An Improved Machine for Trimming or Clipping Hedges.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 31st Mar., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Trimming or Clipping Hedges.
I, ETIENNE MARIE VALADIN of 71, Boulevard Voltaire, Paris, France,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved machine for trimming or clipping hedges
wherein is combined the mechanism for trimming the top and one side of the hedge
simultaneously.
The frame of the machine consists of two main parts adjustable to enable the top
cutters to be set to the height of the hedge.
The lower part of the frame consists of flat iron upright bars braced by a cross-
bar carrying a nut and mounted at their lower en is on the axle of the carrying
wheels.
The adjustable part of the frame consists of two other flat iron uprights braced
by cross-bars and sliding in guides; carried by the fixed uprights. In the lower
of these cross-bars is mounted a vertical adjusting screw which turns without
sliding therein and works in the nut above mentioned, whilst the upper cross-bar
carries a bearing in which turns a vertical crank-shaft whose crank operates, through
a connecting rod, the horizontal or top cutter bar. The uprights of the adjustable
part of the frame also carry the finger bar of the top cutters and likewise the
bearings of a horizontal crank-shaft whose crank operates, through a connecting
rod and rock lever, the cutter bar of the side cutters. This shaft also transmits
motion to the other crank shaft above mentioned by bevel pinions. The said shaft
carries a fly wheel and is operated by a winch handle through wheel and pinion
gear. The finger-bar of the. side cutters is fixed by bracket-arms to the lower or
fixed part of the frame and is provided at the upper part with a vertically-slotted
bracket which receives a stud carried by a strong bracket fixed to one of the
uprights of the upper or adjustable part of the frame the stud sliding in the slotted
bracket when the frame is adjusted so as to permit of the adjustment for height of
the top cutters whilst continuing to support the finger-bar of the side cutters
firmly in position. With the same object the connecting rod through which the
side cutters are operated is made in two parts connected by a slot and bolt to
permit of its being lengthened or shortened to accomodate the aforesaid adjustment
of the top cutters to the intended height of the hedge without involving any
displacement of the side cutters. By this means, it is only necessary, in order to
adjust the upper part of the frame with the top cutters and all the driving
mechanism carried by it, to slacken the two bolts, to turn the winch handle which
operates the vertical adjusting screw through bevel pinions, and to tighten up the
nuts again.
In consequence of this adjustability of the upper part of the machine, the
protecting apron which conveys the clippings to the ground is made in two parts,
the lower part being fixed to the finger-bar of the side cutters and to the bent
shaft or handle whilst the upper part of the apron is fixed to the upper cross-bar
In order to throw
of the adjustable frame and is free to slide over the lower part.
the top clippings directly upon the ground, I may apply in rear of the horizontal
finger bar a gathering device consisting of two endless aprons working in directions
at right angles to each other. The longitudinal apron runs upon a pair of rollers
and rests upon the trimmed top of the hedge from which it receives motion by
contact therewith as the machine travels along, whilst the. transverse apron runs
upon another pair of rollers at right angles to the first pair and at such a level
that the lower member of this apron runs between the two members of the longi-
tudinal apron the upper member of the transverse apron passing above and

page_text: receiving upon it the clippings, one of the rollers of this apron being geared to
one of the rollers of the other apron by skew bevel pinions or otherwise in such
manner as to cause the apron to deliver the clippings along with those of the side
cutters.
This double hedge trimming machine is a considerable improvement on other
previous ones inasmuch as it trims the top and side of the hedge simultaneously,
whilst the top cutters, by resting on the top of the hedge, steady the machine and
so diminish the labor of propelling and operating it, thus mcreasing its working
capacity. If, however, it is desired to use it as a single machine for trimming
only the top or the side of the hedge, this can be easily done. For a top trimmer
it is only necessary to unbolt the brackets carrying the side cutter bar and to
uncouple the connecting rod from the crank pin which operates the side cutters,
whilst for a side triminer it is only necessary to remove the horizontal finger bar
from the adjustable frame after having uncoupled the connecting rod from the
crank pin by which the top cutters are operated.
Dated this 31st day of July 1891.
E. M. VALADIN,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Trimming or Clipping Hedges.
1, ETIENNE MARIE VALADIN, of 71, Boulevard Voltaire, Paris, France,
Gentleman, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved machine for trimming or clipping hedges,
wherein is combined the mechanism for trimming the top and one side of the hedge
simultaneously, the present invention being a combination, in one machine, of the
two separate mechanisms described in the Specification of previous Letters Patent
dated the 16th day of January 1890, No. 868, by which these operations could
only be separately performed.
The frame of the machine consists of two main parts adjustable to enable the top
cutters to be set to the height of the hedge.
The lower part of the frame consists of flat iron upright bars C braced by a
cross-bar carrying a nut E and mounted at their lower ends on the axle F of
the carrying wheels A.
The adjustable part of the frame consists of two other flat iron uprights II braced
by cross-bars I, II and sliding in guides e carried by the fixed uprights C. In the
lower of these cross-bars is mounted a vertical adjusting screw J which turns
without sliding therein and works in the nut E above mentioned, whilst the upper
cross-bar carries a bearing K in which turns a vertical crank-shaft L whose
crank Qoperates, through a connecting rod R, the horizontal or top cutter bar S.
The uprights H of the adjustable part of the frame also carry the finger bar N of
the top cutters and likewise the bearings of a horizontal crank-shaft M whose
crank operates, through a connecting rod R' and rock lever T, the cutter bar
of the side cutters. This shaft M also transmits motion to the other crank shaft L
above mentioned by bevel pinions P. The said shaft carries a fly wheel V and
is operated by a winch handle M through wheel and pinion gear m, m'. The
finger-bar N of the side cutters is fixed by bracket arms C₁ to the lower or fixed
part C of the frame and is provided at the upper part with a vertically-slotted
bracket U which receives a stud carried by a strong bracket X fixed to one of
the uprights of the upper or adjustable part of the frame H, the stud sliding in
the slotted bracket when the frame is adjusted so as to permit of the adjustment
for height of the top cutters whilst continuing to support the finger-bar N' of the

page_text: side cutters firmly in position. With the same object the connecting rod R' through
which the side cutters are operated is made in two parts connected by a slot and
bolt to permit of its being lengthened or shortened to accomodate the aforesaid
adjustment of the top cutters to the intended height of the hedge without involving
any displacement of the side cutters. By this means, it is only necessary, in order
to adjust the upper part of the frame with the top cutters and all the driving
mechanism carried by it, to slacken the two bolts a, r, to turn the winch handle j
which cperates the vertical adjusting screw J through bevel pinions, and to tighten
up the nuts again.
In consequence of this adjustability of the upper part of the machine, the
protecting apron Z, Z which conveys the clippings to the ground is made in two
parts, the lower part Z being fixed to the finger-bar N¹ of the side cutters and to
the bent shaft or handle B, whilst the upper part 2 of the apron is fixed to the
upper cross-bar I' of the adjustable frame and is free to slide over the lower Z.
part
In order to throw the top clippings directly upon the ground, I may apply in rear
of the horizontal finger ar Na gathering device consisting of two endless aprons
working in directions at right angles to each other. The longitudinal apron runs
upon a pair of rollers 1, 2, and rests upon the trimmed top of the hedge from
which it receives motion by contact therewith as the machine travels along, whilst
the transverse apron runs upon another pair of rollers 3, 4 at right angles to the
first pair and at such a level that the lower member of this apron runs between
the two members of the longitudinal apron, the upper member of the transverse
apron passing above and receiving upon it the clippings, one of the rollers of this
apron being geared to one of the rollers of the other apron by skew bevel pinions 5
or otherwise in such manner as to cause the apron to deliver the clippings along
with those of the side cutters.
This double hedge trimming machine is a considerable improvement on other
previous ones inasmuch as it trims the top and side of the hedge simultaneously,
whilst the top cutters, by resting on the top of the hedge, steady the machine
and so diminish the labor of propelling and operating it, thus increasing its working
capacity. If, however, it is desired to use it as a single machine for trimming
only the top or the side of the hedge, this can be easile done. For a top trimmer
it is only necessary to unbolt the brackets C' carrying the side cutter bar and to
uncouple the connecting rod R' from the crank pin Q which operates the side
cutters, whilst for a side trimmer it is only necessary to remove the horizontal
finger bar N from the adjustable frame H after having uncoupled the connecting
rod R from the crank pin Q by which the top cutters are operated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1st. The combination, in one machine, of the herein described mechanisms for
simultaneously trimming the top and one side of a hedge, as described.
2nd. The combination, with the mechanisms for cutting the top and side of the
hedge, of the vertically-extensible main frame, the extensible connecting-rod K',
the adjustable connection with the bracket U, and the extensible apron in two
parts, whereby to enable the top cutters to be adjusted to the intended height
of the hedge independently of the side cutters, as specified.
3rd. In a hedge-clipping machine, the combination of endless aprons arranged to
work in two directions at right angles to each other, as described, for delivering the
top clippings to one side of the hedge, as specified.
Dated this 31st day of March 1892.
M. M. YA ALADIN,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.