A Machine for Cutting and Trimming the Grass Edges of Garden Walks, Carriage Drives, also Cutting Turf-Sods-for-Landscape- Gardening Purposes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Lelt, 23rd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Machine for Cutting and Trimming the Grass Edges of Garden
Walks, Carriage Drives, also Cutting Turf-Sods-for-Landscape-
Gardening Purposes.
WILLIAM WAINMAN, Engineer, Oak Grove, Oak Lane, Fulshaw, Wilmslow,
in the County of Cheshire, and JOSEPH STERLING CALDER, Salesman,
11 Islington Street, Salford, in the County of Lancashire, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention is designed and constructed for cutting and trimming the grass
edges of garden walks, carriage drives, and other ornamental gardening work, with
circular cutting motion, either with toothed or plain edged tools, driven by chain
wheels toothed wheels, band, or any other driving power, in connection with circular
cutting motion, also for cutting turf sods for bowling greens, lawns, and other
landscape gardening purposes.
Instead of the ordinary hand tools now used by gardeners, and others, in cutting
and trimming the grass edges of garden walks, carriage drives, and such like,
with verge knife shears &c.
The description and nature of this invention is designed in a machine made of a
cast iron frame, fixed on a cast iron traversing ribbed wheel, near the centre of the
frame, this wheel is to run along the garden walks or carriage drives close to the
turf edge.
At the front of the machine on the left hand side is placed a circular cutting tool,
driven at a high rate of speed from the traversing wheel, at the same time the
circular cutting tool passes through a slot or blade which presses on the grass of
the turf edge, leaving both cleanly cut.
Underneath the frame is a sort of plough arrangement, following close up to
the cutter which throws out into a row, the cuttings from the turf edge so that it
can be readily cleared away.
For cutting turf sods, on the right side of the machine near the front an arm is
fixed into which is placed on a spindle a plain circular guage to regulate the
different sizes of turf sods cut with the machine, and in front of the circular
cutter, a protector is placed to prevent stones and other obstacles coming in
contact with the cutter. In cutting the turf sods an additional ribbed traversing
wheel is attached to the same spindle on the right side of the frame outside,
to meet the resistance required in cutting heavy turf sods.
There is also a small wheel fixed on a bracket arm attached near the front of the
machine, for regulating the depth of the cutter and steadying the machine.
A clutch motion is also adopted to throw in and out of gear as required.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1894.

page_text: it to the desired depth, and at the other side of the machine we add an arm or
bracket M to carry a spindle or stud m on which is placed a plain circular plate or
disc N capable of being adjusted along the spindle m to act as a gauge to ensure
uniformity of size in the sods being cut. The gauge N is better placed behind
the spindle m as shewn in dotted lines. When the gauge is set to the required
width of sod and the first line is cut the disc is placed therein and guides the
machine to cut each succeeding one parallel and of the same width. The arm or
bracket M, the spindle m, the disc N, and the fixed cutter L are removed when the
machine is not employed in cutting sods.
Near the front of the machine on the side opposite to the cutters we place an
adjustable wheel or supporting roller O to regulate the height of the cutters G
and H from the ground or the depth the cutter L is to penetrate below the surface.
The roller O is carried by a bracket o bolted to the frame A.
The roller P runs on the edge of-the-grass and presses the grass forward whilst
being cut by the cutters G and H. It may be pressed down by the spring p or
merely by its own weight.
The traversing wheel B' may be removed when the machine is being employed
on light work such as merely trimming the grass edges and the machine run with
only one wheel B, for heavy work such as cleaning out the bottom of the edges
with the plough J and cutting sods the machine will be steadier worked with the
two wheels.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In a machine for cutting grass edges the combination with one or two traverse
wheels B B supported by a suitable framing A of the rotary cutter G driven by
the sprocket wheels C and F the fixed cutters H H³ the plough J and the adjustable
supporting wheel O substantially as described.
2. In a machine for cutting grass edges and turf sods the combination with the
traverse wheels B B¹ and the rotary and fixed cutters G, H and H and the
adjustable supporting wheel O, of the fixed cutter L and the gauge plate or disc N
substantially as described.
3. A machine for cutting and trimming grass edges and cutting sods having
the several parts constructed and arranged in combination substantially as described
and shown.
Dated this 20th day of October 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.