The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-07-27
YOUNG IoWAN
AN INVENTOR
G. r. Raney Of Near centerville viii
Make 100000 Out Of His
Idea.

Idea.
CENTERvILLE, July 27.-When c.
r Raney was a barefoot boy tramp
ing through the hot stubble fields
shocking after the binder he vowed
he would make machinery do the
work some day, and now, after much
experimental work, he has per-
facted a shocker attachment for. the
hinder that does the work and for
which the International Harvester
company has closed a contract with /
him that will net him more than
100000. Besides, he Is to leave the
farm at once and go into the employ
OF the harvester people at $1,000 al
year and expenses to start with. They
recognized his rare mechanical genius
and wanted him in their experimental
department to help in perfecting sew
eral problems they are contendlng
with. He was called to Chicago for
consultation with the head officers
the past week, the contract was
closed and he came back to load the
ghocker on the train and take 1t to
the wheat fields of Minnesota, where
he will observe It's workings and
make such changes as are necessary
to adapt it to conditions there He
will also go to Dakota and Canada
with it before the season ends. Ac-
companying him will be a special ma
chinist of the International works to
carry out his every suggestion and
get the parts all adjusted, as they in
tend to make them in big lot OF ex-
perimental machines for next season.
The thing that put this inventive
genius to work vigorously on the idea
that had been in his mind for several
wears was trip to Dakota about three
years ago. He was there in harvest
time and the cry everywhere was for
harvest hands to shock the wheat
which lay unshocked on thousands OF
acres. He decided there was a com
mercial demand for a shocker that
would make the farmer Independent
of the harvest hand and permit him to
save his valuable crop Of grain. When
he got home he told his folks that
he was going to get busy in the little
shop down by the barn and make a
shocker that would shock. And he
did The one that now does the work
so we'll isn't the first one built by any
means, for he made and remade some
Of the part dozen times. At last he
had one he was willing to try in the
field last season and it worked wei
enough to show. that he had the prin
ciple OF the thing He then rebuilt
It for this season, and when he took
it out to shock twenty-acre oats
field it set every shock better than
man could set them, and tied them
with string about the tops that hello
the sheaves erect and prevented blow
ing down by storm.
The shocker runs on two wheels
about the size of cultiyator wheels
and Is hitched to the binder so as tt
receive the bundles as they come from
the knotter. They are kicked out ont'
an arm from which spikes project up
ward This arm then describes
semicircle upwards and back. layini
the bundle back in the receptacle
that fixes the outlines of the shock
The machine can be set to receive an,
number of bundles, the idea bein
that there should be enough to fill
I'D compactly. The placing of tn
bundles is shifted from side to sid
by foot lever operated by the drive
OF the machine. When the holder
full a big arm comes around and tn
shock is tied just as bundle Is tie
in. the binder. Then the shocker trip
and the shock is lifted to an upwrigh
position, being firmly planted on tn
ground that leaves it standing NOR
secure than a hand shocker Woul
place it. The only thing 1t lacks
the cap sheaves. But 1t is tied s.
curely about the top with binder twin
30 caps are not SO badly needed.
the northern wheat fields these al
not wanted anyway. The inventor say
IL there Is demand for sheaves IL
Gaping he can have them kicked o.
by the shock by adding an extra co
tTlNdHCo anu oil ihoi "o -
to do would be to go through the fleit
and put on the caps.
Mr.. Raney, the inventor, is now ma
ried and living on his fathers fafl
six miles northeast of Centerville III
elder Raney is member of the cou
ty board of supervisors. When TIN
went to Chicago this week with the
attorney and closed the deal WI
the harvester people they decided to
the boy had an opening that be
farming. so they came back home
arrange for the boy to go north WI
the machine and. then move to chle
go, while the father would close I
affairs on the farm. The invention
shared by them to an extent that DO