Report on the Trials of Implements at Cardiff. 467 
damage. The index to the right serves for adjusting a slide-board that can be 
raised or lowered to allow less or more light corn to be carried over it by the 
blast. A connecting-rod from a crank on the unseen end of the fan-shaft 
oscillates the riddle-frame by means of a bell-crank with brass bearings. The 
frame is suspended upon iron links, and can be fitted with eight different 
riddles; those which are not in use are kept in a box i)laced between the 
handles of the machine. After passing through the riddles the com falls upon 
au inclined screen, which delivers the head corn at the back, while the small 
grain falls through oa to the floor under the machine, and stones, chobs, &c., 
are delivered through the spout at the side. Three sizes of screens are sent 
out with the machine. The handle is jointed and folds back when not at work, 
it is thus not liable to be wrenched in travelling. The hopper has recently 
been made lower and more open, and is therefore easier to fill than it used to 
be. It is a very striking illustration of the absence of any modern improve- 
ments on the old type of corn-dressing machines to find that the patent for 
this machine was taken in the year 1800, and though at difi'erent times the 
manufacturer has tried some alterations, he has returned to the old pattern, 
so that the machine only difl'ers from those made more than 70 years ago 
in being more compact and in having iron substituted for wood in certain 
parts. 
No. 220. T. Baker. — A lighter, simpler, and cheaper machine than that which 
took the first prize. The riddle-frame is in this case placed high up, and close 
imder the hopper ; the blast acts upon the grain while passing through the 
sieves. The bottom sieve is placed six inches under the top one, and a board is 
inserted obliquely between them, so that the blast shall be directed through 
both sieves. There is no feed-roller to the hopper, but it is furnished with a 
stirrer to keep the supply constant. The sieve-bos is suspended on chains, 
and driven by a crank and connecting-rod from a bevel-wheel on the fan-shaft ; 
by taking the bevel-wheel out of gear and removing the sieves, the machine 
can be used as a simple blower. The sieves are 22 in. by IGin. From the 
sieves the grain falls upon an oscillating screen of wire-net, suspended on 
Coulson's spring hangers. 
No. 3216. W. Nicholson and Son. — Very simil?r in design to Cooch's machine, 
but of simpler construction. The hopper is provided with one feed-roller 
driven by a belt from a pulley on the shaft that carries the handle ; the riddle- 
box is moved by bell-cranks and a connecting-rod from the fan-shaft. Eight 
riddles and two screens are sent out with the machine. The materials and 
workmanship are substantial and good. 
lu ItainfortVs machine the mouth of the feeding-hopper is regulated by a 
sliding-board with double rack and pinion, and may be fixed by padlock so 
that the workmen cannot enlarge the opening and pass the corn through toQ 
rapidly. It is furnished with an oscillating screen and is well constructed. 
Bohifs machines are fitted with his self-cleaning screen ; one of them was 
used to test the samples obtained from the trials in the next class. Hornsby's 
machme was also fitted with his adjustable rotary corn screen. The First Prize 
was awarded to this maker for one of his screens in the next class. 
The greatest novelty among the entries was the " Silent Winnowing 
Machine," No. 869, B. Beid and Co., from the Bon- Accord Works, Aberdeen. 
All gearing is dispensed with, the riddle-shoe is moved by bell-wires from two 
cranks upon the fan-shaft; these wires terminate in leather thongs carried 
round two V-shaped pulleys and nailed to the shoe ; the oscillating screen is 
moved by a similar arrangement. The enterprise of the exhibitors in coming 
so far south was not rewarded with success in this case, for the riddles and 
sieves used by them, though they might be fitted to deal with a small-berried 
uorth-country wheat, were too small in the mesh to make any separation of 
the grain used in trial, and we had no opportunity of judging whether the 
very quiet and easy movement of the riddles would be sufficient to effect the 
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