Improvements in Mowing Machines.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mowing Machines.
I, JOHN WRIGHT, of Brussels, Ontario, Canada, Labourer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to mowing machines; the object of the invention being
to provide certain new and useful improvements whereby a very simple and
cheap, yet efficacous mowing machine is provided.
A machine possessing my improvements comprises two ground wheels having
a circular rack on the inner surface of their rims. Discs are revolubly fitted
within the rims on the outer surface of the wheels, and are centrally mounted
on the wheel-shaft. Pinions are mounted on a shaft extending between the
discs in such position that the pinions mesh with the circular racks. The shaft
carries radial arms upon which flat steel bars are horizontally secured. These
bars, as they rotate, come into shearing contact with the edge of a bar secured
horizontally on a frame adjustably mounted upon a rock-shaft extending between
the discs aforementioned.
A roller is mounted between and to rotate in bearings in the discs, and is
provided at its ends with tooth-wheels meshing with the racks of the ground
wheels. A ratchet and pawl serves to prevent rotation of the roller in a direc-
tion opposite to that intended, or to fix or release the tooth-wheel on or from
the roller-shaft.
A thrust-bar is secured to a frame or bar extending between the discs near
its periphery and is connected to a similar bar by means of a bell-crank on the
thrust-bar and which is connected by a rod to a lever also mounted on the thrust-
bar and provided with a hand-lever or wheel whereby it can be rocked a suitable
distance limited by stops. By means of the levers and connections the discs
can be partially rotated to bring the cutting device nearer to or farther away
from the ground.
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1900
P. R. J. WILLIS,
Agent for Applicant.
I, JOHN WRIGHT, of Brussels, Ontario, Canada, Labourer, 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 a lawn-mower, and more specifically to the arrange-
ment of means for actuating the rotary knives thereof and for effecting the

page_text: adjustment of the cutting apparatus relative to the driving wheels of the machine
for throwing said cutting apparatus into operative position or for lifting it from
the ground for transportation or movement of the machine from place to place.
The nature of the improvements will be understood from the following descrip-
tion and claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of the lawn-mower embracing the invention. Fig. 2
is a side elevation of the same with the adjacent driving wheel in section to
show the arrangement of parts otherwise concealed. Fig. 3 is a plan view of
the rear end of the thrust-bar, showing the means for effecting the adjustment
of the cutting apparatus and the thrust-bar frame. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side
elevation of the angular bracket for holding the adjustment.
11 indicate discs, which, in connection with rearwardly extending bars or
arms 2, rigidly secured to said discs, form the main frame of the machine, the
discs being provided with outwardly projecting studs or pintles upon which the
driving wheels 3 3 are mounted. These wheels are preferably composed each
of a disc provided with a peripheral and inwardly extending flange having
operative cogs or teeth formed upon its inner face, said teeth being covered
upon their inner faces by the discs 1 for protecting them from dirt or other
obstructing material in a well known manner. The arms or bars 2 are braced
or otherwise rigidly secured to the discs 1.
44 represent L-shaped thrust frame-bars pivoted at their forward ends to
studs or pins 5 on the discs 1 at points in rear of and below the axle pintles
on which the drive wheels are mounted. These bars 4 are bent inwardly towards
each other at their rear ends and are secured by suitable rearwardly turned foot-
flanges to the thrust-bar or handle 6.
7 indicates a transverse bar provided at its forward edge with an offset in
which is mounted the stationary knife 8, the bar being provided at its ends
with rearwardly extending arms 9, pivoted at 10 to the wheel covering discs
or frame-plates 1, one upon each side as shewn. The pivotal point 10, upon
which the adjustment of the stationary knife is effected, is located intermediate
the spindles upon which the ground wheels are mounted and the pivotal pins
through which the thrust-frame is connected with said plates, and the adjust-
ment of the stationary knives is effected by means of set-screws 11 and 12, pass-
ing through suitable inwardly projecting lugs 13, formed upon the discs 1,
one of said set-screws upon each side being located beneath the bar 7, carrying
the stationary cutter, and the other at the rear upper ends of the pivoted arms 9
in such manner as to permit the ready adjustment of the stationary knife and
to hold the same firmly when properly adjusted.
14 indicates a ground roller extending between the frame-discs 1, and having
trunnions journalled in said discs, the trunnions inside of said discs being pro-
vided with pinions 15, which engage the teeth of the driving wheels and are
operated thereby, or by the movement of the roller resting upon the ground
said pinions are made to actuate the driving wheels when from any cause, such
as an intervening ridge or obstruction the driving wheels are temporarily lifted
from the ground. These pinions 15 are connected to the trunnions of the roller
by means of a circle of ratchet teeth 16 on the trunnions and spring-pressed
pawls 17, pivoted to the pinions, which serve to engage the pinions with said
trunnions in the forward movement of the roller when the latter is resting on
the ground and permit the pinions to freely rotate without actuating the roller
when the latter is lifted from the ground in the forward movement of the machine
upon its wheels.
18 indicates the shaft of the rotary cutter, journalled at its ends in the frame-
discs 1, and provided inside of said discs with pinions 19, connected by the usual
pawl and backing ratchets, as indicated, with said shaft 18 for causing the
latter to be rotated in the forward movement of the machine, but permitting
it to remain idle when the machine is backed or drawn in an opposite direction
in a manner that is well understood. Upon this shaft, between the wheels, are

page_text: mounted suitable arms 20, carrying spirally arranged cutters 21, which operate
in connection with the stationary knife 8 in a well known manner.
22 indicates a brace rigidly connecting the frame-discs, preferably at a point
in rear of and above the axle, as shewn. The thrust frame-bars 4 are perforated
near their rear inturned ends to form bearings for the rock-shaft 23, journalled
therein, and preferably the thrust or handle bar 6 is extended forward
of its connection with the thrust frame-bars 4 and perforated to form
a central bearing for said rock-shaft 23, as shewn. The outer ends of the rock-
shaft are provided with forwardly extending arms 24, to the forward ends of
which are pivoted links 25, which at their upper ends are pivoted to the frame-
bars 2. The shaft 23 adjacent to its central bearing in the thrust-bar 6 is pro-
vided with a pendant arm 26, rigid on said shaft and having its lower end con-
nected by a rod 27 with an arm 28 on the rock-shaft 29, journalled in the two-
armed bracket 30, secured through an upright ear 31 to the thrust or handle
bar 6 near its rear end. The pendant arms 32 and 33 are provided each at its
outer end with an angular projection 34 and 34', which serves as a stop limiting
the movement of the arm 28 in opposite directions. The end of the rock-shaft 29
opposite that carrying the arm 28 is provided with a crank arm 35 for enabling
the attendant to rock the arm 28 from one stop on the arm 33 to the opposite
stop on the arm 32. These stops it will be seen, leave the arm 28 in cither
position below the line of the shaft 29, and thereby serving to lock the rod con-
necting it with the pendant crank-arm 26 in either position of its adjustment.
By the foregoing arrangement it will be seen that when the crank-arm 35
is operated for throwing the arm 28 from the position shewn in Fig. 2, in which
it is thrown forward and rests upon the stop 34, up, rearward, and downward
until it rests upon the stop 34¹ the arm 26 will be drawn backward and operating
through the shaft 23 forces the arms 24 downward, carrying with them, rela-
tively to the thrust-frame, the frame-bars 2. Practically, if the thrust frame
bar were left free to rise upon its pivot said frame would be drawn upward
instead of the frame-bars 2 being drawn downward; but the thrust or handle
bar 6 being firmly grasped and held by the operator through the medium of
the usual handle 61, the operation of said crank-arm 35, as described, will be to
impart a forward movement to the lower face of the frame-discs 1 relatively to
the ground-wheels, and thereby to rock the ground roller 14 and stationary
knife and rotary cutters forward and upward from the ground, thereby, under
the construction described, enabling the machine to be moved in a reverse direc-
tion or rearward relative to the usual movement of the machine without operating
the rotary knives.
Aside from the particular features of construction above described the machine
may be of any usual or preferred construction and arrangement of parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what
I claim is
(1) In a lawn-mower, the combination with the driving wheels and the gear
covering frame-discs therefor, of the ground roller extending between the wheels
and journalled in said discs, and pinions on the shaft of said roller in mesh with
the teeth of said driving wheels.
(2) In a lawn-mower, the combination with the driving wheels and the gear
covering frame-discs therefor, of the interposed ground-roller journalled in said
discs, and pinions on the shaft of said roller in mesh with the teeth of said
driving wheels and having each a pawl-and-ratchet connection with the shaft
of the roller, for the purpose and as substantially described.
(3) In a lawn-mower, the combination with the ground-wheels, the frame-
discs covering the gearing of said wheels provided with rearwardly extending
rigid arms or bars, a thrust-frame pivoted to said discs, a rock-shaft journalled
in said thrust-frame and provided with an arm connected by a link to said rear-

page_text: wardly extending frame-bars, a pendant arm of said rock-shaft, a connecting-
rod between said pendant arm and an arm on a second rock-shaft journalled in
brackets on the thrust-bar, and means for adjusting said second rock-shaft for
effecting the adjustment of the cutting apparatus and ground roller relative to
the ground, substantially as described.
(4) The combination in a lawn-mower of the internally cogged carrying
wheels 3, the frame-plate cover-discs 1 on which said wheels are journalled,
arms 2 rigid on said discs, the thrust frame-bars 4 pivoted to said discs, a rock-
shaft 23 journalled in said frame-bars and provided with forwardly extending
arms 24 linked to the rigid frame-disc arms 2, a pendant arm 26 on said rock-
shaft, a rock-shaft 29 journalled in a two-armed bracket 30 on a thrust or handle
bar, a crank-arm 28 on said second rock-shaft, a connecting rod 27 connecting
the arms 26 and 28, stops on a two armed bracket limiting the throw of the
arm 28 arranged to hold the said arm locked in either position of adjustment,
and means for actuating the crank-arm 28 for effecting the relative adjustment
of the thrust-frame and the frame-discs on which the carrying wheels are mounted.
substantially as described.