1862-11-10 Shanks - Patent No 3031

A.D. 1862, 10th NOVEMBER. N° 3031.

Mowing Machines.

LETTERS PATENT to James Shanks, of Arbroath, in the County of 29 Forfar, North Britain, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING MACHINES."

Sealed the 5th May 1863, and dated the 10th November 1862.

PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Shanks at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th November 1862.

I, JAMES SHANKS, of Arbroath, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVE- MENTS IN MOWING MACHINES," to be as follows, that is to say :-

This Invention relates more especially to that class of machines used for mowing or cutting short grass and vegetables or plants, commonly known as "lawn mowing machines," and it consists,-

First, in the dispensing with the ordinary cutter bracket with the screw for raising it up and down, and in the substitution therefor of an eccentric brass or other bush fitted into the frame of the machine. This eccentric bush is fitted with a slotted flange, and by merely turning it round the cutter or actual mower is raised or lowered as may be desired, according to the direction of the turning.

Second, in the placing or attaching a flap or pendent end to the grass box of the machine when fitted with a delivery apparatus. This arrangement is so fitted that when the travelling end is at one end of the box the flap at the other end is down, and this part opens when the travelling end begins to move.

SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by the said James Shanks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th May 1863.

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES SHANKS, of Arbroath, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, Machinist, send greeting.

WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Shanks, Her special license, that I, the said James Shanks, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Shanks, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there- after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Shanks, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of one of them, should particularly 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 I, the said James Shanks, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say: 

My said Invention relates more especially to that class of machines used for mowing or cutting short grass and vegetables or plants, commonly known as "lawn mowing machines," and it consists,

First, in the dispensing with the ordinary cutter bracket with the screw for raising it up and down, and in the substitution therefor of an eccentric brass or other bush, fitted into the frame of the machine. This eccentric bush is fitted with a slotted flange, and by merely turning it round the cutter or actual mower is raised or lowered as may be desired, according to the direction of the turning.

Second, in the placing or attaching a flap or pendent end to the grass box of the machine when fitted with a delivery apparatus. This arrangement is so fitted that when the travelling end is at one end of the box the flap at the other end is down, and this part opens when the travelling end begins to move.

And in order that my said Invention of improvements in mowing machines may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe the several figures on the Sheet of explanatory Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing certain modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice, that is to say, Figure 1, on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, is a longitudinal elevation, partially in section, of a portion of a lawn mowing machine, sufficient to show the application of my improvements thereto. Figure 2 is an end elevation of the machine corresponding to Figure 1, and taken inside the box or receptacle in which the cut grass is received.

The framing A of the machine is of the usual construction, the after part is supported on the duplex rollers B, whilst the forward part of the frame is carried on the rollers C, which may be adjusted so as to regulate the height, of the machine from the ground. At the central part the framing extends downwards partially covering the open cylindrical frame to which the helical cutters are fixed. To the outside of the framing at this part is fitted a metal bush D on each side of the machine. These bushes have formed in each of them a segmental slot E, which extends round the periphery of the bush as shown in Figure 1. Each bush is retained in the desired position by means of a screw which projects out from the face of the framing A, and a pinching nut F which holds the bush firmly in position. The bushes D are each formed with a circular aperture to receive the end of the spindle G of the rotatory cutter H; this aperture, as is shown in Figure 1, is eccentric to the centre of the bush. The object of this arrangement is to afford a ready and efficient means of adjusting the height of the cutter from the sole plate H This is done by simply loosening the nut F, by means of a spanner or wrench, and turning the bush D round to the desired extent, so as to raise or lower the bearing of the spindle G; and the bearing on the opposite side of the machine is adjusted in a similar manner. In this way the height of the cutter II, from the sole plate II' can be regulated with the utmost precision.

Another improvement in connection with these machines consists in an arrangement for instantaneously discharging the contents of the grass box without requiring the machine to be stopped or otherwise interfering with the progress of the work. The grass box or receiver I, into which the grass thrown by the action of the rapidly revolving cutter H, is fitted with a moveable partition or travelling end piece J, which serves, when moved from end to end of the grass box, to deliver the cut grass in a body out at the side of the machine. This end piece J is fitted on the outer edge with a grooved pulley K, which runs to and fro on the horizontal bar or rail L, fixed to the back of the grass box I. The end piece J is also fitted with a pulley M, at the lower part where it traverses over the shelving part of the box I, so as to cause it to move easily to and fro. A socket N is bolted to the end piece J, and to this socket is jointed the front end of a hand lever, which extends upwards and in a backward direction so as to be within convenient reach of the person who is guiding the machine. When the end piece J is caused to move from left to right, or from one end of the box to the other, for the purpose of discharging the cut grass, it also operates a flap door which is arranged at the opposite end of the grass box. At the upper part of the end piece J is fitted a pulley O, which traverses to and fro on the angular bar P. This bar or rod is centred at one end on a pin projecting out from the face of the box I, and at the other it is jointed to the small bell crank lever Q. The horizontal arm of the lever Q is connected to the swinging flap door R, which is hung from the curved stay rod S. When the operator desires to discharge the cut grass from the box I, a simple movement of the hand lever herein-before referred to, from right to left, will cause the end piece J to traverse in the opposite direction. As the end piece moves along, the pulley O depresses the rod P, which draws down the bell crank lever Q, and raises the flap door R, so that the grass is free of any obstruction. The operator instantly releases the hand lever, when the weight of the flap R causes the pulley O to descend the bar P rapidly, and thus restores the end piece to its normal position. In this way the person guiding the machine can by an exceedingly simple movement discharge the grass from the box I from time to time as required: this is effected in a manner so easy and rapid that it does not interfere in any way with the progress of the work; so that as the mowing proceeds, the cut grass is deposited in heaps at regular intervals; and without necessitating the sweeping of the cut surface, which is thus left perfectly smooth and clean. By these means an important saving of time is effected, and a much larger area of grass can be kept in order with a given amount of labour than could possibly be done by means of machines fitted in the ordinary manner.

Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-

First, the system or mode of arranging the rotatory cutters of mowing machines in bearings which are adjustable by means of an eccentric movement, so that the height of the cutter from the sole plate or cutting edge may be accurately regulated by adjusting the position of the eccentrics, as herein-before described, and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification of the said arrangement. Second, the system or mode of fitting the grass boxes of mowing machines with a hanging door or end flap, which is caused to open by the motion of a traversing end piece when it is required to discharge the grass from the box; the mechanical movement which connects the traversing end piece with the end flap being so arranged that the fall of the flap to the vertical position causes the traversing end piece to return instantly to its normal position as herein-before described, and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere equivalent for the said mechanical arrangement, by means of which the traversing end piece and the end flap are operated simultaneously.

In witness whereof, I, the said James Shanks, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.

JAMES SHANKS. (L.S.)