Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1887
Specification Accepted, 15th Nov., 1887
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me
from abroad by Thomas Hale, of Wales in the County of Erie and State of New York,
United States of America, Fruit grower and farmer, 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 a machine adapted for gathering a scattered hay or other
fodder crop from a field, and discharging the fodder on to the ground in compact
piles or cocks for protection against storins, and the invention has for its object to
provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive machine of this character which may
be operated by a single attendant who drives the horses drawing the machine, and will
cock the hay quickly in emergencies, thereby preventing serious injury to the crop.
The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of
parts of the hay cocking machine, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved hay cocking machine, with one of the
drive wheels removed and the axle in section, and with parts indicated in different
positions in dotted lines.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine, parts being broken away and in section.
Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectional elevation mainly of the hay-receiving box and
the distributor, and shows the hay rake in inoperative position; and
Figure 4 is a detail side view intended especially to illustrate a modified form of
mechanism for operating the distributor above the receiving box.
The main horizontal frame A, of the machine has fixed to it suitable bearings a, in
which is journaled an axle or shaft B, on which the two opposite side wheels C, C, are
fixed. These wheels give support to the machine, and serve also as drivers to its
mechanism, as hereinafter explained. To the main frame A, there is fastened or held

page_text: a box D, which receives the hay or other folder crop from the elevator E, and
distributor F, the latter working back and forth over the open top of the box D, as
presently described, while the elevator receives or takes the hay from a rake G, which
lifts the hay from the ground as the machine is drawn along by one or more horses
hitched to the main frame A, in any approved way.
The hay rake G, comprises a series of tines g¹, which are fixed to a transverse
shaft 9, made fast to arms or levers H, H, pivoted at h, one at each side of the frame A,
and to one of the levers H, is connected one end of a rod I, the other end of which is
attached to a lever J, which is pivoted at j, to the frame A, and is provided with an
ordinary pawl, connected to a spring pressed trip lever j³, and adapted to engage
with a quadrant rack J', fixed to the frame A, for locking the lever J, and consequently
the rake G, in any desired position. The lever J, is within easy reach of a driver or
attendant on the seat K, and when he throws the lever backward, the rake G, will
be thrown forward with the out-turned lower ends or points of its tines quite close to
the ground to lift the scattered hay or other fodder crop therefrom, and the hay
will pass up the tines onto the floor or back 1, of an inclined slide L, which is fixed
to the main frame A, and to projecting top rails of the frame of the box D ; the floor
of the slide being held some little distance away from the front wall of the box D to
give space for the operation of the flexible distributor F, as presently described.
As the hay rises toward or upon the upper parts of the rake tines to the slide L,
the hay is caught by the elevator E, which is composed of a series of slats e³, having
pins e, fixed therein and attached to suitable flexible webbing or bands e, adapting
the elevator belt to run easily over pulleys E¹, journaled in bearings on the main
frame A, at or near the lower end of the slide L, and over guide pulleys E2 E²,
journaled in arms or brackets fixed to the box D, and over return pulleys E³, journaled
to arms or brackets held to and above the back end of the box, and whereby the
elevator belt is caused to travel in direction of the arrows with its lower inner side in
an angular path about parallel with the floor of the slide L, and the open top of the
box D, (as clearly shown in Figure 1, of the drawings) consequently the hay will be
carried upward from the rake &, and laid on the distributor F, by the elevator belt
which receives motion through the medium of pinions c¹, on the shaft of the pulleys E¹,
engaging internal gears c, formed on the drive wheels.
The distributor F, is composed of a series of slats f, which are fixed to flexible
webbing or bands, thus allowing the distributor to move freely over and hang from
a roller F, journaled across the upper forward corner of the box D. The opposite
ends of the distributor slats rest upon cleats, fixed to the sides of the box, and
retaining or guide rods F are fixed to the box and range above the slats to prevent
buckling of the distributor and insure its travel in true horizontal plane backward and
forward over the open top of the receiving box. The slats of the distributor are
separated a little edgewise in the drawing the better to show the construction, but in
practice the slats will be attached to the webbing so as to lie as closely as may be to each
other edgewise to prevent entrance of the hay between them. If preferred, the
distributor, bed may consist of a thin sheet of flexible metal or heavy canvas or other
fabric which will readily bend over the roller F¹, and pass down between the receiving
box D and the slide L into a position clearly shown in Figure 3.
I will next describe the mechanism for operating the distributor with reference to
Figures 1, 2, and 3, of the drawings as follows;
At each side of the box D, there is pivoted at m, the lower end of a bar M, and
the upper ends of the two bars M, M, have a pin and slot connection with a cross
bar, fixed at the back end of the distributor F. Each bar M, is also slotted in its
lower part at m', and in this slot there is fitted to slide block N, having a wrist
pin n, which enters a slot o, in a crank arm 0, on the shaft of a gear wheel P,
journaled to the side of the hay box or on the main frame A. The gear wheel P,
meshes with a gear wheel P¹, which meshes with a gear wheel P, the shaft of which
carries a gear wheel R, which meshes with the drive wheel gear c. With this
construction the bars M, M, at each side of the hay box will be swung forward and
backward in unison by the advance of the machine, to cause the hay distributor to be

page_text: carried backward over the box as in Figure 1, and forward or in the reverse direction
to the position shown in Figure 3. This alternate backward and forward movement
of the distributor, in connection with the rearward travel of the elevator belt
immediately over the distributor and the box, causes the hay to be carried rearward
from the top of the slide L, and laid evenly in the receiving box D.
Other mechanism than that above described may be used for operating the
distributor; for example, that shown in Figure 4, of the drawings, and which
comprises an arm 1, fixed to each end of the rear cross bar of the distributor, and
connected by links 2, 2, with a chain belt 3, which runs over chain wheels 4, 4, and
is driven by a belt 5, leading from a pulley fixed to the gear wheel R, operated by
the drive wheel.
The open topped box D, preferably has a solid wood or metal front d, and the
hinged floor and hinged back of the box are each preferably formed of metal
rods in fork like structures. The bottom or floor S of the box is composed of a
series of rods or tines s, which are fixed to a cross bar s, journaled to lugs d', at the
lower forward corners of the hay box. To one end of this cross bar is fixed a
crank arm, to the outer end of which is connected at t one end of a rod T, the
back end of which is pivoted at t¹, to a lever U, fulcrumed at u, to the side bar of the
frame A, or a lug or plate fixed thereto. The back V, of the box is composed of a
series of tines or rods v, which are fixed to a cross bar v¹, journaled in lugs d' at the
rear upper corners of the box D, and on the outer tine v, there is fastened adjustably
by a set screw as shown in Figure 1, or otherwise, a slip collar or block v², to which is
connected at w, one end of a rod W, the other end of which is pivoted at w', to
the end of the lever U, below the point of connection at t¹, of the rod T, with said
lever.
To the upper end of the lever U, is connected the back end of a pull rod X,
which is attached at its forward end to a hand lever Y, fulcrumed at y, to the frame A,
and in reach of the attendant on the seat K. The lever is provided with a spring pressed
pawl y¹, connected to a trip lever y². The pawl y¹ is adapted to engage a rack Z,
fixed to the frame A. It is obvious that by pulling back this lever Y, to the position
shown in full lines in Figure 1 of the drawings, the floor S, and back V of the hay-
receiving box D, will be closed simultaneously to hold the hay received from the
distributor, and when the box is filled the attendant by pushing the lever Y forward
to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, will simultaneously lower the box
bottom S, and raise its back V, as in dotted lines, to quickly discharge the hay or
fodder from the box in a perfect cock well calculated to protect the hay from
impending rain storms. By adjusting the block 3, along the rod of the back V, the
extent of opening of the back may be regulated at will to insure the most compact
discharge of the fodder from the box. After the fodder is discharged, the box may
be instantly closed by operating the lever Y.
To relieve the frame of a considerable amount of the weight of the loaded box D,
the back part of the box is supported on one or more castor wheels D¹, as shown in
Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings.
The drive wheels will be provided with suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism,
allowing disengagement of one wheel in turning the machine, while the other wheel
gives motion to the operating parts, and also allowing both drive wheels to be thrown
out of gear when backing the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a machine for cocking hay, the combination, with a supporting frame, of a
hay-receiving box thereon, a rake adapted to gather the hay from the ground, devices
for conducting the raked hay to the open top of the box, and a flexible distributor
reciprocating back and forth over the open top of the box, substantially as described,
for the purposes set forth.
2. In a machine for cocking hay, the combination, with a supporting frame, a hay-

page_text: receiving box thereon, and a slide, receiving hay from a rake which lifts it from the
ground, of a flexible distributor arranged for reciprocation at the open top of the box,
and adapted to fold or hang between the box and the slide as it moves to uncover the
top of the box, substantially as herein set forth.
3. In a machine for cocking hay, the combination, of a supporting frame, a hay-
receiving box thereon, a rake mounted on the frame, and adapted to gather the hay
from the ground, a slide receiving the hay from the rake, an elevator operating in
front of the slide and over the box to carry the raked hay up the slide and above the
box, and a flexible distributor reciprocating back and forth over the open top and
between the elevator and the said open top of the box, substantially as described, for
the purposes set forth.
4. In a machine for cocking hay, the combination, with the open-topped hay-
receiving box and a flexible distributor arranged to reciprocate thereover, of guides
preventing buckling of the distributor, substantially as herein set forth.
5. In a machine for cocking hay, the combination, with a frame, drive wheels
supporting it and having gears c, a hay-receiving box, means for raising the hay
thereto, and a flexible distributor arranged for reciprocation above the box, of pivoted
levers M, connected to the distributor and slotted at m¹, blocks N, in said levers,
slotted crank arms O, connected to the blocks and to gear wheels P, and gearing
connecting the wheels P, with the drive wheel gears, substantially as shown and
described.
6. In a hay-cocking machine, the combination, with a supporting frame and a hay
receiving box thereon, of a fixed slide on the frame in front of the box, a rake pivoted
to supports at back of the slide, an elevator belt working in front of the slide and
over the top of the hay box, a flexible distributor reciprocating back and forth over
the open top of the box, and means for operating the rake, elevator and distributor,
substantially as herein shown and described.
7. In a hay cocking machine, the combination, with a frame, a hay-receiving box
thereon provided with hinged bottom and back, of a fixed slide on the frame in front
of the box, a rake pivoted to supports at back of the slide, an elevator belt travelling
in front of the slide and over the top of the box, a flexible distributor reciprocating
back and forth over the open top of the hay box, between it and the elevator, and
means for operating the said hinged bottom and back, substantially as herein shown
and described.
Dated this 11th day of October 1887
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.