TRIAL OF AN EARTHSCOOP.

Waipawa Mail, Volume IX, Issue 882, 19 January 1886, Page 2

TRIAL OF AN EARTHSCOOP.

A trial of a new earth-scoop took pi act 1 on Monday, near the Kcnsingtou-hill railway-station. The scoop was invented by Mr 11. A. Chesney, of Dunlop station, $ near Bourkc, and it has been inarmfactored by Messrs Wright and Edwards. -fl At the trial on Monday the scoop worked »'*• well, giving entire satisfaction to those A present. The spogwjfrxy, although not fljjp numerous, included a nuwf»>cr of squatters -t practicallv acquainted with water con- 4' servation work in the inland districts oi | the colonies. The scoop is strong, com- fpact, and admirably designed to carry out M th- work il is inbmd d to do. An ordi-JM nary scoop of half a cubic vard < amu ilv .. ; fl is s-f in a strong iron frame, and . anieii I f upon three wheels. Two of tire w|,r,iJfl carry the main body of the scoop, and tlefl rear of the fiame is supported bv a third fl whi-l. works upon a swivel, so‘that lU | whole machine can ho turned at rigl.tfl angles in the same way as a dobbin, t< fl which it bears a general rescmblauce, The scoop is raised by the power of tin a horses, and all its operations are per * '£ formed without requiring the driver to exert his strength. When the scoop it fl tilled, the driver, by means of a lever - ail justs a clutch, which sets the raising gear in motion. The raising gear is a chain working upon the axle. This geai raises the scoop clear of the ground, and £ the load is carried, ns in a hob in, to the depositing place. When the load is qeiivd to be emptied the scoop does not fl turn over, but the driver presses a trip fl with his foot, and the load falls througl the bottom of the scoop. There is a false Ifl bottom, in two parts, to the scoop, and ifl this system of emptying involves very fl little wear and tear, and tends to leave the fl earth in a mere even bank than the lieapi fl left by the turning over process. At the fl trial everything worked smoothly, and fl the scoop showed itself to be quite lit ted fl to meet all requirements. Three horses fl were used, but they had easy work and for a time only one horse was employed Mr Chesney had been using those scoops ifl successfully upon his station for 12 fl months, the team ordinarily used being J <me of three light horses, judging from fl the appearance of the apparatus and the success of the trial there is no doubt that fl tlie Dunlop Earth Scoop is a valuable addition to tlie labour-saving appliances cm % ployed in the formation of drains auc tanks.— Australatian.