New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-08-09

NkAGRdbCu ny thC IIlC othtCo DSPoA
ment of Agriculture.)
The most essential thing in setting
a separator for thrashing Is to get II
level. Here again the ~thrashermar
should not guess, but should have
good spirit level and use it at every
setting. To do its best work the ma
chine must be as nearly level as pos
sible from side to side, and 1t Is gen
orally conceded best to have 1t level
lengthwise, although a few inches diff
ference in level between the front and
real ends is not likely to be detri'
mental. If the machine Is set on
soft ground, one or two of the wheels
may sink further into the ground than
the others after It has been standing
for a short time, and the operator
should not forget to watch this point.
A very slight difference In level be-
tween the two sides of the separator
will make the shafts all run against
the bearings on the lower side and
have a tendency to cause them to heat.
1t will also cause the grain constantly
to work toward the low side Of the sep
arator and make 1t more difficult for
the cleaning mechanism to do good
work. Even If the machine is set on
a barn floor, 1t should be leveled care
fully, for barn floors are rarely pre-
cisely level, and the weight of a sepa-
ratOr may make 1t sag in weak places.
The main drive belt should hang
loosely over the pulleys, with just
enough tension to keep 1t running
smoothly. If 1t Is too tight. 1t will
have a tendency to pull the separator
out of place and will put unnecessary
strain on the cylinder shaft and box
ings and possibly make them heat or
pull the cylinder out of line so that
the teeth will not run true.
When thrashing in the open, 1t is
well to pay attention to the direction
of the wind. If there is any choice
in the direction In which the machine
is to be set. 1t Is much more pleasant
for the men working at the machine
II II can be set so that the wind blows
the dust and chaff away from tNem.
II a steam engine Is used, the setting
should be such also that sparks will
be carried away from the separator
and straw stack.
The separator should always be
blocked solidly to prevent vibration as
much as possible. and to prevent the
belt from pulling the machine for
ward. 1t will frequently a v some
time If blocks of the right size and
shape for this purpose are selected or
prepared before the thrashlng starts
and carried with the machine from
place to place. Wornout or broken
plowshares make excellent blocks.
Cylinder and concaves.
The problem Of adjusting the cylin-
der and concaves Is to get them placed
in proper relation to each other, with
the right number and arrangement of
teeth In the concaves for the grain
that is being thrashed. The adjust
ment should he such as thoroughly to
loosen all the grain from the heads
without cracking or breaking up the
straw into such fine pieces that sepa-
ration will be difficult.
It is essential that the cylinder and
be adjusted so that each
tooth is at all times equally distant
from the two between which 1t is pass
Ing, and that the cOncaves be kept
enough to the cylinder that I'M
thrashed heads cannot get through.
Tho frct thip0 IN odiuctip0 tho rvltu.
der Is to see that the shaft Is aligned
properly, that is. that one end is not
forward than the other. There
Is a constant tendency for the end Of
the shaft to which the main drive
pulley is attached to pull forward, ,
end back. The next step is to take up
my superfiuous end play. Some pro-
vision for regulating end play is found
IN all machines. The space that must
be left to prevent friction on the end
If the shaft and consequent heating Is
m thirty-second to n sixty
Of an inch, or just enough to
lllOw the shaft to. run freely. Any
more play than Is absolutely necessary
should not be tolerated. as 1t allows
he cylinder teeth to get close to the
teeth on one side and CORE
far away IN the other. The
distance between the cylinder and con
ave teeth when properly adjusted is
generally not much v e an eighth Of
IN inch. 1t Is easily seer that a very
end play will cause cracking of
he grain on the one side and allow
heads to pass through OF
he other. For the same reason It
important that all teeth in both the
and concaves be kept
traight. There should. always, be
vrenches in the tool box for straight
ng any which get out Of line. '
A large majority of the thrashing :
machines Of the country are now :
quipped with s~elf-feeders. 1t is a .
however, to assume that be- :
the feeding Is done mechan- :
cally the feeder will always deliver !.
he unthrashed grain to the cylinder !,
q the proper manner when the bum
les are pitched on promiscuously and
{ irregular intervals. The governor ]
hitch controls the feeder should be
djusted SO that It will stop feeding 4
s quickly as possible when the speed
} reduced below normal. BY all
leans 1t should be adjusted to act
lore quickly than the governor on the {
ngine. II a reduction in the speed Of
be cylinder does not stop the feeder :,
the engine governor acts, the :
peed will pick up again and the bum :,
uiu conkinsAo Ia uno,uo lnAo 4ha ma d