80 
Report on the Trials of Sheaf-Binders 
part of the slot just behind where the wire from the reel j enters the slot, the 
tension of the wire in forming the hand being governed by the compressor ann 
1c, whose enter end forces the wire round the sheaf, while the head follows for 
binding operations. When the wire enters the recess i (Figs. 3 ami 4, p. 81) 
of the head, it passes into the jaw of a cutting plate, p ; and as this plate, which 
is centred, turns on its pin by a lug, q, striking a i^rojectiou in the slot of the 
board directly after the twisting has taken'place, the wire is severed by a cutting 
action, and the end leading to the reel is held fast bv the shoulder of the cutting- 
plate to enable the head to carry the wire up for the next binding operation. 
The comjnessor-arm h is upon the same shaft as the binding-arm, and 
turns for a part of the distance at the same speed, but directly the severing of 
the wire is effected the binder-aiTU stojis, the compressor-arm alone continuing 
its travel, which raises the newly boimd sheaf clear of the binder-head, and 
tilts it over on to the groimd clear of the machine, which continues its travel. 
While the compressor-arm is producing the sheaf upon the board, the siraws 
bear against a pair of tender steel strip's, r, and against a curved arm, s, which 
is acted u]X)n by iiTpgular shaped tetth on its hub t engaging into teeth on 
the hub of the compressor-arm, the two aims being thus caused to approach 
each other for the formation of the sheaf. 
Fig. 2. — Sliomng the Position o f the Compressor-arm of Wood's Sheaf- 
Binder previous to the Discharge of the Sheaf. 
As soon as the sheaf is complete, the curved arm has a quick movement 
imparted to it to get it clear of the sheaf, which is then raised and thrown over 
tlie head on to the gi-ound bj' the compressor-arm as before stated. 
The accompanying engravings, Figs. 1 and 2, represent two positions 
of the binder-head and its accessories. In Fig. 1 the head is shown just 
entering the slot of the board, and tlie compressor-arm moving with it to 
collect the straws into a sheaf, the straws at the bottom of the board resting 
against the wire. When tlie com pressor- arm has moved a certain distance 
towards the lower end of the board (to the kft) the curvid arm moves to the 
