IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Manwaring, of the Britannia Works,
Banbury, in the County of Oxon, Engineer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES."
Sealed the 17th July 1868, and dated the 18th May 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Manwaring
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th May 1868.
I, WILLIAM MANWARING, of the Britannia Works, Banbury, in the
County of Oxon, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to lawn mowing machines, and it consists in
attaching to such machines an apparatus which enables them to clip,
cut, or trim the edges of grass plats, lawns, and flower borders.

page_text: In order to accomplish this I make use of a rotary cutter or clipping
knife fastened by preference to the spindle of the cylinder furnished
with spiral blades, which forms the usual cutting apparatus of all such
machines and revolving with such spindle. This rotary cutter or clipping
knife revolves in contact with a plate fastened to the framework of the
machine, which plate should be made adjustable for various depths
of edgings, both the plate and rotary cutter or clipping knife being
removable if and when required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Manwaring in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 11th November 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MANWARING, of the Britannia Works, Banbury, in the County of
Oxon, Engineer, send greeting.
: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 1
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Manwaring, Her special licence
that I, the said William Manwaring, my executors, administrators, 2
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Manwaring, my
exccutors, 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 vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 2
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others), that I, the said William Manwaring, my executors or ad-
ministrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain 3
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 Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Manwaring, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
.
My Invention relates to lawn mowing machines, and it consists in
attaching to such machines an apparatus which enables them to clip,
cut, or trim the edges of grass plats, lawns, and flower beds.
In order to accomplish this I make use of a rotary cutter or clipping
knife fastened by preference to the spindle of the cylinder furnished
with spiral blades which forms the usual cutting apparatus of all such
machines, and revolving with such spindle. This rotary cutter or
clipping knife revolves in contact with a plate fastened to the framework
of the machine, which plate should be made adjustable vertically to
suit various depths of edgings, both the plate and the rotary cutter or
clipping knife being removable at pleasure..
In the annexed Drawing is shown the side view of a lawn mowing
machine with my clipping knife attached.
In this Drawing A represents the axis of the revolving cutters
commonly employed in lawn mowing machines; B, the drum from
which motion is communicated to the said revolving cutters; C repre-
sents the clipping or edge trimming knife, which is attached to the
axis A by means of a nut and is removable at pleasure; D is a fixed
blade fastened to the framework of the machine, against the face of
which the clipping knife C revolves. The machine when placed upon
the grass plat with the side of the fixed blade D in contact with tho
raised edge E is pushed forward by the handles F, and all grass
overhanging the edge is clipped off by the knife C against the
blade D.
Having now described the nature and purpose of my Invention,
together with the means employed for carrying it out in practice, I say
that I do not confine myself to the precise details of the arrangement

page_text: the edges of grass plats, lawns, flower borders, &c., substantially
as described.
In witness whercof, I, the said William Manwaring, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
Witness to the above signature,
DANIEL PIDGEON,
Engineer,
Banbury.
WILLIAM MANWARING. (L.S.)