Noel, Missouri, 64854.
Some time ago I found parts of an old hand and foot powered hay
baler. There were no numbers, markings or names on the castings to
indicate where or by what company it was made. The castings,
brackets and fittings clearly indicate it was a factory made
baler.
This old baler was mounted on skids. It had a rack and pinion
for the compressing force with a wheel on the pinion shaft about
four feet in diameter, with a one inch rim made from a
three-fourths inch pipe and the one-half inch pipe spokes, cast
into the hub, were riveted to the rim. The rim was used for hand
power and the spokes for foot power.
The frame structure and compression chamber were made from wood,
painted red, and the compression chamber was lined with one-eighth
by three inch band iron material. Cast iron dogs were used to hold
the bale while it was tied. I was told that one man could make
approximately one-hundred bales per day. I believe the bale size
was thirteen by seventeen inches. The compression chamber was
adjustable for variation in compaction.
Too many parts were lost or missing, making it impossible to
rebuild or reconstruct this old baler to its original state.
Mixed in with the baler parts we found an old pitchfork with
short tines especially made for feeding the old baler.
It may be possible that a reader of the Iron-Men Album has seen
or knows the where-about of one of these old balers. If so, send a
picture and information to this magazine. Or, send the picture and
information to me and I will write a second article.
We have been searching everywhere, for ten years, trying to find
the missing parts, to reconstruct this old baler. It would be a
real antique for the magazine. It would be over one hundred years
old.
The unusual or very rare antiques make the magazine of more
interest to the readers. So many old antiques in fence corners have
been long forgotten and middle aged men and the younger generation
do not know what they are. A-74
