NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND COLLECTING WEEDS IN RIVERS, DRAINS, AND WATER- COURSES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hamit, of Haddenham, in the County of
Cambridge, Engineer, for an Invention of "NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR CUTTING AND COLLECTING WEEDS IN RIVERS, DRAINS, AND WATER-
COURSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hamit at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st October 1881.
GEORGE HAMIT, of Haddenham, in the County of Cambridge, Engineer.
NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND COLLECTING WEEDS IN
RIVERS, DRAINS, AND WATERCOURSES.'
"
My Invention relates to means for cutting weeds in rivers, drains, and water
courses, and collecting the same when so cut; and the Invention consists in the
employment of horizontal revolving or reciprocating scythes or cutters mounted on
the lower extremity of a vertical spindle or shaft, which is supported in a frame
at one end of a boat, and of a swinging gatherer or rake at the other end of the
boat, which collects the weeds into heaps on the surface of the water for subsequent
removal by hand.
The cutter shaft or spindle is driven by means of a horizontal driving shaft,
which is mounted in bearings in the frame, and provided at one end with hand
wheel or crank for the application of power, and at the other with a bevel pinion,
which meshes into a bevel gear wheel fitted on the vertical shaft. The shaft is
free to move vertically through the bevel gear wheel, but caused to turn therewith
by groove and feather connection and is connected by a cord passing over pulleys
set in uprights with a counterweight, so that the height of the cutters may be
adjusted according to the depth of the river. The shaft would preferably be
tubular for the sake of lightness, and connected to the bevel gear wheel by a stud
entering a slit in the tube. To avoid risk of breakage, the cutters or scythes are
attached to the spindle by a spring connection in such manner that the blades
71

page_text: shall be held firmly whilst cutting the weeds, but on meeting an obstruction in the
bed of the river or drain will yield and permit the spindle to revolve without the
cutters. In lieu of this however the horizontal driving shaft may be made in two
parts, connected to one another by means of a friction or other clutch.
The frame carrying the mechanism is hinged or pivoted to the sides of the
boat, so that it may be raised or thrown back into the barge when not in use.
The device for collecting the weeds consists of a board or rake carried on a
horizontal rock shaft at the opposite end of the boat to the cutters. This board
or rake when in uso is held in position by means of a chain or cord, so as to
gather the cut weeds into heaps on the surface of the water, and it is balanced
so as to fall down and lie flat against the boat out of the way when released.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Hamit in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st April
1882.
GEORGE HAMIT, of Haddenham, in the County of Cambridge, Engineer.
"NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND COLLECTING WEEDS IN
RIVERS, DRAINS, AND WATERCOURSES."
My Invention relates to means for cutting weeds in rivers, drains, and water
courses, and collecting the same when so cut; and the Invention consists in the
employment of horizontal revolving or reciprocating scythes or cuttors mounted on
the lower extremity of a vertical shaft, which is supported in a frame at one end
of a punt or barge, and of a swinging gatherer or rake at the other end of the
punt or barge, which collects the weeds into heaps on the surface of the water for
subsequent removal by hand.
The cutter shaft is driven by means of a horizontal shaft geared with it, and is
free to move up and down, and is counterweighted so that the position of the
cutters may be easily adjusted, according to the depth of the river. The frame in
which the cutter shaft is mounted is so hinged that it may be thrown inboard
when not in use, or for the purpose of sharpening or repairing the cutters.
The device for collecting the weeds consists of a board or rake carried on a
horizontal rock shaft at the opposite end of the boat to the cutters. This board or
rako when in use is hold in position to gather the cut weeds into heaps on the
surface of the water, and it is balanced so as to fall down and lie flat against the
end of the boat out of the way when not in use.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 is an end elevation
of my improved apparatus for cutting and collecting weeds in rivers, &c.
A is a punt or barge, B are the rotary cutters. They are preferably of curved
or scythe-like form, but may be straight, and are doubled edged, so as to cut in
either direction. These cutters are three or more in number, and of a length
suited to the work to be done, and are fixed radially to the lower end of a vertical
shaft C mounted in bearings d in a frame D overhanging the stern end of the
punt or barge, as shown.
The shaft C is driven by a horizontal shaft E mounted in bearings e in the same
frame D, which shaft extends inboard, and is provided with a flywheel F, and may
be turned either by manual or steam power. The shaft E is divided at some point
in its length, and the two parts are connected by a friction clutch X, which slips
when the cutters meet an immovable obstacle, so as to avoid damage to the
apparatus. The shaft E has a pinion G keyed upon its outer end, which gears
with a bevel wheel H journalled in the upper bearing d, and held in position by
collars upon the journal . The shaft C passes through the wheel H, and is free to
slide up and down therein, but is made to turn with the wheel H by a key or
feather in the journal of the wheel received in a longitudinal groove in the shaft,
which is preferably of round section, so as to be less liable to be fouled by the
weeds. The shaft also slides through a flanged sleeve or journal c, which turns
with the shaft in the lower bearing d. The shaft C and cutters B are counter-
balanced by a weight I sliding up and down a mast K, and attached to a chain or
rope i running over a pulley at the top of the mast, and over another pulley d'
at the top of the frame D, the end of the chain being connected to a swivel or
crosshead c pivoted to the upper end of shaft C, and moving up and down in a

page_text: guide, slot, or bar D' of the frame D. The frame D is preferably of the shape
shown, and is pivoted at D to the sides of the punt or barge, so that the frame D
and the cutting apparatus which it carries may be turned inboard, as represented
in dotted lines in Figure 1. The frame D when in its working position rests on
the end of the barge, and is further supported by a tie rod L extending to the
must, which is in turn stayed by guys M. It will be seen that the frame D
overhangs or projects sufficiently to allow of a free sweep of the cutters at any
depth within the range of their shaft C. N is the gatherer for collecting the cut
weeds. It is a broad blade or rake attached to arms pendent from a rock shaft O
mounted across the front end of the punt or barge. The device is shown in full
lines in its working position, in which it is held against the resistance of the weeds
and water by the guy rope P attached to the mast, and hooked onto the end of
a lever arm P¹ fixed on the rock shaft O. This lever is weighted, so that when
unhooked it will cause the blade or rake to lay close against the inclined front end
of the punt; or it may be thrown over in the other direction until the rake is
raised quite clear of the water, these two positions being respectively indicated by
the dotted lines.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The improved floating apparatus for cutting and collecting weeds in rivers
and other waters, constructed and operating substantially as shown and described.
2nd. In an apparatus_for_cutting weeds_in_rivers_and_other_waters, the com
bination with a punt or other boat of rotary cutters carried by an upright shaft
mounted in an overhanging frame and capable of vertical adjustment, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
3rd. The arrangement of parts constituting the cutting apparatus combined
upon a punt or other boat to operate substantially as herein shown and described.
4th. The combination with a punt or other bont of the gathering device,
constructed and operating substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hamit, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
GEORGE HA MET T