1 June, 1902.) QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 487 
Agricultural Patents. 
PATENTS ACCEPTED. 
Sucar-cane Harvester ; Curring, Toprrne, AnD Conveyine.—Class 30— 
(9 Figures)—5866: Thomas Wilson Sloane, of School lane, East Bundaberg, 
Queensland, cab proprietor, and George Noakes, of Albion Vale, near Bundaberg, 
Queensland, sugar-planter. “Improvements in machine for Topping and Cutting 
Sugar-cane.” Dated 28th January, 1901. (Drawings, 30s. ; specification, 
12s.) The machine is built on a tubular framework of a U-shape in plan, the 
open gap being in front. Each side of the U is supported by a carrying and 
driving wheel belt driven at from 1 to 2 miles per hour by an oil or other 
motor placed over two steering wheels at the rear of the machine. In the 
centre of the front gap is a plough-like spreader, which parts the cane and 
bends the stools laterally and forwards, so that the tops are dragged past guide- 
rollers against vertically reciprocating arrow-headed knife bars fixed on the 
lateral parts of the frame. At the back of the central gap are two vertical 
spindles carrying revolving knives that cut the cane close to the ground, the 
knife-drums being capable of sliding on square shafts to accommodate lumps 
in the ground. ‘The several canes fall on lateral travelling belts, and are 
conveyed to the trucks at the rear. At the base of the front ends of the 
U-frame are shoes attached to the sloping guide-bars, which are intended to 
raise flat lying cane to a cutting position. (9 claims.) 
Disrrrurine Seeps.—Class 28—(7 Figures)—6181: Charles E. Patric, 
of Springfield, Ohio, United States of America. “ Distributors for Grain Drills.” 
Dated 27th August, 1901. (Drawings, 17s. Gd.; specification, 9s. 6d.) Several 
hoppers for seeds are carried on one machine, and in an opening in the parti- 
tions is placed a revolving seed-wheel, driven by external teeth gearing with a 
pinion on a shaft outside the hoppers ; the feed-wheel has a central web against 
which the seed in the hoppers fall at one side or the other according to the 
osition of a movable guide-plate in the hopper, and carrier ribs are on the 
inside of the rim; one side of the wheel is suited to feed larger seeds, and the 
other small seeds, the external teeth are’ shrouded by the casing, except at the 
pinion, and ata position over the delivery tube, where the housing extends towards 
the central webb, and leaves a small opening through which the seeds can be 
carried by the ribs out of the hopper, and on passing the housing they fall 
laterally into the delivery tube. (S claims.) 
Rope-sw1vEL Coupine ror Wert-Bortna.—Classes 59,85—(7 Figures)— 
6243: William Albert Crawford, of Moree, New South Wales, Australia, well- 
boring contractor. ‘An Improved Boring Tool for Deep Well Sine 
Dated 26th September, 1901. (Drawings, 15s.; specification, 6s.) This 
coupling attaches a rope-end to a female socket for the head of the rods. The 
rod-head is enlarged above the socket, and perforated axially with a cross 
chamber in the enlargement; the rope is passed through the perforation and 
knotted in a swivelling block in the cavity; removable wearing washers are 
fitted to the bearing faces under the swivelling faces, and the knot is held up 
by a screw-adjusted plate; the rope inside the bore is protected by a tubular 
prolongation of the swivelling block. (4 claims.) : 
