266 AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING 



are so arranged that the direction of the throw of the forks 

 may be reversed and the rake used as a tedder. 



HAY LOADERS 



Where hay is stored in the barn, the modern hay loader 

 is almost indispensable, as its use will pay for itself in the 

 saving of labor in one or two seasons. In general, there are 

 two types of hay loaders: the fork loader and the endless- 

 apron or carrier loader. The first of these is of simpler con- 



Fig. 167. A fork hay loader at work. 



struction and is a machine that forces the hay well onto the 

 load. 



The endless-apron loaders have one main advantage, and 

 that is they do not agitate the hay severely and do not tend 

 thereby to shake off the dry leaves. This advantage applies 

 only in the handling of such crops as clover, alfalfa, and 

 others whose leaves are easily shaken off. The endless- 

 apron machine does not force the hay onto the load readi- 

 ly, for, when the hay is allowed to pile up at the end of the 

 loader, the apron tends to drag the hay back. At least one 

 loader has been brought out recently with the apron above 

 the hay instead of below, in an attempt to overcome this 



