24 
Report on the Agricultural Implements at 
strikes into the inflowing grain, separating the portion to be bound, encircles 
it with wire, which, owing to the application of a spring arrangement, is- 
endowed with the requisite decree of tension to secure a closely-bound sheaf; 
twists the wire and cuts it off during the backward movement, and finally 
discharges the sheaf. 
The driver adjusts the binding mechanism so as always to bind the bundle 
midway of the length of the grain, by means of a lever handle, mounted on a. 
small lantern-wheel working in a rack and connected, by flexible links passing 
over pulleys, with the binding mechanism, which moves freely backwards and 
forwards in a direction parallel with the length o'f the grain. The subjoined illus- 
trations (Figs. 18 and 19) show the front and rear elevation of the binding- 
apparatus. C is the driving-shaft, on which is a double sproggle-wheel which 
gears into corresponding wheels on which the driving-chain I passes, as well as. 
Fig. 18. — Front Elevation of McCormiclcs Grain Binder. 
over corresponding wheels on the opposite end of the gear-frame J. The arrow 
shows the direction in which the chain-gear travels. This chain carries a 
slotted link, I, connected with a shaft, L, and imparts the reciprocating motiou 
to the binding-arm necessary for the various motions. I will endeavour to 
describe the mechanism. N, N 1 are pitmen pivoted on the crank L 1 of the 
shaft L, attached respectively to the cranks o p of two rocking-shafts, concentric 
with each other and mounted in bearings in an overhanging support of the 
binding-frame. The crank which operates the compressor is adjustable laterally 
by the slotted rack and set screw, and its throw is thus regulated. The inner 
rucking-shaft consists of a steel rod carrying at its forward end a crank arm,© 1 , 
working in a slot in a vibrating compressor, 11, pivoted at r, so as to give the 
compressor a movement eccentric to that of its driving-shaft. This shaft, 
owing to this construction, allows the compressing arm and its crank to yield 
under the strain of binding the sheaf. The binding-arm S is slotted length- 
wise to receive the supplementary arm T, pivoted at t, and is vibrated at proper 
intervals. Two wires are used in binding, and consequently two twists arc 
formed. The wire from the upper reel w passes through a tubular spindle, a:, 
with a tension spring, thence over a pulley, m, on the arm M 2 , thence over the 
