Today, I will take the latter. In the picture you will notice the rather intricite device with the pully wheels. This contraption was used to move hay in a barn. It was mounted on a rail so it could be moved across the barn celing. From the attached ropes it was connected to the U shapped metal device that was dropped into the hay stack in the barn. When the rope was pulled up a tooth on each side of the U protruded in to the hay and made it possible to lift the bundle and then slide it across to the hay shoot which lead to hungry cows down below.
What I like most was the decorative roller and pully portion. It also swiveles and is down right ingenious. Mind you, this unit was used prior to bailed hay. The dried fodder was gathered from the field and plopped in the hay mow. If the hay was too green the chances of spontanious combustion did exist and the barn could be lost.
Mike the antique dealer tells me they sell nicely for a kitchen device to hold pots and pans---might need a little cleaning but hay? (I mean, like cool.)
This "contraption" brings back fond memories. It was used to move hay from the wagons to the barn loft during the summer harvest.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was nine or ten, it was my job to drive the tractor that pulled the hay rope. A heavy rope was connected to the pulling tractor. The rope went from the tractor up to the pulley apparatus "contraption" and then back down to the hay wagon which was parked on the loft floor. My dad would stand on the load of hay and jab the hay forks into a bundle of hay on the wagon. He would then signal me to drive the tractor away from the barn, thus pulling the hay bundle off the wagon and up to the barn ceiling. The hay bundle would travel down the track. At the appropriate spot the trip rope would be pulled to drop the hay into the correct spot in the hay mow. I would then get the signal to stop pulling and to back the tractor to the barn to repeat the entire process again and again until the load of hay was completely off the wagon. By the time I was nine, I was an accomplished tractor driver.
Very interesting Siph. I didn't realize it actually needed to be machine driven. I thought maybe a horse but it seemed more a hand tool. Now that I look at it again I suspect it is too heavy for human power. I also thought it was used before engines, maybe pre-industrial age. How old are you?
ReplyDeleteReal cute Wright. Just remember, I'm younger than you!!!!
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