Improved Apparatus to be employed in Agricultural and Horti- cultural Mowing and Reaping, also to the Clipping or Shearing of Animals.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus to be employed in Agricultural and Horti-
cultural Mowing and Reaping, also to the Clipping or
Shearing of Animals.
I ALFRED CHANDLER of The Devon Rosery Torquay Devonshire Horticulturist
do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
The class of mowing reaping and clipping machines which I term "The Devon
Rosery" to which my improvements are applicable is that class of machine which
works by means of two plates having serrated cutting edges the lower plate being
fixed and the upper one sliding upon it a short distance to and fro in the direction
of the length of the plates, the grass or other substance being cut by coming
between the moving serrated edges or cutting fingers.
The principal part of my invention consists in the means by which the above
mentioned to and fro sliding motion is given to the sliding cutter plate.
I will describe my invention as applied to a lawn mower, the fixed serrated
cutter bar is placed at or near the front of the framing of the machine the moving.
serrated cutter bar forms the front part of a rectangular moveable frame
which has projections working in suitable formed guides on the main frame of
the machine.
These guides cause the motion of the moveable cutter bar to be in a line
parallel with the fixed cutter bar. At the back of the moveable frame are two
projecting arms, each of which is furnished with a suitable bowl or roller each of
these rollers engage with a wavy cam formed at or near the end of a roller which
I will term the "twin cam roller." The wavy cams path one at each end of the
"twin cam roller "
are exactly alike, and are so placed with regard to each other
that the distance measured along a line parallel to the axis of the "twin cam
roller" is at every part of the circumference identically the same, that is to say a
recess in the cam at one end of the roller is opposite to a protuberance in the cam
at the other end.
The consequence is that when the "twin cam roller" revolves the moveable
frame carrying the cutter bar has a motion to and fro imparted to it. The motion
of the moveable cutter frame is more or less rapid according to the speed at which
the "twin cam roller" is rotated, and according to the number of protuberances
and recesses which together form the wavy cam path at each end of the "twin
cam roller" by contact with the ground along which it travels, the surface of
the cam roller being sufficiently rough to cause such motion to take place. It may
or may not be necessary to provide special grooving or roughening for this purpose.
To protect the cutting fingers from damage by contact with stones &c. I should
employ suitably arranged removal bars.
The grass or substance cut, being thrown or sided by means of the sliding tray
which is placed on the top of the sliding cutting plate made of sheet metal, and
which being closed on one side and open on the other side throws the grass or
substance cut out on the ground in swaths or lines.
These machines are usually drawn or propelled by man or horse power.
The principal part of the weight of the machine is borne by the "twin cam
roller," but for the purpose of adjustment I may provide one or more small rollers
before or behind the "twin, cam roller."
In a hand machine, I provide a socket or sockets on the main frame of the
machine to receive the lower end of the handle or handles, and I provide suitable
adjusting screws so that the handle or handles may be raised or lowered to suit the
height of the man or animal propelling or drawing the machine.

page_text: For grass and corn cutting for agricultural purposes I use a similar machine as
above described for lawn mowing but very much. larger to enable the machine to
be propelled or drawn by a horse or horses, I attach a shaft as above described,
it may be drawn from the side, but I prefer the direct method.
For machines for clipping horses or shearing or clipping animals, the parts are
very much smaller, and the adjusting rollers and adjusting screws to the handle
are not required, as the hand of the user of the machine will guide it properly.
The "twin cams" may for some purposes be formed in wheels mounted on a
common axle instead of a roller.
Dated 20th December 1800-
THOMAS KENDRICK,,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus to be employed in Agricultural and Horti-
cultural Mowing and Reaping, also to the Clipping or
Shearing of Animals.
I, ALFRED CHANDLER, of The Devon Rosery, Torquay, in the County of
Devon, Horticulturalist, 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 :-
The class of mowing, reaping and clipping machines to which my invention
relates is-that-class-of-machine-which-works-by-means-of-two-plates having-serrated
edges or cutting knives attached thereto, the lower plate being fixed and the upper
-one-sliding upon it a short distance-to-and-fro in the direction of the length_of_the
plates, the grass-or-other-substance-being-cut-by-coming_between_the_moving
serrated edges or-cutting knives..
'
In the accompanying four sheets of drawings, which represent a lawn mower
constructed in accordance with my invention,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and
Fig. is a plan of the machine.
Fig. 4 is a detached view of the grass tray.
- Fig.
5.is.a.diagram.of.the.cam.motion...
Similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the drawings.
A is the frame of the machine, B is the fixed cutter plate provided with knives C,
and placed at the front of the frame, D is the moving cutter plate, provided..with
knives E, it slides upon a projection F of dovetailed form on the frame, and is
furnished with a strip H secured by screws H', to take up wear. This arrangement
forms a guide, which ensures the plate D moving in a line parallel with the fixed
plate B, but any other suitable form of guide arrangement may be employed, which
will fulfil the required purpose..
J.
The main feature of my invention consists in the means used for giving motion
to the said plate D. At the back of the plate are two arms J J, affixed thereto or
made in one piece therewith. Each arm is provided at the end with a roller K,
and these rollers engage with a cam path L formed on each end of the roller M,
which said roller I call the "twin cam roller." The cam path is shewn set out
diagramatically in Fig. 5, and consists of a series of V shaped projections and
depressions. The cam paths at each end of the "twin cam roller are exactly
alike and are so placed with regard to each other that the distance measured along
a line parallel to the axis of the roller is at every part of the circumference
identically the same, that is to say a depression at one end of the roller is opposite
to a projection at the other end.
The consequence is that when the roller revolves by contact with the ground,
the cutter plate D has a to and fro motion imparted directly to it. The motion

page_text: of the said plate is more or less rapid according to the speed at which the roller
revolves, and according to the number of projections and depressions forming the
cam paths.
The surface of the roller D may be grooved or roughened, if necessary, to increase
the grip on the ground and ensure effective rotation.
The cam path surfaces are inclined to the axis of the roller D, and the smali
rollers K K are of a conical form to correspond thereto as shewn. This ensures
a true rolling action on the path, and so avoids wear on the path or rollers from
slipping.
Those parts of the studs K' K' on which the rollers K, K, revolve are eccentric
to the parts in the arms J J, so that by partially rotating the studs in the arms the
rollers can be adjusted to take up any lost motion.
I find in practice that the V shaped form of cam path, as shewn, gives the best
results, but I do not necessarily confine myself to such particular form.
To protect the cutting knives from damage by contact with stones, &c., I may
employ suitably arranged removable bars.
The tray N, Fig. 4 is fixed on the moving plate D just behind the knives E and
moves with the said plate. It is closed at the back N¹ and at one side N2, but the
other side N³ is open, so that the grass or other substance, which is cut and
deposited on the tray, is thrown out on one side of the machine, in consequence of
the reciprocating motion imparted to it.
The principal part of the weight of the machine is borne by the "twin cam
rollers" M, but for the purpose of adjustment, I may provide a small roller P.
This roller is shewn as placed behind the. roller M, but it may be placed in
front, or two rollers may be employed in place of the single one if preferred.
In machines of the class illustrated, which are intended to be driven by hand,
I provide a socket Q on the frame A to receive the lower end of the handle, and
this socket is furnished with adjusting screws R R, so that the handle may be
raised or lowered to suit the height of the man propelling the machine. In
a machine having a double handle, two such sockets with screws would be
provided.
For grass and corn cutting for agricultural purposes, I use a machine similar
to the one illustrated and described for lawn mowing, but of much larger size and
to enable the machine to be propelled or drawn by a horse or horses, I attach a
shaft or shafts, in the same manner as that above described for the attachment of
a handle or handles. In machines of this kind in place of the "twin" cam roller,"
the machine is provided with two road wheels, and these wheels are either both
fixed on an axle, so that they turn together, or run loose on an axle or independent
axles. In the former case each wheel may have a cam affixed to it, similar to the
cams on the "twin cam roller" to operate the moving plate, and in the latter case
a single cam may be affixed to one wheel only, so arranged that it will operate the
plate in the required manner.
The shafts may be arranged so that the horse draws the machine, but in practice
I prefer the horse to propel the machine in front of it, as this allows the machine
to be taken straight into a field, without first having to cut a "way," and also to
work round hedges, &c. The cut grass or corn is thrown down in a swathe on one
side, out of the way of the horse.
A pair of wheels provided with a cam or cams, as above described, may be
employed in the hand lawn mower instead of the "twin cam roller" if desired.
The "twin cam roller" may be a hollow casting, or may be formed of wood with
steel or iron cam plates fixed to the ends.
By driving the moving cutting plate directly from the cams, in accordance with
my invention, instead of through the intervention of gearing, or other mechanism
as ordinarily employed in apparatus of this class, not only is the construction of
the machine simplified and cheapened, but the power required in propelling or
drawing is greatly reduced.
In machines for clipping horses, or shearing or clipping other animals, the

page_text: parts are necessarily much smaller, and the adjusting rollers and adjusting screws
to the handle are not required, as the hand of the operator will guide the machine
properly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is :-
1. In a mowing, reaping, or clipping machine of the class described, operating
the moving cutter plate directly, by means of a cam or cams on the driving roller
or wheels, substantially as set forth.
2. In a mowing, reaping, or clipping machine of the class described, a roller M
having a similarly shaped cam path L at each end, a moving cutter plate D having
arms J J provided with rollers K-K to engage with the cam paths L L, so that
the said plate is operated directly by the said cams, substantially as set forth.
3. In a mowing, or reaping machine of the class described, operating the moving
cutting plate D directly by a suitably arranged cam affixed on one of the driving
wheels, substantially as set forth.
4. In a mowing, or reaping machine of the class described, operating the moving
cutting plate D directly by a pair of similar cams fixed on the two driving wheels,
substantially as set forth.
5. In a mowing, reaping or clipping machine of the class described, the com-
bination of rollers K K with eccentric studs KK for adjusting the said rollers,
substantially as set forth.
6. In a mowing or reaping machine of the class described, one or more sockets Q
on the frame, provided with screws RR, for adjusting the height of the handle or
shafts, substantially as set forth.
7. In a mowing or reaping machine of the class described, a-tray N fixed-to: and
moving with the plate D to receive the cut material-and-having-an-open-end-N³, so
that the said material is thrown out on one side of the machine by the reciprocating
motion imparted to the tray, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 10th day of Ontahan 1801-
AMBROSE MYALL,
21, Cockspur Street, London; S. W., Agent for the Applicant.