284 Report on the Exhibition and Trials 
this motion is effected by levers running in cam-paths on the 
segmental gear-wheel. By a similar action the central hook is 
pushed forward to catch the ends of the string, and when drawn 
back completes the knot ; then it is again projected to release 
the ends of the string and set free the sheaf. The retainer and 
cutter are mounted on a vibrating lever, and are so actuated by 
the cam-path on the segmental-wheel, and by a double gear- 
wheel worked by the segmental-gear, that whilst the knot is 
being tied, a certain amount of string is paid out, to prevent 
any undue strain on the string in the act of tying. The binder- 
arm is actuated by the segmental gear-wheels, already noticed. 
It is mounted in a tube carried by two bearings beneath the 
binder-table, and is actuated by a crank on the axis of the seg- 
mental pinion. A connecting-rod from this crank is attached 
to an arm on the tube, and, as the crank revolves, so the arm is 
raised or lowered. 
The ejector is a short lever, mounted about the centre of its 
length to a crank-arm, attached to a spindle passing through a 
tube of the binder-arm. The lower end of the ejector-lever is 
held by a radius-rod, and can only vibrate up and down, whilst 
the top end which ejects the sheaf forms an ellipsis in its travel. 
The gear is so proportioned that the ejector makes one revolu- 
tion, and then stops until the next sheaf is formed. In all its 
numerous details this machine was well finished, and exhibited 
much ingenuity of device. 
Although the exhibit. No. 4325, of Mr. J. Kearsley was not sent 
forward for trial, and therefore it may be presumed was found 
inefficient in actual work, the simplicity of the knotting and 
binding mechanism justifies a short notice. The machinery is 
attached to a Marsh Harvester. Motion is communicated to 
the binding-shaft, which can be put in and out of gear, by 
clutch-gearings actuated by the driver through a foot pedal and 
lever. On this shaft is first a double cam-wheel to drive the 
gripper, a wiper for actuating the hook of the tying-gear through 
a lever ; then a bevelled pinion engaging in a quadrant-arm for 
twisting the tying-gear, and at the extreme end a crank with 
cam-lever and connecting-rod actuating an intermediate shaft, 
on which is attached the binding, compressing, and ejecting arm. 
The modus operandi is as follows :■ — The corn being delivered 
on the table, the binding-arm descends and separates the corn 
for the sheaf; the string being round it, passes under the ver- 
tical knotter on one side of the head, which is an irregular 
spiral, and at the end of which are two fingers, the upper one 
fixed, the lower one movable, actuated by a swell on the binding- 
shaft. The binder-arm having thus passed underneath the 
knotter and placed the string below the movable hook, the 
knotter makes one revolution to the left, leading the string up the 
