and on Miscellaneous Inventions at the Birmingham Shoiv. 263 
On No. 6 came Messrs. Botnsby & Sons' Six-armed controllable " Spring- 
balance" Reaper (404 Catalogue number), In this machine, taking a 5 feet 
•3 inch cut, with breadth of 8 feet 2i inches over all, the main wheel is of 
'2 feet 6 inches diameter, with plain 8 inch tire and scraper. The fingers arc 
at 3-inch intervals, with the travel of the knife-bar 5} inches, and the thrust of 
the crank connecting-rod upward. The cutter- bar is in line with the main- 
wheel axis, and the centre of the delivery motion is 3 inches in advance 
■of that line. 
In the trial the delivery was by every fourth arm, and the 
sheaves were laid in the best style which had been seen up to this 
stage of the proceedings. Part of the plot was light, but part 
•heavy, without, however, being really laid. 
No. 7. — Messrs. IJornsby's Five-armed " Spring-balance " (467 Catalogue 
number), taking a 5 feet cut with total breadth of 8 feet 1 inch, with control- 
lable delivery. In this machine the main wheel is of 2 feet 10i inches diameter ; 
the axis of the rake motion is in line with the cutter-bar, the fingers and 
sections at 3-inch intervals, and the stroke of the crank with a downward thrust, 
5£ inches. Set to deliver by every fourth rake, some of the sheaves were well 
laid, but some spread very wide. 
No. 8. — Messrs. Hornsby's Four-armed " Spring-balance " Reaper, (468 
'Catalogue number), with simple adjustable but not controllable delivery. 
The arms are independently hung by joints to the rake- wheel, or revolving 
•carrier, and supported by rods from two collars or centres above. These rods 
are easily shifted by hand from one centre to the other, — hooking to the lower 
one causing the rake to deliver, and hooking to the upper one making the rake 
a. gatherer ; and the upper collar can be set in different positions b3 r a rack and 
bolt, so as to alter the height of sweep of the gathering rakes over the plat- 
form. The delivery may be by every rake, or every second or fourth. In the 
trial it was set for every other rake. The rake-motion centre is in advance 
of the cutter-bar ; and the platform is gently curved, so as to conform to the 
path described by the delivery rakes. The width of cut is 5 feet 3 inches, the 
■fingers and knife-sections 3 inches, as in the other machines of this firm, and 
the travel of the knife 5j inches, and thrust downwards. As in all the Grant- 
ham reapers, the middle of the seat for the driver is placed about 3 feet 5 
inches outside the driving-wheel, and about 2 feet 3 inches back from the 
line of its axis. In the trial there was one stoppage. There was entire 
freedom from any tendency of the rakes to strip out grain, or to press down 
ears in front of the knife. 
No. 9. — T/te Johnston Harvester Company's " Wrought Iron Self-delivery " 
Reaper (378 Catalogue number). The machines of this Company have been 
already briefly referred to in the Report on the Philadelphia Centennial Ex- 
hibition.* This reaper is constructed on a singular principle ; the cutter 
bar and platform being flexible, or floating at uniform height over the surface 
of the ground, almost independently of the vertical position of the main 
■driving-wheel and frame carrying the pole and crank gearing, yet without 
employing two driving-wheels, as in the ordinary form of grass-mower. The 
stiff and yet light rolled angle-iron finger-bar forms, with the wrought-iron 
drag-bar, one rigid piece, in figure like a letter [_ j the forward end of the 
• drag-bar is hung to the front part of the main frame, with a lever adjustment 
for raising or lowering, so as to alter the dip of the fingers, while the heel or 
junction of the drag-bar and finger-bar is supported by a chain instantaneously 
set by another lever to any height of cut. A peculiar feature in this machine 
is the use of two parallel extension bars, one above the other, for connecting 
* See p. 13. 
