AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING THE EDGES OF GRASS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO KNIFE- CLEANING MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick William Follows and John Bate, both
of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Agricultural Implement
Makers, and Jeremiah Lawrence, of Ipswich, in the County of
Suffolk, Mechanic, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR
CUTTING THE EDGES OF GRASS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE TO KNIFE-
CLEANING MACHINES.”
'
Sealed the 6th December 1875, and dated the 20th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SBECIFICATION left by the said Frederick William
Follows, John Batc, and Jeremiah Lawrence at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 20th
September 1875.
We, FREDERICK WILLIAM FOLLOWS and JOHN BATE, both of Man-
chester; in the County of Lancaster, Agricultural Implement Makers,
and JEREMIAH LAWRENCE, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " AN
IMPROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING THE EDGES OF GRASS, PART OF WHICH IS
APPLICABLE TO KNIFE-CLEANING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
a
This machine consists of a handle, at the lower end of which is
frame supporting a roller, which is propelled along the grass, the edges

page_text: of which are to be cut. To one end of the roller is cast a pinion gearing
into a smaller pinion mounted on a stud. To this pinion is fixed a
wheel driving a pinion fixed on a shaft revolving within the roller; to
this shaft is fixed the cutter, consisting of a revolving knife, which acts
against a fixed knife.
As it is sometimes necessary to vary the depth of the cut we employ
a small adjustable roller supported in curved slides working in the
frame; and in addition we also apply an adjustable shoe between the
two rollers, which shoe is set so as to bear upon the ground. We also
apply a box to collect the grass when cut.
In order to set the revolving knife up to the fixed knife we make
use of a screw nut of a peculiar shape, which can only be turned round
so to set up the revolving knife. This knife is provided with three or
other convenient number of ratchet teeth on its circumference, and the
spanner by which it is turned round catches hold of these ratchet teeth
in succession so long as it is turned in the proper direction for
tightening up. the knife; but if the spanner is moved in the wrong
direction it rides over the ratchet. teeth without turning, the nut.
This peculiar shaped screw nut is applicable to knife-cleaning machines
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick William Follows, John Bate, and
Jeremiah Lawrence, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FREDERICK 25
WILLIAM FOLLOWS and JOHN BATE, both of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Agricultural Implement Makers, and JEREMIAH LAWRENCE,
of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk; Mechanic, send. greeting.
_ WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing, date the Twentieth day of September, in the year 30
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 us, the said Frederick William Follows, Jolin Bate,

page_text: and Jeremiah Lawrence, Her special licence that we, the said Frederick
William Follows, John Bate, and Jeremiah Lawrence, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Frederick
William Follows, John Bate, and Jeremiah Lawrence, our 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 vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IM-
PROVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING THE EDGES OF GRASS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE
TO KNIFE-CLEANING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Frederick William Follows, John Bate, and Jeremiah
Lawrence, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 we, the said Frederick William Follows,
John Bate, and Jeremiah Lawrence, do hereby declare the nature of our
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to b
be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
(that is to say):-
The nature of our Invention consists in an improved machinè for
cutting the edges of grass plots and borders, the cutter of which is
driven at an accelerated speed from the bearing roller, and set up against
a fixed knife by a nut with ratchet teeth, which can only be turned.
round in one direction for adjusting.
My Invention consists also in the application of the, said nut to knife-
cleaning machines for adjusting the revolving discs.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood we will
proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 a'plan
of our improved machine for cutting the edges of grass plots, flower
beds,-borders,and-walks, :
".

page_text: The machine consists of a handle a, by which it is propelled in the
direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. At the lower end of this handle is the
frame b secured to the side plates c, c, supporting the roller d, which
travels along the grass, the edges of which are to be cut. To one end
of the roller is cast the wheel d¹ gearing into the pinion e¹ mounted on
the cross shaft e. To this shaft is fixed the wheel e driving the
pinion f fixed on the shaft f revolving within the roller d. To the
other end of this shaft is fixed the cutter f¹, consisting of a revolving
knife with six or other convenient number of cutting blades or edges,
which act against the fixed knife g secured to one of the side plates c.
As it is sometimes necessary to vary the depth of the cut we employ
the small adjustable roller supported in curved slides working between
beads in the side plates c; and in addition we also employ in some
cases an adjustable shoe / between the two rollers, which shoe is set so
as to bear upon the ground. A box may be applied to collect the grass
when cut.
"
In order to set the revolving knife f¹ up to the fixed knife g we make
use of a screw nut i at the end of the shaft f. This nut is of a peculiar
shape, and can only be turned round so as to set up the revolving knife.
It is provided with three or other convenient number of ratchet teeth
on its circumference, and the spanner (shewn detached in Fig. 4) by
which it is turned round catches hold of these ratchet teeth in succession
so long as it is turned in the proper direction for tightening up the
knife; but if the spanner is moved in the wrong direction it rides over
the ratchet teeth without turning the nut.
.
In knife-cleaning machines of the ordinary construction the knives
_are_acted upon by two discs covered with leather and brushes, as shewn
partly in Fig. 5; and in order to tighten up these discs. as their surfaces.
become worn it is necessary to employ screws and nuts, the nuts being
turned round by a key. The nuts usually employed are round, and
they have nicks in their circumferences and the key has a projection
fitting into the said nicks. If instead of turning the nuts in the proper
direction for tightening up the discs they are turned by mistake in the
contrary direction the discs are set further apart, and when that is the
case it frequently happens that a knife is drawn between the discs,
thereby injuring the knife and the discs. Now in order to prevent the
possibility of such accidents we make the said tightening up nuts of the

page_text: shape shewn at i in Fig. 1, or of any analagous shape, so that when
the machine is put together the nuts can only be turned in the proper
direction for tightening up the discs.
Having thus stated the nature of our Invention and described a
convenient manner of performing the same, we declare that we
claim,―
First. The general combination of the parts forming a machine for
cutting the edges of grass, as shewn and described.
Secondly. The improved mode of constructing screw nuts, as shewn
and described, or any modification of such screw nuts, which can only
be turned in the proper direction for tightening the cutter against the
knife of grass cutters.
And, Thirdly. The application of the nuts above described for
tightening up the discs of knife cleaning machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick William Follows, for
myself and on behalf of the said John Bate and Jeremiah
Lawrence, have hereto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day
of March, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.