IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOWING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Kealy, of Oxford Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Agricultural Implement Maker, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOWING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Kealy at the
Office of the Commissiouers of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th April 1858.
J, JOHN KEALY, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MOWING" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved machinery, intended chiefly
for the mowing of grass. When the machinery is made single (its most
simple form) it consists of a frame which is mounted on wheels, and is
capable of being propelled by manual or other power.
Near the ground is a horizontal segment plate termed a "gathering-
in plate," furnished with projecting fingers which enter the grass and
form retaining edges, against which a reciprocating knife bears, in
order to cut the grass. This knife is mounted on a vertical axle,
which receives motion through a rack and pinion, or otherwise from
a crank which is itself set in motion by the rotation of the running

page_text: wheels. As the knife receives a reciprocating motion, it is made with
a double blade, that it may cut in both directions; but if I give the
knife axle a rotatory motion, I prefer to use two or more single blades.
In general I propose to arrange two or more "gathering-in plates"
side by side, and a suitable number of knives for cutting the produce as
it is collected by the fingers of these plates. I may find it convenient
to append to the back of the mowing machine a rake, which, when it
has collected a given quantity of the cut produce, will, by its tines being
raised, leave the produce in ridges or heaps, ready to be gathered up
and removed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Kealy in the Great Seal Patent Office, un
the 29th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN KEALY, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Agri-
cultural Implement Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Kealy, Her special licence
that I, the said John Kealy, my executors, adininistrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Kealy, my executors, adininistra-
tors, and assigns, should at any time agree witli, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein ex-
pressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
he United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FJR MOWING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Kealy, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, 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

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Kealy, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
This Invention relates to certain improved arrangements of mowing
machinery, intended chiefly for the mowing of grass. In the accom-
panying Drawings, Fig. 1, shews in plan view, and Fig. 2, in sectional
elevation, an arrangement of mowing machinery to be worked by hand,
and especially applicable to the mowing of lawns, or wherever short
grass is required to be cut. it, d, is the main framing supported by the
axle b, of the running wheels c. This framing carries, at its lower end,
a horizontal segment plate or bar d, against the outer edge of which
(when the machine is in operation) the cut is made by the reciprocating
knife e, closing upon the blades of grass which stand up between it and
the segment plate. ',, are T shaped cast-iron pieces bolted to and
thereby serving to connect the opposite sides of the framing together,
and also carrying at their forward extremity a short vertical rock shaft f,
to which a bell crank lever g, is keyed. To the forward end of this bell
crank lever a bent rod h, is bolted, and to the lower end of this rod the
reciprocating knife e, is secured. This knife has two curved cutting
edges, which are intended to act alternately, and cut or mow down the
grass, whether the knife be moving to the right or left land. Con-
nected to the shorter arm of the bell crank lever g, is a rod i, the
opposite end of which is secured by a crank pin to a crank shaft k,
having bearings in the T pieces a', a. To this shaft k, a bevel wheel l
is keyed, into which gears a bevel wheel m, mounted on a central inclined
shaft n, which turns in bearings carried by the framing a.
The upper
or hinder end of this shaft carries a bevelled pinion which gears into
a similar pinion on a cross shaft o, supportel by brackets from the
framing; and attached to one extremity of this shaft is a winch handle
for giving motion to the knife e. On turning the winch handle the

page_text: %
is
shaft n, is caused to rotate; and by means of the bevil wheels 7, and m,
rotary motion is communicated to the crank shaft k, which, through the
connecting rod i, will cause the bell crank lever g, to rock and give a
vibrating motion to the bent rod h, which carries the knife e. The
movements of this rod are steadied by means of a stay h*, which
is bolted to the rock shaft f, and swings round therewith. The knife e,
must be so adjusted vertically with respect to the segment plate d, that
its cutting edges will just clear the forward edge of the plate as one jaw
of a pair of shears clears the other jaw; and its horizontal adjustment
must be such that the whole extent of the cutting edges will sweep over
the square edge of the segment plate. It will now be understood that
for every throw of the crank shaft the knife will be caused to describe
a segment of a circle, the centre of which is in the axis of the shaft f,
which segment will be about equal in length to the breadth of the
machine, and the depth of cut is determined by the steering or gauge
wheel P, which precedes the running wheels c, c, and is common to this
class of machines. At the hinder end of the framing a handle
provided to receive the forward thrust of the attendant, whereby the
machine is propelled forward when the knife is out of action. When,
however, the machine is in use, its forward motion is derived from the
power expended by the attendant in turning the winch handle, the
power being transmitted to the axle of the running wheels by the
mechanism colored red. But instead of using the winch handle,
the motion of the working parts may be derived from the running
wheels. In that case broader wheels must be used in order to present
the requisite amount of friction to the ground, to ensure their rotation
without scudding or slipping over the grass. As the machine is pushed
forward rotary motion is imparted to the axle b, which, through a
bevil wheel, on that axle, drives a pinion 8, on the lower end of
short shaft t, supported in bearings attached to the framing a. To
the upper end of this shaft a bevil wheel, is keyel, for the purpose of
driving a pinion v, keyed to the shaft n, and so through the wheels m,
and 7, giving motion to the crank shaft k, which imparts the vibrating
motion to the knife e. When it is required to throw the knife ont of
action, this may be readily done by sliding the bevil wheel 1, out of

page_text: gear
with the pinions, which may be effected through the agency of the
lever v.
A modification of this machinery intended to be used in connection
with horse power is shewn in Sheet II. of the Drawings. In this
arrangement two sets of knives are used; and instead of a reciprocating
motion being imparted to them, they are caused to rotate in opposite
directions, so as to gather in the grass or other standing crop, and
shear or mow it off against their respective segment guide plates.
Fig. 8, is a plan view, and Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectional elevation
(taken about the line A, B, of Fig. 3) of this machine. a, a, is the
main framing carried by running wheels b, b, and guide wheels c, c;
which latter are made adjustable to permit of the depression and
elevation of the forward end of the frame to suit the depth of cut
desired. To the arms d, of the running wheels cog-wheels e, e, are
keyed for the purpose of giving rotary motion (as the machine is pro-
pelled forward) to the horizontal shaft f, through the pinions g, g,
which are made fast to the shaft by a ratchet wheel and click arrange-
ment. From this shaft rotary motion is communicated through
chains h, h, and pulleys i, i, to the pulleys j, j, keyed on to the
horizontal shaft k. Mounted on the shaft k, are bevelled pinions 1, 1,
which gear respectively into pinions m, m, keyed to short axles n, n,
from which depend the frames that carry the rotating knives o, o.
These knives are of a sickle shape, and as they rotate they pass over
the segment plates p, p, which are secured to the forward end of the
frame, and constitute, as in the above-described arrangement, a resist-
ing edge for the knives to cut against. From the foregoing description
it will be understood that by the forward traverse of the machine, the
knives will be caused to rotate in opposite directions, as shewn by the
arrows, Fig. 3, and thereby gather in the crop, and shear or mow it off
against the forward edge of the segment plates. When the machine is
travelling to or from its work, the knives are to be thrown out of action
by allowing the pinions g, g, to run loose on the shaft f, which is effected
by releasing from the teeth of their ratchets the clicks which make the
connection between them and the shaft f. The axle of the guide
wheels c is carried by a central stem y, which is capable of being

page_text: slidden vertically in its bearings, for the purpose of regulating the depth
of cut of the knife; and by means of a lever, keyed to its upper end,
and a connecting rods, attached thereto, and brought near the hand of
the attendant, an axial motion may be given to this stem for the pur-
pose of shifting the position of the steering wheels, and so changing the
course of the machine.
In the Drawing provision is made for propelling the machine by
placing the horse in the rear or in advance of the machine. In the
one case the horse is harnessed into the shafts, t, and made to drive the
machine before him; and in the other, he is attached to the draft
rods 1, 1, and walks on that portion of ground which last came under
the operation of the machine. If thought desirable, a rake or shakers,
as at v. v, may be attached to the hinder part of the machine, for the
purpose of turning over the mown produce, or raking it into ridges.
Rotary motion may be communicated to the rake by means of endless
chains w, w, passing from pulleys a, a, on the shaft f, to pulleys y:
on the shaft, which carries the rake.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I wish it to be understood that, under the above in
part recited Letters Patent, I claim the arrangement of machinery for
nowing as above set forth, or any modification thereof, wherein the
knives are caused to act substantially in the same manner, as above
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Kealy, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness, J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
JOHN KEALY. (L.S.)