ABOUT THE CAPE SEPARATOR

HARRY W. HINSON

Grafton, Illinois

Received my issue of IRON-MEN for May-June and as usual, if I have ample time, I start on it at once. Time is what I have at present, as I have been very much under the weather this winter.

However, I noticed Mr. Arndt of Noel, Missouri, has an article on the Cape Separator, His sketch is fairly good. I owned a 24 x 44 gearless blower. Hart weightier and rotating knife self feeder. Will say right here it was a full grown machine. I purchased it in 1940 secondhand.

Must say it sure, to my version, was a very good machine, did good clean work and for the size plenty of it. I think that was why it never overloaded the grain pan. As to the belt pulley, that drove the racks, was 24' diameter and was about the center of the machine and used a 2' belt, very light draft. As Mr. Arndt's article came out in the ALBUM and so many have read same, I thought I would give an answer to him through the ALBUM, so that any machine man could also see my report on the machine.

The racks or fingers were as to my sketch. Put the straw over on B and B over on C, you can see how it would keep the straw on top of the racks or fingers.

I also noticed where Mr. Gunderson was guessing as to the make of engine shown on Page 11 of March-April issue. Yes, it had full rotary racks and they were very satisfactory IP they did not get out of line. That was mostly the cause of the overloading the grain-pan.

My first job when I got it home was shock oats and very dry and we started on them in the afternoon. The one Mr. Arndt had arranged somewhat different than the ones I had as he says the racks were driven with a sprocket chain, while mine was driven by a series of spur gears and of course was enclosed. The one I had the rack fingers were made of poplar and would split easily if twisted, but while threshing, gave no trouble at all. Mine had no slated rack at all. One set of fingers picked the straw of the set ahead. Anyway, his guess is right, as without a doubt it is a P. H. I owned two 19 long fellows. Yes, Mr. Gunder-son, there were several 19 hp tractions. I am close to 73 years and have been at it since 1904. And on the same page 11 is a picture of the same kind of traction I started out with, the Huber, a 20 hp and a very good engine, easy to fire, easy to handle.

I enjoy the ALBUM very much.