AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT FOR CUTTING HAY, STRAW, AND OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED IMPLEMENT FOR CUTTING HAY, STRAW, AND OTHER LIKE
SUBSTANCES."Á communication from abroad by George Smith
Dark Tide Staten of Amoxion Gentleman,
L
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th July 1868.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for AN IMPROVED IT FOR CUTTING HAY, STRAW, AND OTHER
LIKE SUBSTANCES," & communication, to be as follows:-
The object of the said Invention is the construction of an implement
for cutting hay, straw, and other materials from a mow, stack, or truss
in à more convenient and expeditious manner than has been hitherto :
practicable, and the said Invention consists chiefly in the peculiar

page_text: combination of a cutting blade or knife with two handles, one of which
is formed or fixed at the extremity of a rod or stem which carries the
knife while the other handle projects at right angles from the said rod.
The blade or knife is preferably made straight on its cutting edge, and
is arranged with the said edge at such an angle with the rod or stem
as to allow the force of the operator to be exerted in the most advan-
tageous manner upon the material being cut. The stem or rod is
provided with two arms or branches to carry the blade, each extremity of
the latter is secured to one of the arms, which hold the said blade firmly
and render the implement at once strong and light, while the space left
between such arms at the back of the blade allows the pressure of the
foot to be conveniently exerted upon the same if it should be found
necessary in using the implement.
The rod or stem, which may be of wood or metal, is made of such a
length that the implement can be advantageously used without stooping,
and therefore causes less fatigue to a given amount of work than other
cutting implements hitherto employed for similar purposes. The handle
at the end of the rod or stem is preferably formed by securing a pin
of convenient size in a loop or bow which is fixed or formed upon the
end of the rod or stem. The other handle is rivetted or otherwise firmly
secured in the stem at such a distance from the end of the same as will
allow one of the handles to be conveniently grasped in each hand of the
person using the implement. Both of the handles are preferably provided
with quills or sleeves of wood to prevent injury to the hand. The portion
of the stem or rod between the two handles may be curved outward to:
prevent inconvenience in using the implement from the close proximity
of the handle to the side of the mow, stack, or truss, from which the hay
or other substance is being cut.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, South-
ampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Con-
sulting Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors, administrators, 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 of "AN IMPROVED
IMPLEMENT FOR CUTTING HAY, STRAW, AND OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
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 monthis next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accompanying,
Sheet of Drawings forming a part of this Specification :-
The object of the said Invention is the construction of an implement
for cutting hay, straw, clover, and other materials from a mow, rick,
stack, or truss, or other pile or bundle in a more convenient and expedi-.
tious manner than has been hitherto practicable, and the said. Invention
consists chiefly in the peculiar combination of a cutting blade or knife
with two handles, one of which is formed or fixed at the extremity of a
rod or stem which carries the knife while the other handle projects at

page_text: The blade or knife a is preferably made straight on its cutting edge a',
and is arranged with the said edge at such an angle with the rod or
stem 6 as to allow the force, of the operator to be exerted in the most
advantageous manner upon the material being cut; the stem or rod b is
provided with two arms or branches c to carry the blade and connect
the same with the said stem or, rod. Each extremity of the blade a
is screwed, rivetted, or otherwise securely attached to one of the arms c,
or the latter may be formed upon the blade a and unite it to the stem & in
any strong and convenient manner; the arms c hold the blade firmly.
and render the implement at once strong and light, while the,space
left
between such arms at the back of the blade a allows the pressure of the
foot to be conveniently exerted upon the same if it should be found
necessary in using the implement.
The rod or stem 6 is shewn in the Drawings as formed of iron and in
one piece with the arms c, but the said rod may be made of wood and
united to the arms by means of a socket formed on the latter, or in
any other suitable manner. The said rod is made of such a length
that the implement can be advantageously used without stooping, and
therefore causes less fatigue to a given amount of work than other
cutting implements hitherto employed for similar purposes. The
handled at the end of the rod or stem 6 is preferably formed by
securing a pin e of convenient size in a loop or bow f which is
fixed or formed upon the end of the rod or stem b; the other
handle is rivetted or otherwise firmly secured in the stem bat
such a distance from the end of the same as will allow one of the
handles to be conveniently grasped in each hand of the person using
the implement; both of the handles d, g, are preferably provided
with quills or sleeves of wood d, g, of the kind ordinarily used
for such handles to prevent injury to the hand in using the implement.
The portion of the stem or rod 6 between the two handles d, g, may
be curved outward, as shown in Figure 2 to prevent inconvenience
in using the implement from the close proximity of the handle to the
side of the mow, stack, or truss, from which the hay or other substance
is being cut.

page_text: a blade or knife a, and two handles d, g, combined together and arranged
upon the stem or rod b, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (1.8.)