may be formed and attached in any suitable manner allowifig them to slide up and down as the prongs open or close, and to guard the upper ends of said prongs to'prevent'the hay, etc, catching over them.

The operation of the device is as follows; viz; The fork being in the position shown in Fig. 7. is caught up and spread open into the position shown in Fig. 1, and thrust into the hay, and the draft applied to the fork head 7b., causing the prongs to grapple into the hay, as in Fig. 2. squeezing the hay between them,

as when taken up in ones arms, the spear s.

- f. holding the locking lever in locked position, and when it is desired to discharge the hay a jerk or pull on the tripping rope t. and cords 1. 1. will raise these levers Z. against the tension of the springs f, thus releasing the catches c. c. which will fly up and release the upper ends of the prongs a. (1., as in the left hand view in Fig. 9., allowing the prongs to spread open as in Fig. 5. and discharge their load, after which they will swing back by gravity into the position shown in Fig. 6., the

upper ends ofthe bails striking the shoulders (Z. (Z. on the fork head to prevent closing too far, (see Fig. 3.) and the fork will return to the operatoie withthe points guarded as shown, the prongs being loose to pull out of or slide over any hay, etc, that may be in the way, the head of the fork being pulled along first, ahead of the prongs, and the spring holding the catch 0. back under the lever Z. and cocked ready to receive the upper end of the prong asit returns, the guards 7e, when used, preventing the hay from catching over the upper ends of these prongs, and as the fork descends and strikes the load, as its weight comes on the lower ends of these prongs, they are forced back into the position shown in Fig. 7., the upper ends of said prongs striking the lower rear extensions 0 of the catch, and forcing said catch back into locked position, (see Fig. 9.) the spring at the same time forcing the lever Z. back into position to lock said catch as the upper extension c of said catch is driven out from under it, thus automatically locking the prongs ready for another load, as in Fig. 7 and the operation may be repeated.

I am aware that other modifications than those shown of some of the parts may also be made, and wish it understood that I reserve to myself all such modifications, etc., as

properly come within the scope of my invention.

What I .claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a ha fork, in combination with a suitable fork head, parallel bails attached to each sidethereof, prongs or tines .pivoted between said bails, catches c. 0. adapted to engage the upper ends of said prongs, levers Z. Z. adapted to lock said catches, and springs f. f adapted to hold said catches and levers in their proper positions, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the bails Z). arranged in pairs at each side of the fork,

prongs a. pivoted between said bails at each side, catches 0. formed with a forward downwardly extending portion 0"., a rear downward extension 0 an upward forward extension c and'a hub 0 a locking lever 1. formed with a downward extension Z. and a hub Z and springsf. f substantially as and for the purposes set forth 3. The combination of the head h,, the spear s. the bails b. prongs (1., and catches 0., locking levers Z., and the springs f. f substantially as and for the pur oses set forth.

4. The combination of the ails 1)., prongs a. ivoted between said bails, a locking rnec anism adapted to engage and hold said prongs, and guards attached at their lower ends to said prongs and adapted to slide at their upper ends up and down along said bails, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a hay fork, in combination with the prongs a. and bails 1)., the guards 1a., substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination of the head h., bails 1)., prongs a., catches .and levers c. and 1., springs f. f and guards attached at one end to the prongs a. and adapted to slide up and down along the bails b. at their opposite ends, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. In a hay fork, the combination of the head h., s ear 8., bails 9., prongs (1., catches c.,- levers springs f. f and guards 7a, substantially as and for the pur oses set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses this 3d day of September, 1904.

JOHN M. BOYD.

Witnesses:

P. H. MARTIN, R. H. ORosBY.

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