Improvements in Journal Boxes for Lawn Mowers and other Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 9th May, 1893-Accepted, 8th July, 1893
Improvements in Journal Boxes for Lawn Mowers and other
Machines.
I, HENRY DECK, of 1615 North 23rd Street, Philadelphia, in the County of
Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Machinist, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statements:-
My improved journal boxes are adapted particularly for lawn mowers, in which
they may be used to support the journals of the shaft of the rotary cutter, and in
the accompanying drawings I have shown them so applied; but it will be
apparent that these journal boxes may be used in other machines than lawn
mowers.
The object of my invention is to obtain a journal box having adjustable
bearings, which may be easily fitted to the journal of the shaft, and may be
adjusted to take up wear. In attaining these results it is my object also to render
the adjustment as simple as possible.
:
In carrying out my invention, I employ a journal box having a stationary
member and a movable spring pressed member, the movable member being con-
trolled by a suitable adjusting device.
By this means the adjustment may be accomplished by a single adjusting pin or
screw and may be made from the upper side or top of the machine.
My improved journal box may be so applied that it will permit the shaft to
yield so as to permit the cutters or devices carried by the shaft to adjust them-
selves automatically to any irregularities or unevenness in the part with which
they make contact." This is particularly desirable in lawn mowers as it permits
the blades of the rotary cutter to be so adjusted that they will make constant
contact with the stationary or ledger knife, without danger of jambing.
In the drawings
:-
Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a lawn mower embodying my
improvements; and
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of one of the journal boxes of the rotary cutter shaft
illustrating a modification of the-invention."
A is one of the side frames of the machine.
B is one of the driving wheels.
C is the shaft of the rotary cutter carrying the usual spiral cutters c.
D is the stationary ledger knife carried by the bar E.
F is the usual guide roller carried by the side frames and located in the front of
the machine in the rear of the knife D.
ee are the usual adjusting screws for adjusting the cutter bar E.
It is immaterial to my invention in what manner the rotary cutter shaft C is
driven from the wheels B. For the purpose of illustration I have shown driving
mechanism of the character described in Letters Patent No. 208,788 dated
Oct. 8, 1878, granted in the United States of America.
G is a large driving gear driven by suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism by the
driving wheels B, and thence transmitting motion to the shaft C of the rotary
cutter through the gears G¹, G³.
His the journal box carried upon the inner face of each side frame A. This
journal box consists of a stationary bearing I carried by a bracket J upon the
frame A and a movable bearing K hinged or otherwise connected at one end as
atk with the stationary bearing I, the two parts I and K together forming a
substantially round bearing for the shaft C.

page_text: The movable part K may be positively hinged to the stationary part I or it may
be connected therewith by inserting its rounded edge in a groove i in the part I,
as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
L is a spring bearing upon the movable part of the journal box to permit
the movable part to yield, this forming a yielding bearing for the cutter shaft c.
To adjust the tension of the spring, prefer to employ an adjusting screw M
carried in an extension i of the bracket and having a shoulder or offset m against
which the outer end of the spring bears.
N is an adjusting screw carried by one of the parts I and K and bearing upon
-the other, by means of which the movable bearing K may be positively adjusted 1
to and from the stationary bearing: I.; and as this adjusting screw is carried by one
of the parts only it does, not obstruct the movement of the movable part under
the, control of the spring L.. The .screw N thus constitutes a stop to limit the
movement of the movable part of the bearing under the action of the spring.
In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the movable part K constitutes the lower
bearing, while in the construction shown in Fig. 2 the movable part is above and
forms the upper bearing.
In the latter construction the movable bearing. K being the upper portion of
the journal box, permits the shaft C to yield and thus adjust its cutters c auto-
matically to any unevenness or irregularity in the ledger or stationary knife D.
With this construction, the cutters c may be adjusted so as to make contact with
the cutting edge of the ledger blade D, without danger of jambing, and thus a
more perfect cutting. action may be obtained and the blades will sharpen
'themselves.
21 A great advantage in employing the movable yielding portion K, is that the
bearings may be adjusted to fit the shaft and take up wear solely by the adjustment
of a single screw M, instead of by the tightening of one screw and the loosening of
another as has been necessary heretofore. Another advantage of this construction
is that the adjustment may be made solely from the upper side of the machine as
the adjusting screws are presented upward, and it is not necessary to turn over
the machine to make the adjustment.
. I
While I prefer the minor details of construction that have been shown, I do not
limit myself to them as it is apparent that they may be varied without departing
from my invention.
'
While my journal box is particularly adapted for lawn mowers, it is apparent that
it may be applied to other machines.also.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The journal box consisting of the stationary member and the yielding member
spring pressed toward the stationary thember.
2. The journal box consisting of the stationary member and the spring, pressed
yielding member specified in Claim one. together with an adjustable.stop.carried by