REAPING AND BINDING MACHINE.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 797, 11 January 1877, Page 3

REAPING AND BINDING MACHINE.

machine was tried publicly at Mr J3n o 2' s farm, Biccarton, yesterday, and was pronounceu^ n .? n( l ua '^ A large number of visitors coufsfe of the day, and all wore delighted with the manner in which the work was performed. Although we have already described the manner in which the machine works, the following account of it, taken from the " Country Journal," may be interesting to Borne of our readers : The cutting is done in the same way as in ordinary machines, the grain falling on a travelling platform, similar to that adopted by Mr Bell, in the first reaping machine, From the end of this platform, and on the right-hand side, the grain is elevated in a continuous stream over the top of the main driving-wheel, by means of travelling bands, on which are placed small iron projections to catch the grain, the latter being kept from falling back by means of a spring balance frame. By this operation, the grain falls over into a concave platform, or trough, as we shall call it. On this platform, the self-binding apparatus works, which of course is the great feature of the machine. One cannot but admire the wonderful ingenuity displayed by Mr Locke, the patentee, in accomplishing thiß operation. No doubt, in the minds of many, wire is an unsuitable material for binding, but we think care can be taken to prevent it beiDg left in straw that is to be used for chaff. The wire is very fine and ductile, and would not in o.ir opinion do any damage to threshing ma chines. The binding machine consists of thre « arms, which for the sake of explanation we 8 b all call A, B, and C. A the arm carrying the wire, and acting also as the gatherer, has a u'niform circular motion, and is in shape aomewhat like the human arm, bent *t right angles at the elbow, the hand holding the wire, B, the compressing arm, has an irregular circular motion, and ia in shape like an S, with a portion of tiu; tails cut off. C bus a reciprocating motion, and in shape like a reversed S, with more complete tails than B. A carries the twisting, holding, and cutting gear, which consists of a small pinion° for the first operation, and a steel plate for the two latter. The pinion is made to revolve, by coming in contact with a rack, in a groove of the trough ; but below its surface, the cutting and griping are both done at the same time, by the steel plate coming in contact with a nob, or snug, at the end of the rack, which gives the plate sufficient motion to do the two operations required of it. The arm B has attached to it an india-rubber buffer, and spiral spring, which is sufficiently rigid to compress the sheaf ,very tightly, but Dot too strong to damage the straw. The wire is upou a reel, which revolves on a spindle at the back of the machine ; from this reel it is brought through and over some six times ; a tension pully, with a spring, drawing about lOlbs or 121bs, which always keeps a strain on the wire, and prevents fcinks. From this tension pulley the wire passes under a pulley in the groove of the trough, and is then attached to the arm A. The relative action of the arms is thus :—A, :a8 we said becore, has a regular circular motion; the part noiding che twisting, cutting, and holding gear passes under the sheaf and in the groove of the trough. B in ;i podiiioa just behind the wire held by A, until the wire containing tho sheaf is cut, when its motion in accelerated, so as to throw the sheaf off. This done, by decrease of speed, it falls back into its original position. 0 has a reciprocating motion, so arranged that its lower, point and that of B meet in the groove when the twisting commences, and remain in contact until the wire is cut, when 0 rapidly moves back, leaving Bto throw out the sheaf. On the bottom of the trough are two steel springs, sufficiently strong to prevent grain falling off, but elastic -enough to yield to the Bheaf when being .pushed out. There is also a foot-lever by wh.ch the driver can stop the binder if working in a thin patch, until he gets a full Bheaf. There is also an arrangement by which the trough can be adjusted laterally, so that the sheaf can be tied at any place, at the ears, or roots, or in the centre. This also is under the control of the driver.