AN IMPROVED LAWN WEEDER
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ARTHUR CHARLES STERRY of Heatherlea Redhill in the County of Surrey'
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED LAWN
WEEDER to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to improve the well known Lawn Weeder, which
consists of a two pronged forked lever with a fulcrum rolling on the ground. This
instrument is liable to slip away from its work, and affords very indifferent holding
power upon the weeds.
In constructing my improved instrument, I mount a forked lever on a fulcrum
pin carried by a standard or other suitable support, preferably one with a flat baso,
the forked lever being mounted lengthwise of the base. The forked end of the
lever I make with two, three or more prongs.
The forward end of the base I prefer to curve upwards and make shorter than
the hinder part, in order to allow the standard to rock towards the work, and
thereby facilitate the seizing and retention of the weed by the fork.
As the handle for the fork is pressed upon, the standard or support will be held
firmly to the ground, and thereby facilitate the extraction of the weed seized by
the prongs of the fork.
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CT 7000

page_text: COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
I, ARTHUR CHARLES STERRY of Heatherlea, Redhill in the County of Surrey
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED LAWN
WEEDER and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
The object of this invention is to improve the well known Lawn Weeder which
consists of a two pronged forked lever with a fulcrum rolling on the ground. This
instrument is liable to slip away from its work and affords very indifferent holding
power upon the weeds.
In constructing my improved instrument I mount a forked lever on a fulcrum
carried by a standard or other suitable support, preferably one with a flat baso, the
forked lever being mounted lengthwise of the base and some two or more inches
above the ground. The forked end of the lever I make with two, three or more
prongs, preferring, however, generally, three prongs as in the accompanying
drawing in which Fig 1 shews the Lawn Weeder in side elevation and Fig 2 in
partial back elevation.
In these figures A is the forked lever cast in malleable iron, with a web or
fin a extending from the middle tooth rearwards to the tang of the lover which
tang is fitted with a wooden handle B. The forked lever is thickened transversely
at a¹ and is drilled to receive a pivot or fulcrum pin c which connects it with a
standard of malleable cast iron C This standard has a base which extends fore
and aft or in the direction of the length of the forked lever.
The forward end of this base is curved upwards as shown at Fig: 1 and made
somewhat shorter than the hinder part. This will allow of the standard rocking
towards the work after the fork has been thrust into the ground to seize the weed
and thereby to make the fulcrum of the lever follow the advance of the fork so as
materially to ease the action of the instrument.
As the fulcrum is raised above the level of the ground the pressure put on the
handle of the lever while its prongs are inserted in the ground will move the
prongs forward against the weed to be raised which forward motion will be
increased by the rocking of the standard. Thus the extraction of the weod seized
by the prongs of the fork will be greatly facilitated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the naturo of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
A Lawn Weeder fulcrummed on a standard which is capable of rocking on the
ground when the instrument is in use as described with reference to the drawing.
1
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