US73065A - Jacob d - Google Patents

Description

@ni-fw tetra' @anni @fitta JACOB D.. WHITE, or vKILBOU'RNE, 01110. Letters Patent No. 73,065,.datec l January 7, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHEEP-RACES;

ftitlge Stimuli nutten tu in tipa tttters ntatt mit mating ont at tlg-e time.

To' ALL WHOM 1r MAY coNoEnN:

Be it known that I, JACOB D. WHI TE, of Kilbourne,in the county of Delaware, and State of Ohio, have invented and'made certain new and useful Improvements in Sheep-Racks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to l the letters of reference marked thereon.'

Figure 1 is a perspective representation of the raclgcomplete.

Figure 2 is an end view of the rack, showing the pieces of leather or spring-metal cn the inside of the rack, tohold up the ladder. I

. The nature'of my improvements consists in' the peculiar arrangement ofv the ladders of racks for feeding sheep and other animals in such a mannerns that the ladder is hinged or works on journalen ds, and is held in position by the pressure of the quantity of hay, straw, or grass that is supplied withinthe box or receptacle to which the rack; is attached, the ladder also being so arranged in vertical position as to `act or move by its own gravity, and rest on the supply of hay or grass, as it diminishes in feeding.' i

In order to enable others to be skilledin the construction, use, and advantages of my iiprovements, I,pro ceed to explain the same. l f

In iig. 1, letters a a aa mark a box-like receptacle, of convenient portable size, the front side having a l base-board, b I: b, from twelves to fourteen inches wide, and thewhole length 0,5 the box, securely attached, perf manently, if desired, or hinged'in any suitable manner. Letters c c c mark a top railfor board, 'attached in a similar manner, if desired, saidboard being designed as a guard and a rest-board, used to keepthe animal feeding from getting its body within the box. Letters rl dud niark an inclined or sloping lid, which is hinged by 4its under side edge to the back board of the` box a a a a. This hinged lidfallsvovertowards the front' of the box, andrests against a strip or rail, e cie, attached to the top ofthe box, said lid being provided with a suitable hook or fastening, ff.v Letters g y g g rnarlr'a` suitable ladder. or grating, the lowerlongitudinal rail or strip gzgz having its ends formed with suitable journals, which work in sockets or boxes h 7a, formed 1n the end-boards I-I I I; said sock'etsfor boxes being situated so as to bring the lower` rail or `strip g2 g2 slightly above-and parallel with the'top vof the base-board b be. The upper rail or strip J J J, indicated by the dotted lines, is long enough to fit in slightly loose between the endboardsof the boa-receptacle; .but in order to heep the ladder or grati-ngg g g2 g2 in a vertical position, when required, small `pieces of leather, h2 `,`or springmetal, are attached to the inside surfaces of the end boards I I I I, tig. 2, which pieces ofleather interposed .between the ends of the upper rail J J, when in vertical position, prevent thevladder g gfrom falling down dat on to the bottom or Hoor k'k 7c, except when slightly pressed against by the animal feeding at the rack; the

whole arrangement', when complete, as shown in g.1,'form'i ng a feeding-rack or portable'manger, with a sloping and weather-tight cover. v

In the use ofmy improvements,.all that is necessary is'to open or turn down the lid or cover del d, when the'material of foodis supplied within the receptacle, in required quantity. 'When hay or other similar material is'fed, it presses up against the ladder or-rack ggg2 g2, and as the animal feeding through Vthe bars or rounds ofthe grating reduces the supply, itsnose orhead pressing against the bars or rounds causes the ladder or rack to give and turn down inwardly towardsv and ag'ainstthe diminishing supply, and resting lthereon until allthe feeding-material is consumed. I Owing to the limited space or opening between the base-board b b b and the top guard-board c c! c', the animal is prevented from entering within the b ox and from treading the food under feet.` The arrangement of the base-board b'b b, the top rail c oc, and the ladder or rack gg ggggis such as to prevent entirely the seed and dirt from the hay or straw falling on to the animal feeding. Especially is this vimportant in the' feeding of sheep, for thereby their wool is kept clean and free of seed and dirt, and aiording great comfort Ato the animal in feeding, as it cannot throw its head upward, to pull down the hay or straw, thereby preventing injury. also to the animals eyes, all of which are greatly desired inthe feeding of sheep and other animals yielding fieeces. l y

In cases where the seed from grass or timothy hay, or heads of clover, fall on to the bottom or floor of the rack or manger, the animal feeding can consume the same freely and conveniently, by licking up between the i bars or grating of the-ladder; and in the feeding of oats or grain, there cannot be any wasteby the trampling under feet of the food,:the base-board b b being too high to allow the animal to get itsfore feet withinthe receptacle.l Thus economy, cleanliness, and convenience are produced, and comfort to the animal afforded, with the least labor and expense. v I A The many advantages ofl my improvements are apparent, and the simplicity of construction and cheapness are additional recommendations in the feeding ofsbeep. Therack or manger being portable, can be Aarranged ou wheelsy and moved from place to place Vin fields or farm-yards, and can be set up alongside of 'any barn or shedfand` opening niade to "communicate from within, where the animalsumay be housed in wet and cold seasons, andrfed from-the rack situated on the outside; y i

I am'aware that 'there are several feeding-racks in use, in connection with'which movable or hinged ladders are combined, with other necessary devices, for adjusting the ladder; but I am notl aware that there has ever been employed a simple ladder, so arranged that it remains in' a vertical position by the mererpressure of the material used for feeding, and the-piecesof` leather, h2 hz, or spring-metal, figs. land 2, employed to'retain the ladder in position while the feed-receptacle or manger is being supplied through the opening on top.

In the sheep-rack patented by Willi-am Heaton, September 29,1863, a. hinged 'fork or rake-like device is employed, but in oirder that it perform the desiredV oice, an auxiliary bar, connec'tedby joints, is found requisite, the weight of which causes the hinged fox-lc tofall backward as the supply of feeding-material diminishes.

In the patents of William and H'. Sias, of July-19, 1864, and tbe patent of Rodman Lovell, of May 15, 1866, hingedl ladders are employed; but they` only fall back partially, and do' not all the time press or rest on the material supplied for feeding, whilst the ladder or grating used in my rack moves and pressesndown on the feed-supply, by its own inherent weight and gravity mainly, after being pushed from its vertical position by the animal feeding. Hence my improvements require no auxiliary devicesto move the4 ladder or grating. Morel over, neither of the devices referred to above is susceptible, as -it exists, of being applied toinyhfeedingrack; any alteration found requisite to make one take the place of the other, changing the original nature and mechanical character entirely, and destroying the identity of each. Therefore, neither of the feeding-devices aboverreferred to can be the equivalents of myimprovement. Nor do they possess the compactness and simplicity pertaining to the improvements claimed by me as new.

Having described the nature, construction, use, and advantages of my said improvements, what I claim as new, and desire to have secured by Letters Patent of the United States, .is as follows, viz:

I claim a feeding-rackor manger, a a a, b b, c e, I I, provided with an inclined hingedlidorcover, d d, and a self-adjustingfeed-rack, g g g2, J J', which is held in a vertical position by the pieces of leather 7a2 71.2 aiiixed to each end of the rack, and so arranged as to press backwardly orf the feeding-material by its own gravity, without any auxiliary' appliances, constructed and arranged substantially as herein shown anddeseribed, for.

the purpose set forth.

JACOB D. WHITE.

Witnesses: Y

S. W. WHITE, ELIJAH ABBOTT.

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