US966197A - Grain-fork. - Google Patents

Description

0. M. GREEN.

GRAIN FORK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1909,

Patented Aug 2, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHABLESMQGREEN, OFGRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEHALF-TO ADO D. SKINNER, OF GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA.

GRAIN-FORK.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

Application filed June 28, 1909. Serial No. 504,922.

' To all whom 'Lt'may concern:

. Be itknown that 1, CHARLES M. GREEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Forks, in the county of Grand Forks and State of North Dakota,have invented a new and useful Grain-Fork, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement ingrain forks, and is especially applicable for-use in shocking bundles of grain. Heretofore, bundles of grain, which have been dropped on the field by a harvesting machine, havebeen pickedup by hand and carried to different pointson the field and put in shocks. This work is very tediouson account of the necessity of stooping over and lifting-eachbundle in the arms and then carrying the same.

The principal object of this invention is toprovide a grain fork which will materially assist an operator in this class of work.

A further object of this invention is to provide an implement of the class described, which is adapted to be carried in the hand, and is provided -with suitable means for tightly gripping a bundle and carrying the same to the place desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an implement which is simple in construction, easy of manipulation, and cheap to manufacture.

With these'and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims here to appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the-advantages of the invention.

' In the drawing:Figure 1 is a side eleva tion of the implement, and Fig. 2=is a front elevation of the same.

Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in allthe figures of the drawing.

The invention comprises a relatively stationary member 3 which preferably describes a compound curve, one end being bifurcated to form: spaced arms 1-4, between the free endsrof which is secured, by means of screws 5-5' or other suitable means, a

handle 6. The other end of the said member 3 is bifurcated to form spaced and inwardly curved prongs 77 constituting a fork. These-prongs are preferably arranged in the same plane as the bifurcated arms 4 of the handle. Arranged between, and connecting the-handle to the prongs, is an'intermediate portion or neckS which is provided with flat sides 9 employed for a purpose hereinafter described.

The invention furthercomprises acurved member having one end 10 thereof formed flat, and the other end bifurcated to form spaced and inwardly curved prongs 11-11 which are spaced closer together than the prongs of the-other member. This member is pivoted to the relatively fixed member by a pivot 12 'of'any suitable construction, and in such a relation that the flat portion 10 of the curved member'bears against the flat or intermediate portion8 of the relatively fixed member, and also in such a way that the said members are crossed. The end 10 of the pivoted member is arranged to extend beyond the pivot a short distance to form a lever. Pivoted to the extreme end of the flat portion or lever 10 of the curved pivoted member, is an elliptical-shaped or looped'finger-piece 13. This finger-piece is curved in cross section and preferably formed from a single piece of metal, the free ends 14 thereof being bent outwardly to form bearing surfaces. A bearing pin 15 is arranged to extend through the said free ends 11 and the end of the lever 10. A stop 16 is formed on the fiat portion 8 of the relatively fixed member for limiting the outward movement of the said prongs or forks. A coiled spring 17 is employed for normally holding the fork in an open position, and has one of its free ends 18 preferably secured to the stationary member and the other free end 19 secured to the curved member. It will be noted that the finger piece terminates short of the handle so that one hand may grasp both the handle and the finger-piece and manipulate the latter to close the forks.

The invention further comprises an adjustable strap 20 having its ends preferably secured to the handle by the fastening means 5.

Inoperation, the implement is positioned in the hand, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, with the strap 20 over the hand and the fingers grasping the finger-' piece. The prongs or forks are inserted into a bundle of grain lying on the ground, and the finger-piece 13 pulled upon, this movement causing the prongs ll of the curved member to pass across and between the prongs 7 of the relatively fixed member and thereby firmly hold the bundle of grain. The bundle can then be carried by the fork to any suitable place where the shock is being formed; and when desirous of releasing the bundle, the finger-piece 13 is first released, and the coiled spring 17 will immediately bring the curved member back into its normal and open position, and there by readily permit the withdrawal of the implement, and causing the bundle to drop.

The device has been tested and shown to save about seven inches of stooping in each operation, with the result that a person will pick up fully one-third more bundles with the implement than by hand.

WVhat I claim is l. A hand-operated grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivoted fork members, means connecting the members for holding them normally in an open posit-ion, a handle formed on one of the members, and a fingerpiece secured solely to the other member, said handle and finger-piece being grasped by one hand and serving to close the forks of said members.

2. A hand-operated grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivoted members, each member having a forked end, the fork of one member being wider than the fork of the other member, and means connected to the members for permitting the implement to be grasped by one hand and operated thereby to close the forks, the fork of one member fitting between and crossing the fork of the other member.

3. A hand-operated grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivoted members, each member having an inwardly curved forked end, the fork of one member being wider than the fork of the other member, means connected to each of the members for holding the forks in a normally open position, and means connected to the members for permitting the implement to be grasped by one hand and operated thereby to close the forks, the fork of one member fitting between and crossing the fork of the other member.

l. A grain fork comprising a pair of crossed fork members, each member comprising a plurality of prongs having pointed free ends which are arranged in longitudinal alinemcnt therewith, one of the members being relatively stationary and provided with a handle, the other member being pivoted on the first member between the handle and the fork and provided at its free end with a finger-piece, said finger-piece being spaced from the handle and in such relation thereto that one hand can grasp boththe handle and finger-piece and operate the latter.

5. A grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivoted fork members, one of the members being relatively stationary and provided with a handle, the other member pivoted on the first-named member and having a short extension forming a lever, a finger-piece secured solely to the lever and terminating short of the handle, so as to be grasped by the fingers while the hand embraces the handle to close the forks of said members.

6. A grain fork comprising a pair of crossed fork members, one of the members being relatively stationary and provided with a handle, said handle and fork describing a compound curve, the other member pivoted on the first-named member between the curved portions and having a short extension forming a lever, a finger-piece pivoted on the lever and terminating short of the handle so as to be grasped by the fingers while the hand embraces the handle to close the forks of said members, and means for normally holding the forks of the members apart.

7. A grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivoted members, one of the members being provided at one end with spaced and inwardly curved prongs constituting a fork, and at the other end with oppositely curved and spaced arms for receiving a handle, and a connecting portion between the fork and the arms, a second member comprising spaced and inwardly curved prongs constituting a fork and provided with an extension, said extension being pivoted to the connecting portion of the first mentioned member and extending beyond the V ivot to form a lever, a finger-piece pivote to the end of the lever and adapted to cooperate with the handle when operating the pivoted member, and a spring for engaging both members for normally holding the forks apart.

8. A grain fork comprising a pair of crossed pivoted members, one of the members being provided at one end with spaced and inwardly curved prongs constituting a fork and at the other end with oppositely curved and spaced arms, a handle arranged between the said arms, an adjustable hand strap secured to the arms and arranged to extend over the handle, and a connecting portion between the fork and the arms, said portion being Hat and arranged in a plane at right-angles to the plane of the fork, a second member comprising spaced and inwardly curved prongs constituting a fork and provided with an extension, said extension being flat and arranged in a plane at right-angles to the forks and pivoted to the connecting portion of the first-mentioned member at an intermediate point, a looped In testimony, that I claim the foregoing finger-piece pivoted on the end of the said as my own, I have hereto affixed my signa- 10 extension, a stop extending from the conture in the presence of tWo Witnesses. necting port-ion of the first member for lim- CHARLES M GREEN iting the outward movement of the second member, and a coiled spring connecting the Witnesses:

two members for normally holding the forks B. G. SKULAsoN,

in an open position. WINNIFRED CoUTTs.

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