IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR ELEVATING OR RICKING STRAW AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE, SUCH MACHINES BEING COMMONLY KNOWN AS STRAW ELEVATORS OR RICKERS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tasker, junior, of Waterloo Iron Works,
near Andover, in the County of Hants, Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR ELEVATING OR RICKING STRAW AND
OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE, SUCH MACHINES BEING COMMONLY KNOWN AS
STRAW ELEVATORS OR RICKERS,"
Sealed the 7th September 1871, and dated the 17th March 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tasker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th March 1871.
I, WILLIAM TASKER, junior, of Waterloo Iron Works, near Andover,
in the County of Hants, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR ELEVATING OR RICKING
STRAW AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE, SUCH MACHINES BEING COMMONLY KNOWN
AS STRAW ELEVATORS OR RICKERS," to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machines for
clevating or ricking straw and other like agricultural produce.

page_text: According to this Invention I propose to mount the elevator (or
elevator trough) on two ground or travelling wheels in lieu of upon
four such wheels as heretofore, whereby economy of construction is
obtained. I also propose to raise or lower the elevator or ricker trough
by means of the axle of the travelling wheels in connection with geared
wheels, or discs, or racks, or with a part of either of the above arrange-
ments, forming a crank which when turned raises or lowers the elevator
trough.
Another part of my Invention relates to the manner in which the
upper end, or if preferred, both the upper and lower ends, of the trough
of an clevator or ricker mounted on only two travelling wheels as above
set forth can be folded for travelling by lowering the upper end or both
the upper and lower ends, and folding the end or ends back under the
other part of the elevator trough.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Tasker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TASKER, junior, of Waterloo Iron Works, near Andover, in the County
of Hants, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the 34th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Tasker, junior, Her special
licence that I, the said William Tasker, junior, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Tasker,
junior, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"İMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR ELEVATING OR RICKING STRAW AND OTHER
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE, SUCH MACHINES BEING COMMONLY KNOWN AS STRAW

page_text: ELEVATORS OR RICKERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Tasker, junior, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Tasker, junior, do hereby
declare, the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the samo
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :— .
My said Invention has for its object improvements in the machines
known as straw elevators and rickers or other like machinery for raising
hay, corn, straw, or other similar produce from one level to another, and
relates,-
Firstly. To an improved manner of mounting the elevator on the
ground or travelling wheels, the object of which is to cause the elevator
or ricker to stand firm when in work, and at the same time materially to
decrease the weight of the machine. It has hitherto been the practice
in manufacturing straw elevators or other similar machines to mount
them on more than two ground or travelling wheels, and this part of
the Invention consists in mounting the elevator or ricker on two such
ground or travelling wheels, whereby much framing formerly used in
elevators may be dispensed with, and the machine is rendered much
more portable, whilst either or both ends of the trough can be readily
folded.
Secondly. To an improved manner of raising or lowering the frame and
the trough of the elevator. For this purpose I employ geared wheels or
discs, or racks, or other suitable arrangements or parts of either of the
above in connection with the axle of the travelling wheels or other
suitable part, such arrangement forming a crank or cranks, which
when turned raise or lower the elevator. This arrangement will be
more fully explained by means of the Drawings herein-after referred to.
The advantages derived from this manner of raising the elevator are
that it is readily applied to an elevator mounted on two travelling wheels

page_text: no large frame is required to the elevator on which to fix it, and it causes
the elevator to stand very firm and rigid when in work.
Thirdly. To the folding of the trough of my improved two-wheeled
elevator at one or both ends back under the other or centre part of the
trough. To effect this the trough or part of the clevator up which the
produce is carried is made in more than one piece, part, or length,
hinged or jointed together. Both ends are by preference folded, and I
then make the trough in three parts connected by joints or similar
arrangement, and the whole trough is kept in right position for raising
or lowering by tie bars or any other suitable fastening or coupling
connecting the several parts together. When these tie bars or other
similar arrangements are uncoupled the ends of the trough will drop
down and can be folded back under the other part of the trough.
The advantage of this part of my Invention is that the trough being
by preference folded at both ends the parts to be folded are light, and
as the clevator can thus be easily folded by hand for travelling com-
plicated machinery to perform this operation is dispensed with. When
the elevator is open for work I prefer to connect the bottom or hopper
end of the trough to the shafts by means of a brace, and this helps to
steady the machine when in operation.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures in the annexed Sheets of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) is a side clevation of my improved elevator or
ricker open for work; Figure 2 is a corresponding end elevation of the
same; and Figure 3 (Sheet 2) is a side clevation of the elevator when
folded for travelling, and with one ground or travelling wheel removed
to shew the raising gear more clearly. The Drawings shew the manner
in which, by preference, I construct my new elevator, but it is manifest
that the essential feature of my Invention could be applied in various
other ways.
A, A, are the two ground or travelling wheels on which alone the
elevator is mounted; B is the axle which carries the entire machine,
and on which the arms C₁ of the two toothed quadrants C, C, are rigidly
fastened or keyed; D, D, are two spur pinions which work in the

page_text: quadrants C, C, and are carried by the frame H; E is a worm and worm
wheel through which motion is imparted to the pinions D, D; F is the
spindle and handle carried in the frame H for turning the worm. The
quadrants C, C, are keyed on to the quadrant bar J and are rigidly
connected to the arms C¹ which are keyed on to the axle B. Thus, the
quadrants C, C, the quadrant bar J, and the axle bar B form a strong
rigid frame by means of which the elevator frame and trough are carried,
raised, and caused to stand very steadily in work. It is thus obvious
that when the pinions D, D, revolve the quadrants will be raised or
lowered, and as the pinions D travel over the quadrants at the same time
the frame of the elevator H, H, and the trough T carried thereby will
be raised or lowered by the movement of the quadrants C, C. K, K,
(Figures 1 and 2) is a brace connected with the bottom end of the trough
and in which are fixed by preference two loops or links through which
the ends of the draught shafts M, M, are passed, and this ties the
machine well together, making it stand steadily when in work. The
trough T, T, T, is by preference made in three parts connected by the
joints N, N, and the two ends are kept in position by the tie rods or
couplings O, O, and 0%. When the elevator is required to be folded for
travelling I prefer to lower it to the lowest point attainable with the
quadrants. The brace K, K, being taken off or uncoupled, and the tie
rods O, O, uncoupled, the ends of the trough can be lowered by hand
and then folded back under the middle portion of the trough, as shewn
in Figure 3. When folded, I prefer that the elevator should be so con-
structed that it is balanced on the axle of the travelling wheels, which
renders it much more portable.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
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,―
Firstly. The mounting or placing an elevator or ricker on only two
ground or travelling wheels.
Secondly. The combination and arrangement of wheels, racks, or
equivalent mechanism when they are connected together so as to form
a rigid frame, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein-
before described.

page_text: Thirdly. The folding back of the upper or upper and lower ends of
the trough under the middle portion thereof in an elevator or ricker
supported on two wheels, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tasker, junior, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, this 11th day of September,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.