and Miscellaneous Implements at Hull. 
637 
is then reversed, and the lower end of the swing-frame is gradually raised till 
the whole contents have been shot from one sack into the other (Fig. 14) ; the 
freshly-filled sack is left standing upright iipon the floor, and by touching a 
spring-handle the four hooks that held it open are simultaneously disen- 
Figs. 13 and 14. — Wilkerson's Sack-lifter and Shooter, ^No. 1975. 
gaged. The machine is easily worked by hand, and as it enables one man 
to do the work of three, it will be of great vise to those who have occasion 
to transfer corn from sack to sack. 
4007. Kimball and Morton's Sack-Sewing Machine. Since the first inven- 
tion of sewing-machines they have year after year been adapted to fresh sorts 
of work ; it is only recently that they have been able to work with the tarred 
jute or flax-thread that is used in sack-making. In using a very stout thread 
a large shuttle is required to carry it, and a very large loop must be made for 
this shuttle to pass through ; the taking up of the slack from this loop has for 
a long time been a difiiculty, but it is now overcome in a very ingenious 
manner by the use of a large cam acting upon a spring-arm guide. The 
ordinary sort of machine, sewing in a straight line, would not give sufficient 
elasticity to the stitch ; special contrivances are therefore needed to produce 
a zigzag stitch, lapping round the edge of the sack. A stud on the rod of the 
frame is shunted from one groove to another upon a double-grooved cam ; 
the needle-thread and the shuttle-thread meet, and are locked in the centre 
of the edge of the sack. The stitch thus made is firmer and more elastic 
than those made by hand. On cutting the thread, and then pulling the 
opposite sides of the sack, the Judges found that none of the stitches gave way. 
It is stated that a single machine will sew 1000 yards of sacking in 10 hours, 
and the double machines sew 2000 yards in the same time ; where two sides of 
the sack are sewn the double machine should be used. 
The stands of sewing-machines have lately been a marked 
feature in our show-yards ; and, though always interesting to our 
fairer visitors, they have occasionally provoked criticism, as not 
being in any way agricultural. This is the first time that a 
silver medal has been awarded to such a machine, and it is well 
Fig. 13. — Showing sack lifted. 
Fig. 14. — Showing com shot. 
