IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR CUTTING GRASS AND CORN
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Daniel Hodgson, of Swetton, near Kirby Malzeard,
in the County of York, Farmer, and John Dodd, of the same Place,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY POR
CUTTING GRASS AND CORN."
Sealed the 14th July 1868, and dated the 15th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Daniel Hodgson and
John Dodd at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 15th January 1868.
We, DANIEL HODGSON, of Swetton, near Kirby Malzcard, in the
County of York, Farmer, and JOHN DODD, of the same Place, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING GRASS AND CORN," to be as follows:-
We derive the moving power acting on the cutting knife from two
levers provided with small rollers at the ends. These rollers act upon
vertical corrugations or indentations on a wheel placed loosely on the
driving axle, the said loose wheel being thrown in and out of gear
by an ordinary hand lever. We do not confine ourselves to any precise
number of corrugations or indentations on the loose wheel, as the
same will require to be increased or diminished according to the speed
required for the particular work of cutting to be performed. The
corrugations or indentations on the loose wheel aforesaid are placed."

page_text: on the extreme edge of the wheel, on one side for corn and on the other
side for grass. At the other end of the levers are two connecting rods
which pass down to a T-piece or bell crank, and from the T-piece is
a connecting rod leading to the cutting knife, so that as the levers
rise and fall on the corrugations the knife is drawn rapidly to and fro.
One of the driving wheels runs loose on the axle so that the machine
may be turned round a corner of a field, thereby cutting the corner
clean out. The machine will not require to be backed at the end of
a cutting, as by its construction it can be turned round a corner and
cut at the same time, which no other machine previously constructed
can do. By this construction we can lower or let down the connecting
rod to any depth we like, even to the level of the ground, so as to
regulate the depth of the cut.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise details above described,
as the same may be varied without departing from the general principle
of our Invention.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Daniel Hodgson and John Dodd in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 15th July 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, DANIEL
HODGSON, of Swetton, near Kirby Malzeard, in the County of York,
Farmer, and JOHN DODD of the same Place, Engineer, send greeting. .
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the 31st
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said Daniel Hodgson and John Dodd, Her, special
licence that we, the said Daniel Hodgson and John Dodd, our executors;
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Daniel
Hodgson and John Dodd, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING

page_text: GRASS AND CORN," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Daniel Hodgson and John Dodd, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or one of our hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of them, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Daniel Hodgson and John Dodd,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, and on reference
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
We derive the mowing power acting on the cutting knife from either
one or two levers provided with small rollers at the ends. These rollers
act upon vertical or other corrugations or indentations on a wheel
placed loosely on the driving axle, the said loose wheel being thrown
in and out of gear by an ordinary hand lever and sliding clutch box.
We do not confine ourselves to any precise number of corrugations or
indentations on the loose wheel as the same will require to be increased
or diminished according to the speed required for the particular work
of cutting to be performed. The corrugations or indentations on the
loose wheel aforesaid are placed on the extreme edge of the wheel on
one side for corn and on the other side for grass. At the other end of
the levers are two connecting rods which pass down to a T piece or bell
crank, and from the T piece is a connecting rod leading to the cutting
knife, so that as the levers rise and fall on the corrugations the knife
is rapidly drawn to and fro. One of the driving wheels runs loose on
the axle, so that the machine may be turned round a corner of a field;
thereby cutting the corner clean out. The machine will not require to
be backed at the end of a cutting, as by its construction it can be turned
round a corner and cut at the same time, which no other machine
previously constructed can do. By this construction we can also lower
or let down the connecting rod to any depth we like, even to the level
of the ground, so as to regulate the depth of the cut.
We do not confine ourselves to the precise details above described,
as the same may be varied without departing from the general principle
of our Invantion

page_text: Such being the nature and object of our said Invention for "Improve-
ments in Machinery for Cutting Grass and Corn," we will now proceed
to describe more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or
may be performed or carried into practical effect. And in order that
the same may be distinctly understood, we have annexed hereunto a
Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof, and have marked the same
with figures and letters of reference corresponding with those in the
following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing is a side elevation, and Figure 2
a back view (seen partly in section) of our improved machine as arranged
for cutting corn.
a, a, is the main axle, on which hangs the cast-iron framing b, b,
which supports the cutting apparatus; c, c, is the driving wheel which
is keyed fast upon the axle a, a, and d, d, is a similar wheel mounted
loosely at the other end of the axle so as to enable the machine to be
turned round a corner without difficulty; e, e, is the indented or
corrugated wheel which is also mounted loosely on the driving axle,
but is connected therewith and driven thereby (when the cutters are
required to act) by means of a sliding clutch ff, which is thrown in
or out of gear by means of the hand lever g, g. The indented wheel e, e,
is shown detached at Figure 3. A bracket h, h, rises from the cast-
iron frame b, b, and supports the fulcrum of a lever i, i, one end of
which carries a pin or friction roller which projects into the indentations
of the wheel e, e. The other end of the said lever is connected by a
rod or link k, k, to a T piece or bell crank 1, l, the lower arm of which
is attached to and works the cutting knife (see also detached view,
Figure 1). If only one lever i, i, is used its pin or friction roller is
kept in the grooves or indentations of the wheel e, e, by means of an
angle plate or clip m, m (Figure 2), but two levers (one working on
each side) may be employed if preferred. If the machine is intended
to cut both corn and grass there will be a set of indentations on each
side, one set suited for cutting corn and one for grass, and the lever i, i,
will be so arranged that it can be actuated by either set of indentations
as may be required. For raising and lowering the apparatus a lever n, n,
is mounted on a fulcrum attached to the pole o, o, and its end connected
by a chain p, p, to the cast-iron frame; q, q, is a catch lever to hold
the lever n, n, in position till released.
Figure 4 represents a side elevation of a modification of our improved

page_text: machine arranged for cutting grass only. In this arrangement the
wheel e, e, is corrugated on both sides as shown clearly at Figures 5
and 6. The lever i, i, is mounted in a diagonal position, its upper end
being provided with two pins or friction rollers (one working on each
side of the wheel e, e, as seen at Figure 5), and its lower end being
connected directly with the cutting knife without the intervention of
the T-piece or bell crank. The fulcrum of the lever i, i, is in this case
carried by a bracket r, r, bolted to the cast-iron frame b, b. The lever
and chain for raising and lowering the cast-iron frame b, b, may also
in this case be dispensed with.
Having thus described the nature and object of our said Invention
for "Improvements in Machinery for Cutting Grass and Corn," together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect, we would remark in conclusion that we
claim as our Invention,―
Firstly. With reference to Figures 1, 1*, 2, and 3, the arrangement
substantially as shown and described for actuating the cutting knife
without the use of toothed wheels, consisting of the indented wheel e, e,
lever i, i, connecting rod k, k, and bell crank l, l.
Secondly. We claim with reference to Figures 4, 5, and 6, the
arrangement substantially as shown and described for the purpose of
cutting grass, consisting of the corrugated wheel e, e, and the diagonal
lever i, i, the latter being connected direct to the cutting knife.
In witness whereof, I, the said Daniel Hodgson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
DANIEL HODGSON. (L.S.)