IMPROVEMENTS IN CUTTERS FOR MOWING
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Franklin Shaw, of West Roxbury, in
the County of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, United States of
America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CUTTERS FOR MOWING
Sealed the 29th March 1870, and dated the 23rd November 1869.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Franklin Shaw
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 23rd November 1869, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
FRANKLIN SHAW, of West Roxbury, in the County of Norfolk, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CUTTERS FOR MOWING MACHINES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I am the
true and first Inventor thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Franklin Shaw, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my
hand and seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, of which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my Invention
showing the cutters and actuating device; Figure 2 shows the same in
plan; Figures 3 and 4 show in plan and section the center finger and
clearing device; Figures 5 and 6 show in plan and section one of the
common fingers; Figure 7 is an illustration of one method of adjusting
the cutter bar so that there shall be no clogging at or between their
contacting ends, one being arranged to slide the width of a tooth under
the other; Figure 8 represents a method of accomplishing the same
results by allowing one of the cutter bars to pass for a short distanco
behind the other.
The nature of my Invention consists, first, in operating the two parts
of a transversely divided cutter bar by two pitmen driven by two cranks
set diametrically opposite each other, each half of the cutter bar
occupying about one half of the length of the finger bar, so that cach
part may do half the work, that is, cut a half swath and always move in
opposite directions and with equivalent velocities; second, in arranging
an automatic clearing device in connection with the center finger, the
object being to divide the effect of the momentum and work so that the
effect produced by the momentum and work of one part of the cutter
will be exactly balanced by the effect of the other, thus freeing the
operating device and body of the machine from the series of rapid shocks
to which it would otherwise be subjected, and lessen the power required
to operate the machine as well as rendering the machine much less
disagreeable and fatiguing to the operator.
Mechanically my machine is constructed as follows:-H, Figures 1
and 2, represents the finger bar; D' represents one half of the vibrating
cutter bar, and is operated by the pitman D and crank B; C' connected
to the bar C' is the other half of the vibrating cutter, and is operated by
the pitman C and crank A. In Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, P represents the
middle finger or that finger that is opposite the point from which and to
which the two cutter bars vibrate; this finger is made wider and larger
otherwise than the other fingers, and is also provided with an opening
in its upper plate; P, P', P', is also raised somewhat above the knives of

page_text: the cutter bar D', as shown in Figure 4, so that the clearer K may pass
under it. The clearer K, K', Figure 3, passes the finger P at each
stroke, and thus prevents any accumulation of grass that might clog the
machine.
In Figures 5 and 6 I have represented somewhat in detail one of the
common fingers of my mower, but it does not need description as it is
made in the usual manner.
From the above it will be seen that when the machine is in operation
the vibrating parts D' and C' move in opposite directions, and the shocks
caused by the momentum of one will be exactly compensated by the
other, and also that the strain of work of one will react against the strain
of the other, so that the actuating device as well as the machine will be
freed from the shocks and consequent vibrations. The machine also
requires much less force to operate it than the ordinary machine, and being
freed from all shocks and a part of the strain is much more durable.
Having thus described my said Invention I will now state what I
consider as new and of my Invention.
I claim,―
First. Operating the two parts D' and C³ of a divided cutter bar by
means of two cranks set diametrically opposite each other so as to
operate as described and for the purpose set forth.
Second. Combining with the divided cutter bar of a mowing machine
the clearing hook K, K', or its equivalent operating for the purpose set
forth.
Third. The finger P, P', P', made substantially as described in com-
bination with the clearing hook K, K¹, as and for the purpose set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Franklin Shaw, have here-
unto set my hand and, seal, this Thirtieth day of October, A.D.
1869.
TINDY TID ANTT IN STAT
MANDY DANKTIN SITAT
4444
(5.S.)