Improvements in Apparatus for Cutting Weeds, or Growths, in Lakes, Rivers, or other Waters.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 19th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cutting Weeds, or Growths, in Lakes,
Rivers, or other Waters.
I, CHARLES PELL HALL, of Park Farm, Woburn, in the County of Bedford,
Land Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:---
This invention has for its object to provide apparatus by means of which weeds,
or growths, in lakes, rivers, and other waters, can be cut with rapidity, ease,
and economy. According to this invention a cutting instrument is used prefer-
ably consisting of projecting sets of stationary points, and reciprocating knives.
The said cutting instrument is operated by a cam, or other device, which may
be driven by gearing from a punt, boat, or floating, or travelling, body, to which
the mechanism and gearing are preferably so connected that the cutting instru-
ment can be raised, or lowered, to various distances beneath the surface of the
water, and be fixed in the adjusted position. The gearing should be protected
by tubing, or casings, in such manner. as to prevent it becoming clogged by the
severed weeds, or growths. In case where the cutting instrument may have to
travel upon, or near to, the bed of the lake, river, or the like, the apparatus may
be provided with a shoe, or the like, and be so hinged, or connected, that when
the said shoe, or the like, comes into contact with any inequality, or obstruction,
in the bed of the lake, river, or the like, the cutting instrument will be elevated
so as to clear the inequality, or obstruction. The punt, boat, or floating, or
travelling, body, and the cutting instrument can be driven by hand, or engine
power, as may be most convenient in accordance with the size of the apparatus
and the amount of work to be done.
J 1
T
131
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Cutting Weeds, or Growths, in Lakes,
Rivers, or other Waters.
I, CHARLES PELL HALL, of Park Farm, Woburn, in the County of Bedford,
Land Agent, 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:-
This invention has for its object to provide apparatus by means of which weeds,
or growths, in lakes, rivers, and other waters can be cut with rapidity, ease,

page_text: and economy. According to this invention a cutting instrument is used preferably
consisting of projecting sets of stationary points or ringers and reciprocating knives.
The said cutting instrument is operated by a cam, or other device, which may
be driven by gearing from a punt, boat, or floating, or travelling body to which
the mechanism and gearing are preferably so connected that the cutting instru-
ment can be raised, or lowered, to various distances beneath the surface of the
water, and be fixed in the adjusted position. The gearing should be protected
by tubing, or casings, in such manner as to prevent it becoming clogged by the
severed weeds, or growths. In cases where the cutting instrument may have to
travel upon, or near to, the bed of the lake, river, or the like, the apparatus may
be provided with a shoe, or the like, and be so hinged, or connected, that when
the said shoe or the like, comes into contact with any inequality or obstruction
in the bed of the lake, river, or the like, the cutting instrument will be elevated
so as to clear the inequality, or obstruction. The punt, boat, or floating or
travelling, body, and the cutting instrument can be driven by hand, or by engine
power, as may be most convenient in accordance with the size of the apparatus
and the amount of work to be done.
..
I will describe with reference to the accompanying drawings several arrange-
ments according to my invention premising that I do not limit myself to the
precise arrangements and details illustrated. Figure represents in side
elevation and Figure 2 in plan a punt, or like floating vessel provided with
mechanism, according to my invention, for cutting weeds, or similar growths
under water. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate in elevation and plan respectively, a
modified arrangement of the cutting device. Figure 5 and 6 are similar views
of a further modification. Figures 7 and 8 are elevations at right angles to each
other of the cutter-driving mechanism and Figures 9, 10 and 11 are details of the
cutter and finger bar.
"
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 A represents a punt, or like floating vessel,
having mounted in bearings thereon, a shaft B, driven by means of a band 1)
and pulleys D from the shaft of a gas engine or other motor C. On the
shaft B is mounted so as to be capable of being slidden thereon, a spur wheel E
which can by means of a lever F, be moved into and out of gear with a similar
wheel Fon a shaft G, mounted in bearings c, parallel to the shaft B. The
shaft G passes through a sleeve G¹, one end of which extends beyond one side
of the vessel A and on the said extending end is fixed a bracket H having a
socket H' in which is fitted a hollow arm I through which passes a spindle K.
Un one end of this spindle K see Figures 7 and 8 is fixed an arm L the outer
end of which is connected by a link M to a piece N, mounted on a crank pin N¹,.
on a disc N, mounted on the end of the shaft. G which projects through the
bracket H.
To the outer end of the hollow arm I is fixed a finger bar P, similar to the
finger bar of a reaping machine, and to the corresponding end of the spindle K
which passes through the arm I, is connected by a link Q, a serrated cutter or,
if desired, a plain steel cutting blade Q to which reciprocating movements
along the finger bar P, are imparted from the shaft G through the crank pin N
link M arm L spindle K, and link Q. The finger bar P is provided with a
shoe S, or with shoes, on its underside which shoe or shoes, by bearing on the
bottom of the lake, river, or the like will determine the depth at which the
cutting is effected or should the shoe or shoes come into contact with an obstruction
likely to injure the apparatus the cutter and finger bar will be caused to swing
on the shaft G clear of such obstruction. The sleeve G which carries the
cutting device is provided with an arm T by means of which the cutter and
finger bar can be raised and lowered to any desired height and be fixed in an
clevated position by means of a chain T or other suitable means. They may
also be mounted on a hinge or pivot so that they can be angled and fixed for
cutting say, on a sloping bank, or be raised and fixed out of operation in a
vertical position. The cutting device may be arranged on one side only of the

page_text: vessel as shewn in Figures 1 and 2 or it may be arranged to operate in front
of the bows of the vessel as shewn in Figures 3 and 4 or the said cutting device
may be arranged as shewn in Figures 5 and 6 so as to operate on either side,
or on both sides of the vessel and beneath the said vessel.
The mechanism for operating the cutting device in the arrangements illus-
trated by Figures 3 and 4 is similar to that described with reference to Figures 1
and 2 but instead of arranging the shafts B and G in bearings on the gun-
wales, or deck, of the vessel, they are mounted in bearings on a frame-work U
projecting from the vessel in front of the bows thereof.
In the arrangement illustrated by Figures 5 and 6 a cutting device is arranged
on each side of the vessel A and extending outwards and also under the vessel,
each cutting device being mounted on a separate sleeve G G on the shaft G
and each sleeve is provided with a lever T so that either cutting device as
desired can be raised out of action or both can be simultaneously arranged in
operating position. The shaft B which receives rotation from the motor may be
arranged to transmit motion through bevel gear. V and shaft W to paddle
wheels X, or other propelling mechanism, at the stern, as shewn, or other suitable
propelling mechanism otherwise arranged and operated may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In apparatus for cutting weeds and other similar growths in lakes, rivers,
or other waters, the combination with a floating or travelling, body of a cutting
device, arranged to operate in a submerged position on the weeds, or like growths,
and means for operating the said cutting device; substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2: In apparatus for the purpose described the combination with a floating, or
travelling, body of a cutting device arranged to operate in a submerged position
on weeds, or like growths, and means for operating, and adjusting the position of,
the said cutting device; substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In apparatus for the purpose described the combination with a floating or
travelling, body of a cutting device arranged to operate in a submerged position
on weeds, or like growths, the said cutting device comprising a finger bar and
a reciprocating cutter, or cutting blade and means for imparting reciprocating
movements to the cutter, or cutting blade; substantially as herein before
described.
4. In apparatus for the purpose described the combination with a floating, or
travelling, body of a cutting device arranged to operate in a submerged position
on weeds or like growths and provided with means for enabling it to yield to
obstructions which would otherwise injure it and of automatically accommodating
itself to unevenness or irregularities of the bottom of the lake, river, or the likę,
in which it is at work; substantially as herein before described.
5. The several combinations and arrangements of parts constituting apparatus
for cutting weeds, or other similar growths, in lakes, rivers, or other waters;
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 17th day of February 1900
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.