IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING AND ROLLING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Sinclair, of Ripley, in the County of
York, Gardener, and Arthur Clayton, of the same Place, Plumber,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING AND ROLLING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 23rd July 1875, and dated the 20th February 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Sinclair and
Arthur Clayton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 20th February 1875.
We, JAMES SINCLAIR, of Ripley, in the County of York, Gardener,
and ARTHUR CLAYTON, of the same Place, Plumber, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING AND
ROLLING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a novel construction of machine whereby
lawns, paths, and drives may be swept and rolled simultaneously when
desired, and with the expenditure of comparatively little power.

page_text: The frame of this machine is made of two side pieces, preferably of
cast iron, and connected together at their front end by a transverse
bolt and at their rear end by a rod, which forms also the axle for a roller
or for a pair of carrying wheels, as the case may be. Within the frame
and at the front part thereof a loose box is mounted, it being supported
in front by metal straps pendent from the frame, and also by lugs or
projections on the sides of the box entering notches formed on the
frame to receive them.
The frame with its fittings is supported in front by a guiding wheel
which runs in a fork connected by a swivel joint to the frame, and at its
rear end the frame is supported by a broad cast-iron roller, or it may be
by a pair of carrying wheels when the use of the roller is not required.
To this fork of the guide wheel a draught handle may be attached, but
when the roller is not in use the draught handle may be taken to the
rear and screwed into the roller axle.
In rear of the loose box and opposite its open mouth a cylindrical
brush is mounted, its axle being carried by bearings which may be
adjusted by thumbscrews so as to keep the brush just clear of or in
light contact with the ground. This brush receives a rapid rotary
motion from the roller or carrying wheel through a spur wheel affixed
thereto. Into this wheel gears a pinion keyed to an axle carried by
bearings in the frame. On the end of this axle external of the frame
a chain wheel is keyed, and from it a chain passes to a chain wheel on
the end of the brush axle. By this arrangement the forward movement
of the machine will cause the brush to rotate and throw any leaves or
other light matters which it meets with into the box in front thereof.
The gearing just described may be provided for both sides of the
machine.
To prevent the sweepings being thrown beneath the box a guard plate
is provided which reaches to near the ground and forms an incline for
guiding the sweepings into the box. This arrangement it will be
understood provides for sweeping walks close up to the verge thereof.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Sinclair and Arthur Clayton in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 17th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
SINCLAIR, of Ripley, in the County of York, Gardener, and ARTHUR
CLAYTON, of the same Place, Plumber, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said James Sinclair and Arthur Clayton,
Her special license that we, the said James Sinclair and Arthur
Clayton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said James Sinclair and Arthur Clayton, executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 SWEEPING
AND ROLLING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said James Sinclair and Arthur Clayton, our executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said James Sinclair and Arthur
Clayton, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being
had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say) :—
Our Invention of "Improvements in Sweeping and Rolling Machines"
relates to a novel construction of machines whereby lawns, paths, and
drives may be swept clear of dead leaves and other extraneous matters,

page_text: and also simultaneously rolled when desired and with the expenditure
of comparatively little power.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2
a plan view of our improved machine, the frame of which is made of
two side pieces a, a, preferably of cast iron, connected together at their
front end by a transverse bolt a¹ and at their rear end by a rod a* which
forms a handle. The axle for a roller 6 or for a pair of carrying wheels,
as the case may be, also passes from side to side of the frame. Within
the frame a and at the front part thereof a loose box c is mounted; it
may be supported in part by metal straps pendent from the frame, and
also by lugs or projections c', c¹, on the sides of the box which will rest
in notches formed on the upper side of the frame to receive them, as
shewn in the Drawing. The box c is provided with handles, as shewn,
whereby it may be lifted off the machine and emptied when required.
The frame a with its fitting is supported in front by a guiding wheel d
which runs in a fork connected by a swivel joint d to the frame, and at
its rear end the frame a is supported by a broad cast-iron roller b, or it
may be by a pair of carrying wheels, such as those shewn in plan in
the detached view, Fig. 3, when the use of the roller 6 is not required.
To the fork of the guide wheel d a draught handle may be attached, but
when the roller is not in use this draught handle may be taken off and
temporarily screwed into any convenient part of the frame to prevent it
from being mislaid. Or the machine may be driven forward by means
of a handle a³ placed behind, as shewn in the Drawing, and as is usually
the case in lawn mowing machines.
In rear of the loose box c and opposite its open mouth a cylindrical
brush e is mounted, its axle being carried by bearings in slotted plates
or bars e¹, e³, which may be adjusted and firmly secured by tightening
screws e³, as shewn in Fig. 1.
We would here remark that it is important to keep the brush e just
clear of or in light contact with the ground, otherwise it would stir up
the dust or gravel walks, which would be unpleasant. This adjustment
of the rotating brush may also be effected by mounting the roller b or
the front running wheel d in bearings capable of vertical adjustment,
but we prefer the plan shewn in the Drawing. This brush e receives a
rapid rotary motion from the roller 6 or carrying wheel through a
bevilled toothed wheel ƒ affixed thereto. Into this wheel gears a bevil

page_text: pinion f¹ keyed to one end of an axle få carried by bearings in the
frame. On to the other end of this axle (which is outside the frame a)
another bevil pinion is keyed, and gears into a similar pinion on the end
of the axle of the brush e. By this arrangement the forward movement
of the machine will cause the brush e to rotate and throw any leaves or
other light matters which it meets with into the box c in front thereof.
The gearing just described may if desired be provided for both sides of
the machine, or instead of this toothed wheel gearing, chain wheels and
chains may be used to drive the rotary brush.
In order to prevent the sweepings from being thrown beneath the
box can inclined guard plate, shewn by dots at c³, Fig. 1, is
provided and reaches to near the ground, and forms an incline for
guiding the sweepings into the box c. This arrangement it will be
understood provides for sweeping walks close up to the verge thereof.
The box c is further provided with an inclined cover or lid c* which
will prevent the dust when thrown into the box by the rapid rotation of
the brush from being thrown back into the face of the attendant who is
pushing forward the machine. This lid c* is hinged to a slotted part of
the frame, as shewn at Fig. 1, so that it may be thrown back over the
brush when it is required to move the box c.
Having now described our Invention of "Improvements in Sweeping
and Rolling Machines," and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, we claim, as the Invention secured to us by Letters
Patent, as aforesaid, the combination of an adjustable rotary brush with
supporting rollers or running wheels and a moveable receiving box for
receiving the sweepings, the whole being adapted to a carrying frame, as
and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Sinclair and Arthur
Clayton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth
day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-five