A New Binder.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7069, 15 February 1893, Page 3

A New Binder.

Messrs Priest and Holclgate, the local agents for McCormick’s reapers and binders, arranged for an exhibition to-day of a new machine which the famous firm of farmers’ friends have begun to manufacture for the world. The machine was set to work in a paddock of cats belonging to Mr Harry Gardner beyond Faltwater Creek, a light but varied crop, and rather green. The farmers are too busy with their own machines to run about seeing others, so that the attendance was small, only about a score persons turning up. The machine was in charge of McCormick’s Kew Zealand expert, Mr Ackerman, Messrs Priest and Holclgate were there of course, and so also was Mr Bassett, McCormick’s agent at Christchurch. Among those present wo noticed Mr Inglis, manager of the C.F.A., who are interested in the Hornsby machine, and Mr M. Gray, agent for the Brantford and Massey-Harris. The new machine bears the queer name of " Bindloohine,” which was staled to be a contraction of “Bind low machine ” We could make a belter attempt than that,for it will be called, absurdly, the “ Bindlochiue machine " Everyone admitted that the arrangement of the binder is a distinct advance upon previous machines, and we cannot conceive how any one can doubt that the Bindloohine is the rough model of the machine of the future. We say rough model, because it is new, and McCormicks will assuredly improve it. The invenlor made same machines of the kind, and called them the “Adriance.” There are one or two in this colony. McCormicks have purchased his patents, have already improved upon (hem, and the traditions ot the firm give assurance that the development of the new idea is nob yet completed. This idea is packing and binding direct from the platform canvas, and in a space between the platform and drive wheel. It would be impossible to describe the arrangement of the binder ; one must see it or a picture of it, It must suffice to say that the straw is packed upwards from the platform on a rest curving over the end of the platform ; the binder ia fixed above, and in tying the sheaf swings over, taking the sheaf with it on to another rest nearer the main wheel, leaves it there tied, and swings back again Then a clever kind of fork slips two cuived prongs under the tied sheaf the moment it is tied and gives it a jerk to separate the butt from the next sheaf, and then holds it till the biad<r grips the next sheaf, when the forks li f t the butt end clean over and drops it off the back of the machine. The delay of course is to allow the binder to hold the stuff of the n> xt sheaf, so that the falling sheaf shall separate the beads cleanly. The machine shown has a 5 ft ou-, and wo observed that the pair of horses walked as a rule quite two feet clear of the sheaves. A 6ft cut would give three feet for a third horse, and if in long stuff the track would be narrowed, Mr Ackerman states the throw of the fork can be altered to give a wider clearance. Two good horses of Mr Brassell’s worked the machine with ease. They certainly sweated pretty freely, but it was a hot morning. Even the horses found the new machine a novelty, as it cuts on the right hand aide. This is because all tho lovers to be handled by a driver are on that side, there being nothing but tho main drive chain and driver’s seat and levers on the left of the main wheel. With the new machine ia introduced a new knottor, tying a “weaver’s knot. 1 ’ The “ Appleby ” knotter is a very clever bit of mechanism, and we cannot eay that this looks as clever, but it does look stronger, and it has no fine adjustments about it. Tho whole machine is open and above board, and fcbe driver’s work in mani pulating it, are simple ns need be, while the horses, experience has shown, find it easier to draw. Those present would have liked to see the machine tried in heavy and in laid crops, but there is not much choice now, nearly all the crops near town being cut. Mr Bassett, however, assured them that it had been very fully tested near Christchurch, and had done its duty satisfactorily in all circumstances. We have no doubt that McCormick’s shipments of the new machine will show improvements upon this early specimen, and that year by year further improvements will be made. The days of the elevator machine are numbered, for the newcomer has so much less about it, that it must bo made and sold cheaper.