The cutter has four iron arms screw(' into the last socket at the top, and bent as at RR, on purpose to al low the teeth of the gatherer to pass when thrown in by the circular pin of wood, as at Fig. 19, and the cut ters are in six pieces and bolted to a bar of iron at SS, to which the arms are bolted likewise. Fig. 15. is a view of the gatherer by itself, only the circular bars to put out and in the teeth of the gatherer, as the gatherer comes round. As the teeth and cross on the top arc all fixed on one piece, when the gatherer comes round the end of the cross at T will strike the circular bar V, and by that means send out the teeth to catch the corn at W, and the other pieces of circular wood at X will send in the teeth to the straight of the cylinder, and thus drop the corn without scattering any of it. This gatherer is made of two slender wooden rings, and is co vered on the outside with thin boards, with a socket of cast or malleable iron to turn on the bar V. The cutter and gatherer are both fixed on the same bar. Fig. 16. is a view of the teeth of the gatherer by itself. Fig. 17. is a view of the centre bar, the top part of which is square fitted into the fran.e, a plate of iron being on the under, and another on the upper side, the middle being round turned and smooth for the cutter and ga therer acting upon the bottom part square like the top, only the square is taken from the round, so that the sockets may go on. On the bottom square is fitted a piece of iron, either cast or malleable. The cast iron is no doubt cheaper; but malleable iron is better. Its use is to fix the teeth for gathering the corn, and like wise for the centre of the centre wheel for carrying the machine, as at P in both Fig. 18, and 19. Fig. 18. is
a view of the machine behind, showing how the cutter and gatherer pass one another, and how the teeth are fixed that gather up the loose corn. Fig. 19. is a view from the top of the machine, showing the framing and top of the gatherer, part of the cutter, and gathering teeth.
When the machine was thus constructed, it was sub jected to trial, and it was found to have no tendency to chock, but kept itself clear, and laid down the corn with great regularity. The teeth in the gathering cylinder were placed rather high, so that the corn leant a good deal from them, so as to bring the lower end of it round first, and lay it at an angle of about forty-five degrees, whereas it would have been better if it had been laid right across. This could easily have been accomplished by drawing the machine right against the corn. The sharp ening apparatus is not given in this machine, because it has already been introduced into the machine de scribed under our article Agriculture.
Mr. Gladstone has likewise constructed a machine for reaping beans, which has been actually used, and which cut down in great perfection, four acres in a day, with one man and one horse. The beans were after wards to be gathered into sheaves and bound up, but we believe Mr. Gladstone afterwards made similar ma chines, in which the man guided the machine, and ei ther gathered the beans, or made the machine gather them at the same time.