An Improved Apparatus for Sod Cutting and or Garden and Field Weed Destroying.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1890-Accepted, 10th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Sod Cutting and or Garden and Field
Weed Destroying.
We, JAMES FAIRBAIRN, of Whitehall Road, Landscape Gardener, GRIFFITH DAVID
JONES, of Westfield, Schoolmaster, and ALFRED BRIGGS, Gentleman, of Westfield
House, all of Wyke, near Bradford, in the County of York, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:
Our apparatus consists of a suitable frame for horse and hand power, in the front
of which is mounted an adjustable roller carrying a circular cutting knife which
makes the vertical cut in the sod to any required depth. The sods are cut underneath
by an adjustable horizontal blade or share fixed in the centre of the frame.
adjustable roller is placed at the back to balance the machine and keep the knives in
contact with the sods.
A second
For scruffling or hoeing gardens or fields the circular blade is removed and two
horizontal blades (adjustable in the frame sides) are brought into action and may be
used on the outside of frame in combination with the horizontal sod cutting knife, or
inside the frame, and the sod cutting knife may be removed. A third adjustable
roller provided with spikes may be affixed to the rear of machine to assist in scruffling
or hoeing the ground.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Swan Arcade, Bradford, Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Apparatus for Sod Cutting and for Garden and Field
Weed Destroying.
We, JAMES FAIRBAIRN, Landscape Gardener, of Whitehall Road, Griffith
DAVID JONES, Schoolmaster, of Westfield, and ALFRED BRIGGS, of Westfield House,
all of Wyke, near Bradford, in the County of York, 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 an implement, to take the place of the push plough, sod
knife, spade, hoe and rake. Our implement is constructed with or without rollers or
wheels for use in sod cutting, and also by changing the forms of cutters or tools for
destroying the weed in gardens or fields, the implement can be made for hand, horse,
steam or other motive power.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of our improved implement with rollers, and with scruffling
tools applied, as well as the sod cutting arrangements.
Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows detached plan of scraper for front
roller.
Fig. 3 shows the implement without rollers and with a small circular sod cutter.
Figs. 4 and 5 are plans of implement with scruffling blades attached.
Fig. 6 is a hand roller with circular blade for cross cutting the sods.
Figs. 7 and 8 are modified details of sod cutting blades.
A is the frame of implement, B the handles, C the head from which the implement
is pulled. D and E are the front and back adjustable rollers on which the machine
runs, and is balanced. When used for sod cutting the front roller D carries a circular

page_text: blade F which vertically cuts the sod, the blade G carried by the cross bar H cuts
horizontally the required thickness below the surface of the sod, it cutting half the
required width on each side of the vertical cut forming the division of the sods;
the next cut makes the other half of the sod, and half of the next and so on.
Scrapers M are applied to remove the dirt from the rollers D and E.
In place of the large circular cutter, the small cutters D' shown at Fig. 3 may be
used, and the rollers dispensed with, the implement sliding on the pieces L, which
may be adjustable, or the modified blades shown at Figs. 7 and 8 may be used and
the circular blade dispensed with; the blades, knives and rollers are fixed so as to be
adjustable and so regulate the thickness of the cut.
When used for scruffling or weed destroying the circular cutter F is dispensed
with and two additional blades J are added, the spiked roller K revolves by coming
in contact with the ground, as the implement moves forward and throws out the
weeds to the surface.
For cross cutting, the circular hand cutter shown at Fig. 6 is used. The weed
destroying blades H₁ may be fixed as at Fig. 4, or horizontal blades G¹ may be used
as shown at Fig. 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
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1. An implement for sod cutting, with or without rollers, which, as it travels cuts
horizontally under the sod and vertically dividing the sod, substantially such as shown
and described.
2. An implement for sod cutting, to which can be applied weed destroying blades,
which asthe implement travels cuts horizontally, and throw upthe weeds, substantially
such as shown and described.
3. In the sod cutting and weed destroying implement the general arrangement and
construction of apparatus substantially such as shown and described.
4. For cross cutting, the roller, knife and frame, substantially such as shown and
described.
Dated this Thirty-first day of March, 1890.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Crossley Street, Halifax, Agent for the Applicants.