Improvements in Pitch Forks.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1893
Improvements in Pitch Forks.
I, AUGUST FRIEDRICH JESSEN of Morsum, near Westerland, Germany, Smith,
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 :-
•
The tines or prongs of pitch forks are very apt to be broken and when this occurs
the implement is rendered useless until it is repaired which can only be done by an
implement maker.
The object of my invention is to obviate this and to enable the tines to be readily
removed and as readily replaced by others, so that the loborer in the field is enabled
to remedy the defect himself at a moment's notice.
The invention consists of a pitch fork provided with removable tines which are
firmly wedged into a slot in the head of the socket piece which is attached to the
handle.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, of which Figure 1 is a front view of a four pronged fork with.
removable tines and Figure 2 is a side view of same. Figure 3 shews the socket.
piece in section and the means for fixing the tines therein, and Figure 4 a side view
of the socket piece.
The tines a are of steel as usual but are independent of one another. They are
of square section at their inner ends and they fit into a transverse slot e which
extends through the head of the socket piece.
C
bis a wedge which is driven into the slot c and holds the tines a firmly therein so
that they are forced rigidly outwards, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2. The handle of
the implement is secured to the socket piece as usual. The upper ends of the
intermediate tines terminate in turned up portions a¹ which are received in a recess
in the head of the socket piece, as seen in Figure 3, and in fixing the tines these
intermediate tines are first placed in position after which the ends of the outer pair
of tines are inserted in the slot and the wedge b driven in the slot behind the ends
of the tines, thus clamping the whole of the tines securely in place without any
liability of their falling out or working loose. In this manner should a tine be
broken whilst the fork is in use it can be readily removed by withdrawing the
wedge and replaced by another without temporarily losing the use of the fork as is
at present the. case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1st. A pitch fork having independent tines whose ends are of square section and
secured in a slot in the head of the socket piece by a wedge, so that each tine is
capable of being removed and replaced by another, substantially as specified.
2nd. A four tined pitch fork having tines individually capable of being removed
from the implement and replaced by another, the inner ends of the whole of the
tines being received and fixed by a wedge or key in a slot in the socket piece and
the extremities of the one pair of tines being turned up and engaging with a recess
in the socket piece, as specified.
Date this 19th day of August 1895.
1 LOIS 19th 08Y OF AD 184 18O.
A. F. JESSEN,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.