IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING AND GRASS CUTTING AND TURF CUTTING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Green, of the Smithfield Iron Works,
in Leeds, in the County of York, Iron Founder, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING AND GRASS CUTTING AND TURF CUTTING
MACHINES."
Sealed the 9th December 1875, and dated the 7th July 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Green at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th July 1875.
I, THOMAS GREEN, of the Smithfield Iron Works, in Leeds, in the
County of York, Iron Founder, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING AND GRASS CUTTING AND TURP
CUTTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in mowing and grass
cutting and turf cutting machines.
For turf cutting I have a fixed steel plate which is screwed on the
side of the mowing machine, and is adjustable for cutting various

page_text: depths. It is of triangular shape, and cuts downwards at an angle
of about 60 degrees; it has the bottom corner turned outwards for
under cutting.
For clipping the edges of turf I employ a star clipper fitted on to the
mowing machine. The star clipper revolves against a fixed knife and
cuts with it as a pair of shears.
The motion for working the star clipper is derived from the revolving
drums which work loosely on the shaft. The shaft, as is usual in
mowing machines, is driven from the drums by means of ratchet gear.
A ring of internal gear teeth is keyed on the shaft, and these teeth gear
with a pinion on the axis of the star cutter.
The star cutter is kept to the fixed knife by means of a spiral spring
which is inserted in the chamber of the bearing of the cutter shaft,
and presses against the pinion on the cutter shaft, thus bringing the
cutter against the fixed knife which keeps it always up to its work.
The drum being in two parts allows the machine to turn freely when
working round corners.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Green in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 6th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GREEN, of the Smithfield Iron Works, in Leeds, in the County of York,
Iron Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Green, Her special license
that I, the said Thomas Green, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Green, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for “ IMPROVEMENTS IN
MOWING AND GRASS CUTTING AND TURF CUTTING MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Green, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Green, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in mowing and grass
cutting and turf cutting machines.
For turf cutting I have a fixed steel plate which is screwed on to
the side of a mowing machine, and is adjustable for cutting various
depths. It is of triangular shape, and cuts downwards at an angle
of about 60 degrees; it has the bottom corner turned outwards for
under cutting, and may be in the form of a T for under cutting on
each side.
Figure 1 is a side view, and Figure 2 is a plan showing such a cutting
plate fixed at the side of the roller of a mowing machine; or a similar
cutting plate may be mounted in front of the rollers in the manner
shown at Figures 3, 4, and 5; Figure 3 is a side elevation; Figure 4,
a front clevation; and Figure 5 is a plan. The front roller on one side
of Figure 5 is in section.
For clipping the edges of grass I employ a revolving clipper which
revolves against a fixed knife.
Figure 6 is a side elevation; Figure 7 is a plan; and Figure 8 a
transverse section. a is a roller (it may be the roller of a mowing
machine, but here it is not so); it is mounted on the axis b. The axis
is carried in sockets in the roller ends c which are fixed to the handle
d of the implement; e is a wheel with internal teeth keyed upon the
axis ; it drives a pinion f having on its axis the revolving clipper J.

page_text: The revolving clipper works up against the fixed knife which is
clamped to one of the roller ends. When the roller rotates forwards
it drives the axis by means of the ratchet arrangement i, as in a
mowing machine; k is a spring which presses the revolving clipper
up to the knife.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that I
claim, the construction of mowing and grass cutting machines and turf
cutting machines, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I, the said Thomas Green, have hereunto 1
set my hand and scal, this Thirty-first day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five
THOS. GREEN. (L.S.)
Dec. 31 1875.