IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Walter Sutton, of High Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Walter Sutton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th September 1879.
JOSEPH WALTER SUTTON, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in lawn mowing machines, and
relates to that class of machine in which the revolving cutters are driven by means
of a band from a hand wheel, one hand of the operator holding the handle to propel
and steer the machine whilst the other turns the hand wheel, thus driving the
cutters.
In machines of this class as hitherto constructed it has been usual either to have
no means of adjusting the height of the fixed cutter from the ground or to adjust
its height by raising or lowering a wheel or rollers in front of the cutters, as is
done in ordinary lawn mowing machines driven in the usual way by a carrying
roller.
Now this method of regulating the height of the cutters, although well suited to
the ordinary machines, has many disadvantages when applied to a machine in which
the cutters are caused to rotate by means of hand wheel. The machine in this
case being very light, and being only guided by one hand, is easily tilted, and is
therefore liable to cut in ridges and is difficult to steer either in a straight line or
in a regular curve.
My improvements consist in supporting the machine, in adjusting the height of
the cutter, and in steering the machine by means of an adjustable wheel which is
situated at some distance behind the cutters, and which is capable of being placed
nearer to or further from the cutters, so as to tilt the machine more or less, thus
raising or lowering the edge of the fixed cutter and diminishing or increasing the

page_text: amount of grass cut; also, since the wheel is behind the operator and the cutting
apparatus, and at some distance from it, it forms a fulcrum upon which the operator
may press when driving the cutters without risk of tilting the machine.
The axis of this adjustable wheel is carried by a rod fixed to a sliding sleeve on
the handle of the machine. The sliding sleeve is provided with a thumb nut, so
that it can be set in any position. If the adjustable wheel is fixed vertically under
the handle the machine will run in a straight line, but if set to one side or the other
the machine will describe a circle. In both cases the amount of cut can be regulated
by altering the distance of the adjustable wheel from the cutters, and thus tilting
the machine more or less.
1

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Walter Sutton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
March 1880.
JOSEPH WALTER SUTTON, of High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in lawn mowing machines, and
relates to that class of machine in which the revolving cutters are driven by means
of a band from a hand wheel, one hand of the operator holding the handle to propel
and steer the machine whilst the other turns the hand wheel, thus driving the
cutters.
In machines of this class as hitherto constructed it has been usual either to have
no means of adjusting the height of the fixed cutter from the ground or to adjust
its height by raising or lowering a wheel or rollers in front of the cutters, as is
done in ordinary lawn mowing machines driven in the usual way by a carrying
roller.
Now this method of regulating the height of the cutters, although well suited to
the ordinary machines, has many disadvantages when applied to a machine in which
the cutters are caused to rotate by means of a hand wheel. The machine in this
case being very light, and being only guided by one hand, is easily tilted, and is
therefore liable to cut in ridges and is difficult to steer either in a straight line or in
a regular curve.
My improvements consist in supporting the machine, in adjusting the height of
the cutter, and in steering the machine by means of an adjustable wheel which is
situated at some distance behind the cutters, and which is cable of being placed
nearer to or further from the cutters, so as to tilt the machine more or less, thus
raising or lowering the edge of the fixed cutter and diminishing or increasing the
amount of grass cut; also, since this wheel is between the operator and the cutting
apparatus, and at some distance from it, it forms a fulcrum upon which the operator
may press when driving the cutters without risk of tilting the machine.
The axis of this adjustable wheel is carried by a rod fixed to a sliding sleeve on
the handle of the machine. The sliding sleeve is provided with a thumb nut, so
that it can be set in any position. If the adjustable wheel is fixed vertically under
the handle the machine will run in a straight line, but if set to one side or the other
the machine will describe a circle. In both cases the amount of cut can be regulated
by altering the distance of the adjustable wheel from the cutters, and thus tilting
the machine more or less.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shewn a lawn mowing machine con-
structed as above described. Figure 1 is a side view of the machine, and Figure 2
a plan view.
A is a revolving cutter with its spindles passing through brackets B which are
bolted to a frame C; this frame has a rod D fixed to it which extends backwards,
and at its extremity has clamped to it a handle E. The clamp also has a spindle
projecting from it on which is mounted a band wheel F which can be driven by a
crank handle G. H is an endless band passing over the band wheel F, and also
over a grooved pulley I which is fast on one of the spindles of the cutter A, so that
the cutter can be driven by turning the band wheel F. K, K, are wheels turning
loosely on the spindles of the cutter; one of them is retained on the spindle by the
grooved pulley I, and the other by a collar fixed on to the end of the spindle. Lis
a grass box to receive the cut grass; it is supported by pins M, M, which project
from it and rest on flanges which stand out from the sides of the brackets B; the
front edge of the bottom of the grass box rests against the back of the fixed knife
N which is carried by the brackets, and the back of the grass box is held up by .

page_text: hooks O which can be turned downwards so as to cause them to book over the frame-
C, as shown.
The front edge of the fixed knife N is, as shewn, somewhat in rear of the centre
of the spindles of the revolving knife, so that by altering the upward inclination of
the rod D the edge of the knife can be brought nearer to or moved further from the
ground to increase or diminish the amount of grass cut. P is the adjustable wheel
by which the rod D is supported at any inclination desired; the axis of the wheel
is carried by a rod R fixed to a sleeve S, which can be slidden to and fro along the
rod D and clamped to it by a set screw T at any desired height. The rod R which
carries the wheel P can also be set in a vertical plane, as shewn in the Drawings, so
that the wheel P is parallel with the wheels K, K; the machine will then run in a
straight line, or the rod R can be inclined to one side or the other, and so incline
the wheel P to the wheels K and cause the machine to run in a circle.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The construction of lawn mowing machines substantially as herein before
described and shewn in the Drawing annexed.
Second. The employment of an adjustable wheel P in rear of the revolving cutter
of that class of lawn mowing machines in which the cutter is driven by an endless
band from a band wheel, substantially as described.
Third. Carrying the spindle of the wheel P which is in rear of the cutter by a rod
R fixed to a sleeve, which can be slidden to and fro along the rod D, and also inclined
to one or other side, aud be clamped to it in any desired position, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Walter Sutton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
J. W. SUTTON. (LS.)