268 Report on the Trials of Reaping Machines at Leamington, 
The axis is made hollow for lubrication. The board-platform is not only 
set up at an acute angle, but is so placed in a retreating position that the 
delivery side next the main wheel is somewhat further back from the knife 
than on the oil-side; and the cut corn falling upon this platform is passed off 
sideways by three horizontally traversing endless chains made with pro- 
jecting spikes or pins at intervals. The throat or space of irregularly 
triangular figure, through which the swathe is delivered, measures bh feet 
along the slope of the platform, and averages about 2k feet depth ; which 
is insufficient for the passage [of long-strawed bulky wheat. However, a 
swathing-machine is wanted chiefly for short-strawed crops and barley. The 
reel, supported by an ash-frame, carries six bars or blades, describing a circle 
of 8 feet 4 inches diameter ; and these blades move with a speed a trifle faster 
than the rate of advance of the machine, thus very gently pulling back the 
standing corn upon the platform. The reel is driven by a chain. 
In the trial this reaper deposited a prettier swathe than that 
of the six-armed sheafer ; but still the stuff in the 3^-feet 
wide swathe was left crossed and locked to some extent. In 
the over-ripe crop the reel knocked out a small quantity of the 
grain. 
The Beverley Iron and Waggon Company (Limited) of Beverley, Yorkshire,, 
competed with their " Improved Three-horse Reaper, with double self-acting 
or reversible swathe-delivery" (3150 Catalogue number). Both in the 
fundamental idea and the mode of construction this is an entirely British 
machine ; but it has been so altered in details of late years, that there may be 
said to be little remaining now of the original invention of the Rev. Patrick 
Bell beyond the principle of the horses following directly behind instead of in 
advance at one side of the machine. The general form of the reaper is shown 
in the drawing Fig. 5, where a is the main driving- shaft, b the intermediate 
shaft for driving the crank, e the finger-bar and knife, / the rollers carrying the 
traversing belts for delivering the cut corn, gg the endless bands, i a lever for 
reversing the bevel-gear, which reverses the action of the delivery-rollers, 
j the reel or fan for bringing the corn forward to the platform, k the rigger for 
driving the wheel, and I the pair of land-wheels for regulating the height of 
out. The frame is of wood ; two straight wood-shafts or poles project horizon- 
tally from the back of the machine, 11 feet 3 inches in length, 3 feet 3 inches 
apart, and at a height of 2 feet 10 inches from the ground, though adjustable 
vertically according to the pitch at which the machine is set ; and these carry 
at their extreme ends a cross-bar with hake, to which the whippletrees are 
hung ; and a steering-lever, which stands out on either side according as the 
standing corn is on the right or left. By this lever, with a couple of handles,, 
a man following on foot steers the machine like a Bedfordshire drill. The 
three horses are yoked thus — one between the two poles or shafts, and one on 
each side, with their heads towards the machine ; and they can back the 
machine by their collars being hung by chains to the main frame. Turning 
round at the end of the field is rather awkward for horses unaccustomed to it - r 
but in the trial the Earl of Warwick's fine team of Suffolks managed to turn 
in one minute and a quarter. 
The two wood driving-wheels are of 2 feet 10 inches diameter, with 42-inch 
broad plain tires; and the two smaller wheels under the platform are of 
12 inches diameter, with tires also 4 S inches broad. The main spur-wheel 
reaches within 4 inches of the ground. It being unavoidable to place the crank 
behind — and in this machine 12 inches behind — the knife-bar, the crank is 
made to reciprocate a strong T-piece ; the foot of the T being connected with 
the knife-bar, while the round-bar cross-head parallel with the knife-bar slides 
