Improvements in Lawn Mowers.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th July, 1888
Specification Accepted, 17th Aug., 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lawn Mowers.
I, WILLIAM LIPPINCOTT WOODRUFF, residing at Towanda, in the County of
Bradford and State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America, Gentleman,
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 relates to an improvement in Lawn Mowers by which they are made
capable of operating on a slope of a terrace or other inclined surface with the same
speed and facility as that with which they are operated on a level.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, similar letters of
reference indicate like parts in the different figures.
Figure 1, is a perspective view of the machine in operation upon the sloping hank
of a terrace showing the manner in which the draft ropes are attached in order to
make the machine follow a line parallel to the path of the operator.
Figure 2, shows one of the draft arms attached to a side plate.
Figure 3, is a perspective view of a draft arm entirely detached illustrating its
construction.
Figure 4, shows the machine with the draft arms placed in such a position as to
allow the use of a handle.
Figure 5, shows a modification of the invention by means of which a single rope
be used.
may
The lawn mower to which these devices are attached may be of any of the various
kinds commonly in use; I have taken one to illustrate my improvement known to the
trade as the "Philadelphia Lawn Mower" in which the wheels are provided with
internal gear acting upon a pinion which drives the spiral cutter. These machines are
all provided with a handle by which they are propelled, but which is removed when it
is to be operated by my improved mechanism.
A, A, are the wheels of the machine which are preferably corrugated upon their
peripheries as shown, and, B, is the cutter shaft provided with ordinary spiral cutters
rotated by the movement of the wheels, A, A.
A plate, C, upon the inside of each of the wheels, A, forms the journal bearings for
the axle and also for the shaft of the spiral cutter. To these plates, C, C, the handle
is attached when the machine is to be propelled in the ordinary manner.
In my improved machine the draft arms, D, are provided with projections or feet, a,
which rest upon the inner surface of the wheel covering plates, C, and are attached
thereto by bolt or screw, a', in line of draft from the knives to the operator (thus

page_text: preventing tilting of the machine) and project beyond the periphery of the wheels
preventing friction and abrasion of the ropes thereon.
By disengaging the draft ropes, E, which are preferably provided with snaps, b,
and slightly loosening the bolt, a¹, by which they are attached to plate, C, the draft
arms may be turned as on an axis till they rest on the bar, H, which connects the two
plates, C, C, or they may be revolved in the opposite direction, or dropped till they
occupy the position represented in figure 4, in either of which positions they come
within the periphery of the wheel and do not interfere with the ordinary operations of
the mower.
The draft rope, E, is preferably endless and as hereinbefore stated is provided with
snaps, b, for engagement with draft arms, D. Slipped over this draft rope are the
supporting rings, c, c¹, movably attached to one draft rope by passing the rope
through and around said rings as shown, at, d, at such distances from each other as
may be required, changing the relative tension of the two parts of the draft rope will
cause the machine to occupy a position of greater or less inclination to the path pursued
by the operator.
The length of the rope botween the operator and the machine can be changed
sufficiently to shift the position of the machine a distance equal to the width of swath
cut, so that the operator may walk back and forth in the same line at the top of the
terrace bank, and by changing the tension of the draft ropes at each end of the swath
and the length of rope used, he can cause the machine to cut the whole of the inclined
surface of a terrace bank.
It is evident that the draft rope would come in contact with a corner of one of the
wheels and be abraded, thereby if there were no means of preventing it; and that
after the removal of the handle, the machine, having nothing to steady it, would be
liable to tilt forward. To prevent these accidents the draft arms project outward
beyond the périphery of the wheels and prevent the rope from coming in contact with
them.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. As an improvement in lawn mowers, the combination with the wheel covering
plates of the draft arms, attached to or made integral therewith, and the draft ropes
connected with said arms, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. As an improvement in lawn mowers, the combination with the covering plates,
draft arms and draft ropes, of the ring or rings slipped upon the draft ropes and
retained in position by passing one part of said rope through and around the ring, as
set forth.
3. As an improvement in lawn mowers, the combination with the covering plates,
of the draft arms provided with feet or projections to fit the surface of said plates and
a securing bolt upon which the arm may be turned to bring it wholly within the
periphery of the wheel, substantially as specified.
4. As an improvement in lawn mowers, for mowing terraces, the combination with
the wheel covering plates of the adjustable draft arms, the draft ropes attached to said
arms by snap hooks and the supporting ring or rings slipped upon the draft ropes and
acting as a support for the slack part of the rope when the machine is in use,
substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 17th dow of Inly 1888