605 
Report  on  Implements  at  York. 
lated,  so  that  the  degree  to  which  the  com  is  scrubbed  is  to  some  extent  under 
' control,  although  of  course  this  will  mainly  depend  upon  the  capacity  of  the 
box  and  the  rapidity  of  the  supply.  More  important  than  the  valve  are  the 
j dividing  ribs  or  plates  fixed  at  the  mouth  of  the  scourer  N (Fig.  7)  and  j j (Figs. 
1 4 and  5),  which  serve  to  divide  the  grain  and  disperse  it  as  equally  as  may  be 
1 over  the  entire  surface  of  the  exhaust  box  b,  so  that  the  ascending  current  may 
1 have  a uniform  influence  over  the  grain  as  it  falls  from  the  scourer.  Such  is 
! a brief  description  of  Mr.  Foden’s  inventions,  which  appeared  to  the  Judges 
to  be  of  great  merit,  in  simplifying  without  lessening  efficiency.  That  a 
machine  so  constructed  may  be  made  for  considerably  less  cost  than  an 
1 ordinary  finishing  machine  is  evident  from  the  reduction  of  working  parts. 
Equally  apparent  is  the  considerable  saving  of  power  in  driving  a machine  in 
which  the  gear  is  so  much  simplified.  Then  comes  the  all-important  question 
' of  efficiency.  The  Judges  tried  the  machine  with  wheat  and  oats,  which 
presented  great  contrasts  as  to  weight,  quantity  of  chaff,  &c.,  and  the  results 
were  entirely  satisfactory,  and  in  the  case  of  oats  the  chaff  did  not  contain  a 
particle  of  grain,  whilst  the  corn  was  entirely  free  from  chaff.  Considering 
the  comparatively  light  nature  of  the  oats,  this  fact  proves  the  capability  of 
the  machine  for  delicate  adjustment.  The  Catalogue  price  of  the  machines, 
with  a 5-ft.  drum,  was  155/. 
Fig.  6. — End  sectional  view  of  Scourer. 
K 
