NEW INVENTION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1176, 20 November 1883, Page 3

NEW INVENTION.

There was exhibited at the Timaru Show a new winnowing machine, invented by Mr Alfred Colville, of Milford. It attracted a great deal of attention* with the result that Mr Colville got half-a-dozen orders for machines on the spot. There is no doubt but that it is a s great improvement on the other machines hitherto in existence. One of the greatdefects in the old winnowing machines was that the side motion used to throw the grain too suddenly off the riddles by heavy jerking, with the result that it did not get time to be properly cleaned. The side motion and the sudden jerking have been done away with in the new machine, the riddles of which are suspended on four springs attached to the framework. The riddles are put in motion by a small crank shaft by means of another spring. These springs, instead of the jerking motion, make the riddles vibrate, and as they move at double and sometimes treble the speed of the fan or blast, the grain in passing through them gets a better chance of being properly cleaned. Another improvement is that the blast and the riddles have each an independent motion. In all the other machines the blast and, the riddles move at ah equal speed, and this is also a disadvantage, After the grain has passed through three riddles, with the blast playing through them all the time,itthen drops down, and falls into an archimedian screw.'which carries it along to the elev&tore; Here it is lifted up to the top of the machine and dropped into a shoot that discharges it into bags. In going through this process the grain is brightened in color and considerably improved. The feed from the hopper is also totally different., It can be adjusted so as to make it suitable for any kind of grain or seeds from broad beans to grass seed. The Ijp of;the hopper can

be made to vibrate with extraordinary rapidity, or remain stationary if required. The blast is so adjusted that it can be made to blow all the giain away, or toned to a degree that it would not blow a candle out. This is done by sliding valves, which may be shut in or opened out at pleasure, so that a blast suitable for either cleaning hay seed or wheat can be got. The machine has eleven riddles connected with it, and is consequently capable of cleaning any kind of seed. Alter the day's work is over, the pulling of a slide cleans the machine completely, so that there is no danger of two kinds of seed getting mixed up. Double the quantity of work can be done by it, and corn will be cleaned perfectly from all kinds of seeds. Such a machine ought»to prove a great boon to farmers. Grain in this district has a good deal of seeds mixed with it, and as it never gets properly cleaned, it gets worse and worse every year. A machine which can clean it properly ought, therefore, to prove very desirable, and we have no doubt that it will, and that Mr (Jolville will soon have a large factory making them. We understand that he has taken out a patent, and as this must give him protection, he will hold a monopoly of, the sale of this machine,