IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN-MOWING, ROLLING, AND COLLECTING MACHINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Cornes, of Roden Villa, and John Coope
Davis, of Cranbrook Park, Gentleman, both of Ilford, in the County of
Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN-MOWING, ROLLING, AND
COLLECTING MACHINES."
Sealed the 23rd October 1863, and dated the 24th April 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Cornes and John
Coope Davis at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 24th April 1863.
We, JOHN CORNES, of Roden Villa, and JOHN COOPE DAVIS, of Cranbrook
Park, Gentleman, both of Ilford, in the County of Essex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN-MOWING,
ROLLING, AND COLLECTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in so constructing machines employed for the above
purposes as to impart to same an undulating motion by adapting springs to
the axes of the revolving parts of said machines; and, further, in combining
revolving brushes therewith, one of said brushes being fixed upon the axis of
small running wheels situated at opposite sides of the framing of the machine,
and resting upon the surface of the ground immediately in front of the
revolving cutters, which are of the ordinary spiral form, the use of said brush
being to raise up the blades of grass, if laid, and present them to the cutters.
The other brush, above referred to, is intended to lift the cut grass from the
cutters, and assist in depositing samo in a box or receptacle fixed above the
cutters and in front thereof.

page_text: Another and very important feature of novelty in this Invention consists in
connecting the axis of the small running wheels and cutters before mentioned
to two bent levers mounted loosely upon another axle, the ends whereof
revolve in bearings in the sides of the framing of the machine; upon the
middle of this axle a spur pinion is fixed, and gears into a spur wheel mounted
loosely upon another axle carrying the driving roller of the machine, which
runs on the surface of the lawn in the ordinary manner.
A further improvement in lawn-mowing machines consists in adapting
helical springs around the axle of the aforesaid driving roller which press
against the clutch boxes, and thus keeps them always locked with the driving
spur wheel, thus dispensing with the necessity for keeping the clutch boxes
pressed in gear by hand during the working of the machine. We propose to
throw the clutches out of gear by lovers, and hold them so by pins when the
cutters are not required to be in action. In connection with the bent levers
before mentioned, and to the upper arms thereof, we connect a rod loosely
by its ends, and at the centre of said rod a screw nut is formed or fixed, and
carries the screwed end of another rod extending horizontally at right angles
to the former rod; this second rod is supported in a bearing at the hind part
of the machine, and has a lever wheel fixed thereon for turning the screw
round, by doing which the bent levers aforesaid, together with the parts con-
nected thereto, may be readily raised and lowered, and the cutters adjusted
any desired distance from the surface of the ground; and by these means, and
adjusting nuts placed upon the supports of the axes of the cutters and running
wheels before mentioned, said cutters may be set to a nicety, so as either
to cut anly the tops of the blades of grass or cut it close, as may be desired.
The cutters are driven by spur gearing, and there is a castor roller and handle
connected to the front part of the framing of the machine, and also handles at
the book of the machine
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Cornes and John Coopo Davis in the Great Seal Patent S
Office on the 24th October 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
CORNES, of Roden Villa, and JoHN COOPE DAVIS, of Cranbrook Park, Gen-
tleman, both of Ilford, in the County of Essex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 8
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her

page_text: reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Cornes and John Coope Davis, Her special licence, that we, the said
John Cornes and John Coope Davis, our exccutors, administrators, aml
assigns, or such others as we, the said John Cornes and John Coope Davis,
our 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 for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN-MOWING,
ROLLING, AND COLLECTING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said John Cornes and John Coope Davis, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Cornes and John Coope Davis,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in so constructing machines employed for the above
purposes as to impart to same an undulating motion, by adapting springs to
the axes of the revolving parts of said machines; and, further, in combining
revolving brushes therewith, one of said brushes being fixed upon the axis of
small running wheels situated at opposite sides of the framing of the machine,
and resting upon the surface of the ground immediately in front of the
revolving cutters, which are of the ordinary spiral form, the use of said brush
being to raise up the blades of grass, if laid, and present them to the cutters.
The other brush, above referred to, is intended to lift the cut grass from the
cutters, and assist in depositing same in a box or receptacle fixed above the
cutters and in front thereof.
Another and very important feature of novelty in this Invention consists in
connecting the axis of the small running wheels and cutters before mentioned.
to two bent levers mounted loosely upon another axle, the ends whereof
revolve in bearings in the sides of the framing of the machine. Upon the
middle of this axle a spur pinion is fixed, and gears into a spur wheel mounted
loosely upon another axle carrying the driving roller of the machine, which
runs on the surface of the lawn in the ordinary manner.

page_text: A further improvement in lawn-mowing machines consists in adapting
helical springs around the axle of the aforesaid driving roller, which press
against the clutch boxes, and thus keeps them always locked with the driving
spur wheel, thus dispensing with the necessity for keeping the clutch boxes
pressed in gear by hand during the working of the machine. We propose to
throw the clutches out of gear by levers, and hold them so by pins when the
cutters are not required to be in action. In connection with the bent levers
before mentioned, and to the upper arms thereof, we connect a rod loosely by
its ends, and at the centre of said rod a screw nut is formed or fixed, and
carries the screwed end of another rod extending horizontally at right angles
to the former rod; this second rod is supported in a bearing at the hind part
of the machine, and has a lever wheel fixed thereon for turning the screw
round, by doing which the bent levers aforesaid, together with the parts con-
nected thereto, may be readily raised and lowered, and the cutters adjusted any
desired distance from the surface of the ground, and by these means, and
adjusting nuts placed upon the supports of the axes of the cutters and running
wheels, before mentioned, said cutters may be set to a nicety, so as either to
cut only the tops of the blades of grass, or cut it close, as may be desired. The
cutters are driven by spur gearing, and there is a castor, roller, and handlo
connected to the front part of the framing of the machine, and also handles
at the back of the machine.
In order to explain our said Invention as completely as possible, we now
proceed to describe the best means we aro acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrated Sheet of
Drawings accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters
of reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The annexed Drawing represents a lawn-mower adapted for a pony, in two
views. Figure 1 is an elevation, and Figure 2 a ground plan; Figure 3 is the
inner frame shown by itself. The machine may be made of various sizes for
working by hand power.
A, A, is the main frame; B, B, the inner or undulating frame; C, C, C',
the rollers by which the machinery is propelled; E, first motion wheel;
F, pinion gearing into wheel E; G, second motion wheel; H, pinion gearing
into G; I, cylindrical cutters; fixed ledger blade; K, K, wheels on which
inner frame rests on ground; L, front steerage wheel; M, whipletree for
attaching pony. The motion is given to the cylindrical spiral cutter I by the
propelling roller C, which is keyed on the shaft a. The wheel E is loose on

page_text: the shaft, but can be made fast by means of the clutch l; the motion is then
conveyed by the train of wheels D, E, F, G, to the cutter, giving it an
increased speed; the inner frame has its fulcrum on the wheel shaft b. By
this arrangement, at whatever height the inner frame may be from the ground,
the wheel and pinion G and H always remain in their proper gear; this
inner frame carries the cutter I, blade J, and wheels K, K, (and a brush,
hereafter described,) thus enabling the cutting apparatus to follow any
inequalities of the ground entirely independent of the main framing. On the
top of this inner frame is a cross bar, carrying a nut in its centre; a screw c
and handle, having its bearing on the stay d fixed to the main frame, raises
this inner frame B, B, to cut at any given height from the ground, or take it
up entirely out of work when required without stopping the machine, thus
obviating the usually tedious and ineffective method now in use.
Another feature of novelty in this machine consists in the manner of
setting the cylindrical spiral cutter I in contact with the fixed ledger blade J,
This is accomplished by means of india-rubber rings with metal washers alter-
nately, as shown in section at Q, Figure 3, screwed up to the required strain
by means of the screw e to give just the necessary pressure against the fixed
blade, ensuring a proper contact without any undue friction, causing the
machine to work very easy in draught and increased efficiency; this also
allows the cylindrical cutter I and fixed blade to always remain in proper
contact without any attention as the wear on cutter and blade takes place.
We also place a brush N on the frame B, B, revolving in the direction indi-
cated by arrow at Figure 3, not to touch the cutter, but to bring up grass
which may be laid in a contrary direction for meeting cutter.
the
Figure 5 represents a mechanical arrangement adapted for cutting long
grass, and consists of a cutter R of large diameter, throwing the grass or
other crops behind instead of in front, and a rotating drum or rake S to
remove the grass from the cutter, said parts moving in the direction denoted
by the arrow's flight at the above Figure. All the bearings O, O, P, P, Q, Q,
are adjusted by india-rubber springs in the manner above described and shown
in Figure 3. The letters in each Figure correspond with each other.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of our said
Invention for " Improvements in Lawn-mowing, Rolling, and Collecting
Machines," together with the best means we are acquainted with for carrying
the same into practical effect, we would remark in conclusion, that we hereby
declare our Invention to consist in and we claim as follows:-We claim the
general combination and arrangement of the parts above described and repre-
sented by the Drawing; and especially we claim the frame B and mode

page_text: above described of hanging, raising, and lowering same; also the india-rubber
rings X for the purposes set forth; also the revolving brush N for picking
up the laid grass, and the arrangement represented at Figure 4 for cutting
long grass or other crops, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Cornes, one of the parties hereto,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of
October, in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and
sixty-three.