AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS AND RURAL ECONOMY. 35 



cams or "wiper wheels, and the meal slides down their inclined bottoms, and is conducted to 

 the bolts, often irregularly, by ordinary spouts. By the new plan, the "hopper-boy" which 

 receives the meal for the bolts is fitted within an annular chamber, through which passes a 

 vertical shaft, having arms upon it, with sweepers secured to their ends. Directly above 

 the "hopper-boy," on the vertical shaft, an arm having oblique flights upon it is placed 

 loosely, and is connected by cords to a rod passing horizontally through the central shaft. 

 Spouts lead from the lower end of the annular chamber to the elevated ends of the bolts. 

 The central vertical shaft passing through the centre of the "hopper-boy," rotates and gives 

 motion to the flight-arm named, which also rotates and carries the meal towards the centre 

 of the "hopper-'boy," from whence it falls into the annular chamber and is cooled, while the 

 sweepers take and force it into spouts, which convey it to the bolts, and thus feed it in more 

 regularly than by the shaking of the shoes. 



An improvement in dressing flour, patented during the past year, by Messrs. Nordyke 

 and Hunt, Richmond, Indiana, consists in a peculiar device for expanding and contracting 

 the rotating brushes, which act against the wire-cloth of the bolts and force the flour through. 

 These brushes may be made to act against bolting-wires with a greater or less pressure, 

 according to the will of the miller. 



Self-regulating Windmills. 



Mr. T. C. Vice, of Rochester, New York, has recently invented a self-regulating windmill, 

 constructed as follows: The arms and frames are as usually constructed, but the canvas 

 sails are fitted with rings at each end running loosely on an iron rod ; also with rods and 

 loops at suitable distances along its length, so that the sail is prevented from slatting, while 

 at the same time it is at perfect liberty to be extended or contracted by suitable cords. The 

 main shaft of the mill is hollow, and through it leads a light shaft, which carries on its end, 

 and in front of the centre of the windmill, a bevel wheel. This wheel gears into power- wheels 

 keyed on the end of light shafts, which extend the whole length of each arm, having bearings 

 at proper intervals along its length. Revolving these shafts in one direction contracts the 

 sail, by shortening a set of cords leading directly to the leech or edge of the sails, while 

 revolving them in the other direction releases these cords and contracts another set, which 

 are rove through sheaves or through staples on the opposite side, and serve to extend the 

 sail. When all is right, the small shaft in the centre of the main driving-shaft is allowed to 

 turn with it ; but if the wind freshens and the mill moves too fast, the small shaft must be 

 retarded, which will have the effect, by revolving the bevel wheels, to reef or contract the 

 sails. As the weather moderates, and more sail becomes desirable, the surface may be 

 extended by giving the regulating or central shaft a greater velocity. 



This arrangement is easily adapted to employment with a governor, so as to be literally 

 self-adjusting ; and in any event will, if successful in practice, save much of the disagreeable 

 labor in attending windmills — that of reefing in cold and wet weather. A forty horse-power 

 mill, or one the sails of which are each thirty-three feet long and six feet wide, would pro- 

 bably require considerable power to extend the sails thus simultaneously; but it may be 

 recollected that this operation will usually be performed when the wind is light, the action 

 in reefing being merely that of a brake to retard the wheel, and the action of the cords on 

 the sails is in this case direct. Mr. Vice has provided means for making the mill itself sup- 

 ply the power for this purpose, and considers the whole susceptible of complete control by 

 an ordinary governor. 



An improvement in windmills has also been made by Daniel Halliday, of Ellington, Con- 

 necticut. This consists of the attachment of wings or sails to rotary movable spindles fur- 

 nished with levers. These levers are also attached to a head which rotates with the sails 

 upon the same shaft. Another lever is attached to the head ; this is connected to a go- 

 vernor, which slides the head upon the shaft, so as to cause the levers to turn the wings or 

 sails. The necessary resisting surface being thus presented to the wind, a uniformity of 

 velocity is attained. The proper regulation of the obliquity of the sails, so as to adapt them 

 to the varying motive force of the atmosphere, is represented by the inventor to be thus 



