General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

2

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Predominantly wood & metal elevator fitted with 3 rubber (?) tires and steel cables.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

825.0 cm

Width

220.0 cm

Height

305.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Agriculture

Category

Crop processing

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Portable

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Illinois

City

Bloomington

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Nova Scotia

Period

This machine probably used c. 1960s +.

Canada

The production of Christmas trees is a significant farming activity occurring in all provinces across Canada. With the exception of Alberta, Manitoba and Newfoundland each province has an association representing Christmas tree producers. Until the 1950s most trees harvested in Canada were cut in forests, since that time trees have been grown in specially developed plantations or planted and then harvested from clear cuts. Lunenburg County is one of the most significant centres for the production of trees/ with much of its production being shipped as far east as Ontario and down into the northern seaboard of the United States. Because of it's long-standing trading relationship with the American upper and middle seaboard Nova Scotia was shipping trees south well before it began to ship them, west. In the 1940s, recognizing the growing importance of the industry to the provincial economy the Nova Scotia government prepared a research manual for farmers on the proper planting, pruning, harvesting and packing of Christmas trees. From the 1930s through 1950s trees were shipped by box car load from Nova Scotia to the United States and to the rest of Canada. After that, the use of large trucks and multi-axle transport truck trailers became most common.

Function

To move or lift objects vertically, while supporting their weight fully. Specifically: this elevator used to move cut Christmas trees.

Technical

Used to elevate cut and baled trees into either box cars (pre-1960s) or trucks. Once the trees are ready, a labourer loads the tree on the base of the elevator which carries it up to another person standing in the box of the truck. The bars running between the two chains catch the trees and "pull" them up the incline to be loaded. The person on the truck piles the trees in the box in order both to maximize space and to balance the load. Previous to the introduction of elevators all tree loading had to be done by hand making the process very time and labour intensive. Given their conventional farm connections, many Christmas tree farmers resorted to the use of commercially available hay bale elevators in their attempts to mechanize the loading of trees. Such is the case with the Little Giant, which was manufactured to carry rectangular hay bales into the mows of barns. The Little Giant model is favoured because unlike bale loaders with a central chain that use a single hook there is much less risk of the bars damaging the trees. [Ref. 1]

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Decal on elevator front reads "KEEP CHAINS [TIGHT]/ LUBRICATE BEARINGS REGULARLY/ PORTABLE ELEVATOR MFG. CO./ BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS". Separate decal on front reads "CAUTION/ FOR SAFETY ALWAYS MAINTAIN/ BOOT WEIGHT OF 75 POUNDS OR MORE./ MOVE ELEVATOR ONLY WHEN LOWERED/ TO TRANSPORT POSITION OR HITCHED/ TO TRACTOR DRAWBAR./ P1829 A". Decal on side reads "CAUTION/ 1. READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE OPERATING./ 2. KEEP ALL SAFETY SHIELDS AND DEVICES IN PLACE./ 3. MAKE CERTAIN EVERYONE IS CLEAR BEFORE OPERATING OR/ MOVING THE MACHINE./ 4. KEEP HANDS, FEET AND CLOTHING AWAY FROM MOVING PARTS./ 5. SHUT OFF POWER TO ADJUST, SERVICE, CLEAN, OR BEFORE/ RESETTING MOTOR OVERLOAD./ [6.] SUPPORT DIS [illegible] END O[?] ANCHOR INTAKE END TO/ PREVENT [ illegible]/ [7.] EMPTY ELEVATOR BEFORE MOVING TO PREVENT UPENDING./ [8.] LOWER ELEVATOR TO TRANSPORT POSITION BEFORE TRANSPORTING./ 9. MAKE CERTAIN ELECTRIC MOTORS ARE GROUNDED./ P3631". Decal on elevator bed side reads "FEMA/ SEAL OF QUALITY/ FARM EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION." Decal on bed side "CAUTION/ DO NOT CLEAN/ GREASE OR ADJUST/ WHILE MACHINE IS PUNNING. KEEP/ AWAY FROM MOVING PARTS. KEEP/ SHIELDS IN PLACE./ READ INSTRUCTIONS./ P16634".

Missing

Unknown.

Finish

Predominantly wood & metal elevator fitted with 3 rubber (?) tires and steel cables.

Decoration

N/A