286 Report on the Trials of Reaping Machines at Leamington, 
would shut down this hood into the place indicated in the 
drawing, and thus be saved from contact with the band-cutting 
apparatus d. Upon the feed-board a is hinged an upper move- 
able board, b, held up by a spiral spring, c ; and when this is 
depressed by the weight of a sheaf upon it, a transverse slot in 
the board allows it to pass down clear of three small circular steel 
saws, d, which then project upwards through it. There are 
Fig. 10. — Vertical Section of Messrs. Marshall, Sons, and Co.'s Band 
cutter attached to the Self-feeder of a Threshing Machine. 
three of these saws, shown edgewise in the drawing, the axes 
placed so near together that the saws overlap each other, and 
the middle one revolves in a direction opposite to the rotation 
of the other two. The effect is that the sheaf band dropping 
upon the discs is cut asunder ; when the loosened sheaf is caught 
by the revolving prongs e rising through the lower board a, and 
carried down to the feeder barrel g. When threshing corn not 
in sheaf, the belt driving the saws is taken off, and the upper 
board, b, is set in its highest position by means of the handle 
and screwy, forming thus a fixed table. The Judges considered 
this band-cutter to be simple and effective, and well worthy of 
the medal awarded. A workman has no difficulty in placing 
the sheaves with a fork on the upper board in the right position 
for securing the cutting of the bands, and he need not stand 
within five feet of the moving machinery. 
Among the articles specially noted were the following : — 
The Self-binder for a Reaping Machine (No. 1902), invented 
and exhibited by Mr. Walter A. Wood, of 36, Worship Street, 
London. This remarkably clever arrangement of novel me- 
