IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR SHEARING THE EDGES OF GRASS OR TURF
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Shanks, of Arbroath, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR SHEARING THE EDGES OF GRASS OR TURF."
Scaled the 9th October 1863, and dated the 11th May 1863.
pursuance
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Shanks, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
May 1863.
I, JAMES SHANKS, of Arbroath, in the County of Forfar, North Britain.
Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR SHEARING THE EDGES OF GRASS OR TURP," to
be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of machinery for
cutting or shearing the edges of grass lawns, pleasure grounds, and of turf
generally.
Under one modification the implement consists of a cast-iron framo with
handles somewhat similar to the frame of a lawn mower. It is fitted with a
roller, which is keyed to a shaft that works in two bearings one at each sido
of the frame. The front part of the frame has fitted to it two brackets cou-
taining bearings for a shaft, on which is placed one or more small rollers, which
are used for steadying the implement in working, These brackets may either bo

page_text: fixed or made to slide up or down by means of a slot, and fastened to the side
of the frame with a bolt and nut to each. On the back roller shaft is keyed
a toothed wheel, which gears into a pinion placed on a countershaft, and may
be either keyed on the shaft or loose, and provided with a clutch to slide on a
sunk key on the shaft for the purpose of putting the implement out of or in
gear as may be required. On end of the countershaft is fastened a crank or
disc with a fixed or moveable pin or an eccentric. To this movement one end
of a connecting rod is attached, having a bush fitting into the crank or disc
pin, or the connecting rod may have a strap to work on the eccentric as may
be preferred. The other end of this rod is made to communicate with the
arm of a pair of shears by means of an ordinary joint. These shears are
similar or somewhat similar in shape to the ordinary hand shears at present
used for cutting the edges of turf. An arrangement of one or more levers or
screws is also provided for raising or lowering the shears as may be required,
and also for placing them at any angle that may be found necessary
when cutting. In working the implement it is simply moved or pushed
forward by means of the guiding handles, when motion is communicated by
the gearing to the shears which cut the edges of the turf with precision.
Many modifications in the arrangement of the gearing, or of the cutters,
may be made use of to answer the purpose, as by introducing pitch or ordi-
dary chains or endless straps for gearing, or by the introduction of a disc with
cams either on the countershaft or on the back roller shaft. The cams as
they strike the lever of the shears will cause them to open, and the shutting
is effected either by means of a spring or other equivalent therefor. The
implement may also be fitted with the ordinary knives of a reaping or field
grass mowing machine with a perpendicular, horizontal, or rotatory action,
or the circular cutter of the ordinary lawn-mowing machines may be adapted
thereto.
A further modification consists in combining the implement for cutting the
edges of turf with a lawn-mowing machine so as to effect both operations,
that of lawn-mowing and edge cuting, either separately or simultaneously.