IMPROVE- MENTS IN GRASS OR LAWN MOWING MACHINES.
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Edward Boyd, of Hither Green, Lewisham,
in the County of Kent, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GRASS OR LAWN MOWING MACHINES.'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Edward Boyd
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th November 1866.
I, JAMES EDWARD. BOYD, of Hither Green, Lewisham, in the County of
Kent, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GRASS OR LAWN MOWING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in grass or lawn mowing
machines.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and, dated the 17th day of
February 1858, No. 300, means are described for constructing the side
framings each of two or more parts, so as to divide a machine into two or
more-parts, and for attaching or securing the parts by means of bolts, screws,
nuts, ratchets, or otherwise.
Now the present improvements consist in a peculiar arrangement or com-
bination of parts by which each of the two side frames with the shafts or
handles are in two parts, and are so arranged as to admit of the two shafts or

page_text: handles being moved separately from the other parts of the side framings
and retained in any desired position thereto, such other parts of the framings
carry the shafts or axes of the rollers or cylinders and the cutters. For these
purposes the two handles or shafts are connected or framed together, and the
lower end of each shaft or handle is formed with a plate in which there is a
quadrant or curved slot and a ratchet; these plates at the ends of the handles
or shafts are each attached to the other parts of the side framings which carry
the axes or shafts of the rollers and cutters by means of screw bolts, pin
joints, or studs, on which the shafts or handles can be freely turned when not
secured by means of the said screw bolts which pass through the slots in the
plates and screw into the other parts of the side framings, and such holding
of the plates at the ends of the shafts or handles is further secured by pairs of
ratchet plates, formed, fixed, or cast respectively on or to the slotted plates
and to the other parts of the side framings, which arrangement admits of the
slotted plates, and consequently their handles or shafts turning freely on their
screw bolts, studs, or pin joints, when the ratchets are clear of each other,
but which by their teeth when pressed together by the set screws which pass
through the centre of the said ratchets and also through the curved slots
retain the handles or shafts securely to the other parts of the side framings in
any desired position.
The ratchets on the handles or shafts are placed in such a position behind
the centres of the driving drum shaft as to give the machine when working a
horizontal or lifting thrust, enabling it to move more freely and easily over
the grass than is the case with those lawn mowers which are driven from the
centre of the drum shaft which gives an oblique thrust and forces the machine
into the grass rather than along it, and when the handles or shafts are
turned over into a position to lift the cutters from the ground, the handles
or shafts are retained in such position by a spring catch or catches.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Edward Boyd in the Great Seal Patent Office 30
on the 24th May:1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
EDWARD BOYD, of Hither Green, Lewisham, in the County of Kent;
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 35
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our

page_text: Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Edward Boyd, Her special licence that I, the said
James Edward Boyd, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Edward Boyd, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN GRASS OR LAWN MOWING MACHINES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Edward Boyd, 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 James Edward Boyd, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the samė
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in grass or lawn mowing
machines.
In the Specification of a Patent granted to me, and dated the 17th day of
February 1858, No. 300, means are described for constructing the side
framings each of two or more parts so as to divide a machine into two or
more parts, and for attaching or securing the parts by means of bolts, screws,
nuts, ratchets, or otherwise.
Now the present improvements consist in a peculiar arrangement or com-
bination of parts by which each of the two side frames with the shafts or
handles are in two parts, and are so arranged as to admit of the two shafts or
handles being moved separately from the other parts of the side framings and
retained in any desired position thereto, such other parts of the framings
carry the shafts or axes of the rollers or cylinders and the cutters. For these
purposes the two handles or shafts are connected or framed together, and the
lower end of each shaft or handle is formed with a plate in which there is a
quadrant or curved slot and a ratchet. These plates at the ends of the
handles or shafts are each attached to the other parts of the side framings
which carry the axes or shafts of the rollers and cutters by means of screw

page_text: bolts, pin joints, or studs, on which the shafts or handles can be freely turned
when not secured by means of the said screw. bolts, studs, or pins which pass
through the slots in the plates and screw into the other parts of the side
framings, and such holding of the plates at the ends of the shafts or handles
is further secured by pairs of ratchet plates fixed or formed respectively to
the slotted plates and to the other parts of the side framings, which arrange-
ment admits of the slotted plates, and consequently their handles, or shafts
turning freely on their screw bolts, studs, or pin joints when the ratchets are
clear of each other, but which by their teeth when pressed together by the
set screws which pass through the centre of the said ratchets, and also through
the curved slots, retain the handles or shafts securely to the other parts of the
side framings in any desired position; and when the handles or shafts are
turned over into a position to lift the cutters from the ground the handles or
shafts are retained in such position by a spring catch or catches; or the
handles can be equally well secured in their doubled or turned over position
by means of tightening the screws which pass through the centre of the
ratchets.
The ratchets on the handles or shafts are placed in such a position behind
the centres of the driving drum shaft as to give the machine when working a
horizontal or lifting thrust, enabling it to move more freely and easily over
the grass than is the case with lawn mowers which are driven from the
centre of the drum shaft which gives an oblique thrust and forces the machine
into the grass rather than along it.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Edward Boyd, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
JAMES EDWARD BOYD.
L.S.)