Year: 1885

page_text: We, WILLIAM MEFFAN, of Russell Street, Arbroath, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, Mechanic, and WILLIAM DORWARD BROWN, of Concrete Cottages,
Arbroath, aforesaid, Mechanic, 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, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and action of
mowing machines; and a machine made with our improvements possesses certain
practical advantages which are hereinafter mentioned.
Our improved machine is shown on an accompanying sheet of explanatory
drawings, figure, 1, being a plan, figure, 2, a side elevation partly in section and
figure, 3, a vertical section of some parts of the machine, whilst figures, 4, and 5,
are enlarged views which are hereinafter explained.
The machine is provided with the usual curved stilts or handled arms, 6, rigidly
connected together by two cross bars, 7, 8, and having their lower ends fixed to the
inner sides of two disks, 9, which with a cross bar, 10, and other parts connecting
them, constitute the framing of the working parts of the machine. Each stilt, 6, is
fixed to its frame disk, 9, by two bolts, 11, 12, one of these passing through an
elongated slot formed in the stilt to allow of the inclination of the stilts relatively
to the disks, to be adjusted as may be found desirable.
On the outer sides of the frame disks, 9, there are central studs or short axles, 13,
on which are mounted the running and driving wheels, 14, each wheel consisting of
an outer disk made with a cylindrical rim projecting inwards from the disk and
grooved or roughened on its outside to insure its turning by frictional contact with
the ground. The insides of the rims of the wheels, 14, are made with internal teeth
to gear with pinions, 15, formed or fixed on the ends of a steel shaft, 16, which
shaft is held in bearings, 17, in the inner or frame disks, 9, and which with armed
bosses or crosses, 18, and helical bars, 19, fitted with steel cutting blades constitutes
the rotating cutter of the machine. The armed bosses, 18, are by preference of
malleable-cast iron and the helical bars, 19, of wrought iron, the steel cutting blades
being riveted to the bars, and the bars being riveted to the armed bosses. The
cutting blades of the rotating cutter act against a horizontal cutting blade, 20, fixed
to the bottom of a cutter bar, 21, which at its ends is adjustably fixed to the frame
disks, 9. Each end of the cutter bar, 21, is made with a right-angle flange, 22, as

page_text: best seen in figure, 4, which is an enlarged section of the frame disk, 9, figure, 5,
being a corresponding outer-face view. In the flange, 22, there is a transverse
groove indicated by dotted lines in figure, 5, and in this groove there is placed an
eccentric head formed on the inner end of a pin, 23, which passes through a boss
formed on the disk, 9, and has a squared outer end for the application of a key for
turning it. Below the boss of the eccentric pin, 23, there is a slot in disk, 9, through
which a screw pin or bolt, 24, is entered from the outside and screwed into the end
of the cutter bar 21. By turning the eccentric pin, 23, when the screw pin, 24, is
loose, the cutter bar, 21, can be adjusted as to height in a very accurate manner;
and when the adjustment has been made, the screw pin, 24, can be tightened so as
to clamp the parts in the adjusted position.
Between the rear parts of the frame disks, 9, there is a roller, 25, the end journals
of which are entered into bearing eyes in the lower ends of brackets or bars, 26,
which are fixed to the stilts, 6, by means of bolts passing through elongated slots so
as to admit of accurate adjustment of the roller, 25, relatively to the other parts.
When the stilts, 6, are depressed the driving wheels, 14, and other parts become
raised and the weight is borne on the roller, 25, which may be used for rolling
a lawn or simply for moving the machine on from one place to another. When
mowing the stilts, G, are raised so as, if necessary, to lift the roller, 25, and throw
the weight entirely on the driving wheels, 14.
A guard or shield, 27, is fixed between the frame disks, 9, so as to close the back
of the space in which the rotating cutters work and cause the cut grass to be
thrown forwards.
The cutting parts of our improved machine being placed as far forward as possible
enables the machine to cut under bushes and close up to trees, and also to cut up
to the very edge of a lawn. The construction of the rotating cutter is simple and
strong, and it is not liable to be easily damaged. The machine is without catches
or springs which give trouble in other machines. The machine will cut long or
short grass and is easy to work. The simplicity of the device for adjusting the
cutter bar is an important practical advantage; as is also the facility afforded by
the same device for removing and replacing the cutter bar.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that
what we claim is
1. The combination of parts constituting our improved mowing machine, sub-
stantially as herein before described.
2. The adjustable attachment of the stilts to the frame disks substantially as
herein before described.
3. The improved construction of the rotating cutter substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4. The improved cutter bar combined with its adjustable attachment to the frame
disks.
5. The arrangement of the back roller relatively to the other parts combined
with its adjustable attachment substantially as herein before described.
Deted this twenty-first day of November 1885.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.