In the section Fig. 4. one of the front prongs is shown, which could not otherwise be represented with regard to the position of the roller wheels : on each of the front prongs is fixed a piece of hard wood, to which are screwed two thin iron prongs k, placed at the best angle for pressing the root end of the cut corn into the collectors, as also out of the way of the corn to he cut.
Fig. 3. is a plan of the machine, where C and D re present the roller wheels ; u u the ring level wheel that is fixed to the inside of the roller C ; the circles 1, 2, 4, 3, and 5, represent the wheel work as shown in the sec tion Fig. 4: e f the upper ring that is supported by the under frame part : y y the ring that carries the cutter circle; t u v w, a deep ring of hoop iron that serves to work the collector hooks out and in, through holes cut for each collecting hook in the thin plate iron drum dddd; each collector axis has two tails, one of them hinged, and the other fixed, the hinged or jointed tail, is represented at x Fig. 7, and the mortice for the fixed tail at z. The ring t u v w has two long slits, the one from v by a to t, which the tails x x x, &c. pass through when on that part of the ring ; the other slit is cut from v by vu to 1, which the tails z z z, &c. pass through, when moving round that part of the ring. At that part of the circular hoop where the tails x x x, Ste. pass through, a groove commences formed on the outside of the hoop by means of two rods of iron rivetted at a little distance from each other on the outside of it for the tails z z z, Ste. to travel along, while the tails x x x, Sce. are through their slit; and where the tails z z z, &c. pass through the hoop, a similar groove commences on the outside of the hoop for the tails x x x, Ste. to travel in, while those of z z z, Ste. are travelling through their slit. Wheu the tails x x x, Ste. pass through their slit in the hoop, the tails z z z, &c. travel in their groove, by which the hooks of the collectors are thrown out so as to collect the cut corn ; and when the tails x x x, Ste. travel in their groove, the hooks of the collectors are thrown in, and the cut corn allowed to fall to the left hand in a continued swath. The curved piece v guides the tails z z z, Ste.
into their groove, and in like manner the curved piece t conducts the tails x x x, Ste. into their groove.
Two semicircles were cut out of strong rolled plate iron, one with prongs exactly cut to correspond with the front prongs of Fig. I. These semicircles were made truly fiat by hammering, and then joined, so that the circular parts formed one circle; it was then placed upon the bottom frame with its prongs corresponding to those of the frame ; the prongs of the plate iron and those of the frame were then rivetted together with ri vets, as appears by the dots on the prongs Fig. 3; by this means the fore part of the plate-iron circle was kept at a proper height, for the cutters on the cutter circle to pass through between the bottom frame prongs and those of the plate iron ; the hind part of this circle was supported by several kneed pieces similar to Fig. 8, the short legs being rivetted against the under side of the bottom frame, and the long legs made to support the plate it-on circle, leaving space sufficient for the cutters to pass. This plate•iron circle was made of a breadth to reach into the circle t u v w, Fig. 3, that work the collectors; and this ring is supported by kneed pieces rivetted to it and the circular plate simi lar to Fig. 9, and they are so formed as to give strength to the parts of the hoop t u v so, where the slits are, and at the same time permit the tails of the collectors to pass through. The dotted circle, Fig. 5, shows the inside of the rolled plate-iron circle, but is only there represented as covering the front prongs.
There was fixed on the long right-hand prong P, Fig. 3, a sheet of thin plate iron, kneed to the same angle with the prong, and of the same height with the drum, for the purpose of dividing the standing corn from that to be cut. And there was also an in clined piece of sheet iron, Stc. so placed on the left hand side of the machine as to prevent its progressive mo tion from carrying the root end of the corn too far for ward after being cut.
G H, Fig. 3, and Fig. 10. form the draught bar by which the horse draws the machine with traces on the stubble side of the field.