A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THORN AND OTHER SIMILAR HEDGES AND FENCES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Agars Walker, commonly called John George
Agars Walker, of Danes Hill, near Retford, in the County of Nottingham, for
the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING
THORN AND OTHER SIMILAR HEDGES AND FENCES."
Sealed the 15th August 1876, and dated the 21st February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Agars Walker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1876.
GEORGE AGARS WALKER, commonly called JOHN GEORGE AGARS WALKER, of
Danes Hill, near Retford, in the County of Nottingham. "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THORN AND OTHER SIMILAR HEDGES AND
FENCES."
This machine has for its object the cutting of thorn and other similar hedges and
fences, which operation has hitherto been effected by manual labour. For this
purpose, according to this Invention, suitable machinery is attached to or combined
with the ordinary "farmer's cart."
To the near or left-hand wheel of the cart, on the inside, a large spur wheel is
attached, with which suitable mechanism is combined and arranged for cutting the
fence.
Knives are arranged at proper angles, one for cutting one side and the other the
other.
A horse is attached in the ordinary way to the cart, which being propelled gives
motion to the knives, and thereby cuts both sides of the hedge at once.
The thorn or other cuttings as they are cut are collected by the machine, and left
in heaps at the side of the fence.
The following is a description of the manner of arranging one knife bar so as to
overcome the difficulty arising from any unevenness in the nature of the soil or
other obstructions :-At a suitable distance from the cart the knife or cutter bar,
which is not made fast, but swings on the same or common centre with a large
wheel which drives a pinion attached to the crank wheel for driving the knife or
cutter. The axle carrying this pinion and crank wheel runs in a boss or bearing
fixed on the top of the knife bar. At the bottom of the knife bar a small travelling
wheel is arranged, which guides it clear of the ground, the knife bar not being

page_text: fast but swinging on the same centre as the larger wheel before described; therefore,
at whatever angle the small travelling wheel may bring the knife bar by the action
of the ground, the pinion at the top will gear exactly the same into its driving
wheel, thereby getting over the difficulty arising from the unevenness of the ground.
The other knife bar is geared in a similar manner to the one previously described,
but the angle is reversed so as to be in position to cut the other side of the fence.
Each knife has separate driving gear, but derived from the same spur wheel on
the travelling wheel of the cart, one working a short distance before the other.
As it is necessary that the machine should be able to cut both large hedges and
small ones with one machine, this difficulty is overcome in the following manner :-
The knife bars are arranged to work at angles across each other, the centre on which
they swing being lengthened and made so that the knives can be moved across cach
other more or less, which will allow of a great variation in the size or height of the
fence to be cut.
The main bearing from the side of the cart which supports the apparatus is
arranged to slide a short distance, carrying the whole machine with it, so that by
the assistance of a man behind the machine the fence can be cut as near straight as
possible.
The knives or cutters are made so as to cut either with or with or without fingers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Agars Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
August 1876.
GEORGE AGARS WALKER, commonly called JOHN GEORGE AGARS WALKER, of
Danes Hill, near Retford, in the County of Nottingham. "A NEW OR IMPROVED
MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING THORN AND OTHER SIMILAR HEDGES AND
FENCES."
This machine has for its object the cutting of thorn and other similar hedges and
fences, which operation has hitherto been effected by manual labour. For this
purpose, according to this Invention, suitable machinery is attached to or combined
with the ordinary "farmer's cart."
To the near or left-hand wheel of the cart, on the inside, a large spur wheel
is attached, with which suitable mechanism is combined and arranged for cutting
the fence.
A knife or knives is or are arranged at proper angles, one for cutting one side,
and the other the other when two are employed.
A horse is attached in the ordinary way to the cart, which being propelled gives
motion to the knife or knives, and thereby cuts one or both sides of the ledge at
once if two knives are employed.
The thorn or other cuttings as they are cut are collected by the machine, and left
in heaps at the side of the fence.
The
The following is a description of one method of arranging the knife bars so as to
overcome the difficulty arising from any unevenness in the nature of the soil or
other obstructions, but this may be varied, as herein-after described :-At a suitable
distance from the cart the knife or cutter bar is mounted, which however is not
made fast, but swings on the same or common centre with a large wheel, which
drives a pinion attached to the crank wheel for driving the knife or cutter.
axle carrying this pinion and crank wheel runs in a boss or bearing fixed on the
top of the knife bar. At the bottom of the knife bar in this arrangement a small
travelling wheel is arranged, which guides it clear of the ground, the knife bar not
being fast but swinging on the same centre as the larger wheel before described;
therefore, at whatever angle the small travelling wheel may bring the knife bar by
the action of the ground, the pinion at the top will gear exactly the same into its

page_text: Figure I. is a side elevation; Figure 2, an end elevation; and Figuro III. is a
plan of a machine for cutting thorn and other similar hedges and fences.
The mechanism is arranged as follows:-A large spur wheel a is keyed on to the
centre boss.a¹ of the near or left-hand travelling wheel; this spur wheel gears into
a small pinion b attached to a spindle b', which extends into the body of the cart
and receives a spur wheel c, which communicates motion to a pinion d on the
traversing spindle e, which slides through the boss of the wheel d, a fixed key being
inserted at the end of the spindle e, by which means it is driven. At the opposite
end of this spindle a bevil wheel gears into a pinion g; this bevil gearing drives
a short spindle gl, to the other end of which is applied a crank wheel h, which
through the connecting rod h¹ imparts a rapid reciprocating motion to the knife i;
this knife works on a knife bar j, to which are attached knife segments similar to
ordinary reaper blades, but of larger size. This cutting apparatus radiates on the
same centre as the bevil pinion g and the crank wheel .
In place of employing the arrangement of loose knife bar with small travelling
wheel attached at lower extremity, as previously described for adapting the action
of the knife to the unevenness of the ground, I find it more advantageous to fix the
cutting bar at any desired angle by providing a regulating sector k connected to the
knife bar j, and arranged in proximity to the fixing h² carrying the spindle g
From the bracket is attached a flat bar extending to the double friction roller m,
and supported at this point by the stay n; on the top of the bracket another
friction roller o is attached; between the double rollers m and underneath the
roller o a strong traversing bar (at the end of this bar is attached the knife gear
previously described) p is moved to and fro by the steering handle q, which works
on a centre or fulcrum v and between guide runners 8, which runners are fixed upon
the traversing bar p.
A man walking behind the machine, by means of the steering lever or handle q,
maintains the cutting bar in its required working position.
Another man rides in the cart on the seat t, and drives the horse or horses, and
by observing the indicator u, which is a continuation of the steering lever q beyond
the fulcrum v, he learns the position of the cutting knife, and drives according.
To enable the cutting apparatus to be stopped quickly the spur wheel c is arranged
to revolve loose on the spindle b₁, and is driven by means of the clutch be, which can
be instantly withdrawn from contact with the wheel c by means of the lever æ; or

page_text: in lieu of the clutch arrangement above described, a spring ratchet or other suitable
appliance may be used for the purpose.
The cuttings as they fall are collected upon a series of 3 or more spring steel bars
attached to the bottom of the knife or cutter bar (not shown in the Drawings), and
as the cuttings accumulate thereon their weight causes them to be depended from
time to time upon the ground as the machine progresses.
In erecting the spindles and gearing in the body of the cart it is advantageous to
use two main brackets, which facilitates the removal of the machine from the cart,
which can then be used for ordinary farm purposes.
In the Drawings attached I have shown a single acting machine with one knife,
which is found in practice to answer most purposes, but duplicate knife gear can be
attached and power imparted to the same by introducing a pinion which will be the
same size as and gear into the pinion d; from this pinion a duplicate traversing
spindle e may be arranged, as before described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice, I would have it understood that I do not intend
to limit my claim to the exact arrangement of mechanism herein described, as the
same can be greatly varied without departing from the true character of my Inven-
tion; what I claim is,-
First. The arrangement and application of self-acting machinery or apparatus for
cutting thorn and other similar hedges and fences.
Secondly. I claim the arrangement, construction, and application of self-acting
machinery or apparatus for cutting thorn and other similar hedges or fences
arranged with an adjustable knife or knives, mounted and acting substantially in
the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and represented in the
Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Agars Walker, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and soventy-six.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.
GEORGE AGARS WALKER. (L.S.)