An Improved Implement for Removing Weeds or other Plants from Lawns or Garden Beds.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 28th July, 1891-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Implement for Removing Weeds or other Plants from
Lawns or Garden Beds.
MARK FRANCIS NAPIER and HENRY HARDINGE CUNYNGHAME, both
Barristers at Law Temple, London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
We use a tool fitted to a spade or other convenient handle in shape resembling
a gun wad cutter, preferably circular in shape and either completely closed or
nearly so. It is sharpened round the lower edge. This is pressed down on the
grass or earth to a convenient depth leaving the weed or plant in the centre. A
slight turn is given to the handle when the block of carth surrounding the weed is
lifted out by raising the handle. Each successive weed or plant so cut may be
arranged to drive the preceding one out of the tool and the instrument may be
employed to cut fresh turf or soil to fill up the hole left when the weed is removed.
Dated this 20th day of November 1890.
MARK F. NAPIER.
HENRY HARDINGE CUNYNGHAME.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Implement for Removing Weeds or other Plants from
Lawns or Garden Beds.
We, MARK FRANCIS NAPIER and HENRY HARDINGE CUNYNGHAME both
Barristers at Law, Temple, London, 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 :-
Our invention consists of a tool fitted to a spade or other convenient handle with
a blade in shape resembling a gun wad cutter, preferably circular in shape and
either completely closed or nearly so.
The
Fig. 1 will shew one form of the tool. The handle of this tool is wholly of iron
but it might if preferred, be of wood. B is the cutter or blade consisting of a
cylindrical piece of steel tube 34 inches long, and 24 inches in diameter. These
dimensions will be found convenient, but may be varied. For ladies use a smaller
diameter, say of 2 inches may be employed as it requires less labour to use.
tube is fitted into a holder C and secured either by pins or screws, or by means of
a screw cut upon the cylinder or in any other manner usual in fitting pieces of iron
or steel together, or the tube and its holder may all be forged in one piece. It is
important to the working of the machine that the tube should be as smooth and
cylindrical as possible, and as thin as is consistent with strength. A thickness
of th inch will be found convenient for a tube 2 inches in diameter. The tube
may be cut off from the well known rolled steel tubes.
Figures 2, 3, 4 shew other forms of the tool. In Figure 4 it will be noticed that
a portion of the circular cutting blade is cut away. This has a useful effect in
diminishing friction when the tool is to be used in very hard ground. But in
moderately soft ground we have found that it is not needful.
It will easily be seen that very various shapes and forms may be given to the
instrument. Sometimes we dispense with a handle and simply knock the cutting
blade in with a mallet. Figure 6 shews a tool adapted for such use.
When a tool with a stirrup-shaped upper part is used, as in Figures 2, 3, or 4 it
is well that the height of the stirrup should exceed the length of the blade of the

page_text: cutter so as to allow of the sods being driven out one by the other and falling
away freely.
It is not indispensable, but it is an advantage to have a projection of some sort
as in Figures 1, 3, 4 at the top of the cylinder so as to prevent the cutter being
driven into the earth too far. This projection may be either circular, round the
top of the cutter or may consist of lugs. In Figures 3, 4, the same lugs upon which
the foot is placed to drive the blade home serve also to prevent it from going too
far into the ground.
Sometimes we make our blades triangular or square in cross section but we
prefer the circular form as it admits of being twisted round when in the ground
and thus facilitates the removal of the tool.
We sometimes pierce the cylindrical blade with holes so as to diminish_friction
but we have not found this indispensable. Figures 7 and 8 shew two blades with
holes in them.
The mode of using the tool is as follows. The ground should be moderately soft
or if very hard should be previously watered. Then the cutter is placed with the
handle vertical and the blade surrounding a weed or plant which it is desired to
remove. It is then driven down by pressing the foot on the projecting lug or lugs.
It may then be slightly twisted when it can be easily drawn out bringing with it a
cylindrical plug or sod of earth. The tool is then placed over another weed, and
on pressing down the second plug or sod drives out the first and so on. It is of
great importance that the diameter of the blade should not be made too large,
otherwise the labour will be found very considerable. For a man of average
strength and with average hardness of soil we have found that the above diameter
of 2 inches is the largest size that can conveniently be employed without over
taxing the powers of the. workman who has to cut great numbers of sods. As soon
as the weeds or other plants have been removed the holes thus left are filled up
with plugs or sods cut with the same or a similar tool from clean turf. These,
when fitted into the holes from which the said weeds or plants have been removed,
will fill those holes exactly so that the join is hardly perceptible and in a few days
after rain or watering will quite disappear.
Having now particularly described and
invention and in what manner the same is
claim is.
ascertained the nature of our said
performed we declare that what we
1. A tool as above described for cutting out sods or plugs of carth with the
weeds or plants growing in them and for cutting other sods or plugs of earth to fill
the holes so made.
2. The method of repairing or renewing lawns or grass which are troubled with
weeds or other plants which it is desired to remove, by means of a tool as above
described, and of filling up the holes so made with clean turf.
3. The tool substantially as above described.
4. The use in such a tool of a cylinder consisting of a piece cut off from a
rolled or drawn steel tube substantially as described, and inserted into a holder
substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of Inly 1801
4
MARK FRANCIS NAPIER.
HENRY HARDINGE CUNYNGHAME.