IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO PORTABLE SHEAR LEG APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR LIFTING AND LOADING HAY OR CORN STACKS AND OTHER ARTICLES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: I, THOMAS THOMPSON of Carlow in the County of Carlow, Mechanical Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPERTAINING TO PORTABLE SHEAR LEG APPARATUS APPLICABLE FOR LIFTING
AND LOADING HAY OR CORN STACKS AND OTHER ARTICLES to be as follows:-
"
:-
This invention is primarily designed to avoid the waste of time, labour, and
material, in pitchforking a cock of hay or grain into a cart or wagon-also to
onable one to remove cocks that are well capped, during rain without injury-also
by avoiding handling to prevent unnecessary shelling out of too ripe grain.
The apparatus consists;
1st. of a tripod with all the legs, or at least two of them supported on a wheel
each, which wheel can be instantly shipped and unshipped by means of a lever, so
that the said wheel can support the tripod leg when being moved and fall aside
when the tripod is placed in position for lifting weights.
The lever carrying the wheel is secured preferably by means of a hook and eye,
and a bolt is attached which is forced down into the ground, when the tripod is
in use for the purpose of steadying it. A fixed bolt or spike may also be used.
2nd. In temporary or permanent distance pieces or ropes to keep the legs
extending from each other to only a given amount; these are placed at such a
height up that a cart can pass below them and are preferably hinged to one leg
and socketed or hooked into the other.
3rd. In making the legs telescopic or to fold up, so as to diminish bulk in carriage
from place to place.
4th. In so arranging the joint used to connect the 3 legs of the tripod that one of
the legs may be used for a fore carriage or steerage and that they may be lowered
flat on the ground radially from the joint without strain or injury. This joint is
formed by having a Tee shaped bolt or pin, strapped to form a hinge on the steerage
pole and on which the other poles hinge by means of loose eye.
5th. In the mechanism for lifting haycocks and the like, which consists in two
bars preferably of steel or their equivalent thrust through under the bottom of the
cock, a pair of blocks, being from the junction of the tripod four ropes or chains
[Price 601

page_text: suspended by a ring from the lower block, holding to the four ends of the bars by
rings or hooks and a small winch, fixed to one of the legs of the tripod or by
passing the rope from pulley blocks through the snatch block on foot of tripod and
pulling it with the horse and thus lift without the winch. By the use of a lever
slung scale fashion I can lift the cocks entire onto a hayrick by using a guy rope.
The mode of action is as follows:
The tripod may be easily elevated by passing the rope from the winch through a
snatch block attached to each foot of the tripod. When extended and slightly
raised in the centre by winding the rope, it contracts or draws in each foot to the
centre and thus elevates the tripod as the rope is drawn tightly and thus saves six
or eight men to hoist it.
The wheels being thrown into action by their levers, so as to carry the tripod
and the distance pieces being linked up, the tripod is wheeled till it stands over the
cock to be raised. The wheels are now unshipped and the legs let down to stand
on the ground. The rods having been thrust under the cock the slings are applied
a distance piece unhooked to prevent the cart coming in contact with the cock, and
the cock is then raised by the winch the cart backed under it, the cock let down
and the cart is driven off. The distance piece is linked; the wheels are-shipped and
the tripod wheeled to another cock where the same action is gone through afresh.
This apparatus can be used with suitable modification at a stone yard and other
places where frequent lifting at different points is required.
That this 20th day of T... 1001

page_text: Improvements in or Appertaining to Portable Shear Leg
Apparatus, Applicable for Lifting and Loading Hay or
Figure 6 joint bolt of legs.
Figure 7 steel needle for inserting under the hay cock.
In these P P P are three legs forming a tripod united at top by bolt T, as shown
in large scale in Figures 4 and 5. This joint which forms an important feature of
my invention, consists of the tee bolt T, with its two branches strapped or carried
in bearings on the winch pole, so as to form a hinge and the shank of the bolt is
made long enough between the said hinge and the collar washer and nut, to carry
the loose eyes of the other two legs and pulley block. These eyes are rounded as
shown so that the legs besides being capable of freely rotating in a plane at right
angles to the axis of the bolt, so as to be capable of lying flat radially, can stand
if desired at a considerable angle with the said plane-sufficient play being allowed
lengthwise on the bolt for this purpose. The winch pole can be used for a fore-
carriage or steerage in travelling. The legs are preferably of wood shod with iron,
and with an iron eye for the joint at top. Two of them as shown in the drawing,
or all three, are supported by a road wheel A which wheel is carried on a lever l;
so arranged as to swivel to a different angle, as shown in Figure 2, or to stand with
the handle vertical in catch or falling link L, so that the leg shall be carried and be
supported by the wheel. The other or winch pole being that on which the ladder
bars and winch are placed, I prefer to provide with a smaller wheel B on a frame b
or lever swivelling in a different manner, as shown in Figure 1, or I form the frame
with a vertical slot and stop, so that it can rest with pin D at bottom or top of slot,
as shown in Figure 2, where the wheel is shown off the ground with the stop not

page_text: shown in position. This leg and also in some cases the other two, I prefer to arm
with spurs, spikes or blades K K, so as better to bite into the ground and
withstand the pull of the horse or the swing of the operator in using the winch.
By these means the tripod can be placed on wheels for shifting purposes, and
when in position the wheels can be unshipped, and the tripod caused to take a
firm hold of the ground while being used for lifting. In place of spurs K being.
fixed, they can be movable in a direction parallel with the leg, and be shot down
like a pointed bolt into the ground, even while the legs are supported by the wheels,
but I prefer to unship the wheels in most cases.
a b c are three snatch blocks for hoisting or lowering the triangle by means of
rope or chain R, and the winch-W.
HH three stays or distance pieces to hook up
hook up when lifting if required, these are
preferably hooked down to the side of the leg, when not in use.
W winch or capstan head used with an ordinary pair of rope blocks for winding
up the loads from the hook G hung on the joint bolt T.
V V V rungs or steps on the winch, pole to facilitate access to the rope blocks
when required or to get on to the hay stack to adjust the rope slings.
Where great economy of space is required, especially when the apparatus. has to
be shipped to foreign countries, I sometimes may form the legs telescopic, preferably
a large tube in the 'centre with smaller tubes sliding into it half its length at top
and bottom.
The mechanism for lifting haycocks and the like, consists in (a) two bars S S
preferably of steel or their equivalent thrust through under the bottom of the cock,
(b) a pair of blocks hung from the junction of the tripod, (c) four ropes or chains
suspended by a ring from the lower block, holding to the four ends of the bars by
rings or books and a small winch W, fixed to one of the legs of the tripod, or in
place of using a winch the rope from pulley blocks is brought through the snatch
block on foot of tripod and is pulled by a horse, or for low lifts a rack and pinion
can take the place of the pulley blocks. By the use of a lever slung scale fashion
and using a guy rope, I can lift the cocks entire onto a hayrick.
The mode of action is as follows:
The tripod may be easily elevated by passing the rope from the winch through
a snatch block attached to each foot of the tripod as shewn in Figure 2. When
extended and slightly raised in the centre by winding, the rope, the latter. on
further winding contracts or draws in each foot toward the centre, thus elevating
the tripod and obviating the necessity of six or eight men to hoist it.
.
The wheels being thrown into action by their levers, so as to carry the tripod
and the distance pieces being linked up, the tripod is wheeled till it stands over the
cock to be raised.. The wheels are now unshipped, and the legs let down to stand
on the ground. The rods having been thrust under the cock the slings are applied,
'the cock is raised by the winch, the cart backed under it, the 'cock let down and
the cart is driven off. The distance pieces that may have been disturbed by the
cock coming in contact with them are booked back, the wheels are shipped and the
tripod wheeled to another cock, where the same action is gone through afresh.
This apparatus can be used with suitable modification at a stone yard and other
places where frequent lifting at different points is required.
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
-
1st. The manufacture and use of portable apparatus for lifting and loading haỷ
or cornstacks, or other articles, substantially as described and illustrated.
2nd. The arrangement of tripod joint, formed of a bolt- binged to one leg and
carrying the loose eyes of the other two legs on its shank, substantially as
described.
-
3rd.. The devices for carrying and shipping or unshipping the wheels of the
tripod hoists, substantially as described.
:

page_text: 4th. The method of erecting a portable tripod, which consists in placing the
legs on the ground, so as to lie approximately radially lifting up the junction as
high as practicable by hand and then drawing lower ends of the legs toward each
other by means of the winch substantially as described.
Dated this 30th day of March 1885.
WM P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
and 323, High Holborn, London,
Patent Agents for the Applicant,