Improvements in the Manufacture of Pronged Implements.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
[Communicated from abroad by ADOLPH LION, of 62, Wilhelmstrasse, Plettenberg,
i/w, in the German Empire, Manufacturer].
Improvements in the Manufacture of Pronged Implements.
I, DAVID YOUNG, Patent Agent, of the Firm of I). Young & Co., of 11 and 12,
Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
--
This invention relates to improvements in multi-pronged agricultural imple
ments whereby a simplified construction thereof is rendered possible.
Heretofore implements of this kind, such as hay, dung and trenching-forks,
as well as multipronged hoes or mattocks are either forged entire out of one
piece, or some or all of the prongs are united together by welding or other con-
venient methods. In this way the single prongs must always undergo a more or
less considerable amount of manipulation in forging.
According to my invention, multipronged implements can be manufactured
having their prongs made from rod- or bar-material by simple bending and secured
to the socket without the necessity of forging. For the latter purpose, the prongs,
bent from rod- or bar-material, are made, at their place of union, with suitable
loops, bends or curves, which pass into a box- or sleeve-shaped sheath, the walls
of which are closely bent together, around the latter to correspond to these
curves, and are immovably secured together by means of rivets or the like.
This sheath can either be made in one piece with the socket or the like whereby
the fork is secured to the shaft or handle, or it can be made separately and be
secured to the shaft or handle in the manner usually adopted with forged forks,
by means of a spring sleeve or socket together with a cap pushed over the end
of the latter.
The prongs of the implement to be made are formed of rolled or drawn steel
rods or bars of oval, round or four-sided cross-section and of such thickness as to
correspond to the thickness of the prongs desired, so that no working or pre-
paration thereof is required other than forming the points.
Thse rods or bars are preferably so bent that their two ends form the prongs.
whilst in the middle between the two prongs, a curve or bend is formed, which
is made either U-shaped, loop-shaped or of any other suitable form. Single
prongs can also be employed therein. These are advantageously bent together
into eyes at the ends at which they are to be held they can however be also
hent in other ways.
In forks with more than two prongs, the bent or curved parts can be so arranged
that the bends of the inner prongs fit into those of the outer prongs.
The bends or curves can also be arranged in planes crossing one another.
The middle bends or curves of the pairs of prongs or single prongs serve for
securing the prongs to the box- or sleeve-shaped extension or continuation of the
socket. The latter can either be made in the form of a short tube, as in ordinary

page_text: sockets, this tube receiving the end of the wooden shaft or handle of the imple-
ment, or as a spring socket, between the two long pieces or strips of which the
end of this shaft is secured in the well-known manner.
In making a four-pronged fork of this kind, the prongs are preferably bent
from one piece in pairs and are provided at the place of union with U-shaped
or like bends or curves lying one within the other in the same plane. These
hends or curves are secured in the box-shaped continuation of the socket, which
is bent up from sheet-metal, the middle piece or tongue of this extension being
hent upwards over the bends or curves so that these bends or curves are firmly
enclosed and held by the rear wall, the side walls and the upwardly bent piece
or tongue forming the front wall of the box-like extension. The rear wall and the
tongue are firmly united together by means of a rivet.
In making a fork which has only three prongs, the outer pair of prongs is
here made similarly to that in the form just described, whilst the end of the
central, single prong is provided with an eye-shaped bend, which fits into the
bend of the outer pair of prongs. These bends or curves are enclosed, in a similar
manner, in the box-like extension of the socket, only a hole is provided in the
centre, through which the central prong passes.
In a two-pronged fork, the middle bend or curve can be bent somewhat differently
so that the prongs pass out in the middle of the box-like extension of the socket
through suitable apertures in the side walls of this extension. The bend or curve
can also be made simply U-shaped as in the outer pair of prongs in the four-
pronged fork.
When it is desired to make a four-pronged fork of this kind with a spring
socket, the latter is formed of a piece of sheet metal comprising an upper tongue
or piece, a lower tongue or piece and two side pieces. The outer pair of prongs
is bent out U-shaped at the place of union and the ends of the inner pair fit into
this bend or curve. The lower tongue is bent up backwards over these bends
or curves. The side pieces surround the lower part of the tongue and are firmly
united by means of a rivet passing through them.
In a further modified form of four-pronged fork, the middle bends or curves
do not lie in one plane, as above mentioned, but are arranged crosswise, and are
rigidly secured in a round, sleeve-like extension of the socket. The said sleeve
is closed beneath by the upwardly-bent tongue which is secured by means of a
diagonally arranged rivet.
As a further modification, a similar four-pronged fork with a spring sleeve can
be made, in which the middle bend or curve of the prongs is arranged cross-
wise and is likewise enclosed in a sleeve-shaped extension of the spring sleeve.
As a further modification of my invention, an implement can be made in
which the prongs are bent downwards at about a right angle, to the shaft, so that
the implement can be used as a rake, or hoe. The middle bend or curve of the
outer pair of prongs is here arranged within the corresponding bend or curve
of the inner pair of prongs and both are enclosed together in the box-shaped
extension of the socket as above described.
In the above described forms of the implement, the casing, in which the bends
or curves of the prongs are enclosed, is made in one piece with the socket or spring-
sleeve serving for fastening, and forms an extension thereof.
The fork can however also be made separately and he secured to the shaft or
handle in the known manner by means of a socket and cap or a spring-sleeve and
cap.
In making a four-pronged fork having two corresponding pairs of prongs I
employ a piece of sheet metal to form a casing which firmly unites together the
bands or curves of the two pairs of prongs.
The middle part of this piece of sheet metal is extended heyond the ends of
the bends and forms the rear wall of the casing. The middle tongue is bent
upwards over the bends or curves and likewise extends over the upper end of the
said bends. The two projecting ends of the rear wall and of the middle tongue

page_text: or piece are bent together above, so that they lay closely against each other, and
the projecting ends are provided in the middle with a hole.
The two side pieces of the piece of sheet metal are bent round over the bends
or curves and the middle tongue whereby the casing is closed at the sides.
The fork so made can be secured to the handle or shaft of the implement in
a similar manner as is employed with forged forks, for example, by means of a
spring sleeve which surrounds the end of the wooden shaft or handle and a cap
firmly driven onto the end thereof, which cap is provided with a slit in the middle,
through which the prongs issue. By means of a rivet or a nail which passes
through the hole in the projecting upper ends of the casing, the fork is firmly
united to the sleeve and shaft or handle.
It is obvious that, according to the present invention, in addition to those
described, other multipronged implements can also be made in the manner
described with bent prongs of rod- or bar-material, these prongs with bends or
curves being firmly secured in the socket or extension closely surrounding the
same.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Pronged Implements.
I, DAVID YOUNG, Patent Agent, of the Firm of D. Young & Co., of 11 and 12,
Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., do hereby declare 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in multi-pronged agricultural imple-
ments whereby a simplified construction thereof is rendered possible.
Heretofore implements of this kind, such as bay-, dung- and trenching-forks,
as well as multipronged hoes or mattocks, are either forged entire out of one
piece, or some or all of the prongs are united together by welding or other con-
venient methods. In this way the single prongs must always undergo a more or
less considerable amount of manipulation in forging.
According to my invention. multipronged implements can be manufactured
having their prongs made from rod- or bar-material by simple bending and secured
to the socket without the necessity of forging. For the latter purpose, the prongs,
bent from rod- or bar-material, are made, at their place of union, with suitable
loops, bends or curves, which pass into a box-or sleeve-shaped sheath, the walls
of which are closely bent together around the latter to correspond to these
curves, and are immovably secured together by means of rivets or the like.
This sheath can either be made in one piece with the socket or the like whereby
the fork is secured to the shaft or handle, or it can be made separately and be
secured to the shaft or handle in the manner usually adopted with forged forks,
by means of a spring sleeve or socket together with a cap pushed over the end
of the latter.
The prongs of the implement to be made are formed of rolled or drawn steel
rods or bars of oval, round or four-sided cross-section and of such thickness as to
correspond to the thickness of the prongs desired, so that no working or pre-
paration thereof is required other than forming the points.
These rods or bars are preferably so bent that their two ends form the prongs,
whilst in the middle between the two prongs, a curve or bend is formed, which

page_text: is made either U-shaped, loop-shaped or of any other suitable form. Single
prongs can also be employed therein. These are advantageously bent together
into eyes at the ends at which they are to be held; they can however be also
bent in other ways.
In forks with more than two prongs, the bent or curved parts can be so arranged
that the bends of the inner prougs fit into those of the outer prongs.
The bends or curves can also be arranged in planes crossing one another.
The middle bends or curves of the pairs of prongs or single prongs serve for
securing the prongs to the box- or sleeve-shaped extension or continuation of the
socket. The latter can either be made in the form of a short tube, as in ordinary
sockets, this tube receiving the end of the wooden shaft or handle of the iniple-
ment, or as a spring socket, between the two long pieces or strips of which the
end of this shaft is secured in the well-known manner.
Figure 1 shows a four-pronged fork of this kind, the prongs are preferably
bent from one piece in pairs and are provided at the place of union with U-shaped
or like bends or curves a¹, a lying one within the other in the same plane, as
shown in Figure 2. These bends or curves a', a are secured in the box-shaped
continuation of the socket d, which is bent up fron sheet-metal, the middle
piece or tongue 7 of this extension being bent upwards over the bends or
curves a, a so that these bends or curves are firmly enclosed and held by the
rear wall r, the side walls s and the upwardly bent piece or tongue / forming the
front wall of the box-like extension. The rear wall r and the tongue are firmly
united together by means of a rivet n.
Figure 3 shows a similar fork which has only three prongs, the outer pair of
prongs is here made similarly to that in the form just described, whilst the
end of the central single prong is provided with an eye-shaped bend which
fits into the bend a' of the outer pair of prongs. These bends or curves a, are
enclosed, in a similar manner, in the box-like extension of the socket, only a
hole is provided in the centre, through which the central prong passes.
Figure shows a two-pronged fork. In this the middle bend or curve a can be
bent somewhat differently so that the prongspass out in the middle of the box-
like extension of the socket d through suitable apertures in the side walls s of
this extension. The bend or curve can also be made simply U-shaped as in the
outer pair of prongs in the four-pronged fork, Figure 1.
Figures 5 and 6 show a four-pronged fork of this kind with a spring socket /¹
consisting of a piece of sheet metal, Figure 5, which comprises an upper tongue
or piece a lower tongue or piece and two side pieces. The outer pair of
prongs is bent out U-shaped at the place of union and the ends of the
inner pair fit into this bend or curve. The lower tongue is bent up backwards
over these bends or curves. The side pieces surround the lower part of the
tongue as shown and are firmly united by means of a rivet n passing through
them.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 show, as a further modification, a four-pronged fork, in which
the middle bends or curves a, a do not lie in one plane, as above mentioned, but
are arranged crosswise, and are rigidly secured in a round, sleeve-like extension b
of the socket d. Figure 9 shows, to an enlarged scale, a transverse section through
the sleeve-like extension of the socket and the crosswise arrangement of the
ends of the prongs in the sleeve. The said sleeve bis closed beneath by the up-
wardly bent tongue which is secured by means of a diagonally arranged
rivet n.
Figures 10 and 11 show as a still further modification, a similar four-pronged
fork with a spring sleeve in which the middle bend or curve of the prongs is
arranged crosswise and is likewise enclosed in a sleeve shaped extension b of the
spring sleeve d
As a further modification of my invention, an implement (Figure 12) can be
made in which the prongs are bent downwards at about a right-angle to the shaft
so that the implement can be used as a rake, or hoe. The middle bend or curve

page_text: of the outer pair of prongs is here arranged within the corresponding bend or
curve of the inner pair of prongs and both are enclosed together in the box-
shaped extension k of the socket d as above described.
In the above described forms of the implement, the casing, in which the bends
or curves of the prongs are enclosed, is made in one piece with the socket or spring-
sleeve serving for fastening, and forms an extension thereof.
The fork can however also be made separately and be secured to the shaft or
handle in the known manner by means of a socket and cap or a spring-sleeve and
cap. An arrangement of this kind is shown in Figures 13 to 15.
In making a four-pronged fork having two corresponding pairs of prongs a
piece u of sheet metal is employed to form a casing which firmly unites together
the bends or curves of the two pairs of prongs, as shown in Figure 13. The middle
part of this piece of sheet metal is extended beyond the ends of the bends a³, u6
and forms the rear wall of the casing. The middle tongue 5 is bent upwards
over the bends or curves and likewise extends over the upper end of the said
bends, a. The two projecting ends of the rear wall and of the middle tongue
or piece are bent together above, so that they lay closely against each other,
Figure 15, and the projecting ends are provided in the middle with corresponding
holes o¹, o'.
The two side pieces 1, 17 of the piece of sheet metal u are bent round over the
bends or curves a³, a and the middle tongue 5 whereby the casing is closed at
the sides.
The fork so made can be secured to the handle or shaft of the implement in
a similar manner as is employed with forged forks, for example, as shown in
Figures 14 and 15, by means of a spring sleeve, which surrounds the end of
the wooden shaft or handle S and a cap K firmly driven onto the end thereof,
which cap is provided with a slit in the middle, Figure 15, through which the
prongs issue. By means of a rivet n or a nail which passes through the hole o¹
in the projecting upper ends of the casing, the fork is firmly united to the sleeve
and shaft or handle.
It is obvious that, according to the present invention, in addition to those
described, other multipronged implements can also be made in the manner
described with bent prongs of rod- or bar-material, these prongs with bends or
curves being firmly secured in the socket or extension closely surrounding the
same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is;-
1. A multi-pronged tool or implement for agricultural purposes, in which the
prongs are formed from a rod or bar by simple bending, and are provided, near
their point of union, with U-shaped or other suitably looped or curved portions
which are rigidly secured in a box-shaped socket or sleeve of sheet-metal, having
its walls bound fast together about the said looped or curved portions and having
suitable openings at the outbending of the said prongs, substantially as herein-
before described.
2. The four-pronged fork in which the prongs are bent in pairs from one piece
and are provided at the place of union with U-shaped or like bends lying in
the same plane and fitting one within the other, which bends are enclosed in a
box-shaped extension of the socket, substantially as described.
3. The three-pronged fork in which the middle prong is provided at one end
with an eye-shaped bend which fits into the U-shaped central bend of the outer
pair of prongs and which is rigidly embraced, together with the latter, by the
box-shaped extension of the socket, substantially as described.
4. The two-pronged fork formed from a rod or bar by simple bending and in
which the prongs project out through apertures in the side walls of the box-shaped
extension surrounding the same, substantially as described.

page_text: 5. A four-pronged fork made with a spring socket, in which the bends of the
prongs are firmly secured in the box or sleeve-like extension of the socket formed
by the lower and upper pieces or tongues, by means of two side pieces enclosing
the said lower and upper pieces, substantially as described.
6. A fork the prongs of which are formed from one or more rods or bars by
simple bending and in which the bends of the forks are enclosed crosswise in the
sleeve-shaped extension of the socket, substantially as described with reference to
Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawing.
. A fork in which the shell enclosing the bends of the prongs does not form the
extension of a socket or spring-sleeve, but is made separately and is fastened.
like wrought or forged forks, in a socket or spring-sleeve together with a cap,
substantially as described.
ted this in day of July 1898.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.
Agents for the Applicant.