IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING AND MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Green, of the Smithfield Iron Works, Leeds, in
the County of York, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING AND
MOWING MACHINES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Green at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd September 1876.
THOMAS GREEN, of the Smithfield Iron Works, Leeds, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING AND MOWING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in sweeping and mowing
machines, and the improvements relate to a novel mode of driving the revolving
brush of sweeping machines and the revolving cutter of mowing machines.
For a sweeping machine I mount the brush on the same shaft as the side wheels.
The side wheels I provide with a ring of internal teeth to drive an intermediate
pinion on a stud on the outside plate, which transinits the motion from the internal
or driving wheels to a pinion on the centre of the brush shaft; this causes the brush
to revolve in the opposite direction to the driving wheels, therefore always sweeping
forwards.
The pinion on the brush shaft is required to be loose, and drives the brush one
way by a spring key, so that in going round corners it allows the outside wheel to
travel round freely. At the back of the revolving brush is a dust box, into which
the brush delivers.
The machine may be made of various sizes for sweeping carpets, gravel paths,
lawns, highways, or streets, &c.
The brush is made to expand, so that it may always be maintained at the
diameter required.
The above arrangement of machino, if driven in the opposite direction, is appli-
cable to lawn mowing, which will take bents and long grass, a revolving cylinder
with spiral cutters being substituted for the revolving brush.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Green in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd March
1877.
THOMAS GREEN, of the Smithfield Iron Works, Leeds, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SWEEPING AND NOWING MACHINES
This Invention has for its object improvements in sweeping and mowing
machines.
In the annexed Drawings Figures 1 is a front elevation partly in section, and
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a carpet or lawn sweeper constructed according to
my Invention. a, a, is the box or cart body, within it there are two receiving
spaces band' b, b, for receiving the dust or other sweepings When sweeping forward
the space b, b, receives the matter which is collected, and this space is of larger
capacity than the space b, which receives the sweepings when sweeping backwards.
c, c, is the rotary brush; its axis is carried in bearings in the sides of the box or
cart body a. d, d, are sheet-iron guards partly encucling the brush, and guiding
the sweepings into the receiving spaces. The brush c is driven by means of a pinion
on its axis in gear with a spur wheel on the axis of the carrying wheels. The wheel
and pinion are marked e and f, the main carrying wheels are marked g, and the axis
which carries the brushes is marked l. Or this machine may be driven by friction
wheels, bands, or chains. The distances of the brushes from the axis is adjustable,
the radial aims m which carry them being screws which work through holes tapped
in the axis. The arms m are loosely rivetted to the fixings of the brushes, and
they are also provided with square heads adapted to receive a spanner for turning
them The end wheel n is carried by a bracket o, which is adjustable up or down
by means of a screw and thumb nut, as the Drawing indicates. p¹ is a handle con-
nected with the box or cart body a at the point p; by means of the handle the
apparatus is drawn or pushed over the surface to be swept. The box or cart body is
provided with a cover to prevent the dust being scattered; this cover is marked a¹.
Figure 3 is a side elevation partly in section of a combined roller and sweeper for
turf or carriage ways; Figure 4 is a plan of the same also partly in section.
the box or cart body, c, the rotary brush, d, d, the sheet-iron guides; c and f, the
gear wheels; g, the main carrying wheels; and 6, the axes of these wheels, as before,
but in the arrangement here shown the power is transmitted from the axis to the
gear wheels e and f by means of a pitch chain working upon corresponding chain
wheels j,j. The bracket o carrying the wheel n is furnished with a stem o¹, which
passes through a socket at 2, and is adjustable up or down in it vare shafts to
receive a pony or other animal; they are connected with the arnis q of the bracket o.
g is the roller, it is on the same axis 7 with the carrying wheels g, and when it is
required to come into operation the wheels g are removed, or the machine may, if
preferred, be made without such wheels; or in other cases the roller g¹ may be
dispensed with.
a is
It will be observed that a ratchet is provided in connection with the gear wheel f
so that the brush does not rotate when the machine is backed.
Figure 5 is a side elevation, and Figure 6 is a plan of a sweeping machino con-
structed according to my Invention, and adapted especially for sweeping tramway
lines u is a rectangular frame; a driver's seat is mounted upon it, and it is carried
in rear by the main wheels y, g, and in fiont by the wheels . The wheels g have
flanges to run in the grooves of the tram line, and the wheels ? have spikes upon
them to break up any hard matter which may accumulate in these grooves. The
rotary brushes c are only of the width required to act effectually on the tram rails;
they are driven by spur wheels e and and a pitch chain h. The height of the
brushes is adjustable by means of the radial brackets t. With this machine the
sweepings are not collected into a box. When the machine is not travelling on
the tram line the wheel o is lowered so as to lift the spikes on the wheels off the
roadway, and the driving gear is thrown out of action by means of a clutch,

page_text: Similar apparatus to that shown at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 may be employed for
mowing, a spiral cutter such as is commonly employed in mowing machines being
substituted for the revolving brush, and driven in the reverse direction; this spiral
cutter works in connection with a straight fixed knife, as is usual in mowing
machines.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I claim, the construction of
sweeping and mowing machines, substantially as herein described and illustrated by
the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Green, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 28th day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
MTA