Smoothing Roads, Pathways, and Lawns.
Year: 1885

page_text: Smoothing Roads, Pathways, and Lawns.
I CHARLES EDWARD HEARSON of No 31 Coburg Road in the County of Surrey
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN ROLLERS OF THE KIND USED FOR COMPRESSING AND SMOOTHING ROADS PATH-
WAYS AND LAWNS to be as follows:-
33
i
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in rollers of the
kind used for compressing and smoothing roads pathways and lawns the objects of
the said improvements being to cause the weight of the rollers to be concentrated
on the smallest possible area of the surface to be rolled and thereby to produce the
maximum effect which can be produced by a roller of a given weight also to
prevent or minimise the. dragging or rubbing action of such rollers when being
turned in order to vary their line of motion.
According to my said Invention I form the roller of a number of solid wheels or
short cylinders each of which has a hole formed in its axis the several wheels or
cylinders being mounted on a rod or axis passed through the holes in the said
wheels or cylinders to the ends of which rod or axis is connected the frame to
which the handle of the roller or the shafts (in the case of a roller to be drawn by
an animal) is or are secured.
In some cases I secure a counterbalance to the frame carrying the handle of the
roller which counterbalance I prefer to make in the form of a cylinder or a number
of cylinders mounted on an axis carried by arms formed on the said frame at or
near the part which is connected to the roller which cylinder or cylinders I prefer
to form of smaller diameter than the roller cylinders. I so arrange the counter-
balance that when the roller is not in use or when the handle thereof is released
the said handle is supported in an upright or an inclined position. The said
counterbalance not only thus supports the handle but also gives additional weight
to the roller without increasing its bearing and when the said counterbalance is
made in the form of a cylinder or of a number of cylinders it may (if desired) be
used as the acting part of the roller.

page_text: I am aware that rollers consisting of a single solid cylinder are known and that
rollers consisting of two hollow cylinders are known each of which forms of rollers
possesses certain advantages and disadvantages. Rollers constructed according to
iny invention combine the advantages separately possessed by the said ordinary
rollers and are free from their disadvantages and are especially useful for rolling
lawns and for other purposes where great pressure is required to be exerted and
where the surface to be acted on is liable to be readily abraded by the friction
caused by twisting the roller thereon in order to vary its line of motion.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Rollers of the kind Used for Compressing anu
Smoothing Roads, Pathways, and Lawns.
I CHARLES EDWARD HEARSON of No 31 Coburg Road in the County of Surrey
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in rollers of the
kind used for compressing and smoothing roads pathways and lawns the objects of
the said improvements being to cause the weight of the rollers to be concentrated
on the smallest possible area of the surface to be rolled and thereby to produce the
maximum effect which can be produced by a roller of a given weight also to
prevent or minimise the dragging or rubbing action of such rollers when being
turned in order to vary their line of motion.
According to my said Invention I form the roller of a number of solid wheels or
short cylinders each of which has a hole formed in its axis the several wheels or
cylinders being mounted on an axis or shaft passed through the holes in the said
wheels or cylinders to the ends of which axis or shaft is connected the frame to
which the handle of the roller or the shafts (in the case of a roller to be drawn by
an animal) is or are secured.
In some cases I secure a counterbalance to the frame carrying the handle of the
roller which counterbalance I prefer to make in the form of a cylinder or a number
of cylinders mounted on an axis or shaft carried by arms formed on the said frame
at or near the part which is connected to the roller which cylinder or cylinders
I prefer to form of smaller diameter than the roller cylinders. I so arrange the

page_text: counterbalance that when the roller is not in use or when the handle thereof is
released the said handle is supported in an upright or in an inclined position. The
said counterbalance not only thus supports the handle but also gives additional
weight to the roller without increasing its bearing and when the said counter-
-balance is made in the form of a cylinder or of a number of cylinders it may (if
desired) be used as the acting part of the roller.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention I will proceed to describe the
manner in which the same is to be or may be performed referenco being had to the
accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon. The same
letters and figures of reference indicate the same parts in each of the Figures of the
drawings.
Figure 1 is a plan of a hand roller constructed according to my invention the
arrangement being that herein before first described and Figure 2 is a side elevation
thereof. Referring to the said Figures a, a are the several solid wheels or short
cylinders constituting the acting part of the roller and bis the axis or shaft of the
roller on which axis the said wheels are mounted the several wheels being mounted
loosely on the axis so as to be capable of turning freely and independently thereon.
c is the frame which is connected to the axis in the ordinary manner or in any
convenient manner and may be of any suitable form.
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings is a plan and Figure 4 is a side clevation
of a hand roller constructed according to my said Invention and having a counter-
balance or additional weight applied thereto.
Referring to the said Figures 3 and 4 d is the said counterbalance or additional
weight which is formed of a number of short cylinders e is the axis or shaft on
which the said cylinders are mounted loosely and independently and f, fare the
arms by which the said axis or shaft is carried the said arms being formed on that
part of the frame which is connected to the axis or shaft b. The said counterbalance
is of sufficient weight to keep the handle in the raised position as shown when the
roller is not in use.
I prefer to form the said counterbalance cylindrical and in sections as shown in
order to admit of the said counterbalance being used as the acting part of the roller
if desired but the said counterbalance may be of any form and if desired the said
counterbalance may be of less length than the roller.
I do not limit myself to any particular proportion or size or dimensions or
number of the solid wheels constituting the acting part of the roller nor do I limit
myself to the application of my invention to hand rollers as the said wheels may be
made of various proportions and sizes and their number inay be greater or less than
that shown and my said improvements are capable of application to rollers other
than band rollers.
I am aware that rollers consisting of a single solid cylinder are known and that
rollers consisting of two hollow cylinders are known each of which forms of rollers
possesses certain advantages and disadvantages. Rollers constructed according to
iny invention combine the advantages separately possessed by the said ordinary
rollers and are free from their disadvantages and are especially useful for rolling
lawns and for other purposes where great pressure is required to be exerted and
where the surface to be acted on is liable to be readily abraded by the friction
caused by twisting the roller thereon in order to vary its line of motion.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that
what I claim as my said Invention of "Improvements in rollers of the kind used
for compressing and smoothing roads pathways and lawns" is
First. Forming the cylindrical acting part of a roller of the said kind of a
number of solid cylinders or solid wheels mounted side by side on the shaft or axis
connected to the frame of the roller the said solid cylinder or wheels being so
mounted as to be each capable of turning independently.

page_text: Secondly. The combination with a roller the acting part of which consists of
a number of solid wheels or cylinders mounted independently on an axis of a
counterbalance for the frame and handle arranged substantially as hereinbefore
described whether the said counterbalance be of the form of a cylinder or of several
cylinders or of other form.
Dated thin South. J
C
1 1000