444 Report on the Trials of Implements at Cardiff. 
selected by the Stewards to thresh out all the straw during the 
trials of the straw-elevators in Class IV. Fig. 19, on the opposite 
page, shows the position of the self-feeder. It consists of the five 
shaking-boxes A A, worked by a crank underneath, and similar 
to the ordinary straw-shakers over which the apparatus is fixed. 
The surface of these boxes is furnished with wooden ratchet- 
teeth, which convey the untied sheaves towards the drum, 
loosening them more and more as they progress towards the 
hood, B, which covers the drum, and prevents the scattering ofi 
corn and dust. Across the head of the hood the vibrating | 
adjustable rake, C, is placed. This rake regulates the feed most» 
effectually. During the trial many whole sheaves, with their, 
bands still tied, were placed, as an extreme test, upon the self- 
leeder; these were almost always retained by tbe rake till it had 
shaken the band loose, it then delivered the corn more than half- 
spread to the drum. When the sheaf-bands had been properly! 
cut, an ordinary labourer was able to feed the machine with a»<j 
much regularity as the most skilful feeder on the old plan. 
The short iron rod, D, connects a crank on a cross-bar or rake-' 
head with the crank-shaft which carries the shaker-boxes, and is 
itself driven by a belt on the further side of ihe machine fromi 
the crank-shaft which drives the lower straw-shakers. This belt 
is carried on a fast and loose pulley. The handles, E E, placed 
within easy reach of either side of the feeder, enable the at- 
tendant to shift this belt, and instantly stop the feeding apparatus. 
The five shaker-boxes are carried upon rocking links at their upper' 
and outer extremities. The crank-shaft, which gives a throw of 
5 inches to the ends next the drum, is not shown, but its position< 
is indicated at F. 
The patentee of this valuable invention is Mr. VVilders, a 
tenant-farmer of Croxton Kynil, Grantham, who may be con- 
gratulated on having practically solved a problem that has 
engaged the attention of inventors ever since the introduction of 
machine-threshing. 
Accidents have so frequently occurred under the direct handi 
feeding system, that there are probably few machines that have 
not done some injury to their attendants. A drum revolving! 
lUOO times a minute must inevitably destroy the limb that maj) 
be caught by it. Other contrivances for lessening or preventing 
this risk have failed to secure the proper feeding of the machin 
and have in some cases been both cumbersome and cosily, 
this contrivance the risk to human life and limb is effectuall 
removed, the machine is more regularly fed, and consequent! 
the threshing and finishing will be better than after hand-feedin 
while, at a very trifling increase of steam-power, the work of o 
man is entirely saved, as the sheaf is at once placed upon til 
