IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Shanks, of Arbroath, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, and John Cargill; of Leadenhall Street, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 8th February 1868, and dated the 12th August 1867;
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. James Shanks and
John Cargill at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 12th August 1867.
We, JAMES SHANKS, of Arbroath, in the County of Forfar, North Britain,
and JOHN CARGILL, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING
MACHINES," to be as follows:
This invention consists in the construction of the sole plates or bottom
blades for lawn mowing machines to be reversible, that is to say, the
sole plates or bottom blades are made with two edges so that when one edge
is worn the plate can be unscrewed and reversed or turned round, when the
new edge will be brought into contact with the cutter. By this system one sole
plate will last as long as two of the ordinary construction.
447

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Shanks and. John Cargill in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th February 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
SHANKS, of Arbroath, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, and JOHN
CARGILL, of Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said James Shanks and John' Cargill, Her special license that we, the said
James Shanks and John Cargill, our executors; administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said James Shanks and John Cargill, our executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and. 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 LAWN MOWING MACHINES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said James.Shanks and John Cargill,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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. James Shanks and John Cargill, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say:-
Our said Invention consists in constructing the sole plates or bottom blades
for lawn mowing machines so as to be reversible, that is to say, the sole plates
or bottom blades are made with two edges so that when one edge is worn the
plate can be unscrewed and reversed or turned round when the new edge will
be brought into contact with the cutter. By this system one sole plate will
last as long as two of the ordinary construction.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention we would observe in conclusion that what we consider to be novel and
original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-

page_text: before in part recited Letters Patent is, the application and use to and in
lawn mowing machines of reversible sole plates or bottom blades for the
purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Shanks and John Cargill,
bave to this our Specification set our hands and seals, this Teuth
day of February, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
JAMES SHANKS. (L.S.)
JNO. CARGILL.
(L.8.)