IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN EDGE CLIPPERS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Townsend, of Wimbish, in the County
of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN EDGE
CLIPPERS"
Sealed the 10th September 1870, and dated the 14th March 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Townsend 'at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 14th March 1870.
I, GEORGE TOWNSEND, of Wimbish, in the County of Essex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LAWN EDGE CLIPPERS," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in lawn edge clippers.
Heretofore edge clippers have been constructed so as to clip the edges
of lawns in a vertical plane, but this is found to be objectionable, as
with any weight being placed on the edge of the lawn it will be broken
down.
Now according to my Invention I arrange the cutters so that they
shall cut the edge in an oblique direction from the top of the lawn out-
wards to the path or bed.

page_text: I employ a rotary cutter of a somewhat similar form to that now
made and sold by Messieurs Samuelson, of Banbury, under Manwaring's
Patent, dated May 18th, 1868, Number 1622, but instead of employing
a fixed single-edged knife blade on one side of the rotary edge cutter I
employ a double-edged knife blade with the cutting edges fixed one on
each side of the centre line of the rotary edge cutter, so as to enable
the machine to cut in both directions for the purpose of clearing the
corners. This part of the Invention is. also applicable to machines with
the cutters working in a vertical plane.
The rotary cutter, according to one arrangement, I mount on a 1
cranked shaft or on a stud suited to the angle to which I desire the
cutters to act; or I mount the rotary cutter on a straight shaft, as
heretofore, but the cutter I make of a dished form, so as to cut at the
angle desired.
I prefer to construct the edge clipper as a separate machine, in which I
case it will consist simply of a roller or rollers mounted on an axis, on
the end of which is fixed a toothed wheel which takes into a toothed
pinion mounted on the axis of the rotary cutter; or, if desired, motion
may be communicated to the rotary cutter by a band or chain. When
mounting the rotary cutter on a cranked shaft I prefer to carry the shaft 2
from one side frame of the machine to the other, and I employ lock
nuts in order to facilitate adjustment of the cutters as wear takes place.
If desired, these improvements may be combined with lawn mowers of
various forms of construction.
In some cases I fix to the machine a box or holder to receive the 2
grass as it is cut by the edge cutter.
The depth of cut can be regulated by adjustment of the blade and by
the raising or lowering of a roller or rollers fixed in slots in the front of
the machine, as is now commonly done with lawn mowers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 30
filed by the said George Townsend in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th September 1870.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Townsend, Her special licence
that I, the said George Townsend, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Townsend, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at 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 EDGE CLIPPERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said George Townsend, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 I, the said George Townsend, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention has for its object improvements in lawn edge clippers.
Heretofore edge clippers have been constructed so as to clip the edges
of lawns in a vertical plane, but this is found to be objectionable, as
with any weight being placed on the edge of the lawn it will be broken
down.
Now according to my Invention I arrange the cutters so that they
shall cut the edge in both directions, and also in an oblique direction
from the top of the lawn outwards to the path or bed.
..
I employ a rotary cutter of a somewhat similar form to that now
made and sold by Messieurs Samuelson, of Banbury, under Manwaring's
Patent, dated May 18, 1868, No. 1622, but instead of employing a fixed
single-edged knife blade on one side of the rotary edge cutter I employ
a double-edged knife blade with the cutting edges fixed one on each
side of the centre line of the rotary edge cutter, so as to enable the

page_text: machine to cut in both directions for the purpose
of clearing the corners.
This part of the Invention is also applicable to machines with the
cutters working in a vertical plane.
The rotary cutter, according to one arrangement, I mount on a
cranked shaft or on a stud suited to the angle to which I desire the
cutters to act; or I mount the rotary cutter on a straight shaft, as
heretofore, but the cutter I make of a dished form so as to cut at the
angle desired.
I prefer to construct the edge clipper as a separate machine, in which
case it will consist simply of a roller or rollers mounted on an axis, on
the end of which is fixed a toothed wheel which takes into a toothed
pinion mounted on the axis of the rotary cutter; or, if desired, motion
may be communicated to the rotary cutter by a band or chain. When
mounting the rotary cutter on a cranked shaft I prefer to carry the shaft
from one side frame of the machine to the other; and I employ lock
nuts in order to facilitate adjustment of the cutters as wear takes places.
If desired these improvements may be combined with lawn mowers of
various forms of construction.
In some cases I fix to the machine a box or holder to receive the
grass as it is cut by the edge cutter.
The depth of cut can be regulated by adjustment of the blade and by
the raising or lowering of a roller or rollers fixed in slots in the front
of the machine as is now commonly done with lawn mowers.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly under-
stood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accom-
panying Drawings, more fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side view and Figure 2 is a plan of a lawn edge clipper
having my improvements applied thereto.
a is a rotary cutter which according to the arrangement shown in the
Drawings is of a somewhat similar form to that now made and sold by
Messrs. Samuelson, as aforesaid, but instead of mounting it so that
it shall cut in a vertical plane I mount it so that it shall cut in an
inclined plane, and thereby produce sloping edges to the lawn or grass
plat. This I effect by slightly cranking the rod or axis upon which
the rotary cutter a is mounted; and in order to provide facility for

page_text: adjustment of the rotary cutter a to the fixed cutter c I carry the rod
or axis across the machine from one side frame to the other, and fix
it in position by lock nuts b¹, b², as shown; or, if desired, the rod or
axis may be otherwise fixed, or a stud fixed at a suitable angle may
be used in lieu thereof.
It will be seen by reference to the Drawings that the cutter c is
provided with two cutting edges, and is fixed with one of such cutting
edges on each side of a vertical line, passing through the centre of such
cutter and of the cutter a, which is also provided with cutting edges on
each side of its cutting teeth, thereby enabling the machine to cut when
travelling in either direction for the purpose of clearing the corners.
This part of my Invention is also applicable to lawn edge clippers in
which the cutters work in a vertical plane.
Motion is given to such rotary cutter a by means of the roller d, on
the axis of which is fixed a toothed wheel d¹ which takes into a toothed
pinion a' on a shaft or axis a², on which is also a toothed wheel a³ gear-
ing into a pinion a' formed on or fixed to the boss of the cutter a; or,
if desired, motion may be communicated to such cutter a from the
roller d by a band or chain passing around rollers fixed on their
respective axes.
Instead of mounting the rotary cutter on an inclined shaft or axis it
may be mounted on a straight or horizontal axis, and may be dished so
as to cut at the angle desired, but the former plan is that which I
prefer.
I prefer to apply my improvements to a separate machine, as shown
in the Drawings, but, if desired, they may be combined with lawn mowers
of various forms of construction.
In some cases a box or holder e is fixed below the cutters a and c to
receive the grass as it is cut by the machine.
The depth of cut can be regulated by adjustment of the cutter c and
by the raising and lowering of the roller or rollers f fixed in slots in
the front of the side frames, as is now commonly done with lawn
mowers.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and the mode
in which I have carried the same into effect, I would have it understood
that what I claim is,—

page_text: Firstly. The construction of lawn edge clippers with the cutters
arranged to act in an inclined plane, substantially as herein shown and
described.
Secondly. The construction of lawn edge clippers with the cutters
arranged and constructed to cut in either direction, whether the cutters
work in a vertical or inclined plane, substantially as herein shewn and
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Townsend, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this 13th day of September, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.