Swathers or windrowers

Part I

Read the text and translate it.

Study the vocabulary and prepare your own sentences with them.

Be ready to explain the vocabulary words.

Vocabulary

harvester-thresher – зерноуборочный комбайн

reaper – жатка

swath – скос; прокос

cylinder - барабан комбайна

windrower – валковая жатка

pickup attachment – подборщик

cutter bar – режущий аппарат

header – жатка, хедер

reel – мотовило

divider - разделяющий механизм

auger – шнек

mower – косилка

feeder – наклонная камера; подающий механизм

conveyer – элеватор

sieve – решето; грохот; sieve boot - решетный стан

Grain Harvesting Machines

Some historical facts

The harvester-thresher is one of our most important power farming machines. It is more often called the "combine" because it combines several operations into a single operation. And today's harvester-thresher is a combination of the ideas, efforts, and energies of men of many centuries.

The modern combine is the result of centuries of development in grain harvesting methods. Two distinct paths of progress have brought us from primitive hand tools to this efficient, fast-working power machine. Today the combine harvests not only all of our small grains, but corn also.

One path would show the evolution of implements for reaping the standing grain; the other would show the gradual development of machines for threshing the cut grain. An early form of reaper marks the beginning of the use of power – animal power – for cutting grain; the "ground-hog" spiked cylinder employed animal-driven sweep powers or tread mills to operate it.

In 1836, ten years before the reaper went into commercial production, the first successful combine was built in Michigan. It cut a 15-foot swath, had a spike-tooth cylinder, was ground-driven, cleaned the grain by means of a fan blast and delivered it into a bag. Although it threshed successfully, climatic conditions caused troubles and the machine was shipped to California in 1854. There conditions were more favorable.

Big combines were the rule during the 1920's and early '30's. The combine was still a big-acreage machine, confined largely in its usefulness to small grain only and to semi-arid climates.

Then, in 1935, came one of those occasional milestones that upset the old pattern completely – that milestone was the one-man combine powered by a two-plow tractor.

Today many sizes and models are available. Combines now harvest all of our small grain crops and each year they harvest more of our vast corn crop.

SWATHERS OR WINDROWERS

These machines are sometimes used as a first operation in harvesting certain grain crops, especially when crops are not dry or ripe enough for direct combining. The machines work fast, cut a wide swath and deliver the cut grain into a windrow that speeds up drying. Then the cut grain is threshed with a combine equipped with a pickup attachment. Both tractor-drawn and self-propelled windrowers are available. They are also used for cutting hay crops, which later are processed further by balers or conditioners. Some windrowers now employ hydrostatic drive for propulsion.