AN IMPROVED LAWN-MOWING MACHINE
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustus Arnold: Schlesinger, of Duncan,
Terrace, Islington, in the County of Middlesex; Merchant, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED LAWN-MOWING MACHINE."-A communi-
cation from abroad by David Williams, of New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Augustus Arnold
Schlesinger at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 4th July 1874.
1.
I, AUGUSTUS ARNOLD SCHLESINGER, of Duncan Terrace, Islington, in
the County of Middlesex, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LAWN-MOWING MACHINE," a communi-
cation: to be as follows:-

page_text: independently of the travelling or moving of the machino over the
ground. This peculiarity allows the said machine to be used more
advantageously than other lawn mowers in cutting grass near a wall or
fence, or in other positions whero it is impossible or difficult to move
the machine forward.
เ
The cutters of the said machine consist of toothed or serrated blades,
one of which is fixed to the front of the machine frame, while tho
other is fitted to slide to and fro over the said fixed blade. Tho
motion of the said reciprocating blade is imparted to. it independently
of the movement of the machine over the ground by the following 1
mechanism :—A tube or tubular rod, whereby the machine is moved,
carries a light shaft, which is capable of free rotation in the said tube,
the said shaft being supported in suitable bearings at the upper and
lower ends of the same. On its lower end the said shaft carries a
crank disc whose pin is connected to the reciprocating blade by a rod 1
or link. On the upper end of tho said shaft thero is fixed a small
bevil pinion enclosed in a shell or cover formed on or attached to the
handle of the said tube, by which handle the machine is supported with
one hand and pushed forward over the grass. The said pinion is geared
with a bevil wheel arranged close to the side of the said handle or any 2
convenient part of the tube and fitted to turn upon a stud or pin
attached to the said tube. This wheel has a stud or handle, whereby
it may be turned with the other hand independently of the movement
of the machine over the ground, but either simultaneously with such
movement or while the machine is stationary.
"
Instead of a tube for supporting and enclosing the aforesaid shaft,
I may construct the machine with a light frame of wood or metal
provided at its upper and lower ends with suitable bearings for the said
shaft.
2
The said machine is provided with a roller behind the cutters whercon a
it will move freely either forward or backward, and it also has sinall
wheels in front of the said rollers at the sides of its frame.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Augustus Arnold Schlesinger in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 4th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTUS
5 ARNOLD SCHLESINGER, of Duncan Terrace, Islington, in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Lotters Patent bearing date the Fourth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-eighth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Augustus Arnold Schlesinger, Her special
licence that I, the said Augustus Arnold Schlesinger, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Augustus
Arnold Schlesinger, 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 "AN IMPROVED LAWN-MOWING MACHINE," a communication
to me from abroad by David Williams, of New York, United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Augustus Arnold Schlesinger, 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 Augustus Arnold Schlesinger, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification:-
My said Invention relates to a lawu-mowing machine whose most
peculiar and novel feature is the operation of the knives or cutters
independently of the travelling or moving of the machine over tho

page_text: ground. This peculiarity allows the said machine to be used more
advantageously than other lawn mowers in cutting grass near a wall or
fence, or in other positions where it is impossible or difficult to move
the machine forward.
"

page_text: upon a stud or pin attached to the said tube. This wheel has a rod
or handle ³, whereby it may be turned independently of the movement
or travel of the machine over the ground and cither simultaneously
with such movement or while the machine is stationary.
Instead of a tube for supporting and enclosing the aforesaid shaft
I may construct the machine with a light frame of wood or metal
provided at its upper and lower ends with suitable bearings for the said
shaft.
The said machine has a roller m arranged behind the cutters a, b, and
) whercon it will move freely either forward or backward over the ground,
and it also has small wheels n in front of the said roller mounted on
brackets at the sides of the frame A.
In using the said machine the handle c¹ is grasped with one hand and
the machine is thereby moved along over the grass in any required
3 direction, or held in any desired position, while by turning the handle
of the wheel with the other hand the aforesaid shaft d and crank
disc garo operated to give the required to-and-fro motion to the
reciprocating blade or cutter b.
And it will be readily understood by the above description and by
O referring to the Drawing, that this machine will cut the grass in
positions altogether inaccessible with machines whose cutters arc
operated by the movement of the machine over the ground.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
mo by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
5 samc, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. A lawn-mowing machine in which the cutters, knives, or
blades are operated by hand independently of the movement of the
machine over the ground.
Second. In a lawn-mowing machine, the reciprocating blade or cutter
0 arranged in combination with the fixed blado or cutter and operated by
hand through the medium of the bevil gearing, the shaft, the crank
disc or eccentric, and connecting rod, as hercin set forth.
Third. In a lawn-mowing machine, the shaft which transmits the
reciprocating motion to the cutter, enclosed and turning within a tube

page_text: or tubular rod, which forms the rod or bar for supporting, moving, and
guiding the machine over the ground, as hercin set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus Arnold Schlesinger, hayo
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Second day of January, in
the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and soventy- |
fivc.
AUGUSTUS A. SOHLESINGER. (L.S.)
Witness,
JA'. EDWARDS,
:
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.