AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING, LIFTING, CONVEYING, ELEVATING, AND DEPOSITING HAY AND CORN CROPS, STRAW, GRASS, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS MATERIALS.”
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Banks Taylor, of Prestonpans, in the County of
Haddington, North Britain, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR COLLECTING, LIFTING, CONVEYING, ELEVATING, AND DEPOSITING HAY AND
CORN CROPS, STRAW, GRASS, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS MATERIALS.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Banks Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th August 1877.
JOHN BANKS TAYLOR, of Prestonpans, in the County of Haddington, North
Britain. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING, LIFTING, CONVEYING,
ELEVATING, AND DEPOSITING HAY AND CORN CROPS, STRAW, GRASS, AND OTHER
ANALOGOUS MATERIALS."
This Invention has for its object the collecting, lifting, conveying, elevating, and
depositing of hay, corn crops, straw, grass, and other similar bulky material in an
expeditious and economical manner.
The material is under this Invention collected, lifted, conveyed, and deposited
by means of a specially constructed truck or vehicle. The said truck or vehicle
consists of a platform, preferably mounted on two pairs of wheels, one pair of
which is carried in swivel brackets attached to a rod or bar, which may or may
not extend transversely across the under side of the platform. These wheels are
thus free to turn in any direction: A lever is attached to the end of the said rod
or bar, in connection with either one or both the swivel brackets, which latter are,
when the said lever is depressed, so acted upon as to displace the wheels carried
therein in such a manner that the part of the platform to which they, when in
their normal position act as supports, is lowered to the ground, and forms an inclined
plane, up which the hay, corn. crops, grass, or other material to be lifted and
conveyed is drawn in the following manner:-The truck or platform having been
lowered in close proximity to the material in the manner above described, a rope,
chain, band, or the equivalent of these, one end of which is attached to a hook or
ring secured at or near the end of the truck or platform opposite to the material to
Price Gd 1

page_text: be lifted, is passed around the mass of material to be operated on, its other end
being carried forward to the front of the truck. A similar rope, chain, or band is
also passed in a corresponding manner around the mass or material, but in the
reverse direction to that of the first-mentioned rope, chain, or band, one end being
in like manner carried forward to the front of the truck, where it, as also that of
the first-mentioned rope, chain, or band, are attached either directly or by means of
an intermediate link to the harness of a horse, or to any other motor. On exerting
a hauling strain on the combined ropes or bands the mass of material will be drawn
on to the inclined platform, which latter will have a tendency to be drawn towards
the material, and thus further assist in the hauling of the latter onto the truck.
Instead of using two ropes, chains, or bands, the hauling of the load on to the
truck may be effected with one rope or band, which is passed around the mass in
the form of a loop, and connected with the motor.
1
The afore-mentioned lever or levers being actuated in the reverse direction to
that for lowering the platform, this latter resumes its horizontal position, the swivel
brackets being brought to the proper position therefor, and in which they are
maintained by securing the lever or levers with a pin or pins.
To assist in certain cases in raising the platform, the hauling rope may be passed
round the levers, whereby the horizontal strain exerts a raising force on the
platform.
In order to deposit a load at any desired place, the truck or platform is lowered
in the manner described, for lifting and withdrawing from beneath the load, which
latter is thus deposited entire if desired.
An antifriction roller may be attached to the under side of the platform to enable
the latter to be more easily withdrawn from beneath the load, and a light railing
or framework may be placed along the sides to prevent the falling off of any
portion of the load.
The number of wheels upon which the vehicle is carried may be varied as
desired, and is governed by its size.
3
For a vehicle of small dimensions one swivel wheel suffices, which may be
actuated to lower or raise the vehicle by a lever, as herein-before described; or it
may be so designed as to be readily removable from the under side of the platform
when it is desired to lower the latter, and be replaced after the platform has been
raised or prised up by a lever, which may or may not be independent of the vehicle.
In cases where it is desired covered cavities may be provided in the platform
over the front wheels of the vehicle, or these latter may be outside the vehicle,
and for the purpose of traversing the vehicle on roads, or as may be desired, a
pair of shafts may be fitted thereto.
The mode of lifting the material on to the platform, as herein-before described,
is also equally applicable to the elevation thereof for stacking. The truck or
platform being attached with its load by means of an intermediate frame or
table, which may be inclined to the required degree to a series of staging similarly
inclined, and carried on standards or trestles, which may or may not be mounted
on wheels; the ropes, chains, or bands are passed round the load, which is then
elevated to the height of the stack by exerting a hauling strain on the ropes,
chain, or band, as herein-before described. On the arrival of the material at the
height of the stack it may be discharged at once on to the latter, or brought on
to a platform, and thence transferred to the stack by forks.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Banks Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
February 1878.
JOHN BANKS TAYLOR, of Prestonpans, in the County of Haddington, North
Britain. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING, LIFTING, CONVEYING,
ELEVATING, AND DEPOSITING HAY AND CORN CROPS, STRAW, GRASS, AND OTHER
ANALAGOUS MATERIALS."
My said Invention has for its objects the economical and expeditious collecting,
lifting, conveying, elevating, and depositing of hay or grass, straw, corn crops, and
other similar bulky material.
For this purpose I provide an improved apparatus or vehicle consisting of a plat-
form, preferably mounted upon two or more pairs of wheels, one pair being so
arranged that by means of a lever or levers the said pair of wheels may be readily
turned into a position which will allow of the tail or back end of the platform
descending to the ground, and thus forming an inclined plane, up which the
material or crop to be collected and conveyed is urged by ropes, bands, or chains
(attached one on either side of the platform) being passed around the said material
or crop in reverse directions, and attached to horses or other power at the front of
the vehicle. When the load has been hauled on to the vehicle the platform is
restored to a horizontal position, and it with its load may be drawn to any place
where it may be desired to deposit it.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan of the under side of a vehicle
or apparatus constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation
of the same, shewing the platform resting upon its four wheels in position for
travelling; and Figure 3 is a side elevation shewing the platform in the position
which it assumes when its rear wheels are turned out of position so as to allow the
tail of the platform to rest upon the ground; the remaining Figures are details,
which will herein-after be described.
The platform A (strengthened by cross beams a, a, and preferably formed with
rounded ends, as shewn, the back end being more rounded than the front end), is
mounted upon four wheels B, B, C, C, the front wheels B, B, being fixed or turning
on their axle as usual; the hind wheels C, C, are carried by forked carriers c, the
upper parts of which are free to swivel in sockets d¹, cast or otherwise formed on
the axle D, which is fastened to the under side of the platform by straps d, d, in
such manner as to be free to turn. The said shaft is squared at its ends to receive
the levers E, E.
When the vehicle or apparatus is resting upon its front wheels in a horizontal
position for travelling, the wheels C, C, are kept in position by the axle D, being
prevented from turning by the levers E being locked in an upright position in
holding pieces e, e, on the sides of the platform or its framing by passing pins f, f,
through the holding pieces across the backs of the levers, and into the platform or
its framing. The platform is at either side provided with eyes or loops F, F, to
which are attached chains or ropes b, b, (Figure 4,) or their equivalent. To the
front of the platform are secured staples or loops g, g, to receive the chains by which
the horses are attached to the apparatus. The apparatus is especially suited for
removing hay from the fields (in which it has been formed into large heaps or
"cocks") to the place where it is to be stacked.
The mode of performing this operation is as follows:-Horses are attached to the
apparatus by their chains being hooked to the loops g, g. The apparatus with the

page_text: .
levers E secured in their upright position, and consequently with the platform in a
horizontal position, or resting upon both pairs of wheels (as shewn in Figure 2), is
drawn by the horses to the place from whence the crop is to be removed, with its
tail end in close proximity to a heap or "cock." The lever pins f. f, are removed,
and the levers E are turned out of an upright position through about a quarter of a
revolution towards the tail end of the apparatus. The levers being fast upon the
axle D, it turns with them, and the wheels C, C, are consequently turned on to their
sides or up underneath the platform, and the tail end of the platform descends to
the ground, forming an inclined plane, the lowest point of which is presented to the
crop to be lifted, as shewn in Figure 3. The ropes b, b, are then passed around the
crop at a sufficient distance from the ground to give them a firm grip of the said crop.
The manner in which the said ropes are so passed around the crop is shewn in the
diagram, Figure 4, where X represents the crop to be lifted. The rope from one
side of the platform is carried round the crop in one direction to the other side of
the platform, and being brought to the front is attached to the horses' chains. The
rope from the other side is passed around the crop in a similar manner but in the
reverse direction, and being brought to the front is also attached to the horses'
chains. The said chains having been previously unhooked from the platform, and
on the horses being driven forward, they drag the ropes b, b, with them, and con-
sequently the crop is drawn forward up the inclined platform. By passing the
ropes or chains around the crop in the manner described, the vehicle or platform
will have a tendency to be drawn towards the crop, which will assist in the hauling
operation. When the crop is fully brought on to the platform the said platform is
restored to a horizontal position by raising the levers E, E, by which the axle D
and wheels C, C, are brought into their original position, and the-tail end of the
platform is supported upon the said wheels, the levers being secured in position by
passing the pins f, f, into their places. The crop or load is preferably brought well
toward the front of the platform, as its weight will then assist in the raising of the
tail end. The levers E have bends h (Figure 3) formed in them, so that in cases of
heavy loads, if it be difficult to raise the levers by hand, horse power may be
applied by hooking the horses, ropes, or bands to the said bends.
In small apparatus or vehicles a lever at one end or side thereof may be employed
instead of two levers, as shewn. Instead of the axle D extending completely across
the apparatus, it will be obvious that it may consist of two lengths turning at either
end in suitable supports, that is to say, the centre part between the dotted lines i, i,
Figure 1, may be omitted.
The number of ropes, chains, or bands for hauling the load on to the platform
.may vary with the weight of the load, or to suit other special circumstances; and in
some cases instead of employing two ropes or chains for hauling the crop on to the
platform one such rope only may be employed. And it is not a necessary condition
to the effective working of my Invention that the hay, corn, or other crop be formed
"cocks" or heaps of well-defined shape or dimensions, as loose heaps of such
crops may be hauled on to the platform by passing a rope or ropes round them in a
similar manner to that herein-before described.
into "
Although I have described the hauling of the crop as being performed by horse
power, it may be performed by other convenient and sufficient power..
In order to deposit the load from the vehicle in cases where it is to be deposited
upon the ground or other place lower than the platform of the vehicle, the said
platform is lowered in the manner described for lifting, and the vehicle is then
withdrawn from underneath the load which is thus deposited. A wheel or roller j
may be attached to the under side of the platform to enable the said platform to
be more readily withdrawn from beneath the load. If any difficulty be experienced
in depositing the load by drawing the vehicle from underneath it, the said load
may be removed by passing a rope or ropes around it, and attaching the horse
thereto, and hauling in the reverse direction.
When travelling, a light railing or framework may be placed along the front and
sides to prevent the falling off of any portion of the load.. Uprights furnished

page_text: with eyes at their upper ends, and placed at suitable distances in holes around the
edge of the platform, and having a rope or chain passed through the said eyes,
would form a suitable guard for this purpose.
The number of wheels upon which the vehicle runs may be varied according to
the size of the vehicle. In small vehicles one rear wheel only may be employed,
which will be central, and will be raised or lowered by a lever or levers placed
towards the rear of the platform and actuated similarly to those described with
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3; or it may be arranged to work in a socket, as
shewn in the cross section, Figure 6, so as to be readily removed and replaced
by prising the platform up by a lever which may or may not be independent of
the vehicle.
In cases where it is desired, covered cavities may be provided in the platform
over the front wheels of the vehicle, or the said wheels may be outside the vehicle.
Shafts may be attached to the vehicle by the loops k (as shewn in Figure 1)
when desired, as, for instance, when the said vehicle is to be drawn along roads.
When it is required to elevate the material or crop from the platform to a stack
or to a staging, from which it may be conveniently forked for stacking, the said
vehicle may be brought to the lower end of a table or platform so mounted as to
present an inclined plane from the vehicle to the place to which the crop is to be
elevated, the lower end of the said table or platform being at or about the same
elevation as that of the vehicle, and its upper end at or about the same elevation as
that of the place to which the crop is to be elevated, as shewn in side elevation and
plan respectively in Figures 7 and 8, in which G represents this intervening
inclined table. A rope or ropes, or bands 1, l, is or are passed around the crop and over
antifriction rollers n, n, as seen in Figure 8, and attached to horses or to other
motive power, and by exerting a drag upon this rope or these ropes or chains the
said crop or material will be readily urged up the inclined table and on to the stack
or the elevated staging or other place where it is to be deposited. The flap, herein-
after described, forming the connecting link between the platform and the inclined
staging, or the flap may be hinged to the staging and made to rest on the vehicle.
When the material or crop is to be drawn from the vehicle, and deposited at a
place at but a slight distance or elevation from the said truck, hooks p, p, Figures 5
and 6, may be fixed to its sides to receive the eyes q, q, of flaps H, H, by which a
short space may be bridged and over which the material or crop may be drawn on
to the place of deposit by means of ropes passed around the crop, or by other con-
venient and suitable means. These flaps may be turned up and secured in position
by hooks 8, 8, on the vehicle taking into eyes t, t, on the said flaps, so that the
said flaps form sides to the vehicle when travelling, and prevent any portion of the
crop from falling therefrom.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner, in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and
construction of the vehicle and apparatus connected therewith, operating in the
manner and for the purposes substantially as herein-before described, and shewn on
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Banks Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, eighteen hundred and seventy-
JOHN BANKS TAYLOR. (L.S.)

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Banks Taylor, of Prestonpans, in the County of
Haddington, North Britain, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR COLLECTING, LIFTING, CONVEYING, ELEVATING, AND DEPOSITING HAY AND
CORN CROPS, STRAW, GRASS, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS MATERIALS.”.
Sealed the 22nd January 1878, and dated the 14th August 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Banks Taylor at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th August 1877.
JOHN BANKS TAYLOR, of Prestonpans, in the County of Haddington, North
Britain. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING, LIFTING, CONVEYING,
ELEVATING, AND DEPOSITING HAY AND CORN CROPS, STRAW, GRASS, AND OTHER
ANALOGOUS MATERIALS."
This Invention has for its object the collecting, lifting, conveying, elevating, and
depositing of hay, corn crops, straw, grass, and other similar bulky material in an
expeditious and economical manner.
The material is under this Invention collected, lifted, conveyed, and deposited
by means of a specially constructed truck or vehicle. The said truck or vehicle
consists of a platform, preferably mounted on two pairs of wheels, one pair of
which is carried in swivel brackets attached to a rod or bar, which may or may
not extend transversely across the under side of the platform. These wheels are
thus free to turn in any direction. A lever is attached to the end of the said rod
or bar, in connection with either one or both the swivel brackets, which latter are,
when the said lever is depressed, so acted upon as to displace the wheels carried
therein in such a manner that the part of the platform to which they, when in
their normal position act as supports, is lowered to the ground, and forms an inclined
plane, up which the hay, corn crops, grass, or other material to be lifted and
conveyed is drawn in the following manner:-"
-The truck or platform having been
lowered in close proximity to the material in the manner above described, a rope,
chain, band, or the equivalent of these, one end of which is attached to. a hook or
ring secured at or near the end of the truck or platform opposite to the material to

page_text: be lifted, is passed around the mass of material to be operated on, its other end
being carried forward to the front of the truck. A similar rope, chain, or band is
also passed in a corresponding manner around the mass or material, but in the
reverse direction to that of the first-mentioned rope, chain, or band, one end being
in like manner carried forward to the front of the truck, where it, as also that of
the first-mentioned rope, chain, or band, are attached either directly or by means of
an intermediate link to the harness of a horse, or to any other motor.
On exerting
a hauling strain on the combined ropes or bands the mass of material will be drawn
on to the inclined platform, which latter will have a tendency to be drawn towards
the material, and thus further assist in the hauling of the latter onto the truck.
Instead of using two ropes, chains, or bands, the hauling of the load on to the
truck may be effected with one rope or band, which is passed around the mass in
the form of a loop, and connected with the motor.
The afore-mentioned lever or levers being actuated in the reverse direction to
that for lowering the platform, this latter resumes its horizontal position, the swivel
brackets being brought to the proper position therefor, and in which they are
maintained by securing the lever or levers, with a pin or pins.
To assist in certain cases in raising the platform, the hauling rope may be passed
round the levers, whereby the horizontal strain exerts a raising force on the
platform.
In order to, deposit a load at any desired place, the truck or platform is lowered
in the manner described, for lifting and withdrawing from beneath the load, which
latter is thus deposited entire if desired..
An antifriction roller may be attached to the under side of the platform to enable
the latter to be more easily withdrawn from beneath the load, and a light railing
or framework may be placed along the sides to prevent the falling off of any
portion of the load.
The number of wheels upon which the vehicle is carried
desired, and is governed by its size.
may
be varied as
For a vehicle of small dimensions one swivel wheel suffices, which may be
actuated to lower or raise the vehicle by a lever, as herein-before described ;- or it
may be so designed as to be readily removable from the under side of the platform
when it is desired to lower the latter, and be replaced after the platform has been
raised or prised up by a lever, which may or may not be independent of the vehicle.
In cases where it is desired covered cavities may be provided in the platform
over the front wheels of the vehicle, or these latter may be outside the vehicle,
and for the purpose of traversing the vehicle on roads, or as may be desired, a
pair of shafts may be fitted thereto.
1
The mode of lifting the material on to the platform, as herein-before described,
is also equally applicable to the elevation thereof for stacking. The truck or
platform being attached with its load by means of an intermediate frame or
table, which may be inclined to the required degree to a series of staging similarly
inclined, and carried on standards or trestles, which may or may not be mounted
on wheels; the ropes, chains, or bands are passed round the load, which is then
elevated to the height of the stack by exerting a hauling strain on the ropes,
chain, or band, as herein-before described. On the arrival of the material at the
height of the stack it may be discharged at once on to the latter, or brought on
to a platform, and thence transferred to the stack by forks.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Banks Taylor in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
February 1878.
JOHN BANKS TAYLOR, of Prestonpans, in the County of Haddington, North
Britain. "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING, LIFTING, CONVEYING,
ELEVATING, AND DEPOSITING HAY AND CORN CROPS, STRAW, GRASS, AND OTHER
ANALAGOUS MATERIALS."
My said Invention has for its objects the economical and expeditious collecting,
lifting, conveying, elevating, and depositing of hay or grass, straw, corn crops, and
other similar bulky material.
For this purpose I provide an improved apparatus or vehicle consisting of a plat-
form, preferably mounted upon two or more pairs of wheels, one pair being so
arranged that by means of a lever or levers the said pair of wheels may be readily
turned into a position which will allow of the tail or back end of the platform
descending to the ground, and thus forming an inclined plane, up which the
material or crop to be collected and conveyed is urged by ropes, bands, or chains
(attached one on either side of the platform) being passed around the said material
or crop in reverse directions, and attached to horses or other power at the front of
the vehicle. When the load has been hauled on to the vehicle the platform is
restored to a horizontal position, and it with its load may be drawn to any place
where it may be desired to deposit it.
'
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
annexed Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan of the under side of a vehicle
or apparatus constructed according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation
of the same, shewing the platform resting upon its four wheels in position for
travelling; and Figure 3 is a side elevation shewing the platform in the position
which it assumes when its rear wheels are turned out of position so as to allow the
tail of the platform to rest upon the ground; the remaining Figures are details,
which will herein-after be described.
The platform A (strengthened by cross beams a, a, and preferably formed with
rounded ends, as shewn, the back end being more rounded than the front end), is
mounted upon four wheels B, B, C, C, the front wheels B, B, being fixed or turning
on their axle as usual; the hind wheels C, C, are carried by forked carriers c, the
upper parts of which are free to swivel in sockets d', cast or otherwise formed on
the axle D, which is fastened to the under side of the platform by straps d, d, in
such manner as to be free to turn. The said shaft is squared at its ends to receive
the levers E, E.
When the vehicle or apparatus is resting upon its front wheels in a horizontal
position for travelling, the wheels C, C, are kept in position by the axle D, being
prevented from turning by the levers E being locked in an upright position in
holding pieces e, e, on the sides of the platform or its framing by passing pins f, f,
through the holding pieces across the backs of the levers, and into the platform or
its framing. The platform is at either side provided with eyes or loops F, F, to
which are attached chains or ropes b, b, (Figure 4,) or their equivalent. To the
front of the platform are secured staples or loops g, g, to receive the chains by which
the horses are attached to the apparatus. The apparatus is especially suited for
removing hay from the fields (in which it has been formed into large heaps or
"cocks") to the place where it is to be stacked.
The mode of performing this operation is as follows:-Horses are attached to the
apparatus by their chains being hooked to the loops g, g. The apparatus with the

page_text: Jevers E secured in their upright position, and consequently with the platform in a
horizontal position, or resting upon both pairs of wheels (as shewn in Figure 2), is
drawn by the horses to the place from whence the crop is to be removed, with its
tail end in close proximity to a heap or "cock." The lever pins f, f, are removed,
and the levers E are turned out of an upright position through about a quarter of a
revolution towards the tail end of the apparatus. The levers being fast upon the
axle D, it turns with them, and the wheels C, C, are consequently turned on to their
sides or up underneath the platform, and the tail end of the platform descends to
the ground, forming an inclined plane, the lowest point of which is presented to the
crop to be lifted, as shewn in Figure 3. The ropes b, b, are then passed around the
crop at a sufficient distance from the ground to give them a firm grip of the said crop.
The manner in which the said ropes are so passed around the crop is shewn in the
diagram, Figure 4, where X represents the crop to be lifted. The rope from one
side of the platform is carried round the crop in one direction to the other side of
the platform, and being brought to the front is attached to the horses' chains. The
rope from the other side is passed around the crop in a similar manner but in the
reverse direction, and being brought to the front is also attached to the horses'
chains. The said chains having been previously unhooked from the platform, and
on the horses being driven forward, they drag the ropes b, b, with them, and con-
sequently the crop is drawn forward up the inclined platform. By passing the
ropes or chains around the crop in the manner described, the vehicle or platform
"will have a tendency to be drawn towards the crop, which will assist in the hauling
operation. When the crop is fully brought on to the platform the said platform is
restored to a horizontal position by raising the levers E, E, by which the axle D
and wheels C, C, are brought into their original position, and the tail end of the
platform is supported upon the said wheels, the levers being secured in position by
passing the pins f, f, into their places. The crop or load is preferably brought well
toward the front of the platform, as its weight will then assist in the raising of the
tail end. The levers E have bends h (Figure 3) formed in them, so that in cases of
heavy loads, if it be difficult to raise the levers by hand, horse power may be
applied by hooking the horses, ropes, or bands to the said bends.
In small apparatus or vehicles à lever at one end or side thereof may be employed
instead of two levers, as shewn. Instead of the axle D extending completely across
the apparatus, it will be obvious that it may consist of two lengths turning at either
end in suitable supports, that is to say, the centre part between the dotted lines i, i,
'Figure 1, may be omitted.
The number of ropes, chains, or bands for hauling the load on to the platform
may vary with the weight of the load, or to suit other special circumstances; and in
'some cases instead of employing two ropes or chains for hauling the crop on to the
platform one such rope only may be employed. And it is not a necessary condition
to the effective working of my Invention that the hay, corn, or other crop be formed
into "cocks or heaps of well-defined shape or dimensions, as loose heaps of such
crops may be hauled on to the platform by passing a rope or ropes round them in a
similar manner to that herein-before described.
"
Although I have described the hauling of the crop as being performed by horse
power, it may be performed by other convenient and sufficient power.
In order to deposit the load from the vehicle in cases where it is to be deposited
upon the ground or other place lower than the platform of the vehicle, the said
platform is lowered in the manner described for lifting, and the vehicle is then
withdrawn from underneath the load which is thus deposited. A wheel or roller j
may be attached to the under side of the platform to enable the said platform to
be more readily withdrawn from beneath the load. If any difficulty be experienced
in depositing the load by drawing the vehicle from underneath it, the said load
may be removed by passing a rope or ropes around it, and attaching the horse
thereto, and hauling in the reverse direction.
When travelling, a light railing or framework may be placed along the front and
sides to prevent the falling off of any portion of the load. Uprights furnished
443

page_text: with eyes at their upper ends, and placed at suitable distances in holes around the
edge of the platform, and having a rope or chain passed through the said eyes,
would form a suitable guard for this purpose.
The number of wheels upon which the vehicle runs may be varied according to
the size of the vehicle. In small vehicles one rear wheel only may be employed,
which will be central, and will be raised or lowered by a lever or levers placed
towards the rear of the platform and actuated similarly to those described with
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3; or it may be arranged to work in a socket, as
shewn in the cross section, Figure 6, so as to be readily removed and replaced
by prising the platform up by a lever which may or may not be independent of
the vehicle.
In cases where it is desired, covered cavities may be provided in the platform
over the front wheels of the vehicle, or the said wheels may be outside the vehicle.
Shafts may be attached to the vehicle by the loops k (as shewn in Figure 1)
when desired, as, for instance, when the said vehicle is to be drawn along roads.
When it is required to elevate the material or crop from the platform to a stack
or to a staging, from which it may be conveniently forked for stacking, the said
vehicle may be brought to the lower end of a table or platform so mounted as to
present an inclined plane from the vehicle to the place to which the crop is to be
elevated, the lower end of the said table or platform being at or about the same
elevation as that of the vehicle, and its upper end at or about the same elevation as
that of the place to which the crop is to be elevated, as shewn in side elevation and
plan respectively in Figures 7 and 8, in which G represents this intervening
inclined table. A rope or ropes, or bands l, l, is or are passed around the crop and over
antifriction rollers n, n, as seen in Figure 8, and attached to horses or to other
motive power, and by exerting a drag upon this rope or these ropes or chains the
said crop or material will be readily urged up the inclined table and on to the stack
or the elevated staging or other place where it is to be deposited. The flap, herein-
after described, forming the connecting link between the platform and the inclined
staging, or the flap may be hinged to the staging and made to rest on the vehicle.
When the material or crop is to be drawn from the vehicle, and deposited at a
place at but a slight distance or elevation from the said truck, hooks p, p, Figures 5
and 6, may be fixed to its sides to receive the eyes q, q, of flaps H, H, by which a
short space may be bridged and over which the material or crop may be drawn on
to the place of deposit by means of ropes passed around the crop, or by other con-
venient and suitable means. These flaps may be turned up and secured in position
by hooks 8, 8, on the vehicle taking into eyes t, t, on the said flaps, so that the
said flaps form sides to the vehicle when travelling, and prevent any portion of the
crop from falling therefrom.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner, in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the arrangement and
construction of the vehicle and apparatus connected therowith, operating in the
manner and for the purposes substantially as herein-before described, and shewn on
the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Banks Taylor, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of February, eighteen hundred and seventy-
JOHN BANKS TAYLOR. (L.S.)