MTFCA Forum

I found this photo taken in 1927.
I wonder what the hitch is attached to.

The second I looked at this photo I wondered the same thing. What's the hitch is attached to?

Great Pic, but I don't think that's a threshing machine on the wagon. There is no shaker or separator, just an elevator /collector at the base of the drum. To me it appears to be some kind of mill, likely a hammer mill. Anyone have any info on this or the Badger company advertised on the unit and on the wagon? Thanks, jb

James
I was pondering what the machine was as well. It seems to have a bundle feeder and some kind of straw chopper and a discharge elevator. Like nothing I’ve ever seen!!

Looks more like a silage chopper to me.

Attached is a period correct after market T hitch. It attaches to the spring mount cross member with u-bolts.

James, Badger Body and Truck Equipment is still in business in Omaha, Nebraska. I don't know their early history. The building in the background of the photos was their plant.

Looks like it may be a husker shredder,
Kevin

Thanks for all the info, I'm not finding much historical data on the Badger Co, but that's ok. Thanks also for the hitch pic, that hitch would be a fine accessory item. jb

I enhanced the photo a bit. It doesn't show it clearly but an awful lot is going on there.

Mark: My Model A buddy found this link giving more history of the Badger Company. From the old photos and advertising on the buildings, it appears they were significantly involved with Ford vehicles early on. I suspect the hitch is their doing, and aren't those model T wheels on the wagon? As for the thresher, the front end looks convincing, but there's no air blast or shaker that commonly is part of a 'thresher'. It is a very cool pic and history, I'm grateful for it appearing here, jb

https://northomahahistory.com/2017/12/1 ... rth-omaha/

Not hard to tell, that hitch is designed to just tow.

I found more photos if the inside of the building with Fordsons and bodies on Model TT's. I'll post them later. I can't post from my IPad.

Here are more photos from Badger Body.

The building was across the street from Omaha's Ford plant They apparently sold Ruckstells. Here is a TT body. Fordson's on display. Note the one on the right of the photo. Another showing Fordsons.

Kudos to Mark! That Gatley mill on the right of the sawmill in the last two pics sure looks like the drum in the original 'thresher' photo. In the bottom pic we see the rotor with the screen removed and laying on the floor in front of the mill. If that mill processed sawmill waste, it could certainly reduce whole plant material to silage or ground feed. And to far right is a Fordson with the 'SnoMotor' helical screw pontoons. Several videos of that have previously appeared on the forum. Thanks for posting! jb

I have seen two different hitches which clamped around the torque tube in front of the diff centre. That way the load is not trying to bend the diff housings. Makes sense in some ways, but pulling from the spring U bolts makes better sense to me. However, I wonder whether the spare wheel position might rule out such a hitch for this application. The spring loading is a neat touch though.

Allan from down under.

It kinda reminds me of a Model T tow truck. The only exception is that the car in the picture is a coupe while the Model T tow truck I saw in pictures and videos had a runabout body with a pickup flatbed and a tow boom and crane attached to the flatbed.

To me working from memory that looks like a corn husker to me? A road trip to Amish country would clear it up. That very well built hitch looks modern to me and if it was old time it must have been worth more than the old Fords that used it!! Bud.

The sawmill, small , and lite duty i wonder if it later became Bellsaw?? Bud