AN IMPROVED LAWN MOWING MACHINE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED LAWN MOWING MACHINE."—A com-
munication from abroad by Everett G. Passmore, of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania United States of America
Sealed the 3rd April 1872, and dated the 19th February 1872.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 19th February 1872, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
LAWN MOWING MACHINE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto
me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters

page_text: Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has
been communicated to me from abroad by Everett G. Passmore, of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification under my hand and 5
seal fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, forming
a part of this Specification.
The object of this machine is to keep a lawn smooth. It is pushed 1
forward by hand and its cutting apparatus is driven by the revolution of
the carrying wheels, so as to trim the grass to the height desired.
The cut ends of the grass are thrown into a box, which is discharged by
turning it over.
Figure 3 is a front elevation with the box removed and showing one
wheel in transverse section.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, with the box removed and the wheel
shewn in longitudinal section.
Figure 5 is an outside view of one of the castings which form the
frame of the machine. Figure 6 is an inside view and Figure 7 a plan,
or top view thereof.
Figure 8 is an end view of the revolving cutter.
Figure 9 is a plan of the cap or bearing of the journal of the revolving
cutter. Figure 10 is a side view thereof.
Figure 11 is a longitudinal section through the pinion and journal of
the revolving cutter.
These Drawings represent a machine of 14 inches width of cut;
Figures 9, 10, and 11 being full size, and the other Figures on a scale of
2
2
3

page_text: 3 inches to the foot. The size of the machine and proportion of the
parts may of course be varied.
The frame of this improved lawn mower consists of two castings A, A,
rigidly connected by the girth B, to which they are keyed. Each of these
castings is in the shape of a disc, on which are several projections herein-
after mentioned, the largest of which are the lug C and axle D. The
axles D, D, project through the sleeves or hubs e, e, of the wheels E, E,
which are secured on them by linch pins or other convenient means.
The slotted brackets G, G, which form an extension of the main frame
and receive the journals of the guide roller H, are attached to the
lugs C, C, under and against the flanges c, c, by means of bolts and
set nuts F, F. The machine is thus supported on the wheels and
roller. To the flanges I, I, on the castings A, A, are screwed the
extremeties of the cast-iron dead knife or stationary cutter J, whose
upper surface is faced with a steel blade.
K, K, are the journals of the revolving cutter, which is cast with
spiral flanges L, L; the blades of this cutter are thin steel strips I, I,
bolted to the flanges, so that the strips may be set further out as
their edges wear away. The journals K have their bearings in the
discs A.
Each wheel E is cast with a sleeve or hub e, and inwardly projecting
flange a, and an internal gear wheel a¹ meshing into the loose pinion 6 on
the journal K. The inner surface of this pinion is broken into ratchets
k; and from a recess in the journal projects a pawl k¹, pressed outward
against the pinion by a spring k², so that, when the machine is
pushed forward the journals and cutter will revolve, but when
it is backed the ratchets will slip over the pawl without turning the
cutter.
The bail M, M, attached to the handle N is pivoted at m, m, to the
discs A, A, and its movement about the pivots is limited by stops m³, m³,
cast on each of said discs. A sheet metal guard O is inserted between
the guides g, g, cast on the lugs c and rests on the dead knife J. To the
dumping box P, made of sheet metal or other suitable material, are
attached the arms Q, Q, pivoted at q to the bail M. The curvature p
in the front of the box rests on the girth B.
In the operation of this machine the forward revolution of the wheels
and gearing revolves the spiral cutter which shears off the grass between.

page_text: its edge and the edge of the stationary cutter, and throws the cut grass
into the box P, the guard O preventing it from falling to the rear. The
box is discharged by turning it over on its pivots q, for which purpose a
cord or rod connected with the handle may be employed. The height of
cut may be varied by adjusting the slotted brackets G.
The guide roller in lawn mowers has heretofore been placed either
between the wheels and cutting apparatus or in front of both. The
defect of the latter arrangement is that the roller beats down the grass in
front of the cutters, and the former arrangement causes the cutting
apparatus, whenever the roller passes over an obstruction or rise in the
ground, to be elevated much more than the height of such obstruction.
To obviate these defects and obtain a more even cut, I arrange the
cutters behind the wheels and in front of the roller so that the passage
of the roller over an elevation shall not lift the cutters as high as the
roller.
The cutting apparatus being thus arranged in rear of the wheels and
in front of the roller permits compactness and lightness by the arrange-
ment of these parts close together, and by making the wheels of small
diameter; and in order to give the cutting apparatus an unobstructed
approach to the grass and allow room for the operation of the revolving
cutter, the girth B which connects the discs A, A, or sides of the main
frame is keyed to them at points above their centres.
Lawn mowers have frequently been constructed with a counterweight
to balance the cutting apparatus and throw the entire weight of the
machine as far as possible on the wheels. The necessity for such device
is obviated by placing the box P, forward of the wheels, so that being
supported by the eccentric girth B, it counterbalances the cutting
apparatus, and nearly the whole weight of the machine is employed to
increase the traction of the driving wheels.
The castings A, A, not only form the frame of the machine, but also
enclose the gearing within the flanged wheels, protecting it so that it
cannot be choked by the small pieces of cut grass that fill the air in the
vicinity of the revolving cutter, and in order to protect the journals
and bearings of said cutter the discs A have flanges R cast on their
inner sides.

page_text: Seventh. The disc A having the lug C, axle D, and flange R cast
thereon.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and 5
seventy-two.
Witness,
EDWARD C. JACKSON.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EVERITT
GRISCOM PASSMORE, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, No. 538, did, for Herself,
Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto William Robert Lake, of
the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Company, Patent Agents, Southampton
Buildings, London, Her special license that he, the said William Robert
Lake, his executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as he,
the said William Robert Lake, his executors, administrators, or 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 vend, within the United Kingdom

page_text: of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention of "AN IMPROVED LAWN MOWING MACHINE," a communication
to him from abroad by me, the said Everitt Griscom Passmore:
And whereas the said William Robert Lake by a Complete Specifi-
cation, being an instrument in writing under his hand and seal, did
particularly describe the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and caused the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office, with his Petition and Declaration, on the
Nineteenth day of February One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two, pursuant to the Ninth Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act,
1852:
And whereas by an Indenture of Assignment bearing date the Twelfth
day of June One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, made
between the said William Robert Lake of the one part, and myself, the
said Everitt Griscom Passmore, of the other part, the said Letters Patent
and Invention, and all and singular the rights and privileges thereby
granted became and are now absolutely vested in me, the said Everitt
Griscom Passmore:
And whereas since the filing of the said Complete Specification, I,
the said Everitt Griscom Passmore, have been advised that those parts
of the Invention which are comprised under the first, third, fourth, fifth,
and sixth claiming clauses set forth at the end of the said Specification
were of doubtful novelty at the date of the said William Robert Lake's
said application for Letters Patent; but I was then residing in the United
States of America, and was not aware that there was any doubt that any
part of the said Invention was not new: I am therefore desirous of
disclaiming the said first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth claiming clauses,
and of introducing certain disclaiming clauses in the body of the said
Specification, and otherwise to alter the said Specification.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Everitt Griscom Passmore, by and
with the leave of Her Majesty's Solicitor-General, and for the reasons
aforesaid, do alter the said Specification by inserting the words "but I
do not claim this particular arrangement or disposition of the cutters as
forming any part of this Invention" after the word "roller" in line 15,
page 4, of the Specification as printed in the Queen's Printers' copy of
the said Specification, and published at the Great Seal Patent Office in
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two; also of inserting the

page_text: "
words "but I do not claim this arrangement or disposition of the box as
forming any part of this Invention" after the words " driving wheels
in line 29, page 4, of the said printed copy of the said Specification;
also of inserting in parenthesis the words "to which however I make
no claim" after the words "the following means" in line 3, page 5, of
the said printed copy of the said Specification. I am also desirous of
striking out the first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth claiming clauses
on page 5 of the said printed copy of the said Specification. And in
order that the two remaining clauses may read in their proper order, I am
desirous of substituting the word "First for the word "Second," in
line 21, page 5 of the said printed copy of the said Specification, and of
substituting the word " Second for the word "Seventh," in line 1,
printed-copy-of-the-said
"
""
page 6, of the said printed copy of the said
Specification.
And in order that the effect of the said Disclaimer and Memorandum
of Alteration may be better understood, I annex hereto a copy of the
said Specification as it will appear when so altered and amended, the
preamble and testing clause being omitted.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming a
part of this Specification :-
The object of this machine is to keep a lawn smooth. It is pushed
forward by hand, and its cutting apparatus is driven by the revolution of
the carrying wheels, so as to trim the grass to the height desired. The
cut ends of the grass are thrown into a box, which is discharged by
turning it over.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said machine, showing in dotted
lines the discharging position of the box.
Figure 2 is a plan with the box removed.
Figure 3 is a front elevation with the box removed, and showing one

page_text: or top view thereof.
Figure 8 is an end view of the revolving cutter.
Figure 9 is a plan of the cap or bearing of the journal of the revolving
cutter; Figure 10 is a side view thereof.
Figure 11 is a longitudinal section through the pinion and journal of
the revolving cutter.
These Drawings represent a machine of 14 inches width of cut,
Figures 9, 10, and 11 being full size, and the other Figures on a scale of
3 inches to the foot. The size of the machine and proportion of the parts
may of course be varied.
The frame of this improved lawn mower consists of two castings A, A,
rigidly connected by the girth B, to which they are keyed. Each of these
castings is in the shape of a disc, on which are several projections,
herein-after mentioned, the largest of which are the lug C and axle D.
The axles D, D, project through the sleeves or hubs e, e, of the wheels
E, E, which are secured on them by linch pins or other convenient
means. The slotted brackets G, G, which form an extension of the main
frame and receive the journals of the guide roller H are attached to the
lugs C, C, under and against the flanges c, c, by means of bolts and set
nuts F, F. The machine is thus supported on the wheels and roller. To
the flanges I, I, on the castings A, A, are screwed the extremities of the
cast-iron dead knife or stationary cutter J, whose upper surface is faced
with a steel blade.
K, K, are the journals of the revolving cutter which is cast with spiral
flanges L, L. The blades of this cutter are thin steel strips 1, 1, bolted
to the flanges, so that the strips may be set further out as their edges
wear away. The journals K. have their bearings in the discs A.
Each wheel E is cast with a sleeve or hub e, and inwardly projecting
flange a, and an internal gear wheel a¹ meshing into the loose pinion 6
on the journal K. The inner surface of this pinion is broken into
ratchets k, and from a recess in the journal projects a pawl k¹, pressed
outward against the pinion by a spring ³, so that when the machine
is pushed forward the journals and cutter will revolve, but when

page_text: it is backed the ratchets will slip over the pawl without turning the
cutter.
The bail M, M, attached to the handle N is pivoted at m, m, to the
discs A, A, and its movement about the pivots is limited by stops m², m²,
cast on each of said discs. A sheet metal guard O is inserted between
the guides g, g, cast on the lugs c, and rests on the dead knife J. To
the dumping box P, made of sheet metal or other suitable material, are
attached the arms Q, Q, pivoted at q to the bail M. The curvature P in
the front of the box rests on the girth B.
In the operation of this machine the forward revolution of the wheels
and gearing revolves the spiral cutter which shears off the grass between
its edge and the edge of the stationary cutter, and throws the cut grass
into the box P, the guard O preventing it from falling to the rear. The
box is discharged by turning it over on its pivots q, for which purpose a
cord or rod connected with the handle may be employed. The height of
cut may be varied by adjusting the slotted brackets G.
The guide roller in lawn mowers has heretofore been placed either
between the wheels and cutting apparatus, or in front of both. The
defect of the latter arrangement is that the roller beats down the grass
in front of the cutters, and the former arrangement causes the cutting
apparatus whenever the roller passes over an obstruction or rise in the
ground, to be elevated much more than the height of such obstruction.
To obviate these defects and obtain a more even cut I arrange the
cutters bebind the wheels and in front of the roller, so that the passage
of the roller over an elevation shall not lift the cutters as high as the
roller. But I do not claim this particular arrangement or disposition of
the cutters as forming any part of this Invention.
The cutting apparatus being thus arranged in rear of the wheels and
in front of the roller permits compactness and lightness by the arrange-
ment of these parts close together, and by making the wheels of small
diameter; and in order to give the cutting apparatus an unobstructed
approach to the grass, and allow room for the operation of the revolving
cutter, the girth B which connects the discs A, A, or sides of the main
frame is keyed to them at points above their centres.
Lawn mowers have frequently been constructed with a counterweight
to balance the cutting apparatus, and throw the entire weight of the

page_text: Second. The disc A having the lug C, axle D, and flange R cast
thereon.
In witness whereof, I, the said Everett Griscom Passmore, have to
this my Disclaimer and Memorandum of Alteration set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-two.
I hereby grant my fiat giving leave to the above-named Everett
Griscom Passmore to enter in the Great Seal Patent Office, with the
Specification to which the same relates, the above-written Disclaimer
and Memorandum of Alteration.
G. JESSEL,
Lincoln's Inn,
Solicitor-General.
November 20th 1872.