Improvements in Connection with Forks for Digging and similar uses.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Connection with Forks for Digging and similar uses.
I, WILLIAM HENRY JOSEPH LANCE, of Pinner, Middlesex, late Colonel in Her
Majesty's Army, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
My invention relates to improvements in connection with forks for digging
and similar uses and the object is to facilitate the process of loosening the soil
or other material. In carrying my invention into practice I proceed in or in
about the following manner: I hinge in any suitable manner to the bridge or
tine rail of the fork a bar having projecting therefrom tines similar and in addi-
tion to those of the fork and I prefer to arrange that these additional tines shall
fall within the spaces between the tines of the fork. On each side of the
shaft of the fork, and forming part of the hinged bar already mentioned I pro-
vide a rectangular frame pointing towards the handle end of the shaft, these
frames and the tines being practically all in the same plane. In use the fork
is inserted with the soil in the ordinary manner, the tines of the fork and its
hinged attachment being put in simultaneously. Then on the user pressing his
foot on the upper side of the frames which are on each side of the shaft the tines
A socket may if
on the hinged bar will be turned up and loosen the soil.
desired be provided on one of the frames to receive the end of a rod which can
be operated by the user so as to co-operate with the pressure of the foot in press-
ing down the frames for raising the supplementary set of tines. As a con-
venient means of hinging the bar of the supplementary set of tines to the bridge
of the fork I prefer to use clips attached to the bridge and having eyes in which
is free to turn the bar carrying the supplementary tines.
1000
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, E.C., Agents.
Improvements in Connection with Forks Fong and sim
I, WILLIAM HENRY JOSEPH LANCE, of Pinner, Middlesex, late Colonel in Her
Majesty's Army, 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:-
P

page_text: and similar uses and the object is to facilitate the process of loosening the soil
or other material and consequently lessening the labor necessary for the work.
The essential feature of the invention is the provision of a supplementary set of
tines attached to a bar hinged to the bridge or tine rail of the fork and in such
manner that these supplementary times may depend between the ordinary tines
of the fork. In order to more clearly show my invention I make reference-to the
accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front view showing one method of
putting my invention into practice and Fig. 2 a side view and Fig. 3 a sectional
side respectively of two modifications of my invention. Referring to Fig. 1 I
hinge in any suitable manner to the bridge or tine rail a of the fork b a bar or
rail having projecting therefrom the tines similar and in addition to those
of the fork 6 and I propose that the tines shall fall within the spaces between
the tines of b. On one side or on both sides of the shaft and forming part of
the bar c I provide a rectangular or other frame or projection f projecting to-
wards the handle end of the shaft e, the part or parts f being practically in the
same plane as the tines d. On the shaft e I provide a projection g attached by
ring or otherwise, the object of yg being to prevent the swinging of the rail c
except on the lifting side of the fork. In use the fork is pushed into the soil in
the usual manner, the tines of the fork and those on the rail e being put in siniul-
taneously. Then on the user pressing down the frame or projection f by his foot
the tines d will be turned up and the soil loosened. A socket may. if desired
be provided on f in which may if desired be permanently or temporarily inserted
a shaft as shown by dotted lines.
a
Referring to Fig. 2 the rail a of the fork 6 has hinged to it the rail c provided
with tines d as before. A projecting arm or lever fi slotted at i is provided on
the rail c and in this slot works a loop at the lower end of a vertical rod k, the
upper end of which is pivotted to a hand lever which in turn is pivotted to the
shaft e.
One side of the shaft e has a projecting handle m and on one side of
the lever is another handle n. I prefer that the upper end of k shall be
attached to in such position that when the parts are in the relative positions
shown, the upper end of shall be nearer the shaft e than is the stor i. In use
after the tines have been driven into the soil the lever is pulled backwards and
elevates the supplementary set of tines d as shown.
Referring to Fig. 3 the shaft do is made tubular and filled through a screw or
other cap o with compressed air or with chemicals for producing gas. Within
e is a connecting rod p having a slide valve r covering an openings provided
in o¹. The rod projects somewhat above the upper end of e¹ as at q and the
upper end of e¹ is furnished with a curved or other handle as at t.
The supple-
mentary set of tines d are hinged to the fork bas before and a projecting arm or
lever falso provided. At the outer end of fl is a curved rod u having at one
end a piston y free to work in a curved tube 10 one end of which
communicates by a pipe x with the openings. A spiral spring y
encircles the rod u between the piston y and a suitable stop at the outer end of
the tube w, the spring y being of sufficient strength to keep the piston y pressed
into w and the tines d close to those of the fork b. Between the ends of w
which is connected to and the openings is a hole and hinged to the upper
edge of which is a hanging and weighted valve A. In using this form of my
invention and assuming that the tines are shut up against the fork 6 the pro-
jecting end of the rod is pushed down or raised so as to cause the valve to un-
cover the opening in e¹. The air or gas in e¹ then passes into the pipe and from
thence into the curved tube w and acting on the piston v forces over the end
of f¹ and so raises the tines d. The supply of air or gas to e¹ having been shut
off by raising or lowering 9 the spring pushes inwards the piston which
forces out the air in through the opening which has been uncovered by the
falling of the valve A owing to the removal of pressure thereon by shutting off
the supply through the opening in el

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
-
1. In forks for digging and other uses, the provision of a supplementary set
of tines the rail of which is hinged to the rail or bridge of the ordinary tines of
the fork, the rail of the said supplementary set of tines being movable on its
hinges by pressure applied by the users foot to a frame arm or projection stand-
ing handleward from the rail of the said supplementary tines or by a shaft inserted
into a socket provided on the said rail, the whole substantially as described in the
above specification and exemplified by Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
2. As a modification in forks having a supplementary set of tines as mentioned
in the above Claim 1, operating the supplementary set of times by the movement
of a lever pivotted to the upper part of the shaft of the fork and connected by
a rod with a slotted lever arm or projection on the rail of the said supplementary
set of tines, the whole substantially as described in the above specification with
reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.
3. As a modification in forks having a supplementary set of times as mentioned
in the above Claim 1, operating the supplementary set of tines by compressed air
or by gas contained or generated in a tubular shaft and passed into a curved tube
in which is free to work a piston having a rod, one end of which is attached to a
lever, arm or projection on the rail of the supplementary set of tines, the piston
being returned by a spring on release of the pressure, the whole substantially as
described in the above specification and exemplified by Fig. 3 of the accompany-
ing drawings.
4. Digging and similar forks provided with a supplementary set of tines hinged
to the rail of the ordinary tines, and movable on the said hinges by any suitable
means substantially as described in the above specification and exemplified by
the accompanying drawings.
1000