THE JOHNSTON HARVESTER COMPANY'S STRING BINDER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 285, 9 October 1879, Page 2

THE JOHNSTON HARVESTER COMPANY'S STRING BINDER.

This company was the first to introduce a string self-binding harvester, The prejudice against wire for binding the sheaves was, and is, very strong amongst farmers and cattle owners, as the cattle might swallow small pieces of chopped wire, which would easily hecome mixed with straw from the chaff-cutting machines. There is no doubt that, should the workmen allow the wire binding to outer a chaff-cutter with the straw, the wire would inevitably work its way through the coats of the stomachs of the cattle fed upon it. The strength of the

stiing-tiu liiis been already fully provul by tests at Ik Bmiol Agiiuilturii] Slnnv, were the string was found to stand lfiOlb, as against 1001b, which was tlio breaking strain of the wire. The Johnston Harvester Oo.'s binder, first shown at the Bristol Show last year, though its tying arrangements were first rate, had several defects in its elevating parts, and in the action of the binding-arm,. which wa3 rather weak and complicated. All these defects have been energetically taken in hand, and remedied in tlio improved machino shown 1 this year; at the Royal Agricultural Show, at Kilburn, The platform and elevator have been made of a sufficient width to take tlio longest grain to suit the English gg&irket. The elevator is now formed by WHouple of canvas webs, between which the grain is lifted and securely held, in spite of the roughest wind, so that the operation of binding can be conducted perfectly cleanly and without the slightest waste.

The motions of the cutting knife axd binding arm have been improved, The cutter bar is driven direct from the front of the machine, and not by means of the rocking lever, pivoted under the sheaftray, and driven by a connecting rod at the back end as formerly, The binding arm has a'forward, horizontal, and descending motion, and is supported by a side bracket. The grain is delivered from the elevator on to the binding platform, where it falls against the string. The stringhas one end securely gripped underneath the binding platform, and the other end passes through the needle which carries the cord round the sheaf and descends through the table, bringing the cord together, and enclosing tlie sheaf. Then, by a continued action of a finger, a revolving cluv, and a hook, which draws a loop through a secure knot is made. The twine is then cut from tlio portion which is being reeled out. The needle once more ascends, leaving behind it one end of the string again gripped in the under jaw ; and a bent claw. rising from under tlio binding platform, and which lias hitherto held the sheaf in position for binding, now falls, and passing under the sheaf, rises at the back of it, and pushes it gently rtf the binding table. The cutting and workingof the harvester is good, the main driving wheel being well situated to receive the pr incipal weight of the machine, and gives an excellent .balance. 'lhe machine lias a carrying wheel at the extremity of the tray, pivot d so as to turn easily. All the adjustments are placed Handy to the driver, who can traverse tiie binding tray over so as to ensure binding in the centre of any sized sheaves, A foot trip is placed handy, so that the driver can stop the action of the binder when desired, which is very useful at thin places or round headlands, The knot is formed by twisting the ends of the string, then a double loop is partially pulled through the twist. In Ihe former knot the double string was pulled through, not looped, and looked the most secure, but the latter is found to be equally so on test, and it has the advantage of being readily pulled out, instead of requiring cutting, and this gives back the whole length of binding string uncut, The company can fix any class of knot-tying apparatus to their binder that may be preferred, and they have three or fov.r.