QUINLIVAN'S SELF-FEEDER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1808, 6 April 1888, Page 3

QUINLIVAN'S SELF-FEEDER.

A trial of Q linlivan'a self-feeding end bandcut'lng attachment for threshing machines was held yesterday, at the farm of Mr Donald Williamson, Alford Forest Road. This invention is a Victorian one, and has been m nse In the sister colony for a number of years past, where, judging by the many nattering testimonials the patentee, Mr Qalnlivan, has to show, it meets with appreciation; While In Australia some time ago Mr Mnrphy, the Secretary of the Canterbury A. and P. Association, Induced Mr Qumlivan to bring his machine over to Canterbury, and it was shown for the first time m the colony at Obriatohurch the other day. In response to the invitation of the looal A and P. Association a good number of farmers and others visited the scene of the trial yesterday, and all the comments wero of a very favorable nature. The following is Mr Qulnllvan'e description of hla invention :—

An elevator 15 feet long, 9 Inches wide at bottom, and 24 inches on top, with an endlesß belt 9 inches wide, attached to which are a number o? bittma with teeth, for the purpose of carryijg the shelf from the utaok to cotters, whioh is fixed at the end of the elevator, nearest tie machine. The elevator is bo constructed ac to allow a aheaf to lie lengthways, bo that only one will be allowed to pass nuder the cutters at one time. The elevator Is attached to tho machine by

means of a ninaed casting, whioh fits Into a forked bracket, bo as to allow the elevator to work as it were on 5 hinge, to suit tha height of the stack, sad to admit of Its being lowered as the stack is being threshed, whioh Is done without delay or trouble by the men whose duty It is to fork the sheaves into the elevator. The band-cutter consists of two clrouUr saws running over and m the centre of the belt which conveys the sheaves up. As they pass under, the bands are cut. Either wire, rope, or straw banda oan be operated on with ease and oertainty. The splndie of saws is adjustable, so that it oan bs suited to either large or small sheaves at will, Its motion being given by a belt running from the shaft which drlvae the elevator. From tho outtera to the centre of elevator Is covered by a sheet-

iron circular top, so that the sheaves aud loose straw pa&B as it were through a tunnel, whioh prevents the wind from acting op U, protecting tha saw-spindle, so that the Btraw cannot wind round it. The elevator and cotters can be shifted from on? side of the miohlno to the other, and fixed m a few minutes, as provision te made for working on either side of the machine, without any alteration to gear. The feeder couslsls of three endless belts running on rollers or pulleys, the width of the machine. To these beltß are attached the battens, for the purpose of conveying the eheaves from the bandcutter, to the dram. The feeder Is placed so as to receive the sheaves from the band cutter, and over the a' raw-shakers of the machine ; between the top line of the feeder-belt and its bot'om, is placed a table to prevent tha stnff from falling through on to the shakers before it has passed through the dram of the tbreabor. The aheavea aro delivered by tho feeder on to the top of the drum (and can be fed at any augle required), whbh la covered over by meano of a sheet-iron door attached to the top of tha concave, eimilar to. the ÜBnal faed board. Above this feeder is placed the separator, whioh distributes the sheaves equally over the feeder ; this is done by meant of five spikes driven by ecoentrioa, TJ 0 power required Is under one horse, and the whole of the maohiaery is simple, light aud strong, and can be used to a very great advantage to machine owner and farmer, bb there is no loan of grain or time m cleaning up. The whole of the feeder 1b fixed m a frame, and can be attached to any machine or removed without much trouble, and can be supplied nt a coat within the reach of any machine-owner. As will be seen by the foregoing, with this apparatus no men are required to feed or to out the bands of the sheaves, the «tpff simply being forked on to tho elevator whence It Is carried under tbo revolving saws which cot the bands and thenoe to the feeder. As the stack geta lower the elevator can be correspondingly lowered, and it oan be fixed to either Bid 9of the machine. The combine used waß one of T. Robinson snd Co's, Melbourne, and It attracted a good deal of attention being different m many respects to tho machines working m this part of the world. It did its. work excelleut'y making a very good sample of I the crop threshed, Tnacan.