To put the chain into the elevator, tie a weight on a rope and drop it down the lower part of the elevator. The chain may be fastened to the rope and a man at the top can then pull the chain up, while another feeds it in at the bottom. When chain has been drawn up to the top, the rope should be dropped down upper portion of elevator and used at bottom to pull chain down after it has been adjusted over the sprocket. Some one at the bottom should continue to feed the chain in as it is pulled down, so that it will go into the elevator straight. When the chain has been pulled through it may be hooked and adjusted to lower sprocket, and tightened up by screws at top. Turn the chain around once by hand to make sure there are no kinks in it.
The tailings should be small, containing no light chaff and little full-size grain. They are a good indication of how the sieves are working. If much good grain is coming through, see if it gets over the conveyor sieve by way of the extension to the tailings auger, or over the shoe sieve. If the sieves are not right, they may be adjusted in various ways, according to the directions of the manufacturer.
Grain returned in the tailings is liable to get cracked in the cylinder, and much chaff in the tailings chokes the cylinder. For every reason, the tailings should be kept as low as possible.
SELF-FEEDER.
The self-feeder is arranged to cut the bands of the sheaves and feed the grain to the cylinder automatically. It has a governor to prevent crowding in too much grain, and usually a change of pulleys for slow or fast feeding, as circumstances may require. In starting a new governor the friction pulley and inside of the band should have paint scraped off, and a little oil should be put on face of friction wheel. The carrier should not start till the machine attains full threshing motion, and to prevent this a few sheaves should be laid upon it. The knife arms should be raised or lowered to adjust them to the size of the sheaves and condition of the grain for cutting bands.
The cranks and carrier shaft boxes should be oiled regularly, but the friction bands should not be oiled after it once becomes smooth.
THE WIND STACKER.
The wind stacker is arranged to swing by a hand-wheel or the like, and also automatically.
Great care should be taken not to use the hand moving apparatus when the stacker is set for automatic moving, as a break is liable to follow. There is a clutch to stop the stacker, however. At times it will be more convenient to leave off the belt that causes the automatic movement.
By the use of various pulleys the speed of the stacker may be altered, and it should be run no faster than is necessary to do the work required, which will depend on the character of the straw. Any extra speed used will add to the cost of running the engine and is a loss in economy.