342 Report on Steam Cultivation. [Claeke. 



by a remarkably simple expedient. The windlass has two lever- 

 handles for turnings the eccentric " bushes " of the two rope-drums 

 by which the raising "into gear "and lowering "out of gear" 

 are effected ; and Mr. Bui strode wished to change the position 

 of both drums simultaneously by a single movement instead of 

 by first working one handle and then the other ; so he set up a 

 light wooden gallows over the two handles (see Fig. 1), or, as 

 he expresses it, he " balanced the drums." Thus, the windlass- 

 man drops the drum A in the act of lifting the drum B; a chain 

 running over two pulleys C and D, connecting the two handles 

 E and F. The labour also is easier. 



After this, it was found that a few seconds might be gained at 

 the implement ; for time was wasted in taking the steerage-handle 

 off one end of the cultivator and pinning it securely upon the 

 other end. This point had been already attended to by Messrs. 

 Howard, and was remedied by the use of a double-hinged handle 

 instead of the single moveable handle. 



One other occasional hindrance remained. When the steam 

 was shut off, the recoil arising from the tension of the tight rope 

 sometimes caused the pinion-shaft to run the reverse way for a 

 few revolutions ; and it was not safe to throw the drum into gear 

 while this was taking place. To meet this, Mr. Bulstrode gave 

 the engine-driver a wooden lever, which he presses as a brake 

 between the fly-wheel and the fire-box the instant he has turned 

 off the steam. Thus, by a few simple contrivances, almost all 

 the advantage is got out of the patent slings, and the delay 

 from shifting snatch-blocks is absolutely nil, though hindrance 

 at each end of the field, from other causes, still amounts to 10 

 seconds. 



Mr. Bulstrode's pulleys are mounted upon wooden boat-shaped 

 sledges, instead of upon flat boards, in such a manner that, while 

 combining the utmost strength and lightness, they ride over rough 

 ground either to the right or the left, without loading themselves 

 Avith earth. 



One point is worthy of attention in his construction of pulleys 

 or snatch-blocks. 



E<-^€^ ~ 



? A c 



n 



L ) --■ e -^->F 



3 



Fj>. 2. 



He always employs a bottom iron bar, B (see Fig. 2), as well as 

 a top bar. A, because the wooden base-board is liable to decay 

 and to fracture by accidents, and because he can thus make the 



