General view of the agriculture of the county of Northumberland ; with observations on ... its improvement / Drawn up for ... the Board of Agriculture.

John Bailey

Date:: 1805

Credit: General view of the agriculture of the county of Northumberland ; with observations on ... its improvement / Drawn up for ... the Board of Agriculture. Source: Wellcome Collection.

89/426 page 53

$tlie corrij CC, is evenly spread, and presented to the cast- metal fluted rollers RR (four inches diameter) which take it regularly in, and by their weight and sharp edges hold fast the straw, while it is struck, switched, or thrashed by the switchers, or pieces of wood SSSS, fixed in the cylinder DD, and projecting three inches from its sur- face * : these, when they strike the corn, move in an up- ward direction, RD, with great velocity, and throw the corn as it is thrashed, and the straw as it leaves the fluted rollers, against the circular rake KK, and upon the wire skreen G, from whence the straw is taken by the rake, and delivered upon the sloping-board L, down which it slides to the floor N, while the corn passes through the skreen G, into the hopper H, and from thence to the inclined board I \ but in falling from H to I, a strong current of air, raised by the fanners FFF, blows the chaff over the sloping-board O, and the light corn against it, which falls into the space P, and the chaff into M, while the good grain slides down the inclined board II, to the floor at Q ; from whence it is taken and put into a second wlnnowing-machine. In which are placed proper riddles to suit different kinds of grain. This second ma- chine is move^l by a rope going over a pulley, fixed in the axle T, and is set a-going, or stopped, at pleasure, by a stretching pulley, as occasion ret.]uires. Where the situation will admit of the board II, being placed about four feet from the floor, the second win- nowing-machine may be placed directly under it, and save the trouble of lifting the corn. To find the velocity of the particular parts—we must * This cylinder is made witli strong arms, on which are fired the switchers, and cased round with narrow inch deals; the whole secured from flying offby strong iron hoops, surrounding them at each end ; the switchers are covered yvith plate iron, to prevent tlieir wearing. e3 divide$