94 
Report on the Ti-ials of Sheaf-Binders 
is immediately cut off. The twister begins to revolve, twists the two ends of 
the string together, holding them vertically over the sheaf. The box then 
falls into the horizontal position, the twisting is continued, but, as the twisted 
portions lie alongside the string surrounding the sheaf, the two twist together, 
and have the effect of tucking the twisted part two or three times between the 
straw and the band. As soon as this is complete, the string is released by 
the end of the pin passing through the hollow twisted spindle, being pressed 
down by a lever actuated by a cam on the rock shaft releasing the box, and 
the sheaf is thrown off by the prong provided for that purpose. The lever 
which released the box draws up the knife ready for a fresh cut, and the box, 
on returning, has its cams adjusted to the correct position by the same cam- 
shaped lever and wedge-shaped termination of the twisted spindle. The 
string is about j'j in. diameter, and is twisted the reverse way of the lay. 
The knife is a thin blade passing between two fixed guides. There 
appears to be some difficulty in cutting the string. The reel, which is 
worked for the vertical shaft by a worm, cannot be moved backwards or 
forwards in reference to the machine. It comprises 6 arms, one of which 
terminates in a feathering brush, intended to push the corn to the platform. 
The feathering is done by means of a cam keyed to a sleeve on the reel-axle. 
The sleeve can be turned round by a tangent screw and wheel, so as to regu- 
late the point of feathering in the revolution ; the feather is worked by a 
roller running on a cam, and actuating a lever against a spiral spring ; the 
outer end being jointed to a crank on the brush shaft. 
H. J. H. Kinffs Sheaf-binding Machine, to tie with string, 
No. 2852, was shown at Liverpool last year, but was obviously 
then in an incomplete state, indeed It was more as a model than 
a practical reaper. Much has been done in the interval, and 
although the workmanship is rough, and further alterations, 
especially with a view to simplify the mechanism, are desirable, 
it is sufficiently complete to require description. I am sorry 
that I have not been able to produce detailed drawings, which 
would have been of use to my readers in helping them to 
understand the construction of the machine. 
The basis of this machine is a Samuelson rea]ier, and the gearing is of 
course similar as regards the cutting parts. Thus the knife is 4 feet 3^ inches 
long ; depth of platform, 5 feet 1 inch ; width over all going way, 8 feet 6 inches, 
which allows of the machine pa.ssing through ordinary gates ; def)th, 9 feet 
6 inches. The reel is fixed, and comprises three ordinary fans and one 
collecting brush, which sweeps the corn up a concave platform, feathering 
away when the work is done, this action being secured by means of a cam 
on the reel-shaft, which is not self-adjusting, but can be altered by sh'ifting 
a screw. At the back of the first j)latform is a transverse platform which 
receives the grain as it is swept up by the brush. This consists of fixed 
boards with five openings or slots at unequal distances, for the traverse of the 
rakes, five in number, which move backwards and forwaids, and rise and fall 
by mechanism similar to that in Hetherington's reaper, which is shown as a 
modification and imiirovcment on this machine. The stroke of the rakes is 
5 feet 6 inches, they drop and clear themselves differently. The platform rises 
towards the binding mechanism about 6 inches, and is fixed. 'J'he driving 
wheel is 2 feet 8 inches diameter, width of tire 7i inches. The driver throws 
the machine in and out of gear by a clutch. A bevel wheel on the axle gears 
into an incline{l shaft, which carries at its forward end the crank-disc and knife 
