REAPER AND BINDER CONTEST.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 293, 6 February 1878, Page 2

REAPER AND BINDER CONTEST.

Ix a late issue we reprinted from a report in the Canterbury Times, the decision of the judges on the relative merits of the Osborne, the M’Cormick, and Wood’s machines. The following extract is from continuation of report, and as one of Wood’s machines may be seen at work in the County, the following account may prove of general interest: “ In continuation of our remarks 1 upon the trial of reapers and binders which took place on Thursday, the leading features of the Wood machine.

for which the manufacturers claim an Average daily production of lis, may be noticed. The corn as it is cut, falls tipon a revolving canvas apron, along which it is carried to the elevator, and here there is a striking difference, as compared with the Osborne or M’Cormick, The elevator consists of a series of leather belts, armed with a series of metal Looked projections, by means of which the corn is carried up for delivery to the binding apparatus. Lying over the belting are a number of wooden rods, with continuations of curved steel, to prevent wind from carrying away the corn. The corn falls on to a concave binding table, the Apparatus of which may fairly bo described as both simple and effective. It comprises a binder arm, by moans of which the sheaf is gripped tightly so as ‘to'secure a firm tie, and a reciprocating arm by means of which the hound sheaf is removed from the platform. The mechanism for effecting the twisting and cutting of the wire consists of a small toothed wheel and a cutting blade. The twister works by means of a rack placed underneath the table ; the knife is forced across the wire, and is at once •carried back into position by means of 'a spring. An ingenious arrangement, which is sometimes termed mutilated geaijfng, gives action to the spring arm 'whLjh'-has sufficient force to throw the shear some distance away from the machine. In the work done on Thurs'day morning, the visitors were generally of opinion that this violent fling of the sheaf presented highly objectionable features, as if the corn were over-ripe it would be much shaken out. In the afternoon, however, when the machine was being worked by the American agent, the sheaves, instead of being

Hung out, ■were dropped rather than thrown, and it was explained that the •machine could be made to do either the 'one thing or the other, as might be 'desired, Js is claimed, and with great ■showof justice, that in a tangled crop the full force of the arm would be required to separate the sheaves from one ■another and that thus, under unfavorable circumstances, the machine would go steadily on with its work. The compressor arm is also looked upon as a ; saving clause, the strain being thereby

'removed from the wire, and the chances of breakage reduced to a minimum. The principal points of difference, then, •in the Wood machine, are that the corn Is not carried up the elevator between ‘Lands of canvas, that the sheaf is com.pressed by the special arm instead of by '■the wire, and that its removal from the binding table is accomplished by means ‘of a spring arm, instead of a deliberate ipushing motion. There is, however, another feature which the judges took into consideration. The fans in the Wood machine are sot before the work is commenced, and then remain as fixtures at a 'certain height. In other machines, ■however, the fans can be raised or lowered ‘at the option of the driver, and it is assumed that this feature would ensure more successful operation in a badly laid ‘crop. It so happened that in the oats cut on Thursday, the. Wood machine : liad to deal with a piece that was laid, and tho-result did not toll in its favour, ■although neither of the other machines were similarly circumstanced. So far as the lying was concerned it would, we ‘believe, be the general opinion that in 'this respect the Wood machine was a ‘long way ahead of its rivals.”