The combine

We’ll now consider the most comprehensive and versatile machine: the combine. It has been very properly named "the Ship of the Fields". This is indeed one of the agricultural machines that have most vastly improved large-scale wheat farming especially in the Soviet Union. It is otherwise called the harvester combine or the header.

The combine is an agricultural machine - usually operated by one man - which cuts the corn, then threshes out the grain and winnows it. The cleaned grain is gathered in the bin of the combine and then taken away by lorries. The straw is returned to the field and made into bunches.

In front of the combine there is a table, which cuts down the stalks brought up to it by the reel, which then again feeds them onto the central part of the table while the transporter catches them up and sends them off to the threshing unit. In the thresher the grain is threshed out of the stalks and next through the deck (mounted under the threshing cylinder) falls upon the bolter and thence passes to the screen. The straw, in its turn is fed on to the strawwalker. Here it is shaken to remove the left-over grain while the straw itself is gathered on a strawtacker. As to the grain, it is now freed from impurities by a current of air coming from the fan. Then it falls through the riddle and through the grain auger runs to the flight elevator, which finally conveys it to the bunker or bin. After the grain is discharged from the bin it passes over to the pocket separator which classes the grain for different purposes: as seedstock, milling material, grist, etc. Thence it goes to the bin and finally to the elevator.

The combined harvester is mostly mounted on wheels provided with pneumatic tyres but it may also have caterpillar tread.

Classification of Automobiles

The AUTOMOBILE (car or truck) is a self-propelled (motor) vehicle intended for transporting goods and/or people and for carrying out special tasks.

AS то purpose, motor vehicles are divided into transport vehicles, special-purpose vehicles, and competition vehicles.

Transport vehicles are classed in several types:

(a) cars - motor vehicles intended for carrying small groups of people (up to eight in number);

(b) buses-passenger service vehicles designed for carrying large groups of people (more than eight in number);

(c) trucks-motor vehicles intended for carrying various cargos.

According to cargo (load-carrying) capacity, trucks are in turn divided into the following classes: pick-up trucks (up to 0.5 t), light trucks (from 1 to 2 t), medium trucks (from 2 to 5 t), heavy trucks (from 5 to 15 t), and overweight trucks (more than 15 t).

Trucks used to carry loose and sticky goods are equipped with tipping bodies and are referred to as dump trucks.

Special-purpose vehicles are intended for special work and are equipped accordingly. This group includes truck cranes, tank trucks, seed-filler trucks, etc. These are modifications of standard transport vehicle models.

Competition vehicles are cars specially designed for racing.

as то the type of chassis, motor vehicles may be either framed or frameless.

Framed vehicles have a support structure, called frame, to which all the component parts of the vehicle are attached.

Frameless (unit-construction) vehicles have no frame, and all their component parts are attached directly to the vehicle body. The body in this case is referred to as unitized.

as TO the prime mover, automobiles may be powered by carburetor engines, diesel engines, or electric motors.

Carburettor engines operate mainly on gasoline (petrol), diesel engines run on diesel fuel, and electric motors are supplied from storage batteries. Accordingly, automobiles are divided into gasoline-powered, diesel-powered, and battery-powered types.