Oliver Red River Special Threshers

22×36 – 28×46 – 32×56

This is the better part of the operator’s manual. Hope it is of genuine help. LRM

BEFORE STARTING

Before you attempt to operate the thresher read these instructions thoroughly, regardless of how long you have threshed or how many makes of threshers you have run.

The machine has been thoroughly tested before it left the factory and is sent out in good running order, but dirt and grit of shipment by rail is liable to cause trouble and it is important to make sure that all the bearings are oiled. The first thing to do is to clean out all bearings and oil holes of cinders and dirt that may have collected during shipment and any paint that may be found in them. All grease cups should be filled with a good grade of cup grease and turned down until the lubricant is noticed at both ends of the bearing.

Use the grease gun on all bearings equipped with Zerk fittings.

Belt the thresher with the tractor and run it slowly for awhile in order to make sure that all parts are working properly. A new thresher should be run at least an hour before using.

SETTING THE THRESHER

The art of properly setting a threshing outfit for operation is an accomplishment not to be overlooked. The machine should be set as level as possible. Usually the machine will set at a perfect level on a barn floor or on level ground and is built with the right pitch to work off the straw and get good results. There might be extreme cases where it is advantageous to lower the rear wheels by setting them in the ground or placing a plank under the front wheels when the separator sets on a barn floor.

Some threshermen use a spirit level, while the majority set it level by their eye. It may be necessary on uneven surfaces to let some of the wheels in the ground. A machine should always be set level sideways. To do this raise or lower one of the rear wheels until the crossgirts between the sills are level. Never jack up one side of a front sill to do this, as it places the thresher on a twisting strain when running. The thresher is so nearly balanced that it requires no staking down; block in front of the wheels to keep the drive belt from pulling forward.

When threshing short and light straw, when too much fine stuff shakes through the shakers on grain pan, and in threshing flax and other seeds and wheat with white caps on, or other grain which does not work out of the thresher and off the sieves fast enough, the thresher can be set a little lower behind, in order to allow the fine stuff to work out and off the shakers faster, and give more slant to the sieves to work the coarse stuff off the sieves faster. Often a lower speed, to give the light straw time to fall on the shakers, will work the straw off faster.

PULLEYS: Illustration No. 3 gives the pulley numbers and show the locations of the pulleys on the thresher.

ALIGN PULLEYS AND KEY TO SHAFT: Now line up the different drives using a string stretched around the pulleys to see that the pulleys are in alignment. When you are sure that each pulley is on the proper shaft and that they are correctly lined up, the keys can be driven in tight.

BELT TIGHTENER PULLEYS: The belt tightener pulleys must be placed on the shafts and held in place with the collars. Do not set the collars up too tight. The tightener pulleys should turn freely. Be sure to tighten the set screws in the collars and also in all pulleys that have set screws in the hubs.

SELECTION OF PROPER DIAMETER PULLEY: Any smaller pulley is liable to slip in the belts and there is no room to use larger pulleys than above stated. Be sure you have the right size cylinder drive pulley to match your engine. This is figured as follows: Diameter of engine belt pulley in inches, multiplied by the speed of the engine and divided by the average speed of the cylinder, which is 1030 for 22 x 36 and 28 x 46 threshers, and 850 for 32 x 56 and larger – will give the diameter of cylinder drive pulley wanted.

BELTS

BELTS AND BELT LACING: The belts furnished with the Oliver Red River Special Threshers are high-grade rubber belts. Alligator belt lacing is used to lace the belts.

HOW TO FIT BELTS: Refer to belting diagram, Illustrations No. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and be sure to cross the belts if they run crossed. The wind stacker and main shaker beater drive belts should be cut 1 ½” to 2” shorter than the mark. This will make the belts fit tight when they are put on. Be sure that the belt tightener pulleys are in the first notch when you fit the belts. All other belts should be cut about 1” short.

TYPE OF BELT INSTALLATION: The belts on the Red River Special run as follows: The shaker beater belt runs open from cylinder pulley to large pulley on crankshaft over beater pulley and under tightener pulley. The windstacker belts run open. The shoe shake belt runs crossed from fan pulley to shoe crank pulley. The weigher belt runs crossed. The elevator belt runs crossed from beater to top elevator shaft. The mill fan belt runs crossed from cylinder to fan shaft. The conveyor belt runs open from fan to conveyor shaft. The feeder belt runs open from cylinder to feeder shaft.

BELT LACING APPLICATION: After the belts have been fitted and cut, apply the lacing as shown in Illustration No. 10 and No. 11. Use the No. 15 or small lacing, on the 2” and 2 ½” belts. Use the No. 25 or heavy lacing on belts 3” wide or more.

BREAKING-IN PERIOD: A new thresher should run at least an hour before using, in order that it gets in shape where every part runs properly. See that belt tighteners and belt guides are properly adjusted, not only to keep the belts tight in the instance of belt tighteners, but with the belt guides see that the main drive belt runs midway on the cylinder drive pulley so that it does not run with the edge against the small upright rollers. Set the guide pulley by turning the adjusting screw in or out until it guides the belt true on the drive pulley. The drive belt runs over on top of the belt guide pulley around the cylinder drive pulley, and the belt guide can be set so as to guide the belt when the engine is a trifle out of line with the thresher. Care should be taken to see that the pulleys are properly lined up. When starting the thresher the first time, do so slowly to make sure that none of the belts are out of line. If a belt jumps off when the machine is running fast it is likely to cause serious breakage and delay.

BELT TENSION: Belts should be just tight enough to run without slipping on the pulleys. If a belt is run too tight it will soon pull to pieces and the extra strain is very apt to make the machine run hard and cause the boxes to heat. If belt is run loose enough to slip on pulley it is liable to burn the belt and clog and do poor work. It is easy to ruin a belt. New belts are liable to stretch for a day or two, and they should be looked over carefully at least once a day to see that they are of the right length and well laced. This should be done before starting up the machine each morning so there will be no delay in lacing belts when threshing.

LEATHER LACING FOR BELTS: A diagram showing the proper way to lace belts with leather belt lacing is shown by Illustration No. 10B.

BELT GUIDE

BELT GUIDE TYPES: A convenient stationary yoke type belt guide is used on the 22 x 36 threshers. The 28 x 46 and 32 x 56 threshers are equipped with pulley belt guides.

BELT INSTALLATIONS FOR PULLEY BELT GUIDE: The main drive belt runs over the top of the belt guide pulley, and around the cylinder drive pulley. The metal cross brace for the belt guide rollers must be between the belt.

ADJUSTMENT FOR PULLEY BELT GUIDE: The pulley belt guide can be set to guide the belt for center running on cylinder main drive pulley even when the tractor drive pulley is slightly out of line with the cylinder main drive pulley. The adjustment is made by turning the adjustment screw (which is located directly in front of belt guide pulley support bracket) in or out until the belt is guided to run true on cylinder drive pulley.

BELT TIGHTENER FOR BEATER AND SHAKER DRIVE BELT

ADJUSTMENTS: The belt tightener for the beater and shaker drive belt must be adjusted so that it runs the belt true on the other pulleys. If the belts do not run true on the pulleys, shims may be added between the belt tightener bracket and attaching post to give proper angle to belt tightener. The belt tightener bracket can be adjusted either horizontally or perpendicular.

BELT TENSION ADJUSTMENT: Care must be exercised, that when tightening the belt with belt tightener, not to get the belt too tight as this will cause boxes and bearings to heat, and the belt may be unduly stretched and ruined. On the other hand, if the belt is too loose, the thresher will do poor work. There is also the possibility that the belt will slip and burn, thereby very materially shortening the useful life of the belt.

FEEDER INSTRUCTIONS

The Hart New Model feeders are used on the Oliver Red River Special Threshers. There are a number of adjustable features on the feeder to take care of varying conditions. The following instructions and illustrations should be studied carefully so that you will understand how and when to make the adjustments.

RADDLE CHAIN

RADDLE DRIVE SHAFT: The raddle drive shaft is square and the inner sprockets are not fastened rigidly to shaft, thus permitting alignment with raddle chains. Care should be exercised to see that sprocket teeth are perfectly parallel or run in time so as to draw raddle slats evenly.

RADDLE CHAIN ADJUSTMENTS: The raddle chain is tightened by means of an adjusting screw on each side of outer end of carrier, permitting necessary adjustment. The raddle chain should be run bar first. (See Illustration No. 12.) Be sure that there is an equal tension on each strand.

IMPORTANT: Raddle chains will run crooked and climb sprockets unless there are the same number of links on each side.

FRICTION SAFETY DEVICE

This Friction Drive is provided to prevent breakage in case anything should get caught in the feeder raddle.

ADJUSTMENTS FOR FRICTION SAFETY: The friction is adjusted by means of the three thumb nuts. Adjust so that raddle will convey the ordinary load without slipping, yet may be stopped by holding onto one of the raddle sticks. See Illustration No. 13 for friction safety.

SPROCKET EQUIPMENT FOR RADDLE DRIVE: 10 – 13 and 15-tooth sprockets are provided as standard equipment on 28 x 46 and 32 x 56 threshers for changing speed of raddle. One is on the shaft when feeder is shipped and two are wired to feeder. A cotter permits ready removal of outside sprocket and substitution for the other.

The 13-tooth sprocket is used as standard equipment on the 22 x 36 thresher and no speed change sprockets are provided.

USES OF SPEED CHANGE SPROCKETS: The 13-tooth sprocket is suitable for practically all threshing conditions, where the tractor power is proportionate to operate the thresher.

The 10-tooth sprocket is suitable when threshing headed grain or when the straw is average length and threshing conditions very favorable. Even under these conditions the tractor must have adequate power to keep the threshing machinery at normal speed.

The 15-tooth sprocket is suitable for rice threshing or where the straw is extra long. Long straw requires more time to pass through the feeder into the cylinder. If one of the higher speed sprockets is used, the bundles will be forced into the feeder causing the upper pans to raise and causing the volume governor to act, stopping the raddle.

RADDLE DRIVE CHAIN

The No. 55 steel chain running from the sprocket on governor shaft to Differential sprocket on lower crankshaft should run bar forward and is tightened by moving chain tightener sprocket stud.

MAIN DRIVE CHAIN

ADJUSTMENTS: The Main Drive Chain running from the sprocket on governor shaft to sprocket on upper crankshaft should run fairly tight and is tightened by moving governor shaft backward by means of U bolts and slots provided in main upper angle rail. Be sure that governor shaft is kept parallel to upper crankshaft and that it is moved the same distance on both sides. Keep the 7-tooth sprocket tight and snug against bearing to prevent side play to governor.

LUBRICATION: Both sprockets and chain should be kept well oiled. Oil daily with good oil. Keep governor shaft sprocket tight and snug against bearing to prevent side play to governor.

SPEED GOVERNOR

TO ADJUST SPEED GOVERNOR: Governor is set at factory and rarely needs changing. The speed at which the Governor will start the feeder raddle is regulated with the bolts “A,” Illustration No. 16. To start the raddle earlier, loosen the bolts; to start later, tighten. Be sure to tighten or loosen both bolts the same amount so as to keep the same tension on both springs.

LUBRICATION: Keep speed governor well lubricated with a good grade of machine oil at oil holes provided.

SPEED: The main crankshaft should run not less than 225 R.P.M.; Governor shaft about 425 to 450 R.P.M.

UPPER FEED PANS

A volume governor is not used on feeder equipped with 7’ carrier for 22 x 36 thresher. A special feed pan tension spring is used in the feed pan adjusting arm which gives the correct pressure for uniform feeding. The adjustments of this spring are same as described in paragraphs below.

ADJUSTMENT: Loosen wing nut on adjusting rod for pan relief spring until all tension is released, and tighten friction shoe on upper feed pan support arm until the upper pans when raised by hand will slowly drop back of their own weight. See “D,” Illustration No. 17 for wing nut. The proper tension for upper feed pan relief spring is to have the wing at 2 ¼” from the top of the jam nut on rod. See Illustration No. 17. For Feeders built before 1934 this distance should be 5 ½”.

TOUGH STRAW CONDITION: With feeder adjusted exactly as outlined for normal conditions, make the following changes in order as given and making only those necessary to prevent slugging: First: Tighten pan pressure spring (Illustration No. 17) until distance D is 3 inches. Second: Lower pan adjusting lever one notch. See A, Illustration No. 17 for pan lever. Third: Tighten upper pan pressure spring until D is 4 inches. Fourth: Lower pan adjusting lever into lowest position when pans will have about 3/4 inch clearance between them at lower ends. Fifth: Adjust retarder fingers with square shaft to their closest position to cylinder. Indicator will show closed. Lock in position with wing nut. Sixth: Adjust volume control trip arm closer to trip dog so it cuts out more frequently.

TO FEED – DRY, LONG OR WOOLLY STRAW: Raise upper pans one or more notches above the normal setting. Open retarder full or until fingers extend about 1/2 inch through their support angle. In some conditions, on 22” feeders, it may be found advantageous to loosen center stationary finger and move from 2 inches to 5 inches away from ends of cylinder teeth. Be sure to tighten U-bolt clamp.

TO FEED – SHORT BRITTLE STRAW OR SHORT BRITTLE BEANS: Lower the upper pans one or more notch below normal position and increase pressure on upper pan pressure spring (see Illustration No. 17) until distance D is 4 inches or more. Open retarder full or until fingers are at their greatest distance from cylinder teeth. In some conditions, on 22” feeders, it may be found advantageous to loosen center stationary finger and move from 2 inches to 5 inches away from ends of cylinder teeth. Be sure to tighten U-bolt clamp.

BOUNCING OF UPPER FEED PANS: If pans show a tendency to bounce up and down, tighten friction shoe and increase tension on pan relief spring until bouncing stops. (See “Friction Shoe Tension Spring,” Illustration No. 14.)

FEEDING VOLUME: To feed a larger volume, loosen thumb nut on bolt through castings Y-1676 and Y-1677 and raise pans by means of wrought pan adjusting lever. Be sure to tighten thumb nut after desired adjustment is made. Illustration No. 17 shows upper feed pans dropped down to lowest position. The throat opening is very small and trip lever is set close to variable speed control so it will operate quickly. Illustration No. 17A shows upper pans and tip lever in highest position with throat wide open. Notice position of wrought adjusting lever in each case. Trip lever adjustment is independent from pan adjustment and may be set to operate quickly or slowly as desired. The trip lever should be set about 2 ½” from the gear housing.

RETARDER PLATE

When correctly located the retarder plate will be about 7” from the cylinder teeth. The retarder fingers projecting through this plate are adjustable to and from the cylinder.

CENTER RETARDER FINGER: The center retarder finger is stationary. The correct adjustment is so that the end of the finger will be 3/8” to ½” from the cylinder teeth. To set center finger loosen U-bolt clamp and move finger. Be sure to lock U-bolt clamp after adjusting. The function of the center finger is to direct bundles evenly into both sides of the cylinder. See Illustration No. 19.

RETARDER ADJUSTMENT: Adjustment is made by loosening wing nut and moving to desired position by placing wrench on square shaft on side of feeder. Retarder fingers are nearest to the cylinder teeth when the word “closed” on the quadrant is opposite the bolt, and farthest from the cylinder teeth when the word “open” is opposite the bolt. The average location is half-open. See Illustration No. 19.

SPRING BELT TIGHTENER (FOR FEEDER)

INSTALLATION: Put bracket on pipe shaft with spring and set collar between arms. The spring should force the tightener pulley toward main drive pulley, hence prongs of spring will grip cross bar of bracket and set collar will be between the coils with loop of spring partly around boss of set collar.

TENSION ADJUSTMENT: Adjust by releasing all tension on spring, then moving bracket forward to within two inches of main drive pulley. Grip set collar and force backward against spring until tension will sustain pulley in position first mentioned. Tighten set collar securely.

IMPORTANT: If tension on spring is too great and belt comes off suddenly, it may bang idler pulley against main drive pulley with possible breakage. A very strong tension is not required.

PULLEY ALIGNMENT: Keep idler pulley and main drive pulley in line. Belt may be made to run to center of main drive pulley by slightly loosening bolt that holds one of the idler pulley bearings and driving same up or down until belt centers on pulley. Be sure to tighten bolt after adjusting. Keep well oiled.

KEEP ALL BOLTS AND NUTS TIGHT ALL WORKING PARTS WELL OILED

Use a good grade of oil liberally in all bearings and wearing surfaces. All bolts have lock washers to keep nuts tight. It is time well spent that is consumed in an occasional inspection of the entire machine, tightening all loose nuts and the correction of any misalignments or adjustments.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR TILTING FEEDER

The feeder with 7-foot carrier for 22 x 36 thresher is non-tilting. To tilt the feeder remove the bolts that hold the feeder to the thresher cylinder frame. On the 22” and 28” threshers the tailings spout from the elevator to the feeder must be removed.

On feeders with 9-foot or 14-foot carriers the set screws and bolts on the telescoping pipe braces which are secured to the front cross channel, must be loosened. On feeders with 14-foot carriers a prop must be placed under the outer end of the carrier to support it while the bolts and braces are being removed. The round upper braces can now be removed and the feeder tilted.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPERATING

The operating of a thresher may be divided into the three following distinct parts:

1. THRESHING THE GRAIN OUT OF THE HEADS.
2. SEPARATING THE GRAIN FROM THE STRAW AND CHAFF.
3. CLEANING THE GRAIN FROM DIRT, CHAFF AND WEED SEEDS.

THRESHING

Threshing or loosening and getting the grain out of the heads and free from the hulls is done by the Oliver Red River special heavy cylinder concaves and teeth. See illustration No. 21.

CYLINDER

CONSTRUCTION AND FUNCTION OF CYLINDER: The cylinder in the Oliver Red River Special Thresher is made heavy to insure smooth operation and an even speed. The cylinder teeth strike the grain with sufficient force to tear the kernels from the heads. They are assisted by the concave teeth, which project between the rows of cylinder teeth in such a way that the heads of grain are driven against these stationary teeth with sufficient force to strip the kernels loose. The teeth used in the cylinders and concaves are drop forged steel carefully tempered. The points and faces are hardened to resist the wear that this part of the tooth is subjected to, while the body of the tooth is tough, to give adequate strength. Each cylinder tooth is provided with a heavy groove upon each side, which gives it nearly double its threshing effectiveness over smooth teeth. This is a special feature of the Red River Special cylinder tooth.

CYLINDER SPEED: The speed of the 32 x 56 thresher should be from 825 to 875 revolutions per minute; the 22 x 36 and 28 x 46 threshers from 1000 to 1060 revolutions per minute, which, under average conditions, will give the best results. The cylinder speed may be decreased or increased depending upon the condition of the grain to be threshed. If the cylinder speed is too slow, it will not thresh all the grain out of the heads. If it is too fast it is liable to crack the grain. The PROPER SPEED OF THE CYLINDER IS IMPORTANT AND THE OPERATOR SHOULD WATCH THIS POINT VERY CLOSELY.

SETTING THE CYLINDER

CYLINDER BAR CLEARANCE: The cylinder should be set so that the cylinder bars are three and one-eighth inches from the concaves on both sides when concaves are raised to their highest position. See Illustration No. 22. If the distance is three and one-eighth inches on one side of cylinder and is under or over that distance on the other side, the bolts that hold the cylinder bearing in place must be loosened and the cylinder set so that the bars will be three and one-eighth inches at both ends. Care must be taken when doing this so as not to have the cylinder shaft binding in the bearings.

CYLINDER TEETH SPACING: Care should be taken also to see that the cylinder teeth are evenly spaced between the concave teeth. THIS IS VERY

IMPORTANT. This can be done by an endwise adjustment of the cylinder. See Illustration No. 22 for correct spacing and Illustration No. 23 for incorrect tooth spacing.

TO TAKE END PLAY OUT OF THE CYLINDER

Remove the belts. Loosen the bolts that hold the cylinder bearing housing to the cylinder sides. Take cylinder tooth straightener and place between cylinder and cylinder side and pull slowly on the wrench until cylinder teeth are spaced evenly between concave teeth. Now block the cylinder in place and move the bearing housing to take out end play. The cylinder should rotate freely without binding.

CYLINDER BEARINGS

CAUSE OF HEATING: If cylinder bearings heat, and have been well lubricated, it is very likely that the cylinder is too tight endways or that the cylinder is not properly set in the machine. See above paragraphs for proper setting of cylinder.

CYLINDER BEARING CLEARANCE: To determine whether the heating of the bearing is caused from the collars, take the cylinder tooth set and see if the cylinder can be shifted. It should be set so that it can be shifted about 1/32 of an inch. If it cannot be shifted the bearings are too tight endwise.

CYLINDER BEARING CAP: Care should be used to see that the cap over the cylinder bearing is not drawn down too tight.

CYLINDER – TEETH

CRACKING GRAIN: If the teeth have more clearance on one side than on the other, they are liable to crack the grain on one side and not thresh clean on the other. See Illustration No. 22 for correct tooth spacing. Too high speed, irregular speed, loose teeth, concaves too high, or concaves not in parallel line with cylinder bars, is the most general cause of cracked grain. The cracking of grain is also occasioned in many instances by using too much wind and blowing the grain into tailings elevator auger and thus passing it through the cylinder again.

BENT OR BROKEN TEETH: Inspect the cylinder teeth from time to time, and if any are bent, straighten them, and tighten if necessary. If any are broken, they should be replaced.

RE-SPIKING CYLINDER: When re-spiking cylinders, always oil the shank of teeth before driving them and use a good heavy hammer. Go over the cylinder occasionally and drive the teeth in with hammer and tighten the nuts. If teeth have any play in the holes in bar, they will pound out the holes too large, making it necessary to put in new bars. Be careful when putting new teeth in cylinder; do not put too many teeth on one side, but put them on all sides alike, or the cylinder may get out of balance.

CONCAVES

CONCAVE ARRANGEMENT: The 22 x 36 and 28 x 46 Thresher concave equipment arranged with concave in rear – grate in center – concave in front – usually gives excellent results. The 32 x 56 thresher concave arrangement with concave in front – then a grate – then a concave – then grates – give same results as above arrangement for smaller machines. If threshing a crop where the grain is very difficult to knock from the heads it may be advisable to replace the grate with a concave. Always used as filled concave in front, this aids in even feeding and clean threshing.

CONCAVE TEETH ALIGNMENT: Be careful to see that the concave teeth are in line with one another. The lug on end of concave can be partly chipped or filed off to allow concaves to slip in the holders without end play. Chip or file off enough of the right end lugs to bring the concave teeth in line with one another so the cylinder teeth will pass the concave teeth with the same clearance each side of tooth. Keep the teeth tight by occasionally driving them with a hammer and tightening nuts. See “A,” Illustration No. 24 for concave lug. Clean threshing cannot be done if one end of the concave slides further in than the other end, throwing the teeth a little crossways or cylinder over to one side, so the cylinder teeth have more clearance on one side of concave teeth than on the other side. The proper clearance is approximately 3/32”.

REPLACING CONCAVE TEETH: When replacing concave teeth, they must slope back the way the arrow points, which shows the edge of concave that goes in concave holders first. (The arrow on concave indicates which edge of concave goes in hanger first.) See “B” Illustration 24 for concave arrow.

CONCAVE INSTALLATION: When changing concaves, always turn the cylinder by hand, and if any of the teeth strike or do not space right, bend the teeth so they will clear one another the right distance apart.

ADJUSTING CONCAVES: The concaves may be lowered by moving the adjusting lever. If the two setscrews which go through the slides of the machine under cylinder to concave holders are tight, they must be loosened enough to allow the concaves to raise and still be tight enough to take end play out of the concaves. Use as few concave teeth as possible and set the concaves as low as you can and thresh clean. The fewer the concave teeth and the lower the concaves, the easier the machine runs, the easier the straw passes through and the faster it can be fed, and the better it will separate, but the less it shells out grain. Be careful not to get them so low as not to thresh clean.

CONCAVE SPACER ROD: Be sure that the 5/8” round bar is put in the concave holders before concaves or grates are put in.

CLEAN THRESHING

HOW TO THRESH CLEAN:

• Keep cylinder at rated normal speed.
• Keep cylinder and concave teeth properly spaced.
• Keep concaves properly adjusted.
• Keep cylinder and concave filled with teeth that are not excessively worn.
• Feed evenly.

REMEDIES FOR POOR THRESHING:

• Check cylinder speed.
• Check teeth spacing
• Raise concaves.
• Use three concaves.
• Check for worn or broken teeth.
• One concave filled with corrugated teeth used at rear will usually thresh clean in extreme cases.
• Feed evenly.

LACK OF POWER: If the engine has not power enough and does not keep up the necessary regular speed, additional teeth will not be of any benefit. If the teeth in cylinder or concaves are worn, they must be replaced with new. Clean threshing cannot be expected with worn out teeth.

UNIFORM FEEDING: Clean threshing cannot be done unless the cylinder is kept full and evenly fed. Parties who buy large-cylinder machines and then feed the cylinder only about half full must not expect to do as clean threshing as those running smaller cylinders or those who keep the cylinder full of grain.

CORRUGATED TEETH FOR CONCAVES: When threshing clover, corrugated teeth for the concaves should be used in concaves. They are often needed in bearding barley and in threshing alfalfa, flax and turkey wheat. One row of corrugated teeth is equal to two rows of smooth teeth, and only enough should be used to take the grain out of the head.

CRACKING GRAIN

CAUSES FOR CRACKED GRAIN

1. Too high cylinder speed.
2. Concaves raised too high.
3. Too many concave teeth.
4. Irregular cylinder speed.
5. Concave and cylinder teeth not properly spaced.
6. Loose concave or cylinder teeth.
7. Uneven feeding.
8. Concaves not in parallel line with cylinder bars.
9. Too much tailings.
10. Too much end play in cylinder.

REMEDIES

Cause No. 1. Run cylinder at rated normal speed.

Cause No. 2. Lower concaves.

Cause No. 3. Remove one or more rows concave teeth.

Cause No. 4. Keep cylinder speed uniform. Check the tractor for sufficient horse power. Sometimes the governor on tractor does not function properly. The gas line may be partially stopped up. Carburetor may have dirt in it. Spark may be weak or it may have poor compressions.

Cause No. 5. Space concaves and cylinder teeth per instructions. See Illustration No. 22.

Cause No. 6. Inspect for loose teeth.

Cause No. 7. Keep the cylinder full of grain. Feed evenly and steady.

Cause No. 8. Concaves should be 3 1/8” from cylinder bars on both sides when concaves are raised to their highest positions. See Illustration No. 22.

Cause No. 9. Check the sieve openings and volume of wind. The sieves must be opened sufficiently to allow the grain to pass through the openings before reaching the rear end of sieve. Too much wind will blow the clean grain over the sieves into the tailings spout thus passing it through the cylinder again.

Cause No. 10. Check cylinder for end play.

SEPARATING

SEPARATING METHOD: After the kernels have been removed from the heads by the cylinder and concaves, they must be separated from the straw.

Separating is done by four efficient units:

• Separating Grate
• “Man Behind the Gun” or check grate
• Steel winged beater
• Beating shakers

These units are described in the following paragraphs.

SEPARATING GRATE

The separating grate is used between and behind the concaves. Its function is to let the grain threshed by the front concaves pass through and fall to the grain pan. It requires no adjusting.

THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN

“The Man Behind the Gun” is directly behind the cylinder and as the intermingled straw and chaff is thrown against the separating grate of the Man Behind the Gun, by the cylinder, about ninety per cent of the grain is driven through between the bars. The check plate of the Man Behind the Gun deflects the grain and chaff into the grain pan, which delivers it to the shoe. The Man Behind the Gun is stationary and requires no adjustment.

BEATER

BEATER ACTION: The steel winged beater strikes the straws, which is traveling at a very high rate of speed as it goes through the cylinder, and beats it over the Man Behind the Gun and onto the beating shakers. The beater also acts as a stripper as it stops the straw from being carried around by the cylinder. It aids in separating the grain from the straw by beating the straw down over the Man Behind the Gun and onto the beating shakers.

MOUNTING AND LUBRICATION: The beater shaft is mounted on two Roller Bearings, which should be properly lubricated.

BEATER HEADS: See that the beater heads are kept tight on the shaft. They are attached to the shaft by tapered keys and set screws. The bolts that attach the wings to the beater heads should be inspected after a few days’ operation.

DEFLECTOR CURTAIN BACK BEATER

CURTAIN ADJUSTMENT: Should be set low enough to prevent the beater from throwing grain past it, but not so low as to prevent the straw from passing out under it freely. The curtain is adjusted by a support strap that comes through the door in deck over the beater. See Illustration No. 2.

THE BEATING SHAKERS

The straw, with what grain remains in it passes over “The Man Behind the Gun” onto the Beating Shakers, which continually beat it as long as it is in the machine. The beating shakers toss the grain up to the deck of the machine and as it falls strike it underneath with a severe blow, which beats it continually until all the grain is beaten out. This insures separation by force. It does not wait for the grain to drop out because it is heavier, as do other machines. The Red River Special handles the straw just as a man would do by hand with a pitchfork – tosses it up and as it falls beats all the grain out of the straw. This is why the machine should be driven at the right speed.

SPEED OF SHAKERS: The correct speed for the shakers is 150 to 160 strokes per minute. If the shakers run too slow the straw rides up and down upon the shakers without getting that agitation necessary to get the grain out of it; if they run too fast the straw is thrown up close to the deck of the machine and it does not have time to fall before it is struck again and is carried out of machine before getting that beating necessary to separate the grain from the straw. Nine out of ten cases of poor separating are caused by too high speed. Never mind how fast some other make of machine was run or how it was adjusted, but follow these instructions and you will get the best results. It is a mistaken idea some threshermen have that the faster they run the thresher the more work they can do. Such threshermen do poor work and injure their reputation as threshermen. There is no excuse for a man running this machine too fast or at too slow a speed. Watch the speed carefully, because good separation depends upon the right speed.

CHECKING SPEED OF SHAKERS: It is very easy to find the speed of the shakers by holding your hand so the shaker or grain pan pitman on hanger will touch it every time it comes forward. Then take your watch and count the number of strokes in a minute.

RECOMMENDED SPEED OF SHAKERS FOR VARIOUS CROPS: The following strokes per minute of shakers and grain pan give average best results:

• Alfalfa and Clover 160
• Barley 160
• Flax and Millet 150
• Oats 150
• Timothy 150
• Wheat, heavy straw 160
• Wheat, medium straw 155
• Wheat, light straw 150

DRIVE BELT FOR SHAKERS: A belt slipping on a pulley will do poor separating and waste grain. Care should be taken to see that the belts are tight enough so they will not slip, and that they are not too tight, to cause the boxes to heat and run hard. It is important that the machine has a steady, regular motion. No machine can do good work with the shakers running 150 strokes one minute and 185 the next minute. Nor can it do good work when the cylinder is slugged and the motion run down; nor when the straw comes out in bunches caused by poor feeding. If the engine has not sufficient power or the motion is irregular or too slow, don’t condemn the thresher for the fault is in the engine.

SEPARATION

There are a few important precautions to take to effect good separation. These precautions have been listed under “Causes For Poor Separation” and “Remedies For Poor Separation.” No machine can save every kernel of grain, and the lighter it is, the more will be found in the straw, for it must have weight enough to fall out when shaken. A kernel of grain is never so valuable to some men as when found going over in the straw from a threshing machine. Any amount may be wasted by the harvester in hauling without a kick. Unreasonable men never stop to think that it takes 600,000 kernels of oats to make a bushel, and 970,000 kernels of wheat to make a bushel. If they should catch in their hands ten kernels in half a minute at the back end of the machine, it would take them three months to catch a bushel of wheat. In order for a thresher to waste a bushel of wheat in a day, 1600 kernels must be carried over with the straw every minute. It is very deceiving when the quantity of grain comes to be measured by the kernel.

CAUSES FOR POOR SEPARATION

1. Uneven feeding.
2. Irregular speed.
3. Sheet iron curtain back of steel wing beater not properly adjusted.
4. Loose belts.
5. Machine not set level.
6. Too many concave teeth.
7. Too much wind.
8. Sieves not properly adjusted.
9. Chaffer not properly adjusted.

REMEDIES FOR POOR SEPARATION

1. Feed evenly. Keep the cylinder full and feed it evenly..
2. Keep the entire machine at normal speed. Proper speed is the most important item for good separating, threshing, and cleaning.
3. Adjust the curtain back of beater to stop flying kernels. When properly set, all kernels will be deflected down to the first shake. If the curtain is too high kernels will be driven far back towards the rear of machine, and the shakers will not have time to shake them from the straw.
4. Keep all belts tight enough to prevent slipping. When threshing “smutty” grain, the belts collect some of the “smut” and both the pulleys and belts become slick. Benzine is effective for cleaning pulleys and belts.
5. Set the machine level. See “Setting the Thresher.”
6. Use as few concave teeth as possible and still thresh clean from the head. Too many concave teeth chop the straw up excessively. The fewer concave teeth used, less horse power is consumed for operating the machine, and the machine’s capacity is increased.
7. Use just enough wind to keep the chaff on the sieves and chaffer “lively.” Too much wind will blow grain over or into the tailings. Insufficient wind will not break up the chaff but will allow the grain to ride over in back of chaff.
8. Sieves should be set according to instructions.
9. Open the chaffer to 7/8” opening for oats, 5/8” opening for wheat, ¼” opening for seeds and buckwheat.

In many cases by adjusting only one cause for “Poor Separation” changes the saving from a poor job to a good job of saving.

CLEANING THE GRAIN

Cleaning the grain is done by thee distinct units, namely:

1. Adjustable chaffer in rear of grain pan.
2. Cleaning shoe and sieves.
3. Cleaning fan.

These units and their adjustments are explained under the following headings:

GRAIN PAN AND ADJUSTABLE CHAFFER

GRAIN PAN: The grain and chaff are separated from the straw at the cylinder and by the shakers, and deposited on the grain pan.

SPEED OF GRAIN PAN: 160 strokes per minute is the normal speed of the grain pan. It is driven in unison with the shakers

ADJUSTABLE CHAFFER: To the rear of the grain pan is attached a coarse adjustable chaffer. It is fastened securely to the grain pan sides, and serves as continuation of the grain pan.

CHAFFER ADJUSTMENT: A handle for adjusting the chaffer is located on the left hand grain pan sill, directly above the cleaning fan. See Illustration 26.

The chaffer should be opened just wide enough so that it catches sufficient blast from the mill fan to loosen up the mass of chaff and dirt so that the grain can easily drop through to the shoe sieves. The chaffer should be set with 7/8” opening for oats, 5/8” opening for wheat and ¼” opening for seeds and buckwheat. Have it adjusted to give an even delivery of grain over the sieves.

The balance of the cleaning is done by the grain passing over and through the sieves through a blast from the mill fan.

CLEANING SHOE AND SIEVES

The cleaning shoe is end shake type independently driven.

SIEVE EQUIPMENT: An adjustable sieve and dirt screen are furnished as standard equipment. This combination will do a good job of do a good job of cleaning when threshing most all crops. Some threshermen prefer to use two sieves in the shoe. The no-choke and an adjustable sieve – also having the dirt screen in the bottom of the shoe. This combination works good in some territories. The adjustable sieves and dirt screen is the combination most usually used.

DIRECTIONS FOR SETTING SIEVES: Always remember setting the sieves and wind blast must be done together.

SINGLE SIEVE: For wheat, oats, barley, rye, speltz and buckwheat, set the front end of the sieve on middle pin and the rear end from one to two inches above the screen in bottom of shoe.

TWO SIEVES: When two sieves are used, use the adjustable underneath and the nochoke on top for wheat, oats, barley, rye, speltz and buckwheat. Set the front end of adjustable sieve on the middle pin and the rear end one or two inches above screens in bottom of shoe. Set the upper or no-choke with the front end on upper pin or on top of delivery board and the rear end on wire tail rake in the first notch at top of sieve holder. Set the upper or adjustable sieve with front end on upper pin and the rear end on perforated tail rake (the wire tail rake will not work in seeds) in the third notch down from the top of sieve holder. Raise or lower the back end of perforated tail rake by the tail board to the shoe so as to hold the fine stuff back and allow about 18 inches of rear end of sieve to load. In some conditions of heavy stuff, the front end of upper sieve is raised on top of delivery board. Sieves should be set according to the kind and condition of grain which varies on different jobs, and no two seasons are alike. The sieve alone must not only be set right, but the adjustable chaffer on grain pan, the fan blinds, and the wind board, must be properly adjusted for good saving and cleaning.

SIEVES FOR FLAX, TIMOTHY AND SEEDS: Use two sieves for these crops, the lower one of perforated steel or zinc, the right-size hole for the kind of seed being threshed. Also use a perforated tail rake. Set the front end of lower sieve on middle pin and the rear end one inch above the bottom of shoe or shoe screen.

REMOVING SIEVES AND SCREENS: The sieves and screens will pass through the wind-stacker door, and can be placed in the desired location without removing any parts from the machine. To remove sieves, loosen nut on the tie bolt that goes through shoe sides. Insert the blade of a screw driver between the frames of the tail rake and sieve and pry the sieve up until it can be grasped by your hands. The sieve can then be removed by taking it out through the wind-stacker door.

SHOE

SPEED OF SHOE: Speed in 22” and 28” threshers, 280 strokes per minute, and in larger threshers 292.

UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION OVER SIEVES: If the grain loads on one side of shoe, it is caused by one side of the sieve or thresher being lower than the other, or by wings to fan in a twist or to one side of mill, or by more opening above one side of the sieve than the other. This can generally be avoided by raising the upper blind on the other side and closing the one on the side that loads. The tail board can be raise or lowered to prevent the wind from blowing over and to allow the coarse stuff to work off.

CHART FOR SIEVE AND SCREENS: Set the sieves by these directions, not as they are set in some other makes of thresher. In short straw or straw that cuts up fine and in seeds, use two sieves, with the following size holes for cleaning the different kinds of grain and seeds;

The cheat screen, if used, must be placed flat on bottom of shoe with the door in bottom of shoe open to let the cheat, dirt and foul seeds fall out from under the screen and onto the ground.

CLEANING FAN

The cleaning fan is the conventional overshot type, fitted with adjustable doors on each end for controlling wind volume and two adjustable wind boards for equal distribution of the wind blast.

ADJUSTABLE DOORS (UPPER): The upper control doors at end of fan, control the over blast and should be open about ¾” for grain and about ½” for seeds. If given too much opening it will blow over the grain or seed. See Illustration 33 for fan control doors.

ADJUSTABLE DOORS (LOWER): Open the lower control doors to the amount of blast needed to clean the grain and seeds without blowing too much into tailing spout to shoe. See illustration 33 for fan doors.

SPEED OF FAN: A steady, regular motion must be maintained. You cannot do good cleaning with the fan running 600 revolutions one minute and 500 the next minute.

UPPER WIND BOARD: The upper wind board (or wind split) controls the action of the wind on the adjustable chaffer, which is on the rear end of the grain pan. This wind board should be set so that the chaff will be raised and loosened, as it comes off the grain pan bottom and onto the chaffer. This allows the grain to fall through the chaffer and down onto the sieves in the shoe. The wind carries the chaff and short straw over into the stacker and any unthreshed heads drop through the slotted chaffer extension into the elevator spout from where they are elevated back to the cylinder and rethreshed. See wind board in Illustration No. 33.

LOWER WIND BOARD: The lower wind board should be raised high enough to distribute the wind through the sieves evenly. The delivery of the wind must be made according to the grain or seeds being threshed. There are so many kinds and conditions of grain and seeds that these directions may be varied a little to meet some conditions, but remember that a slight change in position of sieves, wind board and blast produces different results, and with proper adjustment you can do good cleaning.

WIND STACKER

LUBRICATION: Before starting the wind stacker, see that it is properly lubricated.

CHUTE: If chute clogs, it is caused by straw piling up on stack too close to end of chute or drive belt slipping and not running fan uniform. In running out of barns to other places with chute extended, be careful that separator wheels do not drop down from barn-door sill, as the long chute in such a fall acts as a lever, and is liable to throw something out of order or break the holder.

PULLEY FOR WIND STACKER FAN: The pulley furnished with stacker gives the average speed used by ninety-nine out of one hundred threshermen. .When the straw is damp or when threshing rice a pulley to increase speed of the wind stacker can be furnished on special request at small additional cost.

BUILDING A GOOD STACK: Instruct the man who handles the stacker to make his foundation a little smaller than if stacking by hand, otherwise your stacks will be too flat, and not properly filled out. If you want to make a very large stack, lower the chute to a horizontal position and extend the chute to its fullest extent, raising the hood very slightly; you will thus start the rear of your stack, which you will continue to keep the highest at all times, allowing the top of the stack to slope toward the separator. After the outward circle is completed, draw the chute in as near the thresher as you wish the stack to come, and make the inner foundation, being careful to keep it lower than the outer circle. Repeat the operation; namely, raise the chute as required by the increased height of the straw, and extend and withdraw it as occasion requires until the stack is as high as the chute can control it in that way; then raise the hood a little at a time, filling out the top, allowing the straw to strike the inside and glance over. When you have reached a level, you will thus fill the middle and have it higher than any other part of the stack. The wind stacker will not make a good straw stack without assistance.

HAND OSCILLATOR: If an automatic oscillator is used and you want to oscillate by hand, throw the upper pawl in idling position.

ADJUSTING AUTOMATIC OSCILLATOR: The trip is set and adjusted by the stand which holds the trip fork. Move the end of the stand in or out so the end of trip with spring throws the same distance each side of the spring post on stand with the other end of trip half way between the clutch gears when spring is straight with trip arm. Shim under the stand to make trip arm clear trip circle and sliding clutch. If it rubs on clutch or trip circle, it will not trip.

ELBOW FOR CHUTE: In placing a new elbow on chute it must be pushed on or out far enough so when you raise and lower the chute it will telescope over the elbow on master wheel without binding, then rivet in place; or the cast-iron chute holder can be moved forward or backward on the chute until the same circle as the elbow on master wheel is obtained and then riveted in place. If the holder is not in the right place, the elbow will bind and give out.

ALFALFA

From six to eight rows of common, smooth concave teeth and two rows of corrugated teeth are generally used. If the seed is damp or tough, more corrugated concave teeth should be placed back of the smooth teeth. Use a few concave teeth as you can to do good hulling. The number of teeth depends largely on the condition of the seed. It should be threshed when dry; if wet or damp the seed is so light that some of it will stick to the straw and be carried over. Run the shakers and grain pan not over 160 strokes per minute. See Adjustable Chaffer, Sieves and Wind for adjusting these parts.

BARLEY

Use six rows of smooth concave teeth, and if this does not do a good job of bearding, put in a concave filled with corrugated teeth back of the smooth teeth. The shakers and grain pan should not make more than 160 strokes per minute. See Adjustable Chaffer, Sieves and Wind for adjusting these parts.

BUCKWHEAT

Take out all concave teeth. If the buckwheat cracks, it is generally caused by slow feeding and not keeping the cylinder full, elevating too much, or by too high speed. The shaker and grain pan should make about 150 strokes per minute. See Sieves and Wind for adjusting these parts.

CLOVER

To hull clover you should have our clover attachment, which consists of a number of special parts, such as corrugated teeth, sieves, etc.

CLOVER CONCAVES: The 22- and 28- inch cylinder concaves are filled with 9 rows of corrugated teeth. The concaves with 3 rows of teeth go in place of the 7-inch grate, and must be bolted to concave holder the same as the grate; the concaves with 2 rows of teeth go in place of the 5-inch grate. The 30-, 32-, and 36-inch are filled with 10 rows of corrugated teeth. In fitting concaves be careful to chip the lugs on the end of concaves so that the concave teeth are directly in line with each other and with no end play. See Illustration 24 for concave lugs. Turn the cylinder slowly by hand and adjust the teeth of the cylinder so that none of them will strike the concave teeth. This is done by slightly bending the cylinder teeth one way or the other, as found necessary.

CLOVER SIEVES AND SCREENS: One upper adjustable or perforated steel sieve, 5/32” holes; one lower sieve, ½” hole; one screen, 1/16” hole; and one perforated tail rake for shoe are used. See Adjustable Chaffer, Sieve and Wind for adjusting these parts.

SPEED OF SHAKERS AND GRAIN PAN: The shakers and grain pan should make 160 strokes per minute.

THRESHING CONDITIONS: Clover should be threshed when dry. If wet or green it is difficult to thresh out of the head and some will stick to the straw and be carried over. The best of work can be done if there is any seed in the clover and it is in condition to hull.

CLOVER RECLEANER: We recommend the use of the clover recleaner for thorough cleaning. Instructions for operating accompany each recleaner.

FLAX

CONCAVES: Use as few concave teeth as you can and thresh clean. If seed is green or tough, more concave teeth should be used, and in some conditions it is necessary to use four rows of smooth teeth with two rows of corrugated teeth back of the smooth teeth. But in most conditions six rows of smooth concave teeth will do good work.

SPEED: The speed of thresher must be steady, and care must be taken to see that the engine governor gives even speed. Too high a speed will jump over and blow over seed. The shakers and grain pan should make 150 strokes per minute in flax threshing. Fast speed of shakers will not work light, feathery straw and fine stuff out of thresher as fast as slow speed. Be careful not to run at too fast a speed, as the light straw must have time to fall.

CONDITIONS: If the straw is very dry wand cuts up fine enough to nearly all shake through the slats, or the straw is very light and feathery, use as few concave teeth as you can. Raise the sheet-iron curtain back of beater to allow the straw to pass out more freely, and not hold it back until it is taken through into the grain pan. Lower the thresher at the back end. See Adjustable Chaffer, Sieves and Wind for adjusting these parts.

OATS

When threshing oats it will not be necessary to have the concaves raised as high as when threshing wheat. Usually oats are very easy to knock out of the heads and if the concaves are too high, it will crack the oats and chop the straw up so fine that it is liable to overload the sieves. Two to four rows of concave teeth are generally used. The shakers and grain pan should make about 150 strokes per minute. See Adjustable Chaffer, Sieves and Wind for adjusting these parts.

KAFFIR CORN OR MILO MAIZE

Use as few concave teeth as you can and thresh the corn clean from the stalk. Keep the cylinder full. SIEVES: If an upper sieve is used in conjunction with the regular lower sieve, use the no-choke. For lower sieve use the adjustable sieve or ¼” hole sheet metal. See Sieves.

MILLET

Use the same sieves as for flax and set the sieves the same as for flax. Use as few concave teeth as possible and thresh clean. The shakers and grain pan should make about 150 strokes per minute.

RICE ATTACHMENT

CYLINDER SPEED: The cylinder should run about 750 R.P.M. on the 22 x 36 and 28 x 46 sizes and about 615 R.P.M. on the 30 x 52 and 32 x 56 and 36 x 60 sizes. To do this we have a rice attachment with pulleys to give the correct speeds for threshing rice. A complete set of instructions is furnished for attaching rice parts to the thresher. When ordering, give number of thresher and if it has Feeder, Hand Feed, Wind or Raddle Stacker.

SHAKER SPEED: Speed the engine so the shakers and grain pan make about 160 strokes per minute.

CONCAVES: The concaves are generally set with every other tooth removed in the front concave; next to this is one grate and then one concave with two full rows of teeth.

SIEVES: Place the adjustable sieve on upper pin with the back end down low. Adjust the adjustable chaffer on grain pan about half way open. Direct the blast from the mill well under the upper sieve. Raise the tail board in shoe as high as it will go and put on plenty of wind.

PEA AND BEAN ATTACHMENT NOTICE

ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS: When ordering pea and bean attachment, give number of thresher, whether equipped with Feeder, Hand Feed, Wind or Raddle Stacker. It is important to give make and model of tractor, diameter and speed of tractor drive pulley. The pea and bean attachment consists of speed reducing countershaft, all necessary pulleys and belting to reduce the cylinder speed. Special sieves and screen are also included. A special sieve that fits at front end of grain pan can be furnished at slight additional cost. The purpose of this sieve is to allow dirt to pass through and drop to the ground thus avoiding passing it through the machine.

CYLINDER SPEED: To thresh peas and beans, the cylinder should run about 300 revolutions per minute on the 22 x 36 and 28 x 46 threshers, and about 250 R. P. M. on the 30 x 52, 32 x 56 and 36 x 60 threshers. The grain pan on all sizes should run about 155 strokes per minute.

SPEED REDUCING COUNTERSHAFT: To do this, it is necessary to use our pea and bean attachment, which includes a countershaft and chain drive to cylinder, sieves, special pulleys and all parts necessary to thresh peas and beans. A complete set of instructions is furnished for attaching pea and bean parts to thresher.

RYE

Adjust and run the same as for wheat

SWEET CLOVER

CONCAVES: Use from one to four concaves filled with corrugated teeth with one or more concaves filled with smooth teeth in front of them.

GRAIN PAN AND SHAKERS: Speed the grain pan and shakers up to about 160 strokes per minute.

SIEVES: Place lower sieve 7/64” hole or adjustable sieve on middle front pin with back end about 1 inch above the bottom of shoe. Place no-choke upper sieve or adjustable sieve on upper pin or on delivery board on front end of shoe with the back end in second or third notch down from top with perforated sheet-iron tail-rake even with top of sieve. Raise of lower back end of perforated tail-rake by raising or lowering tail on back end of upper sieve. Set the wind boards the same as for other seeds.

TIMOTHY

Six rows of concave teeth are generally used and the shaker and grain pan run about 150 strokes per minute. See Adjustable Chaffer, Sieves and Wind to adjust these parts. It is sometimes advisable to raise the front end of the separator.

FOR TAKING TIMOTHY SEED OUT OF WHEAT

Use what we call a Dirt Screen with 1/12” holes on the bottom of shoe in place of Cheat Screen. Set the wheat sieves in the regular way for threshing wheat. Open the door in the bottom of shoe and place a box or canvas under it to catch the timothy seed.

WHEAT

Four rows of concave teeth are generally used; more should be used if necessary to thresh it clean out of the head. The fewer concave teeth you can use, the easier the thresher will run and the better it will separate, as the finer you cut up the straw, the more difficult it is to shake the grain out. Turkey wheat some seasons is very difficult to thresh clean out of the head. Corrugated concave teeth are sometimes used back of the smooth teeth. If these don’t thresh it clean, put in more teeth. The shakers and grain pan should make 150 strokes in light weight, fine straw, 155 strokes in medium and 160 strokes in heavy straw. See Adjustable Chaffer, sieves and Wind for adjusting these parts.

WEIGHER INSTRUCTIONS

The Hart Perfection Weigher is used on the 22 x 36 and 28 x 46 threshers and the Hart Belt and Bucket Weigher is used on the larger size threshers. Instructions for attaching the weighers are included in the box of attaching parts.

IMPORTANT: See that weighing hopper and scale beam are free to move up and down. The link H must not bind as it will cause pin N to slip past and wear stop O and the machine will not register correctly. See that the end of stop O is square and that pin N strikes squarely against it. This pin should have a catch of about an eighth inch on stop O. If the jarring of the separator causes the parts to trip too easily, set pin N so as to catch a little deeper.

TO ADJUST THE PARTS SO THAT THE WEIGHER WILL WORK FREELY: Remove pitman R from valve arm S, open and close valve arm S a number of times and see that it does not bind. Set stop O on bar Y so that when pin N rests against stop O that the blank space on large gear E is directly under small gear K. Pin N should rest against stop O as shown. Loosen nut W and screw pitman R back or forward on rod X as required, so that it will go in the hole at end of valve arm S, then tighten nut W.

HEATING BOXES

GENERAL: A box may be set so that one end only is “in bearing,” and is not parallel with the journal, or the pressure of the shaft is working so close and hard against the box where the oil hole is that the oil can’t get into the box. If this occurs, remove the half of the box the oil hole is in and cut a V-shaped crease in the Babbitt from the oil hole out each way to within ¼” of both ends of the box, so the oil can run the full length of the box. When a box once gets to heating, its interior surface and the journal get “roughed up” so that it continues heating, even after properly set; see that the box is so set as to come in contact with the shaft the whole length; keep the oil holes open; keep the boxes as snug as may be, and admit oil freely. To remedy heating, take off and clean the bearing; carefully smooth off the roughness. If you file the journal, it must be smoothed up with emery and oil and all file marks taken out; carefully reset the box parallel with the journal so they come in contact the whole length, both on the side and on the bottom, and adjust the packing so that the box will not be either too tight or too loose on the shaft. After the bolts are tightened, turn the shaft by hand and see that it is free and does not bind the journals.

CAUSES FOR HEATING BOXES

• Belt too tight.
• Insufficient lubrication.
• Poor grade of lubricant.
• Oil hole to box plugged with dirt.
• Shaft not parallel with journal.
• Shaft too tight in box.

REMEDIES

• Run belts only tight enough to prevent slipping.
• Lubricate regularly.
• Use a good lubricant. For pressure fittings use pressure gun grease. For grease cup use a good cup grease. For oil use good grade of machine oil.
• Clean out. Make sure lubricant reaches bearing surface.
• Inspect shafts for parallel alignment.
• Loosen belts that attach box, caps and add shims.

PITMAN BOXES

CLEARANCE ADJUSTMENT FOR SHAKER BOXES: The boxes on the crankshaft end of the shaker drive pitmans are adjusted with shims. These must be kept carefully adjusted and oiled. If the boxes get loose part of the shims can be taken up until the box fits properly on the shaft.

CLEARANCE ADJUSTMENT FOR GRAIN PAN AND SHOE PITMAN: Boxes on the crankshaft end of the grain pan and shoe shake pitmans are adjusted by means of a set screw and jam nut. Be sure that these boxes are properly set and held firmly in place by the set screw and jam nut. If these boxes are allowed to run loose with list motion in the bearings they are liable to pound and break the grain pan, shaker shaft or pitmans or do other damage. If the lost motion cannot be taken up replace the parts necessary.

CHAINS

All chains should be oiled with heavy oil. It is very important that the proper tension be maintained on the chains at all times when the machine is in operation. Be very careful in adjusting chain idlers to see that the chains do not run to tight, as this will cause rapid wear of both bearings and chains. A safe rule to follow is to allow about 1 ½” sway in each direction for long drives, and about 1” sway for shorter drives. See Illustrations 12 and 13 for the proper installation of feeder chains. Chains not properly installed will cause excessive wear on both sprockets and chains.

PREPARING THE THRESHER FOR STORAGE

In order that your thresher may go through the winter season with the least possible depreciation and that you may start threshing next year with a machine equally as good as the one you finished with this season, it is desirable that you may observe the following simple precautions:

1. In case it is not possible to place your thresher in storage, it is advisable to cover the machine with a canvas cover.
2. Belts keep best when placed in a dry, cool, dark place as rubber deteriorates somewhat when exposed to light or heat.
3. The bearings should be gone over with your Zerk lubricating gun and filled with fresh grease. This will have a tendency to force out old grease, dirt and moisture and reduce the likelihood of the bearings or shafts becoming pitted or rusted during the winter. This should be done as soon as you have completed your harvest and all bearings should be noted as this is done, and if any are worn, should be replaced before the coming harvest.
4. Remove all chains and clean same by washing in a bucket of kerosene or distillate. If possible let chains soak in kerosene or distillate for several hours. This has a tendency to loosen all dirt and grit that may have accumulated on them. An old paint brush is very effective for removing the dirt, grit and old grease that has collected on the chain. After the chain has been cleaned, allow it to hang long enough to become well drained. Before again placing the chain on the sprocket it should be soaked in slushing or warm cylinder oil; this allows the lubricant to penetrate to all the joints. We especially recommend that you give this attention to the feeder roller chain.
5. Go over your thresher and remove all accumulations of chaff, straw and grain, either sprouted or otherwise, that may remain in the auger boxes, elevator heads, fan drums, feeder and places where such accumulations are likely to occur.
6. When doing this work, any parts that are worn sufficiently to need replacement should be noted and new parts ordered. You can then install them at your leisure and have your machine all ready to go at the beginning of the next threshing season.