| Farmer: | Pat Nagle
Rockford, TN Blount County |
| Type farming operation: | Miniature horses are Pat's main
commodity, and Pat and Bob Nagle have the official miniature horse exhibit
at the Kentcky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. Pat has shown her horses
at numerous livestock shows, and she has conducted several workshops on
harnessing and harness racing.
Pat also has an assorted of other 'normal' and exotic livestock, some
of which were adopted from people who no longer wanted them.
|
| Nature of disability: | Back injury. Permanent back
injury that has caused loss of strength of the left leg and has caused
significant pain.
|
| Challenges to meet: | Pat's back injury causes lack of strength and endurance which makes
if difficult for her to operate the clutch on her Massey
Ferguson 245 tractor. Because Pat raises hay for her animals
she was interested in regaining the ability to sfaely operate her tractor,
freeing her husband Bob to do other chores that she cannot do due to her
injury.
|
| Solutions: | AgrAbility staff visited Pat to evaluate her needs and determined that
a simple hand clutch lever could
be designed to allow easy use of the clutch with the left hand. A
simple hand lever was developed that fits directly on the end of the clutch
shaft.
There were no permanent modifications to the tractor. The clutch linkage of the tractor is fully exposed, and the end of the cluth shaft which protudes from the left side of the bellhousing provided trhe perfect location for attaching the clutch hand lever. The lever was bent so that it does not interfere with the operator's normal motions, and a bracket was installed to hold the clutch lever back in the disengaged position while the tractor operator shifts the PTO. Also, the hand lever does not in any way interfere with normal operation of the clutch pedal, so the tractor remained fully functional for unimpaired operators.       |
| Cost of modifications: | Materials cost less than $50 for the hand clutch lever.
|
| Benefits: | The hand clutch allows Pat to cut and bale hay and use the front end
loader safely without resorting to hired labor.
|
| Cooperators: | Tim Prather, UT Agricultural
Extension Service
Patricia Hooper, Easter Seals |