This Holding-screw has a pretty broad Head, and is screwed in by a Notch, like the Screw-pin of a Gun-lock.
The Hole in the Spring must be somewhat bigger than the Holding-screw, because the Spring must have room to move and play thereon.
If the Middle of the Spring were against the Middle of that Part of the Tongue, that is betwixt its Axis and the Place of Pressure, the Distance of the Spring’s Hollowness would be just half the Distance of the Spring’s Play, to wit, the One-eighth Part of an Inch; but as the Spring does not quite reach up to the Axis, and reaches much below the Place of Pressure, the Hollowness at the Place where the Setting-screw bears against the Middle of the Spring at D, is considerably nearer to the Place of Pressure than to the Axis of the Tongue; this Hollowness of the Spring at the Setting-screw may be something more than the One-eighth Part of an Inch, to give the Spring a Quarter of an Inch Play: but it seldom has so much.
[Fig. 4. in Plate 2.] shews the Length and Thickness of the Steel Spring of a Turnep Seed-box: This serves both for a Tongue and Spring: It is made first strait, and then the narrowest End of it is turned round, till it reach to a, and forms the Cylinder A, thro’ which its Axis passes; but is not welded or joined to the other Part of the Spring at a: It is placed in the Box with the Cylinder Part underneath. The Face of this Spring is seen upon its Axis, mark’d K. in [Fig. 5.] Its Axis is to pass thro’ the Hole E, and screw into the Hole F, in [Fig. 2.] as is seen more plainly at a in [Fig. 9.]
As the Top of every Tongue ought to be even with the upper Edges of the Mortise, the Thickness of the Cylinder of the Brass Tongue causes the Hole in the Sides of the Mortise, into which it is held by its Axis, to be far enough from the Edges of the Mortise, to be bored and screwed without Danger of breaking the said Edges; but the Spring of the Turnep-drill being so very thin, there is some Difficulty in making the Hole so high, and near the Edges: To prevent which Danger, [Fig. 7.] shews the End of a small hollow Cylinder of Iron or Brass, of the Thickness of the Mortise; which, being put into the Cylinder A, in [Fig. 4.] raises the Spring higher above the Hole; so that it may be made as low in a Turnep Mortise, as that is which holds the Brass Tongue in the Wheat-drill. But we do not always use this inner Cylinder[263]; but must then take the more Care in boring the Hole, or else it will burst out at the Edges of the Mortise.
[263]For, instead of this, we may use a Bit of Woolen Cloth of the Breadth of the Mortise, glued on to the Bottom of the Hopper, which, filling the Vacuity above the Steel Tongue, prevents any Seed from running over it, though the Holes are bored as low in the Mortise as if the Cylinder [Fig. 7.] were to be used.