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Show HOG AND HAYRACK. I A omtiiiial inn "Devoutly to Ko Wished For" ami Easily Made. The illustrations show a device which was originated by Mr. James E. Rod-gers, Rod-gers, of Ostrander, O., and which lias come into general use in that part of the country on account of its cheapness and convenience. As a hayrack, hay-rack, to he used in. hauling hay, straw or other bulky farm products, the writer hereof has never seen anything more convenient, and the facility with which it may he converted into a convenient rack in which to convey hogs, sheep or calves to market is surprising. FIG. I. The engravings need but little explanation. explana-tion. Fig. 1 shows the rack after it is put together as it stands on the wagon to hold the hogs, sheep or calves, and Fig. 2 shows precisely tho same thing when used as a hayrack. ; The framework is constructed as follows: fol-lows: There "are two sidepieces (mado of oak or other strong stuff, 1-1 to 16 feet bug. as may be desired) 2 by 6 inches, and connected at each end, as shown in drawing, by a 2 by 4 strip fastened firmly by bolts passing through the sidepieces as they rest upright on tho wagon. Then there are four crosspieces bolted onto the bottom of sidepieces, as shown, which are made of 2 by 4' 2 inch lumber, tiie end ones being placed about si:t inches from end of sidepieces. A board 1 inch thick and 12 inches wide is firmly fastened lengthwise of the rack, as shown in Fig. 2. The crosspieces are mortised t L'o by l'j inches) with a slanting mortise mor-tise to receive the supports of the side tiames. as shown. These mortises ai'e made a'.; inches from inside of the side-pieces. side-pieces. The supports of the side framework frame-work are made of hard wood and are 3 feet long; at the bottom they are 2 by 3 inches, tapering to 2 by 2 at the top, and at bottom of each a tenon is cut to lit into the mortise in crosspieces. There are four of these supports or uprights on each side, as shown, and to these are bolted and nailed four boards 1 by 4, as shown in diagram. The top of the upright up-right or post is cut at an angle, so that ! when the top board is fastened on it will be exactly parallel to the crosspieces at the bottom when used as a hayrack, thus furnishing a convenient footing for a man to stand upon when the rack is in position for loading hay. The top board has usually been "made same width (4 inches) as the others, bnt Mr. Rodgers informs ns that he thinks it would bo tietter G inches wide. These boards are both bolted and nailed to the uprights and spaced about as follows: fol-lows: The bottom board T1 inches from the tei:on. space 3? inches, second board, space 5!i inches, third board, space -8 inches, top board. The end gates are made as shown in diagram, and are held iu place by a rod same as the end gate to a wagon bed. The upright for holding the lines is hinged to the top crosspieca and may be used or removed at pleasure. The whole rack when completed is in live pieces bottom, sides and ends-each ends-each piece firmly made and handled separately sepa-rately iu putting together for use on the wagon and separately lifted off and hung up when done using. On the outside of each sidepiece of bottom frame and directly di-rectly over each crosspieca there is a strong iron staple bolted through the sidepiece, which holds the bottom of the upright when used as 3 liograck, as shown in Fig. 1. ' These staples are about ''hi by 1 'j in the clear, so that the uprights up-rights pass readily through them, the bottom bot-tom of uprights, after passing through, resting on end of crosspiece "which extends ex-tends about half an inch outside of frame. FIO. IT. After the parts are all made, first put the .bottom framework on the wagon, then place the sides in position. If to be used as a hayrack insert the ends of the uprights into the mortises of the cross-pieces cross-pieces so that the upright will rest on the main sidepiece of bottom frame, as in Fig. 2. Then put the upright for holding the lines in its place, insert .the bolt that 'holds it, and the rack is ready lor use. If for hauling swine, sheep or calves let the bottom of uprights drop into the staples, as shown in Fig. 1, then put up and fasten the end gates and slide in a board of the proper width on each side of the main centerboard, -so as to make a reasonably close floor for the animals to stand on, and the -rack is complete. Try it; any fanner can make it, and there is no patent on it. It may be mado of any size desired, but the dimensions di-mensions above given are those that are ordinarily used. The iron bolts used are all half an inch thick. Preeder's Uazette. |
