Improvements in Lawn Mowers.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1891-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lawn Mowers.
I, KARL PERSIDOCK, of 126 Kurfurstendamm Berlin in the Empire of Germany,
Landscape Gardener, 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 :—
Lawnmowers hitherto used possess the following defects, namely, that the
leading rollers or wheels, arranged in front of the mowing blades and within or
outside of the frame, press down the turf or grass to be mown.
The leading wheels above referred to are represented by dotted lines in Figures 1
and 2 of the accompanying drawings; al being the American plan of construction,
yy the German plan.
There always remain, therefore, tracks or strips of lawn not mown or only partly
mown, corresponding to the breadth of these leading wheels, and these strips are
only cut or mown after considerable loss of time.
A fresh laid lawn aggravates this inconvenience, as the leading wheels leave
their impress in the ground owing to their small breadth. Another inconvenience
is due to the great distance the leading wheels are located from the working points of
the handle. It is also impossible to mow the grass in proximity to flowers, etcetera,
without injuring or mutilating the same, especially with leading wheels arranged on
the outside of the frame, as the cutting roller cannot have a length equal to the
length of the leading wheels.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to avoid all the inconveniences
mentioned above without augmenting the price or the weight of the machine.
I attain this object by substituting, for the front leading wheels ae or y y'a
roller behind the driving and cutting rollers and in proximity to the working
point of the handle.
The invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawing, in
which,
Figure 1 is a side view of the machine;
Figure 2 a horizontal section through the axes of the rollers;
Figure 3 a transverse section through the frame.
In these figures A, is the trailing roller, B is the driving roller, C the cutting
or mowing roller, D the knife blade or cutter, E the trunnion or pivot for the
intermediate toothed wheels J and K, F F the frames, G the handle, and N the
connecting or distance rod.
As may be seen in the drawing the rear part of the frames F F is prolonged
to form a bearing for the trailing roller A in proximity to the driving roller B,
and working point of the handle G.
The distance rod N affords an exact journalling of the pivots a a¹ in both
frames F F¹ The length of the roller A is smaller than that of the mowing
roller C, whereby a pressing down of unmown grass is prevented, as the said
mowing roller cuts a broader track of lawn than the roller A touches afterwards.
By this arrangement of rollers it is possible to mow the turf in close proximity
to flowers.
It is obvious that I may use two wheels journalled on the rear part of the frame
ike the roller A, but I prefer a broad roller to prevent any impression being made
n damp or newly laid lawns.
The roller A has also for its object to support the machine and to regulate the
ength of the cut. The regulation is effected by raising or depressing the pivots a a¹
n slots of the frame F F by means of screws, so that the knife D on the fore
part of the frame may be removed more or less from the ground.
| Pries ed

page_text: The mowing roller C is also adjustable, as may be seen in Figure 1, whereby it
can be made to approach or recede from the cutter D. The handle G has the
form of a forked rod and is articulated at g g to the frame. A falling down
of the same is prevented by two brackets or studs attached to the inner side
of the frame. The operation and locking property of the machine are highly
facilitated by arranging the working points g g between both rollers A and B.
The driving roller B transfers, in any suitable manner, its rotary motion to the
mowing roller C. Upon the pivot of the roller B is fixed a ratchet wheel
outside of the frame F, into that wheel meshes the pawl 7, pivoted upon the
toothed wheel H and kept by a spring towards the teeth of the ratchet wheel P.
That spring is connected at one extremity to the pawl, whereas the other extremity
slides upon the inner circumference of the rim of the toothed wheel.
When the machine is pushed forward, the roller B rotates in the direction indicated
by the arrow, (Figure 3), and, together with it, the ratchet wheel P, the teeth of
which bear against the pawl and take along with them the toothed wheel H in the
same direction; the latter meshes with the wheel J which is integral with the
toothed wheel K, and turns about the hollow pivot E. Through the latter passes
a screw or bolt ŕ attached to the frame F. The toothed wheel K transfers the
motion to the wheel L, by which the mowing roller C is rotated in the direction of
the arrow (see Figure 3).
r
If the machine is drawn back, the pawl 7 slides upon the teeth of the ratchet
wheel P, and the toothed wheel H is stopped.
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. The combination, with a lawn-mower, of a trailing roller A, adjustable in the
slots of the frame F F', and arranged behind the driving roller B and mowing
roller or blades C, substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. The general combined arrangement or construction of parts forming the
improved lawn mower, substantially as described.
Dated this 20th day of November 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.