US992894A - Mechanism for unloading hay-racks. - Google Patents

Description

T. W. MOKERNAN 6a W..H. BEDARD.

MEOHANISM FOR UNLOADING HAY RAGKS.

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T. WpMoKBRNAN & W. H. BEDARD.

MEOHANISM FOR UNLOADING HAY RAOKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1810.

Patented May 23, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTGE. i

THOMAS W. MUKERNAN AND WILLIAM H. BEDARD, OF STRATHCONA, ALBERTA, CANADA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1911.

Application filed April 5, 1910. Serial No. 553,609.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS W. Mo- KERNAN and WILLIAM H. BEDARD, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Strathcona, Alberta, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Unloading Hay-Racks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to mechanism for raising and lowering hay racks, the mechanism bein@ so constructed that a hay rack may be lifted from a wagon to any desired height, held in this adjusted position temporarily, or permanently, and lowered upon a wagon without jar or shock to the same, the invention being so constructed that itmay be easily operated by one operator, the object of the invention being to provide a very sim le construction to this end, thoroughly eective in practice and capable of easy operation.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and ,accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of our improved lifter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a portion of the upright with the lower sprocket wheel and the brake-lever. Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary elevation of the upper end of a standard and braces therefor, and Fig. 5 is a detailsectional view through the winding roller to showlthe position of the hooks 9.8.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to these igures 2 designates oppositely disposed parallel sills or base timbers. Extending upward from each of the base timbers is the upright 3. Bracing the uprights are the upwardly and inwardly inclined brace-pieces 4 which at their lower ends are set into notches or kerfs in the sills 2, and which at their upper ends are connected to the uprights 3 by means of the caps 5. The braces 4 engage with the uprights 3 at a point slightly below the upper end of the upright, and the cap 5 fits over the upper end of the upright and over the upper ends of the braces 4.

Passing through the upper ends ofthe braces 4 and the upper end of the upright are a plurality of bolts 6 which pass through sleeves 7, these sleeves having inclined inside faces which contact with the inclined faces of the cap 5 in the manner shown in Fig. 4. The upper end of each of the uprights 3 is formed with a circular opening 8 forming a bearing for a transversely extending roller 9. The ends of this roller are preferably reduced and these reduced portions are covered with a metal sheathing l0 so as to prevent wear of the roller and permit it to easily rotate in the opening 8. This roller forms a winch by which the hay rack may be lifted.

Attached to one end of the roller 9 is the sprocket wheel 11 over which passes a sprocket chain 12. The lower end of the sprocket chain 12 passes over a sprocket wheel 13 which is mounted on a shaft 14 lpassing loosely through the post or upright 3 and supported at its ends in the strapirons 15 and 16 which are bolted to the post or upright 3 as shown in a detail view in Fig. 1. The extremity of the shaft 14 is provided with a crank-arm 17 whereby the shaft may be rotated. It will be seen that the sprocket wheel 13 is smaller in diameter than the sprocket wheel 11. Attached to the shaft 14 interiorly of the sprocket wheel 13 is the ratchet wheel 18 with which engages a pawl 19 mounted on a bolt 20 which passes through the upright or post 3. This pawl acts to prevent any back mot-ion of the shaft 14 so that the roller 9 may be held in any rotated position.

Mounted on the inner extremity of the shaft 14 between the inside face of a faceplate 20 and the strap-iron 16 is the inner end of a brake-lever 21 to which is attached a chain 22 extending up and connected to a brake-strap 23. .This brake-strap extends upward and over the end of the roller 9, preferably a number of times and then extends downward and is attached to a section of chain 24, which at its lower end is attached to the eye of a bolt 25 passing through the upright 3. Preferably the bolt 25 passes through face-plates 26 on each side of the post 23. In order to prevent the extremity of the roller from being worn by the strap 23 and to prevent too great a frictional engagement between the strap and the roller, we preferably surround the roller with a sleeve or band 27 of metal.

Projecting from the roller 9 are the hooks 28 which are set in quartering relation to each other and depending from said hooks are the chains 29 and 30. Preferably there are a pair of chains Q9 and a pair of chains 30 provided on their lower ends with hooks 31 whereby the chains will be engaged with a hay rack.

In order to prevent the weight of a hay rack from drawing the uprights 3 toward each other, we provide the transversely eX- tending brace 82 which is engaged at its ends with the opposed posts or uprights 8, just below the roller 9. r1`his cross-piece 32 is further supported by means of the diagonally arranged brackets 33 which are attached at their lower ends to posts or uprights 3.

It will be seen that by reason of the quartering arrangement of the hooks 2S that both sets of'chains 29 and 30 will be wound upon the roller 9 and lifted at the same time when the roller is turned in a counter-clockwise direction from the normal position, as indicated in Fig. 5. a

The operation of our invention 1s obviousz-The wagon from which the hay rack is to be elevated is driven beneath the mechanism and the chains 29 and 30 are attached to the rack in any usual or desired manner. The crank-handle 17 is then operated, which, through the sprocket chain l2, will cause the rotation of the winding roller 9, and which will wind the chains 29 and 30 thereon. As the chains are wound upon the roller 9 the hay rack will be lifted. The pawl 19 will prevent any back movement of the mechanismk and the hay rack will be thus suspended at any desired height from the ground. In lowering the hay rack it is only necessary to force the brake -lever downward and to release the pawl. By slightly releasing the brake-lever the roller 9 will be allowed to reverse and the chains will be unwound. The strap 23 passes several times around the end of the roller 9 frictionally engaging the same so that the brake is positive and the rapidity with which the rack willlower will be accurately controlled, so that the rack may be lowered very gradually to its appointed place, the operator with one hand controlling the brake and with the other hand directing the movement of the rack.

Our invention is simple, easily erected, easily moved from place to place and is entirely effective in use.

Having thus described the invention what we claim is l. In a device of the character described, the combination of spaced standards, a winding roller journaled between the standards, a shaft mounted upon one of the standards, a sprocket wheel rigid with the winding roller, a sprocket wheel on the shaft, a crank for operating the second sprocket wheel, a chain connecting the two sprocket wheels, means for preventing backward turning of the sprocket wheels, a brake lever also mounted upon the before mentioned shaft, a brake mechanism having an operative connection with the brake lever, and a flexible connecting member connected to the winding roller.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of spaced standards, a winding roller journaled between the standards, a sprocket wheel rigid with the winding roller, strap irons applied to opposite sides of one of the standards, lthe middle portions of the strap irons being spaced from the standard, while the end portions thereof are bent inwardly and secured to the standard, a shaft passing through the standard and journaled in the middle portions of the strap irons, a sprocket wheel applied to the shaft between one of the strap irons and the standard, means for rotating the sprocket wheel, a chain connecting the sprocket wheel upon the shaft to the sprocket wheel of the winding roller, a brake lever mounted upon the shaft between the standard and the oppositey strap iron, a brake mechanism applied to the winding roller and having an operative connection with the brake lever, and a flexible connecting member secured to the winding roller.

3. A mechanism of the character described including spaced standards, a winding roller rotatably mounted in the upper ends of the standards, a sprocket wheel on the winding roller, a sprocket wheel on one of the standards, a crankshaft on which the lastnamed sprocket wheel is mounted, means for preventing reverse movement of the sprocket wheel, a lever pivoted on the crank shaft and extending out therefrom, a brake-band connected at one end to said lever passing around the end of the roller and connected at its other end to a standard, hooks projecting out from the roller in quartering relation to each other, and chains depending from said hooks. n

4L. A mechanism of the character described, comprising spaced vertical standards, a'winding roller mounted in the upper ends of the standards, a sprocket wheel on one end of the winding roller, a sprocket wheel on one of the standards, a sprocket chain connecting the two sprocket wheels, means for rotating the lower sprocket wheel, a flexible connection depending from the roller, a brake-lever pivoted to the lower portion of one of the standards, a brakeband passing around the winding roller, a chain connecting one end of the brake-band to the lever, and a chain attached to the other end of the brake-band and bolted toV the said standard.

5. In a mechanism of the character described, oppositely disposed parallel sills, vertical posts erected on said sills, a transioo iso

Verse brace extending between said posts,

inclined braces extending between the ends of each sill and the upper end of the post erected thereon, a cap extending over the top of said post and down on each side along the outer face of the inclined braces, a plurality of bolts passing through both braces and through the upper end of the post, sleeves having inclined faces surrounding said bolts, nuts engaging the bolts and the sleeves, a winding drum, mechanism mounted on one of said posts for operating said winding drum, a flexible connection depending from the winding drum, and brake mechanism for checking the movement of said Winding drum.

In testimony whereof we aiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS W. MCKERNAN. WILLIAM H. BEDARD.

Witnesses:

P. A. MCDONALD, FRANCES G. BENNETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

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