Abstract: The invention relates to a raiser (2) for skidpan practice with motorcycle, comprising a supporting portion (3) with support wheels (5a-c) and a raising portion (6). The raising portion (6) is attachable to the front wheel of the motorcycle in such a way that it allows the front wheel to rotate around a first rotational axis. The raising portion is raisable and lowerable with respect to the supporting portion. The raising portion is rotatable around a second axis of rotation that essentially extends in the direction of motion of the front wheel, allowing the raiser to be used with motorcycles as they lean sideways in curves. In one embodiment, the second axis of rotation of the raiser is arranged below the upper end of the supporting wheels or below the rotational axes of the supporting wheels.

Abstract: A device that allows an individual, and more particularly, a student, to hold a beverage container or other similar device in a classroom desk or table. The instant invention comprises a cylinder shape that is open on one end and closed on the other. It is approximately 5 inches in height and 4 inches in diameter with a ½ inch to 1 inch lip completely around the top of the holder. The cylinder is so designed that it fits directly into an opening on top of the desk or table. When placed into the opening in the desk or table, it is secured by the lip engaging the top of the desk or table. It is removable by pulling up on the lip. In an alternate mode, an attachment is provided wherein the bottle holder can be placed in the event there is no pre-existing hole in the top of the desk or table. The attachment can be affixed either mechanically or chemically onto the top of the desk or table at any location on the desk or table top.

Abstract: An apparatus for stick-spearing stalk-cut tobacco stalks which includes an endless belt having a plurality of stick-supporting claws and a plurality of stalk-transferring claws provided along its circumferential surface. The apparatus also includes an air cylinder device and a pushing member for pushing tobacco stalks onto a spear stick, the spear stick being held in place by the stick-supporting claws. Simultaneously with the stick-spearing operations, the endless belt moves forward up to a predetermined distance causing the stalk-transferring claws to move forward and position in equal intervals any tobacco stalks that have been previously speared by the stick.

Abstract: A tobacco harvester includes a plurality of linearly spaced tobacco plant engaging flights attached to an endless chain at equal linear distances with the sensing of a tobacco plant at a first position resulting in a cycle of operation occurring to advance the plant from its first position to a second position just beyond the front end of a spear. The plant is centered by an upper driven belt and a lower non-driven belt between which the plant is advanced by one of the flights. A paddle wheel is rotated 180.degree. during each advancement of a tobacco plant from its first position to its second position and aids in advancing the plant between the two centering belts. When another plant is sensed at the first position, the first tobacco plant is advanced from its second position to a third position on a stick at the rear of the spear.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for increasing the efficiency of gathering cut tobacco stalks, particularly burley tobacco stalks. The apparatus includes a metal tobacco stick being of a length sufficient so that the stick can be pushed into the ground with a portion thereof remaining above ground for supporting a plurality of cut tobacco stalks which are to be impaled thereon. A spear tip is provided and adapted to be fitted to the end of the tobacco stick above the ground. The spear tip also provides a worker with a means for grasping and pushing the tobacco stick into the ground. The spear tip has a cross-sectional area which is greater than that of the tobacco stick but generally less than that of the cut tobacco stalks so that the stalks can be threaded onto the stick by forcing the stalk onto the spear tip and subsequently sliding the stalk down onto the tobacco stick.

Abstract: An elevating scaffold trailer is provided for transporting burley tobacco stalks impaled on tobacco rods from the field into a curing cell and subsequently out of the curing cell. The trailer comprises an elevating device for raising tobacco rod carrying devices above the height of holding racks within the curing cell. The trailer is transported into the curing cell whereby the elevating device lowers the tobacco rod carrying device below the level of the holding racks so that the tobacco rods are transferred to the holding racks. A method for gathering and transporting burley tobacco to a curing cell is also provided. The method involves using the elevating wheeled scaffold trailer to transport cut burley tobacco stalks to the curing cell and for transferring the tobacco to holding racks within the curing cell.

Abstract: Aligning tobacco plants end to end in rows in a field with leaf ends trailing butt ends as the butt ends are picked up onto an elevating conveyor belt by turning it at the same speed as the ground or surface speed of a wheel of a trailer pulled by a tractor, the elevating conveyor being at one side of the trailer.

Abstract: An oval track guides plates with tobacco stickholders thereon around the track so that workers at stations around the track can impale tobacco plants on the tobacco sticks in the stickholders as they pass by or as they are stopped momentarily in front of the workers. A lever-camlike object arrangement opens and closes claws on the stickholders as the lever reaches or touches the camlike object and then passes over it and drops off.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for harvesting tobacco are disclosed. Tobacco stalks are cut on the afternoon of one day and are left to lie transversely of the tobacco field. The next day, a harvesting apparatus is moved through the field and includes an elevating conveyor on which the felled tobacco plants are loaded as by a person sitting in a low seat immediately forwardly of the conveyor. The conveyor and the seat comprise a part of a trailer pulled behind the tractor, and the trailer further includes behind the conveyor a platform on which workers may stand to remove tobacco plants from the conveyor and to impale them on conventional tobacco sticks. The tobacco plants, having been lying overnight in the field, are well wilted and of much reduced weight. A wagon is towed by the trailer in close proximity thereto, and when the sticks are loaded with tobacco they are tipped toward the wagon to a position where they may be picked up by a work person on the wagon for stacking of the sticks of tobacco on the wagon.

Abstract: A tobacco harvester includes a self-propelled vehicle frame having driven front wheels and steerable rear wheels. A pair of harvester units are positioned side-by-side on the frame and each unit includes mechanisms for harvesting a row of tobacco plants. Each unit includes a tobacco stalk gripper which conveys a stalk into a cutting blade and which cooperates with an impalement conveyor to impale a stalk onto a tobacco stalk spear positioned longitudinally of the subframe. The impalement conveyor transfers the stalks to one or more stalk conveyors which slide the stalks along the spear toward a stick loading conveyor. The stalk conveyors are operated to time the travel of the stalks between the cutter and the stick loading conveyor. The stick loading conveyor is positioned opposite a stick supplier or magazine which holds a supply of tobacco sticks. A stick positioner receives the sticks one at a time from the magazine and places them on the stick loading conveyor aligned with the stalk spear.

Abstract: A support beam is formed of two wooden members held in spaced relation to each other by spaced blocks to provide openings to receive tobacco sticks with tobacco stalks thereon. Each end of the support beam has a longitudinal slot extending therethrough to enable a cable, which is attached to a rafter in the upper end of the barn, to extend therethrough. The lower end of each cable has a loop for attachment to a drum of a hoist mechanism, which has a portion bearing against the bottom surface of the support beam. The support beam has a depending projection spaced inwardly from each end to limit the outward movement of each of the hoist mechanisms. The drum of each of the hoist mechanisms is rotated separately to enable the support beam to be raised upwardly into the barn at an angle to clear rail supports on which the support beam is supported.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a bulk tobacco racking device that is designed to assist in loading and closing a sectional bulk tobacco rack of the type including a generaly U-shaped tine section, an elongated bar section, and a pair of latches that extend from said tine section which are adapted to engage and latch with said elongated bar section. The racking device of the present invention comprises a frame structure having a bottom and a pair of laterally spaced side frame assemblies disposed on opposite sides thereof for receiving respective sections of the rack during the loading and racking operation. At least one of said side frame assemblies is laterally adjustable to assure that the respective rack sections are properly fitted and disposed between the side frame assemblies.

Abstract: Tobacco handling apparatus that receives tobacco from a source, such as a trailer, and elevates it by a conveyor to a discharge end from which it is discharged in a flow path having a substantial maximum horizontal extent disposed above a container that has an elongated horizontal extent aligned with and underneath the flow path for receipt of the tobacco leaves in condition for subsequent curing. An oscillatable or reciprocable baffle, or a variable speed conveyor or feed roll is included for varying the horizontal extent of the flow path within the maximum extent in a generally uniform manner to cause the leaves to be distributed substantially uniformly along the elongated extent of the container.

Abstract: A tobacco supporting tine structure comprising an elongated rod bent to define a relatively long longitudinally extending leg portion having a free end thereof shaped to facilitate a piercing movement thereof through a bulk mass of tobacco leaves, a bight portion extending transversely from the other end of the leg portion, a relatively short parallel section extending from the opposite end of the bight portion from which the leg portion extends in the same direction as the latter, a locking section extending transversely from the short parallel sections in a direction toward and at an angle of approximately 45.degree. with respect to the leg portion and a relatively long leg section extending longitudinally from the locking section in generally coextensive parallel relation to the leg portion and having a free end shaped to facilitate a piercing movement thereof through a bulk mass of tobacco leaves.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for transferring a pile of foliage from one surface to a second surface comprising an unloading mechanism which will contain and suspend the pile of foliage to permit removal of the first surface and a conveyor system positioned adjacent the unloading mechanism for receiving the foliage and uniformly dispensing it onto the second surface.

Abstract: Tobacco plants are harvested by having an operator ride a harvesting vehicle along a plant row so that as plants are successively cut from the ground by a cutter on the vehicle, the operator may grasp the severed plant and impale the same onto an upright stake likewise carried by the vehicle. As the stake becomes loaded with plants, the operator may remove the loaded stake from its holding socket on the vehicle and lay the same on a rearwardly disposed deck. He then replaces the loaded stake with an empty stake obtained from a supply thereof carried by the vehicle, and repeats the cutting, impaling and replacement steps until a sufficiently large accumulation of loaded stakes has been obtained on the deck. Thereupon, the deck is tilted to an inclined position so as to dump the plant-loaded stakes onto the ground in a pile, whereupon the cycle is repeated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved bulk tobacco container of the type used to contain and support flue cured tobacco material for curing and drying, with the bulk tobacco container being of the box type and provided with an air diffuser or air channeling device disposed generally centrally within the container for channeling air directly from the bottom of the container to the tobacco material generally centrally located within the container. In particular, as oriented in an upright curing and drying position, the air channeling device or air diffuser extends upright from the lower portion of the bulk tobacco container and includes a side wall structure that defines an interior air passing area such that air may enter a lower open end portion of the air diffuser and move upwardly therethrough.

Abstract: Tobacco handling apparatus that receives tobacco from a source, such as a trailer, and elevates it by a conveyor to a discharge end from which it is discharged in a flow path having a substantial maximum horizontal extent disposed above a container that has a longitudinal horizontal extent aligned with and underneath the flow path for receipt of the tobacco leaves therefrom in condition for subsequent curing. A leaf distributing mechanism is included for varying the horizontal extent of the flow path within the maximum extent in a generally uniform manner to cause the leaves to be distributed substantially uniformly along the longitudinal extent of the container. The container is preferably a large size bulk curing container and the leaf distributing mechanism is preferably a plurality of deflectors which are oscillated laterally in conjunction with a longitudinal reciprocating movement. The leaves can be handled after harvesting at the barn or while harvesting takes place in the field.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a material handling device that is adapted to have utility in both a greenhouse operation and a bulk tobacco curing and drying structure. More particularly, in use with a greenhouse, the material handling device of the present invention is adapted to support plant seedlings or pots of soil with seeds appropriately planted therein. The same material handling device of the present invention can also be utilized in a bulk tobacco curing and drying operation as a support and handling medium for bulk tobacco disposed within the curing and drying structure.