Improvements in Mowing Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug. 1899-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1899
Improvements in Mowing Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to bo as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in mowing machines, and it is
applicable to all mowing machines in. which the cutting apparatus is sustained
by a spring mechanism arranged between the main frame and a gag-lever con-
nected to the coupling frame.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a mowing machine with means
whereby the cutting apparatus may be elevated either by the hand or the foot
of the operator, and retained in its elevated position by a single pawl, whether
it be raised by the hand lever, the foot lever, or both. Another object is to
provide spring mechanism so arranged that the lifting force exerted by the spring
when the cutting apparatus is lowered is very small, the said lifting force
increasing as the cutting apparatus is raised so that as the hand lever is pulled
over by the operator and the lifting force that he can conveniently exert becomes
small, the lifting force exerted by said spring approaches its maximum.
further object is to render the elevating means adjustable so that the positions
of the parts thereof may be varied according to the desired tension of the spring,
or to conform to the convenience of individual operators.
Α
According to my invention, I employ a hand lever and a foot lever connected
by a link, one of such levers being provided with a pawl engaging a ratchet
mounted upon a fixed part of the machine. The said levers are operatively con-
nected to a bell-crank or other lever from which the coupling frame carrying
the cutting apparatus is suspended by means of a chain connected to the gag
lever, and to which bell crank lever is also connected a tension spring whose
opposite extremity is secured to the main frame of the machine. This bell crank
lever is so arranged that, when the cutting apparatus is in its lowered position,
the pivot on which said lever turns is very near a line joining the extremities
of the said spring, so that the tension of this spring exerts a pressure on said
pivot but has very little lifting effect on the cutting apparatus.
By this arrangement when the shoe of the cutting apparatus is accidentally
lifted by passing over a stone or other obstruction, there is no liability of the
spring lifting the apparatus still further and so causing a ridge or patch of long
grass or stubble to be left.

page_text: By way of example, I will describe my invention as applied to the lifting
devices of the well known Deering mowing machine, in which the cutting
apparatus is connected to a shoe pivoted on a hinge pin carried by a casting
mounted and capable of rocking on the coupling frame, which is pivotally
supported or suspended from the stubble ends of the main frame in the usual
manner. Upon the draft tongue of the mowing machine, I place a support
having a projecting stud upon which is pivoted a bell crank fever. A coiled
spring is connected at its forward extremity to one arm of said bell crank lever
and at its rear extremity to the main frame, the connection in each case being
effected by means of a screw threaded rod engaging a nut enclosed in the end
coils of the spring. The bell crank lever is so disposed that the said arm
approaches a vertical position when the cutting apparatus is elevated, but becomes
horizontal or nearly so when the said apparatus is lowered. The other arm of
the bell crank lever is provided with a hook adapted to engage a link of a chain
attached to the gag lever. It will thus be seen that the tension of the coiled
spring will tend to lift the gag-lever. and through it the coupling frame and
cutting apparatus, the lattor being lifted at its outer as well as its inner end; and
that such lifting tendency will be small when the cutting apparatus is lowered,
but will be at a maximum when said apparatus is at or near its elevated position.
The tension of the spring may be increased or decreased by means of one of
the aforesaid threaded rods. Said tension may also be adjusted by means of the
aforesaid hook and chain, for, if one of the lifting levers be moved so as to extend
the spring the said chain will be loosened and the hook may be made to engage
with any of the links desired.
The hand lifting lever is secured to the bell crank lever, and in order to render
the position of said hand lever adjustable the bell crank lever is provided with a
rosette or series of projections and recesses adapted to fit a corresponding rosette
on the lover; the two rosettes being adapted to be drawn together by a bolt
or stud. When it is desired to shift the position of the hand lifting lever, the
bolt is loosened, the two rosettes are placed into any suitable relative position
and the bolt is again tightened. Such an adjustment of this lever is necessary.
for instance, when the length of the chain connecting the gag lever to the bell
crank lever is varied, because the position of the said crank is then disturbed and
the hand lever might be drawn out of reach of the operator.
A foot lever is mounted upon the framing in a convenient position and is
connected by a rod or link to the hand lever, or to the bell crank lever, so as
to operate the same or be operated thereby. Said foot lever carries a spring
controlled pawl, adapted to engage a ratchet secured to the main frame of the
machine.
It will be readily understood that if the hand lifting lever be moved rear-
wardly, the coupling frame and cutting apparatus will be lifted, and the foot
lever will also be operated so that the pawl is thrown into engagement with the
ratchet, and the cutting apparatus and parts supporting the same will be held
suspended by the chain. The pawl is provided with a toe-pad, by which the
operator can disengage said pawl at will, and thus lower the cutting apparatus.
If the foot lever be operated to lift the cutting mechanism the said pawl will of
course act in exactly the same manner.
When the foot lever is not connected to the hand lever, it is obviously necessary
to provide means for adjusting its position relatively to the operator's foot. For
this purpose the connecting rod or link may be connected to a nut screwing upon
a rod attached to the bell crank lever. The above mentioned screw threaded rod
connecting the coiled spring to said bell crank lever may conveniently be used for
this purpose..
In order that the hand lever may escape certain reaper attachments often pro-
vided on mowers, it is preferably bent to one side or the other; and in some
cases the portion thus deflected may be made separate and detachable from the
other portion, and be capable of being attached thereto either in the position in

page_text: which it is deflected to the right or in that in which it is deflected to the
left.
Dated this 16th day of November 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 improvements in mowing machines, and it is
applicable to all mowing machines in which the cutting apparatus is sustained
by spring mechanism arranged between the main frame and a lever connected to
the coupling frame.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a mowing machine with means
whereby the cutting apparatus may be elevated either by the hand or the foot
of the operator, and retained in its elevated position by a single pawl, whether
it be raised by the hand lever, the foot lever, or both. Another object is to
render the elevating means adjustable so that the positions of the parts thereof
may be varied according to the desired tension of the spring, or to conform to
the convenience of individual operators.
According to this invention, I employ a hand lever and a foot lever connected
together by a link, one of such levers being provided with a pawl engaging with
a ratchet mounted upon a fixed part of the machine. The said levers are
operatively connected to a bell-crank or other lever from which the coupling
frame carrying the cutting apparatus is suspended by a chain connected to a lever
pivotally secured to said coupling frame and adapted to act in such a manner
as to sustain the cutting mechanism at its outer as well as its inner end. I term
this last mentioned lever the gag lever. To the aforesaid bell crank lever is
also connected one end of a tension spring whose opposite end is secured to the
main frame of the machine.
In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the same more fully with reference to the
accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention applied, by way of
example, to the well known Deering mowing machine, and in which:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved, lifting devices, showing also
so much of the mowing machine as is necessary to illustrate the invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are detail views showing the construction of the hand lever.
Figure 4 is a detail view of the bell-crank lever and its connections.
Figure 6 is a detail view of the ratchet and pawl for holding the cutting
apparatus in a raised position.
Figure 6 is a separate rear view of the end of the gag lever adapted to act upon
the cutting apparatus.
A, is the grass-ward supporting wheel. B, is the main frame, a portion of
which only is shown. C, is the draft tongue secured to the main frame. ])
and D represent the coupling frame, preferably formed in one piece, the two
branches being pivoted to the main frame at their stubbleward ends in the usual
manner. E is a strong casting placed upon the bar D' of the coupling frame,
and adapted to rock thereon; it has a transverse portion e, forming a sleeve

page_text: through which passes a hinge pin, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1. To this
hinge pin the shoe F is pivoted; and to this latter the cutting apparatus is con-
nected in the usual manner, a part of such apparatus being shown in Figure 1.
By this means of connecting the cutting apparatus to the part D¹ of the coupling
frame, the cutting apparatus is permitted to rock upon the said bar D¹ as an
axis, and also allow the outer end to rise and fall by turning about the pin as
an axis. G is the gag lever pivoted upon a stud on the casting E (see Figure 6),
and serving to depress a short arm on the cutting apparatus extending beyond
the hinge pin thereof, whereby the turning of said apparatus about said hinge
pin is effected.
Upon the draft tongue C, I place a support or bracket H, having a projection
stud h, upon which is pivoted a bell crank lever İ. One arm of this lever
extends upwardly and is provided with an eye i in its extremity, and the other
arm extends forwardly and is provided with a similar eye to which a hook ¹
is connected. To the eye is connected one extremity of a coiled spring K, the
connection being preferably effected by the threaded rod which engages with
a nut enclosed in two or three of the end convolutions of the coiled spring, said
rod being hooked or otherwise pivotally connected to the said eye, as shown
in Figures 1 and 4. The opposite extremity of the spring K is secured in a
similar manner by means of a threaded rod to a lug b on the main frame B.
The end of the gag-lever is connected to the hook by a chain g¹. The tension
of the spring K tends to lift the gag-lever, and through it the coupling frame
and cutting apparatus, as well as to tend to turn the latter about the aforesaid
hinge pin, so that said apparatus is raised both as a whole and also at its outer
end. The bell crank lever is so disposed that the upwardly extending arm only
approaches a vertical position when the cutting apparatus is elevated, so that the
lifting tendency of the spring will be small when the cutting apparatus is lowered,
but will be at a maximum when said apparatus is at or near its elevated position:
and consequently, should the shoe of the cutting apparatus be accidentally lifted
by passing over a stone or other slight obstruction it will fall quickly so that a
ridge or patch of long grass or stubble will not be left. The leverages or lengths
and arrangement of the arms of the bell-crank lever are such that it is less
effective when the cutting apparatus is in its working position than when said
lever is called upon to aid the operator to raise the apparatus.
The tension of the spring may be increased by screwing up the nut of one
of the threaded rods kor k. Said tension may also be adjusted by varying the
length of the aforesaid chain g'; one of the lifting levers being moved so as to
extend the spring and loosen the chain, when the hook may be made to engage
with any one of the links desired.
L is the hand lifting lever which is secured to the bell-crank lever. In order
to render the position of said hand lever adjustable, the bell-crank lever is pro-
vided with a rosette or series of projections and recesses fitting a corresponding
rosette on the socket & forming the lower extremity of the hand lever; the two
rosettes being adapted to be drawn together by a bolt or stud. When it is desired
to alter the position of the lever L, the bolt is loosened, the two rosettes are
placed in the desired relative position and the bolt is again tightened. Such an
adjustment of this lever is necessary, for instance, when the length of the chain
connecting the gag lever to the bell-crank lever is varied, because the position
of said crank is then disturbed and the hand lever might be drawn out of reach
of the operator.
The locking apparatus (shown in detail in Figure 5) for maintaining the parts in
their elevated position may be considered, primarily, as a ratchet and pawl, but
so contrived or extended as to form a foot lever. M, is a ratchet secured to the
main frame of the machine. m, is a pawl adapted to engage the said ratchet
and pivotally mounted on the lever m, above the axis m³ of the latter. This
lever m is provided with a downwardly extending arm connected by a link N
to the bell-crank lever. The lever m¹ is extended upwardly so that it may be

page_text: pressed by the foot of the operator and the cutting apparatus thus lifted, the
pawl, at the same time, acting as a retaining latch, as before stated. The pawl
is provided with a toe-pad within reach of the foot of the operator, by which it
can be disengaged at will, and the cutting apparatus thus permitted to be lowered.
It will be readily understood that if the hand lifting lover be moved rear-
wardly, the coupling frame and cutting apparatus will be lifted, and the foot
lever will also be moved so that the pawl is thrown into engagement with the
ratchet and all the parts will be held suspended by the chain.
The provision for adjusting the position of the hand lever has been described,
but it will be readily understood that if means were not provided for re-adjusting
the foot lever m³, its position relative to the operator's foot would sometimes be
an inconvenient one. In order to enable this adjustment to be effected, the
link or rod N is not connected directly to the bell crank lever but is hooked into
an eye on a nut n threaded on the rod k¹; by unhooking the link N from this
nut, and turning the latter in such a way as to move it along the rod in a
forward or rearward direction, and then re-engaging the link and nut, the foot
lever can be properly re-adjusted to suit the convenience of the operator.
In order that the hand lever L, may escape certain reaper devices that are
often attached to mowers, said lever is preferably bent to one side or the other,
as shown in Figure 2 in full dotted lines. I prefer to make the portion thus
deflected separate from the other portion and capable of being attached thereto
either in a position in which it is deflected to the right or to the left. This
construction will be understood from Figures 1, 2 and 3. It will be seen that
the main lever L can be detached from the socket by removing the bolt 1, and
can be secured to the socket in either of the positions indicated in Figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim in a mowing machine, as communicated to me from abroad, is:-
:-
1. The combination with the coupling frame and cutting apparatus, of a hand-
lever and a foot lever either or both of which can be used for raising the cutting
apparatus, and a retaining device acting in conjunction with both levers, all
substantially as described."
2. The means for adjusting the position of the aforesaid hand-lever and foot-
lever, substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. The devices for controlling the position of the cutting apparatus said devices
having their parts constructed arranged and combined to operate substantially
as described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purposes
specified.
T
1000