Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-08-07
agricultural.


The other and greatest novelty in mowers
was the New Clipper. Both this and the
Regular Clipper were delayed, and only came
on trial on Thursday, so one had not so good
an opportunity of Judging of its qualities at
work. Its peculiar construction makes it
quite difficult Of description, but We will
give as clear an idea of it as we can. 1t has
two wheels, like the ordinary mower, and
the shaft connecting them is the only one
in the machine On one wheel and attached
to it is a small beveled gear wheel. Another
similar one, but two cogs less in size, is hung
on an universal joint, half of which is at
tached to cylinder through which the axle
runs, the other half to the angle of an elbow,
one arm of which runs down to and drives
the cutter blade, the other extends along the
axle and connects with a small balance
wheel. When in motion, the gear wheel on
the driving wheel, being two cogs larger,
and the other not revolving, as it moves for
ward one cog, it is thrown in and out Of
mash around the whole circumference, with a
motion as like that made in a. spinning the
platter " when nearly down anything we
can think Of Half of this circular oscillation
is taken by the arm of the elbow and be-
comes vibration to drive the knives as before
observed, while the other arm balances and
steadies the motion This is all the machinery
there is except the attaching of the cutter
bar, and the levers for controlling it no
pitman, no crank or small shaft. 1t runs
with scarcely more noise than a sewing
machine, attracted much attention, and
stood the somewhat impractical clog test of
the committee perfectly, starting at once
and every time, though drawn into the grass
by the horses before throwing into gear. 1t
has so little machinery, is so light and sim
pie in construction. we should think it might
be sold at seventy-fve dollars with a fair
know, and should it prove by the test of ac-
tual use to be practical and durable, it must
prove a step in advance hardly equaled
since the invention of the cutter bar. On
Thursday the committee in the morning took
the machines on TO the land of Elk. Gov.
Page, where in thick lodged grass, each
machine was thrown out of gear. then passed
forward by the committee into the grass till
the guards were filled, then required to start
without backing, which most of the machines
failed to do. Each machine had three trials.
and one only started clear each time, on be-
ing thrown in gear six started twice and
failed once mine started once and FIVE failed
every time. In the afternoon the machines
were weighed with their tools as ordinarily
used, and the representative of each machine
required to state the price Of his machine ;
whether it was in every respect such as they
furnished their customers whether now used
for the first time; how many gears, and how
many vibrations of the knife to each revolu-
ton of the drive wheels and q from your
present knowledge what part of your machine
most frequently needs repairs - which was
universally answered " sections
AS a last test the committee selected a
team to be driven on each machine, and drive
against solid post, twice at the heel and
twice at the point of the cutter bar. Pre-
vious to this, the draft of each machine was
thoroughly tested by dynamometer the
one used by agreement of the exhibitors, be-
ing a self-registering one, invented and
made by Mr.. Baldwin the mechanic of the
Clipper works and a very ingenious machine
with results as follows