초록 ▼

An improvement that enhances hay rakes or forks of the type used in the cleaning of horse stables, includes a wall assembly having a rear wall and two spaced-apart side walls extending from the rear wall, that are positioned relative to a hay fork of conventional design so as to restrict unintended

An improvement that enhances hay rakes or forks of the type used in the cleaning of horse stables, includes a wall assembly having a rear wall and two spaced-apart side walls extending from the rear wall, that are positioned relative to a hay fork of conventional design so as to restrict unintended displacement of hay/manure mixtures over the peripheral edges of the hay fork. The bottom edge of the rear wall has a U-shaped indentation and includes a mounting flange of U-shaped cross section aligned with and extending from the indentation for straddling the handle of a conventional hay fork so that the wall assembly is retained and positioned properly relative to the fork portion of the hay fork. The rear wall and the side walls are formed with interlocking rails and slots so that the side walls may be readily attached to and detached from the rear wall by a sliding motion. An opening through the mounting flange receives a fastener to secure the wall assembly to the handle of a hay fork. A resilient latch near the forward end of each side wall is capable of engaging a tine of a hay fork to further secure the wall assembly to the fork. The wall assembly may be provided entirely independently of a hay fork for attachment to an existing fork structure, or it may be integral with the fork structure.

대표청구항 ▼

[ I claim:] [1.] A wall assembly, for attachment to a hay fork instrument of the type having a fork array of parallel prongs attached to and extending from one end of an axially extending elongate handle member, said wall assembly comprising:a rear wall element characterized by a front surface on on

[ I claim:] [1.] A wall assembly, for attachment to a hay fork instrument of the type having a fork array of parallel prongs attached to and extending from one end of an axially extending elongate handle member, said wall assembly comprising:a rear wall element characterized by a front surface on one side thereof, a rear surface on the other side thereof, first and second spaced-apart side edges and a bottom edge portion extending from the first side edge to the second side edge;said bottom edge portion having a substantially U-shaped indentation formed therein midway between its ends, and a mounting flange of substantially U-shaped cross-section aligned with and extending axially from said indentation for receiving the handle member of a hay fork instrument in said indentation and in the cross-section of said mounting flange;first and second spaced-apart side wall elements, coupled to said rear wall element proximate said first and second side edges thereof respectively, and extending from said front surface of said rear wall element from a fixed end proximate said rear wall element to a free end remote from said rear wall element;each of said first and second side wall elements having a depending latching element extending therefrom for engaging different tines in the fork array of a hay fork instrument in latching relationship to secure said side wall elements thereto;each depending latching element being resiliently deflectable from its at-rest position and having a transversely projecting latching shoulder for engaging a surface of a tine in a fork array.