AN IMPROVED HAY-RICK MACHINE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Kent, of Bothwell, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Cartwright, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED HAY-RICK
MACHINE"
Sealed the 18th January 1878, and dated the 14th November 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Kent at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th November 1877.
JOHN KENT, of Bothwell, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Cartwright.
"AN IMPROVED HAY-RICK MACHINE."
This Invention has reference to or consists of a new or improved general con-
struction of a low wheeled horse frame or carriage for building the hay in the field
upon in the rick form, and then transporting the same so built and placing it on
the ground in the hay-yard or other part of the farm where the ricks are to be stored
for winter use, and which is more convenient, managable, and durable than the
sledges or wheeled "ricking" apparatus or machines heretofore in use.
And the nature or construction and novelty of this machine consist in making
the upper platform part of the frame, on which the hay is built above, round to
about the diameter of the ricks to be built on it, with a strong deep rectangular
frame below at the front and sides, but open behind, where it is stayed and fitted
with a back rail or bar jointed or cottered to the rear ends of the side frames, this
bar supporting the back ends of a set of rails over them, ranged longitudinally
between the side frames, and jointed firmly at their front ends to the deep trans-
verse front frame of the carriage, forming the centre part of the platform on which
the ricks of hay are built one at a time. The whole is carried on three, or it might
be four wheels, below the level of the platform, the two side wheels being carried on
strong stud axles secured to and projecting from the side frames, a little behind the
middle of the main frame, while one or two front supporting and steering wheels
are centered on a swivelling frame, secured to and projecting down from the front
swivelling and drawing joint, and eyes of the frame and drawing pole, with cross

page_text: "chain trees " or shafts, for the horses to pull the whole by, and with which these
front steering wheels oscillate in turning, and all fitted so that the wheels can be
oiled and examined or removed for repair at any moment.
The circular platform and frame in front, over the steering wheel or wheels, is
formed with a segmental rail or open frame, supported on standards secured to the
front edge and sides of the frame, for the purpose of steadying the hay-ricks when
tall, or while being jolted in the removal by the motion of the machine over the
rough fields or roads to the place where they have to be deposited or set on the
ground, which is effected by lowering the back bar by removing the retaining bolts
or cotters, and letting down the back ends of all the longitudinal rails (forming the
main central part of the platform on which the rick is built) as an inclined plane,
which being then drawn away by the horses from under the rick, leaves or deposits
the whole on the ground in the compact form in which it was built, when the back
rail may then be raised with all the bars of the platform above it on its re-acting
levers, stays, or slots ready for going back to build, and return with a fresh rick,
all as before described. And this back bar might be attached to spring levers, which
would automatically raise the back ends of the rail platform, as soon as it was
drawn from under the weight of the rick.
Another modification or improvement consists in so mounting the whole frame on
its back wheels or their axle, on an eccentric or sliding axis, that the back end of
the whole frame may be lowered as an inclined plane from the axis of the front
wheel or wheels, or a joint at the top of their swivelling frame, so as to deposit the
rick on the ground from off the carriage frame, without the use of the central railed
or barred platform referred to in the former modification.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Kent in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th May 1878.
JOHN KENT, of Bothwell, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Cartwright.
"AN IMPROVED HAY-RICK MACHINE."
My said Invention has reference to or consists of a new or improved general
construction of a low wheeled horse frame or rick carriage or machine for building
the hay or other cut crops upon in the field, and then transporting and depositing
or placing the same in the rick form, as so built on the ground within the stack-
yard or other part of the farm where the ricks are desired to be stored for winter
use, which rick machine or sleigh is more convenient, manageable, and durable
than the sleighs or wheeled ricking machines or apparatus heretofore in use.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing any said Invention
may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on
the Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for that purpose, the
same reference letters indicating the same parts in all the Figures where seen.
Figures 1 and 2 are a side elevation and a plan (in the travelling and trans-
porting position) of the frame and the wheels; and Figure 3 is a side elevation,
with the frame and its carrying wheels and axle as tilted to the angled or delivering
position; while Figure 4 is a front end view, all respectively of one modification
or general arrangement of the parts of my new or improved hay-rick or harvesting
machine or wheeled sleigh, constructed in accordance with and illustrative of my
said Invention.
Referring to these Figures 1 to 4, the nature, novelty, and mode of performing
the Invention consist in making the upper part of the machine round, and of a plat-
form shape at a, on which the hay or other cut crops are built, and about the
diameter of the ricks to be built on it, as seen in Figure 2, with a strong deep longi-
tudinal or transverse rectangular bound frame A below, covered over by strong
planking at a' in front and on the top side; but open behind where the longitudinal
back frame rails A rest on the ground for allowing the rick to catch the ground
while the sleigh is being drawn out from below to deliver it steadily and safely in
the built form. The whole is carried on three wheels, B, B, D, (or it might be four,
below the level of the platform A, a,) the two side wheels B, B, being carried and
mounted on strong stud axles C, C, of two overhung cranks formed on the strong
main axle C, mounted in the bearing blocks c, screwed to the under side of the two
side rails A" of the main frame A, and beyond which the crank axles C and wheels
B project under the platform a, behind the centre of gravity or middle part of the
main frame, while the front supporting and steering wheel D (or it might be two
of these) is centred on the swivelling frame D', with swivelling stem secured in and
projecting down from the front eye of the frame A, a, and oscillating joint of the
drawing pole E, with cross " trees
e, e, (or it might be shafts) for the horses to
pull the whole by, and by which the front steering wheel frame D, D¹, is oscillated
in turning, and all fitted so that the wheels B, B, and D can be examined and
oiled or removed for repair at any moment. The circular platform and frame A, a,
in front, over the steering wheel and round the sides to near the centre, is formed
with a semicircular or segmental rail or open frame F, f, supported on the
standards F, secured to the front edge and sides of the main frame A for the purpose
of steadying the hay-ricks when built high, or while being jolted in the removal by
the motion of the machine over the rough fields or roads to the stack-yard or other
place where they have to be deposited or set on the ground, which is effected by
tilting or lowering the crank axle C, C¹, of the back wheels B, B, until the back end
of all the longitudinal rails A. of the main central part of the frame platform A, a,
rest on the ground as an inclined plane, which being then drawn away by the
horses from under the rick, leaves or deposits it on the ground in the compact form
in which it was built, when the frame or platform A, a, may again be instantly
"

page_text: raised by the tilting or turning of the crank axle C, C', and wheels B, B, vertically
under it, all by the simple action of the connecting rod b, connected at its inner
end to a reverse crank b¹ formed on the crank shaft C, and at the other end to the
tilting or raising, lowering, and fixing hand lever 611, oscillating on a stud bracket b²,
secured to the front end of one of the longitudinal rails A of the main frame A, a,
in front, with a securing pin b³ for holding the crank axle in its normal drawing or
transporting position. Or otherwise, this lever might be oscillated on a short shaft
secured to one of the transverse rails at A³, with the hand lever quite to one side of
the vertical rail F, as dotted in the plan view.
The main improvement of this Invention consists in mounting the whole frame or
platform A, a, on its back wheels or their axle, on a swivelling crank or eccentric
axle C, C¹, so that the whole frame may be lowered as an inclined plane from the
front wheel and its axis to the back end, which would rest on the ground, so as to
deposit the rick thereon from off the carriage or sleigh frame, without the use of a
separate raising and lowering central back platform, as has heretofore been used,
and to which I lay no claim, although I have described some improvements upon
this in my Provisional Specification.
Although the rear wheels have been shown as mounted on a crank swivelling
axle for the tilting of the sleigh, it will be obvious that these might be mounted
on a straight or ordinary axle, and that the front steering wheel or wheels might be
mounted on the crank axle, and act all substantially as described for the tilting of
the frame or platform, but in the reverse direction; that is, raising the front of the
frame when tilting instead of lowering the back only. And although the rear axle
has been shown as a crank axle behind the centre of gravity, it might be made as a
straight sliding axle and be drawn forward in front of the centre of gravity, so as
to lower the sleigh frame for the delivery of the ricks, and pushed back into its
normal position again for the raising of the platform, all ready for returning to the
field for a new rick.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated, but what I consider novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent, is,―
First. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of the parts of a
hay-rick, or harvesting low wheeled sleigh, substantially as and for the purposes
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
Second. The raising and lowering of the frame or platform of a hay-rick or har-
vesting wheeled sleigh, by a tilting crank axle, substantially as herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Kent, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and
Witness,
JOHN BROWN,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
JOHN KENT. (L.S.)