IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO LAWN MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson
and Co., of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323
High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent and Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO
LAWN MOWING MACHINES." A communication from abroad by Phineas Mast
and Samuel Webb Martin, both of Springfield, Clark County, Ohio.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
66
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th August 1879.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co., of 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND APPERTAINING TO LAWN MOWING MACHINES." A communication from
abroad by Phineas Mast and Samuel Webb Martin, both of Springfield, Clark
County, Ohio.
This Invention relates to that class of lawn mowers in which spiral revolving
knives are arranged to act in conjunction with a fixed blade, and the Invention
consists in a peculiar manner of constructing the frame, in a special arrangement of
gearing, in the manner of sustaining and adjusting the fixed blade, in a folding grass
receiver, and in other details of construction herein after described.
First. In constructing the machine I provide a main frame consisting of two
vertical side plates connected by cross connections. Each frame plate has on the
outside a horizontal journal or trunnion on which there is mounted an internally
main geared wheel, and also outside of said wheel an independent driving wheel to
run upon the ground. The two ground wheels are assisted in sustaining the main
frame by two smaller wheels or rollers attached by adjustable arms to the rear end
of the frame. The main gear wheels have their discs or bodies made solid without
spokes or openings, and have the over hanging edges of their geared rims arranged
to fit closely against the outside of the frame plates which are provided with
projecting annular flanges to surround them and exclude the grass and dirt from
the gear teeth. As a means of driving the main gear wheels they are each
provided near the centre with transverse sliding pins seated in holos and urged
outward by springs so as to engage at their ends with ratchet teeth on the inside
Price 6d1

page_text: of the ground wheel. In order to protect these parts from dirt, et cetera, the hub
of the ground wheel is adapted to fit over that of the gear wheel. In order that
the ground wheels may at all times engage upon a slight forward movement each
one is provided with four ratchet teeth, and cach gear wheel provided with two of
the clutch pins so arranged as not to be diametrically opposite each other; the
effect is that each wheel is caused to lock at eight points in the course of a revo-
lution instead of at four only as would otherwise be the case.
Second. I provide a rotary cutter head consisting of a series of spiral blades secured
to end plates or discs which are mounted on a transverse shaft, the ends of which
are extended through the side plates and bearings thereon, and provided with
pinions which gear into and are driven by the main gear wheels, which also serve
to conceal and protect the pinions. The blades of the rotary head act in conjunction
with a fixed transverse blade which is attached to and sustained by a rocking
plate, the ends of which are seated on studs on the lower edge of the frame and
secured by screws passing through the plate into the frame. By tightening the
screws at one side of the plate and loosening those at the other the plate may be
given a rocking or rolling adjustment so as to elevate or depress the transvere blade
and bring it in the proper relation to the rotary blades. The edge of the fixed or
transverse blade should be as low as the lowest point to which the rotary cutters
descend, so that the latter shall not exert any upward strain or pulling action in
severing the grass. The plate or box which sustains the fixed blade also serves as
one of the cross braces of the frame, thus avoiding the use of extra parts and
leaving an unobstructed outlet for the grass. The upper brace of the frame consists
of a piece of gas pipe or tubing of the proper length seated at its ends in sockets
cast in the side plates, and of a rod or bolt passed through the centre of the tubing
and out through the side plates and tightened up by means of a nut or nuts on its
ends so as to force the plates firmly against the ends of the tube. The arms to
which the rear sustaining rollers are attached are curved and slotted in the arc of a
circle and are seated between flanges on the outside of the frame plates and
secured by a bolt or screw so that they may be readily adjusted to vary the
height,at which the grass is cut. As a means of propelling the machine it is
provided with a handle having forked arms which are mounted on studs cast on
the inside of the frame plates and limited in their vertical play by studs also formed
on the plates. In order to render the machine as narrow and compact as possible,
and to prevent the ground wheel from running over upon the uncut grass further
than is necessary, the ground wheels are dished and have their spokes and rim
thrown inward. I provide the machine with a receiver, which is not only capable
of being readily applied and removed, but which may be folded at will into a very
small compass in which condition it adds nothing to the size of the machine. This
receiver consists in a cloth or canvas bag open at the front and top and sustained
by means of a front frame and a top frame both made of wire and sewed into the
edges. The frame has its lower edge seated in a groove in the knife supporting
plate and bears at its sides against studs on the sides of the main frame, while the
top frame of the receiver which is jointed to the top of the side frames of the
receiver nearest the cutters is provided with a bail which is engaged with a
toothed bar secured to the handle of the machine. This arrangement retains the
bag or receiver in an open or expanded position in such relation to the machine
that the grass is thrown directly into it. The disengagement of the bail releases the
receiver and admits of its being readily removed to discharge the grass. When
detached the receiver may be folded into a very compact form, and the machine
packed in the same compass that it would occupy without the receiver. If desired
the receiver may be modified in form and in the construction of its frame, and the
body or bag made of rigid plates hinged or jointed together in such manner as to
be capable of folding into a compact form.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th February 1880.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Co., of 6, Lord
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent and Consulting Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN
AND APPERTAINING TO LAWN-MOWING MACHINES." A communication from abroad,
by Phineas Mast and Samuel Webb Martin, both of Springfield, Clark. County,.
Ohio.
This Invention relates to that class of lawn mowers in which spiral revolving
knives are arranged to act in conjunction with a fixed blade, and the Invention
consists in a peculiar manner of constructing the frame, in a special arrangement of
gearing, in the manner of sustaining and adjusting the fixed blade, in a folding
grass receiver, and in other details of construction hereinafter described.
;
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal
section of the same. Fig. 3, a plan of the same, with one side in section through:
the centre of the driving wheel; Fig. 4, receiver folded up, as will hereafter be
explained..
t
In constructing the machine I first provide a main frame consisting of two
vertical side plates A connected by cross connections B and C. Each frame plate. A
is made of the form represented, and, has on the outside a horizontal journal or
trunnion a, on which there is mounted an internally geared wheel, D, and also
outside of said wheel an independent driving, wheel E to run upon the ground.
The two ground wheels E are assisted in sustaining the frame by two smaller
wheels or rollers F attached by adjustable armns G to the rear end of the frame.
The gear wheels D have their discs or bodies made solid without spokes or openings,
and have the overhanging edges of their geared rims arranged to fit closely against
the outside of the frame plates, which are provided with annular flanges b to
surround them, as shown in Fig. 3, this arrangement serving to exclude the grass
and dirt from the gear teeth. As a means of driving the gear wheels D they are
each provided near the centre with transverse sliding pins c seated in holes and
urged outward by springs & so as to engage at their ends with ratchet teeth on the
inside of the ground wheel, as clearly represented in Fig. 3.
In order to. protect
these parts from dirt, et cetera, the hub of the ground wheel adapted to fit over
that of the gear wheel as shown, whereby the parts are at all times enclosed and.
concealed. In order that the ground wheels may at all times engage upon a slight
forward movement each one is provided with four ratchet teeth, and each gear
wheel provided with two of the clutch pins so arranged as not to be. diametrically
opposite each other, or in other words, both arranged on the same side of the centre
but at a considerable distance apart. This arrangement causes the pins to engage
alternately instead, of simultaneously, and the effect is that each wheel is caused to
lock at eight points in the course of a revolution instead of at four only as. would
otherwise be the case. The arrangement gives all the advantages which would
result from the use of a greater number of pins and teeth, and avoids the disadvan-
tages which would arise therefrom. I represents the rotary cutter head consisting
of a series of spiral blades d' secured to end plates or discs e, which are mounted
on a transverse shaft f, the ends of which are extended through the side plates and
bearings thereon, and provided with pinions J which gear into and are-driven.by.
the wheels D, which also serve to conceal and protect the pinions, as shown. The
olades of the rotary head act in conjunction with a fixed transverse blade K, which
s attached to and sustained by a rocking plate C, the ends of which are seated on,
studs g on, the lower edge of the frame and secured by screws h passing through
he plate into the frame, as shown. By tightening the screws at one side of the
late and loosening those at the other the plate may be given a rocking.or.rolling

page_text: adjustment so as to elevate or depress the blade K and bring it in the proper relation to
the rotary blades. The edge of the fixed blade should be as low as the lowest point to
which the rotary cutters descend, so that the latter shall not exert any upward strain
or pulling action in severing the grass. This arrangement is found to give far better
results and a much easier action than when the movable blades rise in approaching
the fixed blades as is the case in machines hitherto constructed. It will be noticed
that the plate or bar which sustains the fixed blade also serves as one of the cross
braces of the frame, thus avoiding the use of extra parts and leaving an unob-
structed outlet for the grass. The upper brace B of the frame consists of a piece
of gas pipe or tubing of the proper length seated at its ends in sockets a' cast in
the side plates, and of a rod or bolt i passed through the centre of the tubing and
out through the side plates, and tightened up by means of a nut or nuts on its
ends, so as to force the plates firmly against the ends of the tube, as shown in Fig. 3.
The arms to which the rear sustaining rollers are attached are curved and slotted
in the arc of a circle and are seated between flanges on the outside of the
frame plates, and secured by a bolt or screw m so that they may be readily
adjusted to vary the height at which the grass is cut. As a means of propelling
the machine it is provided with a handle N having forked arms which are mounted
on studs o, cast on the inside of the frame plates, and limited in their vertical play
by studs p; also formed on the plates. In order to render the machine as narrow
and compact as possible, and to prevent the ground wheel from running over upon
the uncut grass further than is necessary, the ground wheels are dished and have
their spokes and rims thrown inward, in the manner shown in Fig. 3.
-
In the use of machines of this class it is desirable that they shall retain and
carry the cut grass in order that it may be deposited at a single point instead of
being scattered over the lawn; and it is equally desirable and important that
the receiver used for this purpose shall be capable of ready attachment and de-
tachment, and that it shall not render the machine bulky and cumbersome during
shipping or storage. I therefore provide the machine with a receiver which is not
only capable of being readily applied and removed, but which may be folded at
will into a very small compass, in which condition it adds nothing to the size of
the machine. This receiver P is shown in its applied position in Fig. 1, and in its
folded state in Fig. 4. It consists in a cloth or canvas bag open at the front and
top and sustained by means of a front frame 8, and a top frame t, both made of
wire and sewed into the edges. The frames has its lower edge seated in a groove
in the knife supporting plate, and bears at its sides against studs u on the sides of
the main frame, while the frame t which is jointed to the frames is provided with
a bail which is engaged with a toothed bar q secured to the handle of the
machine as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The above arrangement retains the bag or
receiver in an open or expanded position in such-relation--to the machine that the
grass is thrown directly into it. The disengagement of the bail releases the
When
receiver and admits of its being readily removed to discharge the grass.
detached the receiver may be folded into a very compact form and the machine
packed in the same compass that it would occupy without the receiver. If desired
the receiver may be modified in form and in the construction of its frame, and the
body or bag made of rigid plates hinged or jointed together in such manner as to
be capable of folding into a compact form.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I wish it to be understood that what I believe
to be new and desire to claim under the herein before in part recited Letters
Patent is :-
First.. In a lawn mower the main frame having the outside journals thereon in
combination with the ground wheels, and internal gear wheels mounted on said
journals.
Second. In combination with the side or frame plates having sockets a¹ the
tubular brace B, and the rod or bolt i extending through the same.
Third: In combination with the internally geared wheels the frame plates

page_text: provided with journals to receive said wheels and with flanges to encircle them, as
and for the purposes shown and described.
Fourth. The rocking knife sustaining-bar C having at each end a central ful-
crum g, and two screws h passing through the bar on opposite sides of the fulcrum
into the main frame.
Fifth. The combination of the main frame having outside journals thereon, the
ground wheels and internally toothed gear wheels both mounted on said journals,
and the rotary cutter head having the ends of its shaft provided with pinions
engaging with the gear wheels, substantially as shown.
Sixth. The combination of the lawn mower and the flexible or folding grass
receiver with means for holding the latter in a distended condition, substantially
as described and shown.
Seventh. A flexible bag or grass receiver for use on a lawn mower provided
with a folding or jointed frame.
Eighth. The lawn mower having the side studs, the grooved cross bar and
rack q, in combination with the grass receiving bag and its frame.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
117M D THOMPSON