22 



SPKCIAL FEATURES. 



The parts that are adjustable by lever are the butt shoe, the 

 dividers, and in some machines, the binding deck and knotter and 

 needle. The whole frame of the machine may be raised or lowered 

 by means of the two worm-and-pinion arrangements, one on the 

 grain wheel and one attached to the main drive wheel. 



In the vertical machine the binding mechanism has a vertical posi- 

 tion; in the horizontal machine it sits horizontally on the frame, 

 and in the inclined machine it is inclined. 



In the horizontal machine it is necessary to extend a conveyor 

 chain farther back than in either of the other types, so as to bring the 

 tops of the stalks into a horizontal position. In this type, too, the 

 bundle carrier extends in a direction parallel to the length of the 

 machine. This arrangement is very apt to give trouble from the 

 butts of stalks becoming lodged in stubble or soft earth and spreading 

 the bundles in disorder upon the ground. This might be avoided 

 more or less by giving the bundle a sharp toss, thus freeing the carrier 

 before any part of it touches the ground. The fingers of the carrier are 

 sometimes made free to move backward and forward so as to prevent 

 the drag above referred to. On the vertical and inclined machines 

 there is less danger of trouble from this source, as the bundle carriers 

 extend across the path of the machine. The smooth operation of the 

 carriers depends greatly on the skill of the operator. Too many bun- 

 dles crowd the carrier and prevent the binding attachment from 

 properly freeing itself, causing the leaves of the stalks in one bundle 

 to become wrapt about the stalks in another. 



The tall-corn chains may be removed where the corn is short or of 

 medium height, and in clean fields of tall corn the short-corn chains 

 are unnecessary. In short corn the lower chain has sometimes 

 proven inadequate alone to properly convey the stalks to the binding 

 deck. By the addition of a small iron rod or spring (shown at a, 

 figure 12, p. 19) on each of the dividers, the choking of the binding 

 gear is prevented and a more nearly perfect bundle is made. A short 

 iron bar has also been added on many machines to serve the same 

 purpose. This is usually placed in a horizontal position between 

 the lower and middle chains. The dividers are adjustable vertically, 

 allowing them to pick up corn that is lying flat upon the ground, the 

 lever being in reach of the driver. 



To protect the mechanism from the stalks of the uncut rows, a 

 guide rod of hickory or other tough wood is usually attached to the 

 dividers and extended as far back as is necessary. It may be raised 

 or lowered independently of the dividers, however, so as to give pro- 

 tection against either tall or short corn. This bar is shown at the 

 left in figure 15, and the tilting lever on the right. 



