CHAPTER VI. 



FEEDING 



Supplying the grain or feeding should be done as 

 steadily and uniformly as possible in order to keep a 

 continuous stream of grain passing through the 

 cylinder. This keeps the engine working with uni- 

 form steam and tension on the belt. 



When grain is fed into the cylinder, the speed of 

 the latter is checked. As soon as this checking is 

 felt on the main drive belt, the engine speed is 

 decreased until the governor has time to act and, by 

 admitting more steam, restore the normal motion 

 to the engine. This change causes the engine to pull 

 harder on the belt. If, while this tension is on, the 

 cylinder suddenly runs out of straw, the speed at once 

 increases in obedience to the extra strain on the belt, 

 as it takes a little time to communicate this change of 

 speed to the governor and have it cut off the steam. 

 The result is a see-sawing motion every time that a 

 bundle goes into the machine, unless it is properly 

 divided and lapped on the preceding bundle. An 

 entire bundle, especially if it is large or compact 

 enough to slug, should never be allowed to enter the 

 cylinder. 



The average cylinder teeth are about three inches 

 long. The concave teeth occupy about one-third of 



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