440 
The thrashing-machines now in general use 
through the eastern counties of England do 
nothing but thrash, and have neither circular 
rakes nor fanners attached to them, and are 
mostly portable, and often carried along, in an 
itinerating manner, from farm to farm, and let 
temporarily out to any farmer who wants them. 
* The beaters, four, five, or six in number,” says 
Mr. Ransome, “are so placed round the drum 
that their beating edges radiate from the centre. 
These strike upon the straw, which is passed 
along a feeding-board placed at an inclination of 
about 30°, tending to a point equidistant from 
the centre and upper part of the circumference 
of the drum. The concave or screen which sur- 
rounds the drum describes the third part of a 
circle, and is formed alternately of iron ribs and 
open wire-work in segments, so placed that its 
inner surface may be brought into near contact 
with the edges of the revolving beaters, and ad- 
mitting of adjustment by screws to increase or 
diminish the distance. The usual plan is to 
place it within about 14 inch space at the feed- 
ing part, and gradually to diminish the distance 
to an inch or ? of an inch at the lower end, 
where the straw is delivered upon a fixed harp 
or riddle, through which such part of the grain 
as is not driven through the wired part of the 
concave falls, while the straw is removed by 
forks. The thrashing part, commonly called the 
barn-work, occupies a space of 6 feet by 44, and 
together with the apparatus by which motion 
is communicated (which is made either for two, 
three, or four horses’ power), may at pleasure be 
elevated upon a pair of wheels and axle, and thus 
removed by two horses.’”—One of the most highly 
improved and most efficient and economical of 
these machines is Garrett’s four-horse power, 
which is figured in its travelling position in 
Plate LX., and is described as follows in its 
manufacturer’s catalogue :—‘‘ The requisite speed 
of the drum is gained by three motions, or pairs 
of wheels, instead of two only, as was formerly 
the case; and this alteration, combined with the 
general improvements throughout the machine, 
has considerably added to its ease in working, 
and lessened the wear and tear. It is fitted 
with an iron horse-wheel, turned on the upper 
and under surfaces of the rim in a lathe, to 
admit of toothed segments of eight parts, securely 
bolted to the rim with a seating of wood between, 
rendering the wheel perfectly true, and gearing 
properly with the pinion wheel that it drives, 
instead of having cogs cast on the rim as here- 
tofore; so that when the teeth are worn or acci- 
dentally broken, one or any number of parts may 
be replaced by the attendant of the machine, 
without a mechanic; it is also turned on the 
upper surface of the rim, to afford a true bear- 
ing for the friction wheel. The drum or thrash- 
ing cylinder is made entirely of iron, with five 
beaters, peculiarly formed of wrought iron, ex- 
tremely light and strong, occupying less than 
THRASHING MACHINES. 
the space of four wood beaters, and thus giving 
one-fifth more thrashing power without increased 
speed or friction. The concave that surrounds 
the drum is likewise formed of wrought-iron 
ribbed plates, rendering the whole of the thrash- 
ing part less liable to breakage and very easy to 
repair. There is a bridge or cover of iron for the 
leading bar, which has an extra joint and bear- 
ing outside the horse-walk, so that that part of || 
the bar which the bridge covers lies horizontal, 
that the horses may step over, without a possi- 
bility of injury ; and being attached to the horse 
frame with a bolt only, it is easily taken off for 
the convenience of carriage. This addition is 
the more essential when the barn floor, upon 
which the thrashing power stands, lies higher or. 
lower than the horse-walk; as the end of the | 
spindle, next the barn-work, may incline up- 
wards or downwards, as the situation may re- 
quire. An arrangement is made for attaching 
the connecting bar to either side of the thrash- 
ing part, by shifting the driving wheel of the 
drum, so as it may be worked, with equal con- 
venience, from either side of the barn or stack. 
The instrument used for loading and unloading 
the machine is a lever purchase, readily applied 
and managed by one man, and is extremely por- 
table. 
drum isalso provided ; and that, being substituted 
for the one used for general purposes, will effec- 
tually draw clover, vetchling, and other small | 
seeds.” 
The bolting thrashing-machine is used for 
wheat in cases where the straw is required to be | 
tied in bolts or bundles for sale in large towns, 
or in which it is wished to be perfectly straight 
and regular for particular purposes in the coun- 
try; and when the machine is so constructed as 
to work well, it neither bends the straw, nor | 
bruises it, nor in any other respect injures it. | 
“This machine is not very dissimilar in general | 
character from the Suffolk portable thrashing- | 
machine, with the exception that the drum and 
concave are made of sufficient width to admit 
the sheaf lengthwise of the straw instead of pre- 
senting the ears foremost. The drum is not a 
skeleton with beaters, but is a cylinder entirely 
cased with plate iron, and forms what is called.a 
‘whole drum.’ Upon this the beaters, eight in 
number, are placed longitudinally; they are 
formed of small strips of iron projecting not. 
more than } of an inch. The concave extends 
about three-fifths of the circumference of the 
drum; and the sheaf is introduced between two 
An additional concave to surround the | 
feeding rollers, as in the older machines, in order | 
to prevent too great a quantity or too thick a wad 
from choking and clogging the machine, which » 
necessarily requires to be adjusted so as to leave 
but little space: between the drum and cohcave. 
When this machine is required to thrash beans 
or pease, two wooden beaters, projecting about an 
inch from the surface of the drum, are added, 
and the concave is set at a proportionate dis- 
