Report on the Trials of Implements at Bedford. 729 



principles. There were drum-covers, which simply covered up 

 the drum when the man feeding leaves the machine, as it is 

 considered that most accidents occur when the feeding is not 

 going on. There were also covers held up by springs, so that 

 in the event of anybody falling off a stack, or the feeder falling 

 forward, the mouth of the drum would be at once closed. Those 

 drum-guards and self-feeders which fed the machine, either by 

 double rollers or revolving tines, all broke the straw very much, 

 and impeded the feeding. 



The machines were drawn up in line at the end of the Imple- 

 ment-yard, and were there each in turn driven by a portable 

 steam-engine for about ten minutes. 



The wheat-sheaves used in the trial were in bad condition, and 

 well adapted for testing the efficiency of the feeding-apparatus. 



No. 338. J. P. Fison, of Camlridge. — This is a guard of very ingenious con- 

 struction, and is capable of improvement. A revolving cylinder is supported 

 over the mouth of the drum on the ends of two levers, to the other ends of 

 which are attached weights ; the least weight being thrown on the cylinder, 

 it is at once moved down and closes the drum-mouth, at the same time 

 slackening the driving-belt, and thus stopping its movement. The straw was 

 not much broken, but the feeding was somewhat impeded. Its price is 6?. 



No. 4048. Wandleyand Eobh, of Outivell, Wisbeach, Cambridgeshire.— This 

 is a semicircular folding-guard in three parts, which, in opening the drum- 

 mouth, are folded back into each other. 



No. 1522. Woods, Cocksedffe, and Co., of Stoivrnarket.— This drum-feeder 

 (Fig. 41, p. 730) consists of a hopper, a ; the front of which is formed by a 

 sloping platform, upon which the sheaf-corn is placed ; thence passing down 

 to a revolving cylinder, b, which moves in the opposite direction to the drum. 

 Curved arms are fitted on the circumference of the cylinder, which open out 

 the sheaf and pass it down to the drum f. The fingers, d, w-ork between 

 the arms of the cylinder, and prevent any straws from being twisted round it. 

 The cylinder is driven by a strap off the shaker-spindle, and the feed is regu- 

 lated by a slide, e. 



When the sheaves were put in sideways, the feeding was fair ; but when put 

 in head first, the cylinder would not draw them in. A firmly-tied sheaf was 

 thrown in ; this at once threw off the strap, thus constituting it a guard. The 

 straw was somewhat broken. 



No. 2653. Barford and Perl-ins, of Peterborough.— This dvvmi-gimxd, con- 

 sisting of a concave cover, is held up by springs pressing against projecting 

 pieces of iron at each side, so that if any weight is thrown on to it, it at once 

 closes the mouth of the drum. The guard may be fixed half up, when shovel- 

 ling in loose corn ; it is very simple, and may be fitted to any threshing-machine 

 for 1?. 5s. The idea is an ingenious one, but not yet perfectly worked out. 



No. 3518. Puinsomes, Sims, and Bead, of Ipswich.— This drum-feeder, which 

 consists of a fluted cylinder, is placed a little in front and above the drum, and 

 is driven at a speed of about 250 revolutions per minute. Above the cylinder 

 are a number of wooden rollers covered with leather, and strung upon a spindle 

 working in shde-guides ; these are set in motion by the lower cylinder, and 

 have a hole in the centre of larger diameter than that of the spindle, so that they 

 are free to lift about 2 inches', without moving the spindle. When fed, the 

 weight of the upper rollers pressing upon the lower cylinder draws in the sheaf- 

 com. 



