IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES." A communication from
abroad by William Jones Lloyd, William Wright Supplee, and Coates Walton,
all of the United States of America, Hardware Manufacturers and Merchants,
Sealed the 26th July 1878, and dated the 4th April 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th April 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES."
Southampton Buildings, London.
[A communication from abroad by William Jones Lloyd, William Wright Supplee,
and Coates Walton, all of the United States of America, Hardware Manufacturers
and Merchants.]
This Invention relates to improvements in lawn mowing machines, and comprises
various details of construction, that is to say, sectional caps fitted to the driving
shaft, and having ratchets on their inner faces for imparting proper motions to the
gearing of the rotary knives or cutters.
Also a driving shaft constructed of tubular form clutched to one of the wheels of
the gearing, and enclosing a stay rod for firmly binding together the side plates or
frame of the machine.
Also bearings of the cutter shaft formed with adjustable caps or parts which may
be moved in right lines and axially.
Also a box enclosing the gearing or portions thereof, and made in sections of
equal or nearly equal parts for making the same of equal or nearly equal strength.
Also mounting the stationary knife or cutter on bosses projecting from the side
plates or frame, whereby the said knife may be readily adjusted, and the wearing
action is removed from the holding bolt or screws.
Also providing the rotating cutting cylinder with lugs for attaching and bracing
the cutters or knives.

page_text: And lugs on the side plates or frame for the easy and frm attachment of the
handle to the machine.
In carrying the said Invention into practice, the driving wheels are fitted loosely
on a hollow or tubular shaft, and firmly attached to said shaft are sectional caps
which are arranged adjacent to the inner faces of the wheels.
The inner faces of the said caps have circularly arranged ratchets with which
engage spring pawls fitted in openings in the hubs of the wheels, and projecting
transversely therefrom.
A stay rod is passed through the said tubular shaft, and its ends are keyed to the
side plates or frame of the machine. The said rod serves to bind together or stay
the side plates or frame of the machine, and to increase the strength of the
structure.
One side of the machine consists of a box, within which is fitted gearing for
communicating motion from the driving shaft to the rotary cutter, and a "master
wheel" of said gearing is fixed to a piece of tubing which is tongued or clutched
with the aforesaid tubular shaft. By this provision the machine may be separated
or dismembered without disturbing or removing the said "master wheel within
the box, as the said tubular shaft and the piece of tubing on which the said wheel
is mounted may be readily disconnected.
"
The rotary cutter which is properly mounted on the side plates or frame, may be
of skeleton or solid form. On the face of the discs or heads of the cylinder, there
are transversely extending lugs cast therewith, and at the back of the lugs are ribs.
The knives or cutters are rivetted to said lugs, and they are thus braced and
securely held.
In order to compensate for the wear of the shaft of the rotary cutter, a portion of
each bearing of said shaft is made removable, and it is fitted to the stationary
portion by a hinge-like joint. Screws are fitted to proper portions of the frame,
and one of them is adapted to bear against the centre of the cap or removable
portion of the bearing, and the other against the free end of the cap.
The two screws permit the cap to be moved against the shaft both in right lines
and axially, and thus the cap may be accurately adjusted relatively to the shaft.
Projecting inwardly from the sides of the frame at the rear of the machine, are
bosses, and on the same are fitted the upright portions of the bed of the stationary
knife. Holding screws or bolts are passed through the frame and bosses, and by
means of bolts or studs the said bed may be adjusted, and the wearing action is
removed from the holding screws or bolts. As the bed may turn on the bosses,
provision is made for the adjustment of the stationary knife. At the sides of the
frame there are lugs which are cast therewith, and have upwardly projecting
portions. Arms attached to a handle are provided with slots at their lower ends,
the size and form thereof corresponding to the said lugs.
In order to attach the handle to the machine, the said arms are fitted over the
said lugs, the projections overlapping the walls of the slots. The upper ends of the
arms are then bolted to the handle, and as said arms are prevented from movement
in any direction, there is provided a firm, simple, and convenient attachment of the
handle and machine.
It is evident that when the machine is moved forward against the grass, the
aforesaid pawls on the driving wheels engage with the ratchets of the caps on the
tubular shaft. This imparts motion to the said tubular shaft, and thus to the
gearing whereby the rotary cutter is operated.
When the machine is drawn back, the said pawls being permitted to yield, ride
freely over the ratchets without imparting movements thereto, whereby the rotary
cutter remains stationary.
The caps being made in sections are easily applied to and removed from the
driving shaft, and as the ratchets are on the inuer faces of the caps, they are
prevented from being clogged by grass, dirt, or other matters.
The rear box is made in sections of two equal or nearly equal parts, which when

page_text: in position, meet at or about the centre of the box, so as to properly enclose the
gearing, thus also providing convenient means for opening and closing the box, and
constructing the two parts of equal or nearly equal strength. Moreover the gearing
is entirely enclosed and protected from clogging.
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 4th
October 1878.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES."
A communication from abroad by William Jones Lloyd, William Wright Supplee,
and Coates Walton, all of the United States of America, Hardware Manufacturers
and Merchants.
This Invention relates to improvements in lawn mowing machines, and comprises
various details of construction, that is to say, sectional caps fitted to the driving
shaft, and having ratchets on their inner faces for imparting proper motions to the
gearing of the rotary knives or cutters.
Also a driving shaft constructed of tubular form clutched to one of the wheels of
the gearing, and enclosing a stay rod for firmly binding together the side plates or
frame of the machine or apparatus.
Also bearings of the cutter shaft formed with adjustable caps or parts which may
be moved in right lines and axially.
12
Also a box enclosing the gearing or portions thereof, and made in sections of
equal or nearly equal parts for making the same of equal or nearly equal strength.
Also mounting the stationary knife or cutter on bosses projecting from the side
plates or frame, whereby the said knife may be readily adjusted, and the wearing
action is removed from the holding bolt or screws.
Also providing the rotating cutting cylinder with lugs for attaching and bracing
the cutters or knives.
And lugs on the side plates or frame for the easy and firm attachment of the
handle to the said machine or apparatus.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a plan or top view of the said Invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same, a portion being removed.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line x, x, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a face and sectional view of a ratchet cap detached.
Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line y, y, Figure 1.
Figure is a section of one boss or bearing of the stationary knife.
Figure 7 is a side and sectional view of the attachment of the handle.
A, A, are the driving wheels which are fitted loosely on a hollow or tubular shaft
B, and firmly attached to said shaft, are sectional caps C, which are arranged
adjacent to the inner faces of the wheels.

page_text: The inner faces of the caps have circularly arranged ratchets D, with which
engage spring pawls E, fitted in openings in the hubs of the wheels, and projecting
transversely therefrom.
F represents a stay rod which is passed through the tubular shaft B, and its ends
are keyed to the side plates or frame of the apparatus. The rod serves to bind
together or stay the side plates or frame of the apparatus, and increase the strength
of the structure.
One side of the said machine or apparatus consists of a box G, within which is
fitted gearing for communicating notion from the driving shaft to the rotary cutter,
and the "master wheel" H of said gearing is fixed to a piece of tubing which is
tongued or clutched with the tubular shaft B. By this provision the apparatus
may be separated or dismembered without disturbing or removing the "master
wheel" within the box, as the shaft B and the piece of tubing on which the said
wheel is mounted may be readily disconnected.
K represents the rotary cutter which is properly mounted on the side plates or
frame, and it may be of skeleton or solid form. On the face of the discs or heads of
the cylinder there are transversely extending lugs L cast therewith, and at the
back of the lugs are ribs a. The knives or cutters are rivetted to the said Jugs, and
they are thus braced and securely held.
In order to compensate for the wear of the shaft of the rotary cutter, a portion J
of each bearing of said shaft is made removable, and it is fitted to the stationary
portion by a hinge-like joint. Screws b, b¹, are fitted to proper portions of the
frame, and one of them is adapted to bear against the centre of the cap or removable
portion of the bearing, and the other against the free end of the cap.
The two screws permit the cap to be moved against the shaft, both in right lines
and axially, and thus the cap may be nicely adjusted relatively to the shaft..
Projecting inwardly from the sides of the frame at the rear of the apparatus are
bosses M, and on the same are fitted the upright portions of the bed of the stationary
knife. Holding screws or bolts are passed through the frame and bosses, and by
means of bolts or studs, said bed may be adjusted, and the wearing action is
removed from the holding screws or bolts. As the bed may turn on the bosses,
provision is made for the adjustment of the stationary knife. At the sides of the
frame there are lugs N which are cast therewith, and have upwardly projecting
portions d. The arms P attached to the handle Rare provided with slots e at their
lower ends, the size and form thereof corresponding to the lugs N.
In order to attach the handle to the apparatus, the arms P are fitted over the
lugs N, the projections overlapping the walls of the slots e. The upper ends of
the arms are then bolted to the handle, and as said arms are prevented from
movement in any direction there is provided a firm, simple, and convenient attach-
ment of the handle and apparatus.
It is evident that when the apparatus is moved forward against the grass, the
pawls E on the driving wheels engage with the ratchets of the caps C. This
imparts motion to the shaft B, and thus to the gearing, whereby the rotary cutter
is operated.
When the apparatus is drawn back, the pawls E being permitted to yield, ride 4
freely over the ratchets without imparting movements thereto, whereby the rotary
cutter remains stationary.
The caps being made in sections, are easily applied to and removed from the
driving shaft, and as the ratchets are on the inner faces of the caps, they are
prevented from being clogged by grass, dirt, or the like.
The gear box G is made in sections of two equal or nearly equal parts, which
when in position meet at or about the centre of the box, so as to properly enclose
the gearing, thus also providing convenient means for opening and closing the box,
and constructing the two parts of equal or nearly equal strength. Moreover the
gearing is entirely enclosed and protected from clogging.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
G
5

page_text: stood that I claim the said improvements in lawn mowing machines or apparatus,
as and for the purposes specified, that is to say,―
First. The sectional ratchet caps fitted to the driving shaft.
Second. The driving shaft constructed of tubular form, and clutched to one of the
wheels of the gearing of the rotary cutter.
Third. The tubular driving shaft with an enclosed stay rod.
Fourth. The bearings of the cutter shaft formed with moveable caps which are
jointed to the stationary portions, and provided with screws so as to be adjusted in
right lines and axially.
Fifth. The gear box formed in sections of equal or nearly equal parts.
Sixth. The stationary knife mounted on bosses through which the holding screws
or bolts are passed.
Seventh. The rotary cutter formed with transversely extending lugs.
Eighth. The handle attached to the side plates or frame by means of lugs with
overlapping portions.
Ninth. The combination in a lawn mower of the sectional ratchet caps, driving
wheels, tubular shaft, sectional gear box, and cutters.
Tenth, The combination with the side plates or fraine of a lawn mower of
adjustable caps for the shaft of the rotary cutter and bosses for the stationary
cutter.
Eleventh. A lawn mowing machine consisting of the parts or devices shewn in
the accompanying Drawing, and constructed, combined, and operating as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
IM DOPT TATZE
IUM PORT
ROBT LAKE.
(L.S.)