Stripper (agriculture)

Stripper was a type of harvesting machine common in Australia in the late 19th and early 20th century. John Ridley is now accepted as its inventor, though John Wrathall Bull argued strongly for the credit.[1]

Description

The stripper plucks the ears of grain (generally wheat) without winnowing, and leaving the straw standing. The first strippers were drawn by bullocks and consisted of a large, wheeled, box-like machine with a row of spiked prongs in front and with a long pole at the back of the machine for steering. It had the advantage over the early reaper machines in being able to reap more quickly (of benefit in a hot climate) and having fewer components subject to wearing out.[2]

A stripper-harvester also winnowed the grain, removing the chaff.

Notable manufacturers were Sunshine Harvester and J. and D. Shearer

Sources

The Australian National Dictionary Oxford University Press 1988 ISBN 0 19 554736 5

References

  1. ↑ Jones, LJ (1985), "Engineering Considerations in an Historical Argument – the Ridley-Bull 'Stripper' Controversy", Second National Conference on Engineering Heritage ‘The Value of Engineering Heritage’: Preprints of Papers (Institution of Engineers, Australia): 79–84, ISBN 978-0-85825-250-9
  2. ↑ "STRIPPER VERSUS HARVESTER.". The Leader (Melbourne: National Library of Australia). 18 May 1918. p. 8 Edition: TOWN and WEEKLY. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
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