Ricklifting was an art. By the time the ricks were to be moved in a field they had started to become adhered to the ground on which they stood. They couldn’t always be easily moved. Then there was trying to get the rick moved onto a low lying rick-lifter – without it disintegrating. Some ricklifters tried to make it easier to pull the ruck onto the lifter by attaching a strap to be attached around the rick to help keep it from falling apart. This did help, but it could still be irksome to get the rick to be pulled onto the cart.
In 1921 Alex. Jack & Sons’ Ltd of Maybole exhibited for the first time its combined self-loading hay rick lifter with new patent loader and unloader. In essence, this allowed the ricks to be more easily and quickly pulled onto the lifter. On 14 June 1921 the North British Agriculturist provided a lengthy description of it and how it worked:
“Maybole haymaking invention
Messrs Jacks’ ricklifter
We give as one of our illustrations this week a photograph of Messrs Alex. Jack & Sons’ Ltd (Maybole) new patent combined self-loading hay rick lifter with new patent loader and unloader. This new labour-saving device was exhibited for the first time at the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society’s Show, held at Belfast on 24th and 25th May, where it had a great reception among Irish farmers, and was awarded the Society’s silver medal.
Construction of machine
The combined machine consists of two distinct parts-(1) a loader and unloader which can be used in conjunction with any rick lifter of the platform type; (2) a chain drive from the rear travelling wheel of rick lifter to a counter-shaft in front, which is geared to the winding roller or tube. The loader and unloader is constructed with a. wooden beam about 4 feet long, fitted with three T-iron prongs 4 feet long. Small wheels are fitted on the under side of the beam, and small double wheels or rollers near the front of prongs. On top of the beam is fitted a tripper, consisting of two small wheels with axle, two cranked arms, and a wooden cross-bar. The whole apparatus is attached to the rick-lifter platform by means of a chain. Two small wheels are fitted to the rear ends of the main beams, and a prop is fitted to the front of the rick lifter, this keeping the lifter tilted up. The action of the loader is extremely simple. With the lever tilted and the prop in position, the rick lifter is backed smartly towards the rick. The three prongs penetrate under the rick, which automatically forces up the tripper, thereby raising the loader and rick on to the platform. The most difficult part of loading the rick is thereby easily accomplished by the simple backing of the horse, and it is an easy matter to complete the loading, as it has to be drawn a much shorter distance, and the wheels on the bottom of the loader make it more easily adjusted.
A one-man, one-horse design
The feature of the new lifter is that the completion of the operation of loading the rick is performed by the horse yoked to the rick lifter instead of by hand. When the loader with the rick on it has been raised on to the platform, the ropes are put round the rick in the usual way, the clutch is engaged, and as the horse walks forward the rick is drawn on to the platform. When the rick reaches the front of the platform, its weight, depressing the front of the platform, locks the tipping arrangement, and automatically throws the clutch out of gear. It is therefore apparent that this combined machine does not necessitate having an extra man or an extra horse in the field when loading ricks, as the entire operation of loading and unloading can be quite easily accomplished by the driver.”
