Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1918-08-16

level. Here again the thrasherman
should not guess, but should have q
good spirit level and use 1t at every
setting. To do It's best work the ma
chine must be as nearly level as pos
sible from si&e to side, and 1t Is gem
orally conceded best to have it level
Iengtbwise. although a few inches diff
ference In level between the front and
rear 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
win make the shafts all run against
the bearings on the lower side and
have tendency to cause them to heat.
II win also cause the grain constantly
to work toward the low side Of the sep
arator and make It more difficult for
the cleaning mechanism to do good
work. Even II the machine is set on
a barn floor, Il should be leveled care
fully, for barn floors are rarely pre-
cisely level, and the weight of a sepa-
rator may make It sag in weak places.
| The main drive belt should hang
loosely over the pulleys, with just
enough tension to keep It running
smoothly. II 1t is too tight, It will
have tendency to pull the separator
out of place and will put unnecessary
strain ON the cylinder shaft and box
lngs 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, II Is
wen 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
lf II can be set so that the wind blows
the dust and chaff away from them.
II steam engine is used, the setting
should be such also that sparks will
be carried away from the separator
and straw stack.
The separates should always be
blocked solldly to prevent vibration as
much as possible. and to prevent the
belt from pulling the machine for
|
time IL blocks OF the right size and
shape for this purpose are selected or
prepared before the thrashing 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-
Ter and concaves is to get them placed
! N ipSssccnnsE 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 be 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 win be difficult.
Il is essential that the cylinder and
concaves be adjusted so that eact
tooth is at all times equally distant
: from the two between which it is pass
Ing, and that the concaves be KEEP
close emf ugh to the cylinder that un
thrashed heads cannot get through
The first thing in adjusting the cylin
: der is to see that the SHIFT Is aligne'
properly, that is, that one end Is no
further forward than the other. Their
Is q constant tendency for the end 0
q the shaft to which the main driv
: pulley Ii attached to pun forward
: and at the same time force the othe
q end back The next step Is to take u
any -superfiuous end play. Some pro
vision for regulating end play is foun
on all machines. The space that mus
9 be left 60 prevent friction on the en-
q OF the shaft and consequent heating
= from one thlrty-seeond TO one sixts
e 9ourth OF an inch. or Just enough I
g allow the shaft TO run freely. An
= more play than Is absolutely necessaT
should not be tolerated. as Il allow
the cylinder teeth to get close TO Il
eoncave teeth ON one side and corr
h spondinEly far away ON the other. IT
# distance between the cylinder and col
10 cave teeth when properly adjusted
10 generally not much over an eighth
D. an inch. It is easily seen that vel
little end play win cause cracking !
the grain ON the one side and allo
nnthrashed heads to pass through {
e the other. For the same reason
st IS important TINT all teeth In both Il
u SyAlnueE anu C0NNANNN 9o AZ
n straight. There should, always,
"a wrenches in the tool box for straigl
ing any which get out Of line.
Self-Feeders.
A large majority of the thFashi
II machines of the country are nc
n- equipped with seIf-feeders. It is
re mistake, however. to assume TINT
in cause the feeding Is done mecha
&c lcallv the feeder WIN always tieIiv
the unthrashed grain to the cyilnd