Patent GB-195501-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to mowing machines
IPC: A01D34/26
Filed: 1922-02-21
Abstract: 195,501. Sch÷nmetzler, X. Feb. 21, 1922. Mowing-machines.-A mowing machine is provided with a knife-bar that is adapted to be lifted by the operation of a footlever and then swung into a vertical inoperative position by a hand-lever acting through toggle-links, means being provided to lock the cutting-mechanism in de-clutched position, while the knife-bar is in its vertical position. The knife-bar 32 is secured by a pivot 33 to the shoe 34 which is carried by the rods 36, 38 pivoted on the main frame. The cutters are driven through a connecting rod 30 from a crank on a shaft 18 that is adapted to be clutched to a bevel-wheel 17 in mesh with a bevel-wheel 16 driven from one of the main wheels 13; the clutch is operated by a lever 26 connected by a link 25 to a link 24 pivoted on the frame and also to a link 23 attached to a lever 22 with two foot-plates 20, 21. On depressing the plate 21 the clutch is thrown out of gear and the lever 22 and link 23 form an overshot toggle connection so that the clutch cannot be thrown in by operation of the link 24, depression of the plate 20 is therefore necessary to bring the cutters into operation again..The shoe is hung from the lifting-devices by a chain 41 secured at one end to one of a number of holes 42 in a lever 39 pivoted on the shoe and provided with a toothed arc 43 meshing with a similar toothed are 44 on the knife bar and at the other end to a link 51 hung at the end of an arm 50<a> of a bellcrank lever 50<a>, 50<b>, pivoted at 49 on the frame. The link 51 is provided with an adjustable stop 53 which engages a projection 52 on the arm 50<a>, thus increasing the effective length of the lever acting on the chain 41 as the arm 50<a> is raised. A foot-lever 54 is mounted on the pivot 49 and is provided with a dog 55 that engages the bellcrank lever 50<a>, 50<b> through a set-screw 56. By depressing this lever the shoe and the knife-bar are raised to the position shown in Fig. 4, the weight of the knife-bar preventing the lever 39 from swinging about its pivot. A pivoted catch 57 engages the rod 38 and retains the shoe in its raised position. The bell-crank lever is also adapted to be operated by a hand-lever 61 having a short arm 64 that is connected to the arm 50<b> through toggle-links 65, 66. In the position shown in Fig. 7, the toggle-link 65 bears against a stop 67 and so the lever 61 may be used to move the knife-bar to the position shown in Fig. 4. Normally the foot-lever is used for this operation, the toggle-link straightening as the bellcrank lever moves round. Operation of the hand-lever 61, after the knife-bar has been brought to the position shown in Fig. 4 by the action of the foot-lever, causes the toggle-links to bend downwardly until the stop 67 is engaged by a tail 68 on the link 65, the links then forming a rigid connection to the bell-crank lever. As the arm 50<a> is raised the lever 39 swings about its pivot causing the knife-bar to be swung up to a vertical position about the pivot 33, the bar 36 being prevented from rising by a stop 45 on the frame. The lever 61 operates a cam moving a rod 72 to the right as the knife-bar is swung upwards this rod being connected to an arm 28 at one end of a rocking-shaft 27 carrying at its farther end the link 24 en the clutch mechanism. Swinging the knife-bar thus throws the clutch out of gear. When the hand-lever is raised to the vertical position to swing the knife-bar downwards the rod 72 is held with the clutch out of operation by a detent 76 on a releasing lever 77. Depression of this lever frees the clutch-operating mechanism and also breaks the toggle-link connection 65, 66 upwardly and pushes back the catch 57 permitting the shoe and its associated parts to fall as the foot-lever 54 rises.