IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR CLIPPING THORN AND OTHER HEDGES."
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hornsby, of Grantham, in the County of Lincoln,
and John Innocent, George Thomas Rutter, and Ralph Appleby, of Spittlegate,
in the said County of Lincoln, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR CLIPPING THORN AND OTHER HEDGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hornsby, John'
Innocent, George Thomas Rutter, and Ralph Appleby at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 29th January 1878.
JAMES HORNSBY, of Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, and JOHN INNOCENT,
GEORGE THOMAS RUTTER, and RALPH APPLEBY, of Spittlegate, in the said County
of Lincoln. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR CLIPPING THORN
AND OTHER HEDGES."
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to George Agars Walker, No. 721;
in the year 1876, was described apparatus in which the cutting or clipping of the
side of a hedge was effected by a knife bar and reciprocating knife suspended from
the end of an extensible arm projecting outwards from one side of a cart or vehicle.
Our Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus in which the cutting
or clipping is effected by a cutter thus suspended.
The extensible arm we make tubular, and we carry the spindle which is to convey
motion to the knife, through the interior of the arm; the spindle is thereby
enclosed and protected from clippings becoming twined around it.
We also provide improved means for holding the cutter bar at any desired angle,
and also means for raising or lowering the bar to bring it to any desired height,
and other improvements to increase the efficiency of the machine.
The machine we construct as follows:-In place of mounting the apparatus in a
cart as described in the Specification above mentioned, we carry it by a pair of
wheels both mounted on an axle, and driving the axle by ratchet apparatus.on
their forward movement, but being free to turn around the axle when moving in
the opposite direction; thus both carrying wheels are available for driving. the
cutter. On the axle is fixed a spur wheel at the opposite side of the machine to
T

page_text: that at which the cutter is carried. From the spur wheel motion is transmitted to
a horizontal axis above the axle, and from this axis motion is transmitted by bevil
wheels to an upright shaft which is supported by a standard at that side of the
machine from which the cutter is to be carried. At the top of the standard is
mounted a short horizontal axis at right angles to the axle, and the inner end of
the tubular telescopic arm before mentioned swings around this axis. The upright
shaft at its upper end gives motion to a bevil wheel on the short horizontal shaft,
and this bevil wheel gears with and drives a bevil wheel on the end of the shaft
which is to convey motion to the cutter, and which passes through the interior of
the arm as before mentioned. Thus the arm can be turned on this pivot at its end
without interfering with the driving of the shaft which passes through it.
To support the arm, a stay passes from the middle of the outer tube of the arm
to a ring which embraces the nave of the wheel on that side of the machine.
The stay can be lengthened or shortened by a screw and nut worked by a
ratchet or otherwise, and thus the arm can be raised or lowered as desired, and
maintained in any position.
The outer tube of the telescopic arm has at its end friction rollers for the inner
tube to rest upon; the inner tube has also studs projecting from it which enter
longitudinal slots in the outer tube, and these studs carry friction rollers. This
allows of the arm being extended or contracted, and the cutter then moved towards
or away from the wheels with very great ease.
The shaft which passes through the telescopic arm is telescopic, and at its outer
end has upon it a bevil pinion which drives a short horizontal crank shaft at right
angles to the arm. The cutter bar is suspended on this axis, and the crank gives a
to-and-fro motion to the knife as in the Specification above mentioned.
The upper end of cutter bar has secured to it a worm wheel, concentric with
the crank axis, and a worm gears with this worm wheel; the spindle of the worm is
telescopic, and extends along the telescopic arm to the standard, and there carries a
hand wheel by which it can be turned; there is also a catch by which the hand
wheel can be locked and retained; the cutter bar can thus be moved and held at
any angle, or can even be turned over so as to lie above the telescopic arm when
out of use.
In rear of the axle of the machine is a seat for a man to attend to the working
of the machine; he can by the hand wheel just mentioned set the cutter bar to any
desired angle, and also by a lever handle acting in the manner described in the
Specification before mentioned, move the cutter towards or away from the machine;
another seat is also provided for the man who drives the horses.
To protect the wheel which is on that side of the machine from which the cutter
arm extends, we fix a shield to the outer side of the wheel, and thus prevent
clippings entering between and being caught up by the spokes of the wheel.
After a hedge has been clipped on both sides, it may be topped by setting the
cutter to a horizontal position to cut along the top, and to be able to cut to a
uniform height the upper end of the stay which supports the telescopic arm by
which the cutter is carried is made extensible, and can be lengthened or shortened
by a man raising or lowering a long lever handle.
In place of the telescopic arm being jointed to the standard so as to allow of the
cutter being raised or lowered, the standard might be telescopic or made capable of
sliding upwards to allow of the arm being readily brought to any desired height;
the cutter also might be made so that a lengthening piece could be attached to its
lower end whenever it was not long enough to reach to the bottom of a hedge.
In place of topping a hedge by the same cutter as that used for clipping its sides,
a separate cutter may be used for the purpose, either a short reciprocating knife or
a circular revolving knife having curved blades, or two such circular knives
revolving in opposite directions may be used, and these knives may have motion
conveyed to them from the crank shaft which drives the main knife. These cutters
may be arranged to act at the same time as the main knife.
In place of the telescopic arm which carries the cutter being at one side of the

page_text: machine, it may be placed in the centre so that the arm may be turned over with
the cutter, and the cutter be so brought to act at either side of the machine at
pleasure.
To effect the turning over of the arm, a worm and worm wheel or other
mechanism may be used.
To ensure that the shoots at the top of a hedge shall be brought into a position
to be caught by the knife, we place a divider at the outer end of the telescopic arm;
the divider moves along the top of the hedge and presses the shoots into the path
of the cutter.
For drawing the machine in work we use double shafts, one shaft being jointed
so that it may be folded up, which makes the machine more compact when only one
horse is used to remove it from place to place.
The eye of the knife may be made separate from the knife bar; it also forms a
guide to keep the knife in its proper position.
The cutters may move from the right edge of one knife across an intermediate
knife to the left edge of the next knife, and vice versa.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Hornsby, John Innocent, George Thomas Rutter, and Ralph
Appleby in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th July 1878.
JAMES HORNSBY, of Grantham, in the County of Lincoln, and JOHN INNOCENT,
GEORGE THOMAS RUTTER, and RALPH APPLEBY, of Spittlegate, in the said County
of Lincoln. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING OR CLIPPING THORN
AND OTHER HEDGES."
In the Specification of a former Patent granted to George Agars Walker, No. 721,
in the year 1876, was described apparatus in which the cutting or clipping of the
side of a hedge was effected by a knife bar and reciprocating knife suspended
from the end of an extensible arm projecting outwards from one side of a cart or
vehicle.
Our Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus in which the cutting
or clipping is effected by a cutter thus suspended.
The extensible arm we make tubular, and we carry the spindle, which is to
convey motion to the knife, through the interior of the arm; the spindle is thereby
enclosed, and protected from clippings becoming twined around it.
We also provide improved means for holding the cutter bar at any desired angle,
and also means for raising or lowering the bar to bring it to any desired height,
and other improvements to increase the efficiency of the machine.
The machine we construct as follows:-In place of mounting the apparatus in a
cart, as described in the Specification above mentioned, we carry it by a pair of
wheels both mounted on an axle, and driving the axle by ratchet apparatus on
their forward movement, but being free to turn around the axle when moving in
the opposite direction, thus both carrying wheels are available for driving the

page_text: cutter. On the axle is fixed a spur wheel at the opposite side of the machine to
that at which the cutter is carried. From the spur wheel motion is transmitted
to a horizontal axis above the axle, and from this axis motion is transmitted by
bevil wheels to an upright shaft, which is supported by a standard at that side of
the machine from which the cutter is to be carried. At the top of the standard is
mounted a short horizontal axis at right angles to the axle, and the inner end of
the tubular telescopic arm before mentioned swings around this axis. The upright
shaft at its upper end gives motion to a bevil wheel on the short horizontal shaft,
and this bevil wheel gears with and drives a bevil wheel on the end of the shaft
which is to convey motion to the cutter, and which passes through the interior of
the arm as before mentioned. Thus the arm can be turned on this pivot at its
end without interfering with the driving of the shaft which passes through it.
To support the arm a stay passes from the middle of the outer tube of the arm
to a ring, which embraces the nave of the wheel on that side of the machine.
The stay can be lengthened or shortened by a screw and nut worked by a ratchet
or otherwise, and thus the arm can be raised or lowered as desired, and maintained
in any position.
The outer tube of the telescopic arm has at its end friction rollers for the inner
tube to rest upon. The inner tube has also studs projecting from it, which enter
longitudinal slots in the outer tube, and these studs carry friction rollers. This
allows of the arm being extended or contracted, and the cutter then moved towards
or away from the wheels with very great ease.
This shaft, which passes through the telescopic arm, is telescopic, and at its outer
end has upon it a bevil pinion, which drives a short horizontal crank shaft at right
angles to the arm. The cutter bar is suspended on this axis, and the crank gives
a to-and-fro motion to the knife, as in the Specification above mentioned.
The upper end of cutter bar has secured to it a worm wheel concentric with the
crank axis, and a worm gears with this worm wheel. The spindle of the worm is
telescopic, and extends along the telescopic arm to the standard, and there carries
a hand wheel, by which it can be turned. There is also a catch, by which the
hand wheel can be locked and retained. The cutter bar can thus be moved and
held at any angle, or can even be turned over, so as to lie above the telescopic arm
when out of use.
In rear of the axle of the machine is a seat for a man to attend to the working
of the machine. He can, by the hand wheel just mentioned, set the cutter bar to
any desired angle, and also by a lever handle acting in the manner described in the
Specification before mentioned move the cutter towards or away from the machine.
Another seat is also provided for the man who drives the horses.
To protect the wheel which is on that side of the machine from which the
cutter arm extends, we fix a shield to the outer side of the wheel, and thus prevent
clippings entering between and being caught up by the spokes of the wheel.
After a hedge has been clipped on both sides, it may be topped by setting the
cutter to a horizontal position to cut along the top, and to be able to cut to a
uniform height the upper end of the stay which supports the telescopic arm by
which the cutter is carried is made extensible, and can be lengthened or shortened
by a man raising or lowering a long lever handle.
In place of the telescopic arm being jointed to the standard, so as to allow of
the cutter being raised or lowered, the standard might be telescopic, or made
capable of sliding upwards to allow of the arm being readily brought to any
'desired height. The cutter also might be made so that a lengthening piece could.
be attached to its lower end whenever it was not long enough to reach to the
bottom of a hedge.
In place of topping a hedge by the same cutter as that used for clipping its sides
a separate cutter may be used for the purpose. Either a short reciprocating knife
or a circular revolving knife having curved blades, or two such circular knives
revolving in opposite directions, may be used, and these knives may have motion

page_text: conveyed to them from the crank shaft, which drives the main knife. These
cutters may be arranged to act at the same time as the main knife.
In place of the telescopic arm which carries the cutter being at one side of the
machine, it may be placed in the centre, so that the arm may be turned over with
the cutter, and the cutter be so brought to act at either side of the machine. at
pleasure.
To effect the turning over of the arm a worm and worm wheel or other
mechanism may be used.
To ensure that the shoots at the top of a hedge shall be brought into a position
to be caught by the knife, we place a divider at the outer end of the telescopic
The divider moves along the top of the hedge, and presses the shoots into
the path of the cutter.
arm.
For drawing the machine in work we use double shafts, one shaft being jointed,
so that it may be folded up, which makes the machine inore compact when only
one horse is used to remove it from place to place.
The eye of the knife may be made separate from the knife bar. It also forms a
guide to keep the knife in its proper position.
The cutters may move from the right edge of one knife across an intermediate
kuife to the left edge of the next knife, and vice versa.
In order that our Invention may be fully understood, and readily carried into
effect, we have shewn in the Drawings hereunto annexed machinery constructed
according to our Invention.
Figure 1 shews a back elevation partly in section; Figure 2, a side elevation ;
and Figure 3, a plan of one arrangement of the machine.
A, A, are a pair of wheels mounted on an axle B, and both turning the axle. by
ratchet apparatus on their forward movement in a manner well understood; C is
a pole secured to the centre of the frame, and having secured to each side of it a
shaft D. One of the shafts is made so that it can be turned up so as to be out of
the way when only one horse is harnessed to the machine to draw it from place
to place. Fast on the axle is an internal toothed wheel E, into which gears a
pinion carried by an axis F; the pinion can be slid end wise so as to be either fast
or loose with its axis by means of a clutch lever G. On the opposite end of the
axis F is a bevil toothed wheel H, which drives a pinion at the lower end of a
vertical axis I; this axis is mounted in bearings in a vertical standard K carried
by the axle, and stayed at the top by stay rods K'. The axis I has on it at its
upper end a bevil pinion driving a bevil wheel on a short horizontal axis L mounted
at the top of the standard K. On this axis swings the hollow telescopic arm M,
within which is the extensible spindle which is to carry motion to the knife; this
spindle is driven by a bevil pinion upon it gearing into the bevil wheel on the
short horizontal axis L; N is the cutter bar swinging on a short horizontal axis O
at the outer end of the arın M.
On the arm and concentric with the axis is a worm wheel P into which gears a
worin P¹ on an extensible spindle P2; this spindle is carried back alongside of the
arm, and can be turned by a wheel or crank handle Ps at its end.
Any suitable form of catch may be used to prevent the spindle P² from turning
whenever it is desired to lock and hold the cutter in any position into which it
may have been brought. The cutter bar can thus be set to incline to any desired
angle, either towards or away from the machine, or can be held out horizontally for
cutting along the top of a hedge, or can be turned back over the top of the arm, so
as to be out of the way when travelling.
The cutter knife is driven to and fro by a crank pin carried by a disc wheel Q,
as shewn, and it is caused to have a double throw that is to travel from one knife
X, Figure 14, to another knife X across an intermediate knife, thus making four
complete cuts for every revolution of the crank; R is an extensible stay for sup-
porting the telescopic arm M; it passes from the outer tube of this arm to a ring
on the end of the axle B; S is a lever by which the stay can be lengthened or
shortened, and the cutter thus raised or lowered. The manner in which the lever

page_text: acts is clearly shewn at Figure 2. The arm can also be raised or lowered by turning
a nut at the lower extremity of the outer tube or sleeve of the stay by a ratchet
arrangement S¹, and causing it to screw upwards or downwards on the screw, which
is jointed to the ring on the axle. Or the nut may be formed as a bevil wheel, as
shewn at Figure 4, and be turned by a pinion mounted on a stud which projects
from the outer tube or sleeve of the stay; the pinion itself has secured to it a crank
handle by which it can be turned.
The lengthening or shortening of the arm M is effected by a lever T, as is best
seen in the plan view, Figure 3; U, U, are friction rollers at the outer end of the
outer tube of the arm M for the inner tube to rest on; and V, V, are other friction
rollers on the end of the inner tube to run in slots in the sides of the outer tube,
thus but little power has to be exerted to lengthen or shorten the arm.
The lever T can be set fast in any desired position by dropping a pin through it
into one or other of a number of holes in a plate T¹; W is a seat for the man who
has to attend to the working of the cutting apparatus; and X a seat for the driver ;
Z is a disc of metal secured to the outer side of the wheel next to the cutter to
form a shield and prevent clippings from becoming entangled in and carried round
with the wheel; and Z¹ is a divider secured to the end of the arm M; it serves to
press the top shoots into the path of the cutter.
It will be seen that by the arrangement of machinery, above described, not only
can the arm which carries the cutter bar to be lengthened or shortened, as described
in the Specification of the] before-mentioned Patent, but the cutter bar can also be
raised or lowered. The angle at which the cutter bar is set can also from time to
time be varied without stopping the working of the machine.
Another arrangement by which the cutter bar can be raised or lowered without
stopping the working of the machine is shown at Figure 5. In this arrangement
the tubular telescopic arm M stands out from a slide which can slide up or down
on a standard on the main frame. The vertical axis I, which is driven as herein-
before described, is made extensible, and the pinion on its upper end gives motion
directly to the pinion on the extensible spindle, which is carried through the
telescopic arm M. The slide can be raised or lowered by a screw W descending
from it, on which is a bevil wheel W₁ which screws on it as a nut; the wheel has
gearing into it a pinion on a crank axis X, so that by the crank on the axis the
slide can be raised or lowered.
Figure 6 is a back elevation and Figure 7 a side elevation in section of a machine
in which the telescopic arm M is jointed to a standard which stands up from the
centre of the axle instead of from one of its ends, as in Figures 1, 2, and 3, in order
that the arm may be turned over and the cutter caused to work on either side of
the machine, as desired.
This arrangement would save time, supposing only one hedge in a field had to
be cut, as when one side of the hedge had been cut the cutters might be turned
over to cut on the other side as the machine was drawn back instead of returning
with the machine out of work.
For turning over the telescopic arm the arm is shewn to have upon it concentric
with the axis on which the arm turns a worm wheel, into which gears a worm Y
which can be turned by a crank handle. When the arm has been turned over to
one or other side by the worm, and the extensible stay has been secured to it, the
worm can be dipped out of gear with the worm wheel, so as to leave the arm free
to be raised or lowered when the machine is at work.
At Figure 8 we have shewn how a short horizontal reciprocating knife can be
used for clipping the top of a hedge at the same time that the side is being cut.
a is the horizontal cutter bar secured to a rod b, which can rise and fall through a
socket at the end of the arm M, but cannot turn in it.
Any suitable means may be provided for enabling the man in charge of the
machine to raise or lower the rod b.
In the arrangement shewn a chain is secured to the rod, and after being passed
over a pulley is led backwards along the arm.
4

page_text: The reciprocating knife of the cutter is driven by a crank on a vertical spindle,
which is driven by and can slide up or down through a bevil wheel C; the bevil
wheel is driven by gear from a toothed wheel at the back of the crank wheel Q,
from which the reciprocating knife of the main cutter is driven.
Instead of using a reciprocating knife for cutting the top of the hedge a revolving
knife working with fixed fingers may be used, as shewn at Figure 9; or two knives
revolving in opposite directions, as shewn at Figure 10.
At Figures 11, 12, and 13 we have shewn how a lengthening piece can be
secured to the lower extremity of the cutter bar N ; 'Figure 11 shews the lengthening
piece; Figure 12 shews the lengthening apparatus put together for work; Figure
13 shews a back elevation of the same. On the lower or fixed bar two plates are
secured, one on the under and the other on the top side of the bar. The loose part
or piece may have a projecting tongue fitting into a slot to prevent its moving
sidewise. The whole is secured by a stud passing through the two plates and the
bar; the top part of this stud forms a slide to keep down the moving knife, which
is held by the two gibs being held down in its working position by the slide before
mentioned.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, we would have it understood that we claim as our improvements in
machinery for cutting and clipping thorn and other hedges.
First. The combined arrangement of machinery for cutting or clipping thorn and
other hedges, substantially as herein described.
Second. Carrying the cutter bar in such a manner that it can not only be set and
held at any required angle, but can also be raised or lowered.
Third. Jointing the arm M by a horizontal joint to a standard, or carrying it by
a slide which moves up or down on a standard, as herein described.
Fourth. The employment in combination with the cutter used for cutting the
side of a hedge of another reciprocating or revolving cutter for cutting along the
top of the hedge.
Fifth. Forming the extensible arm M from which the cutter is swung tubular, so
that the spindle by which motion is conveyed to the cutter may pass through the
arm, and be protected by it.
Sixth. The means, substantially as herein-before described, of bringing the cutter
bar to any desired angle, and retaining it at that angle.
Seventh. Carrying a divider at the end of the arm M to press the top shoots
of a hedge into the path of the cutter by which the side of a hedge is being cut.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hornsby, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JAMES HORNSBY. (L.S.)