Improvement in the Manufacture of Hay, Barley and Unloading Forks for Agricultural Purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: PRIORAL DIFICATION.
Improvement in the Manufacture of Hay, Barley and Unloading
Forks for Agricultural Purposes.
JOSEPH MILLS, of Cemetery Road, Lye, near Stourbridge, in the County of
Worcester, Spade, Shovel, & Agricultural Fork Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hay, barley, or unloading forks consist of a bit made from cast steel, having
two or more tines; the handle part being of wood. The parts for attaching
the bits to handle are of two kinds :-one for welding two straps to the bit into
which the wood handle is inserted and secured with rivets; and one for placing
a ferrel on the wood handle.
A tang on the fork bit is inserted into the wood in ferrel, the fork then being
forced into its position. My invention consists in making the straps for securing
the fork to wood handle in one piece of iron or steel in the manner herein after
described.
In making one of the said straps, according to my invention, I cut from strip
or sheet of iron or steel a blank, of sufficient size and shape, to make the back
and front straps for the fixing of the fork to wood handle; then I bend and shape
the straps at either end and also in the centre, to secure the fork. I prefer to
fashion the blanks of the straps by shaping tools in a press or stamp, but the
fashioning of the said blanks may be done by hand. The centre of the blank has
a half round piece cut out on either side, leaving sufficient width and strength in
the centre, to hold fork in its proper position. I bend and shape the straps into half
round form, piercing two or more holes in either end for the purpose of riveting.
The straps are taken and the centre piece fitted to the centre of fork bit; the
straps are then bent till they come together thus securing the fork and making
double strap and socket into which the handle is inserted.
Rivets are passed through the pierced holes and thus secure the fork to the
proper position on the handle.
Dated this 17th day of December 1898
Improvement in the Manufacture of Hay, Barley and Unloading
Forks for Agricultural Purposes.
I, JOSEPH MILLS, of Cemetery Road, Lye, near Stourbridge, in the County of
Worcester, Spade, Shovel and Agricultural Fork Manufacturer, do hereby declare
[Price 8d.] เ

page_text: .
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:--
Hay, barley, unloading, stone, coal, coke, dung, digging forks for agricultural
purposes consist of a bit made from cast steel having two or more tines, the handle
part being of wood. The parts for attaching the bits to the handles are of two
nds one for welding two straps to the bit, into which the wood handle is inserted
and secured with rivets, and one for placing a ferrel on the wooden handle. A
tang on the fork bit is inserted into the wood in the ferrel, the fork then being
forced into its position. My invention consists in making the straps for securing
the fork to the wood handle in one piece of iron or steel.” In the manner herein
after described.
In making one of the said straps according to my invention, I cut from strip or
sheet of iron or steel a blank of sufficient size and shape to make the back and
front strap for the fixing of the fork to the wood handle. I then bend and shape
the strap at either end to fit the wood, and also in the centre to secure the fork.
I prefer to fashion the blanks by shaping tools in a press or stamp, but the fashion-
ing of the said blanks may be done by hand.
The centre of the blank has half rounds cut on either side, to hold the fork in its
proper position.
i
I then bend and shape the strap into a half round form piercing two or more
holes in either end, for riveting. I then take the strap, putting the centre, which
is cut half round to the centre of the fork, hending the straps till they come
together, making a round socket into which the handle is inserted. The rivets
are passed through the pierced holes and so secure the fork into its proper position
and secure the handle.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings
the manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Fig. 3 represents blank of strap, for the securing of the fork, also the straps
for securing the wooden handle to the fork, Fig. 1.
In making a strap for fork, I cut out at a press or stamp an iron or steel blank
of the kind represented in Fig. 3. The said blank consists of two straps A 2,
also of two enlarged sections to form socket when brought together, C2, also centre
of straps pierced in half circles 2, which forms a cross socket to retain fork bit
in its proper position and securely. The blank is first operated upon as in the
manner represented in Fig. 4, whereby the ends A 2 also C2, are curved half
round. At the same time the piercings C4, are made in the half round straps.
The blank Fig. 3 is next bent as B2, in Fig. 5. The fork part, or blank, as
Fig. 2 is dropped into B2. The straps are then brought together as in Fig. 6.
So that the straps come up on either side of tang 13, in Fig. 2, enclosed between
straps A 2, and socket C2 in Fig. 6. When the wood part Fig. 1, is inserted
between the straps A 2, and socket C2, the rivets are then passed through the
pierced holes C4, and C4 and through the wood handle thus securing the fork.
The straps may be curved and bent to shape, by dies in hand or power-press, or
in stamp, but the operation described may be performed by hand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as
my invention of "Improvement in the manufacture of hay, barley, and unloading,
forks for agricultural purposes:-"
Making the straps and sockets all out of one sheet of metal of iron or steel,
of the kind represented in Fig. 3. The said blanks being treated and fashioned
substancially in the manner herein before described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2,
3, 4, 5 and 6, of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of Cantanhan 1000