James Shanks - Patent No 1700

A.D. 1859, 19th JULY. 

No 1700.

Mowing Machines.

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

Sealed the 11th January 1860, and dated the 19th July 1859.

PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Shanks at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th July 1859.

I, JAMES SHANKS, of Arbroath, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "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 comprehends three several heads of improvements. Under the first head the arrangements are that the two driving rollers are loose on the shaft, and on the centre or nave of each roller is cast or fixed a clutch or engager, which works into a clutch, on the shaft of which the two rollers revolve. These clutches are loose, and are prevented from turning round by means of a sunk key in each between each clutch, and in the centre is placed a spiral spring, composed of iron or steel wire, which is meant to keep the clutches always in gear, and at the same time to allow the machine to turn easily in consequence of the rollers being loose. This spiral spring may be placed at each end of the shaft instead of the centre, as may be required. The spring may also be made spirally or otherwise. The spiral spring answers in place of levers, and it is this spring which is the important feature of this part of the Invention.

In the ordinary mowers the method of emptying the grass box is defective in so far as it is necessary to stop the machine from working and empty the box by means of the hand or by two false ends placed in the box. This imperfection is remedied by the present Invention, which consists under the second head, of an apparatus which will empty the box without the necessity of stopping the machine or leaving the handles for this purpose. The apparatus consists of a rod or lever, which is made to turn backwards or forwards on a pivot or other joint fixed on the back rail or other part of the machine. One end of the rod is fixed, by means of two or more joints or otherwise, to a false end in the grass box of the machine. The other end is lengthened till it reaches the stilts or shafts of the machine, and this end is made into a handle for the man working the machine to take hold of, so that by a simple throw of the handle from one side to the other, the grass is thrown out of the box by means of the travelling end.

Under the third head of my Invention I propose to employ a small fly wheel placed on the end of the top shaft, for the purpose of imparting a momentum to the cutters, and rendering their action easier and more steady.

SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by the said James Shanks in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th January 1860.

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 Nineteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third 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 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Shanks, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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, 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 comprehends three several heads of improvements. Under the first head the arrangements are that the two driving rollers are loose on the shaft, and on the centre or nave of each roller is cast or fixed a clutch or engager which works into a clutch on the shaft, on which the two rollers revolve. These clutches are loose and are prevented from turning round by means of a sunk key in each between each clutch, and in the centre is placed a spiral spring composed of iron or steel wire, which is meant to keep the clutches always in gear, and at the same time to allow the machine to turn easily in consequence of the rollers being loose. This spiral spring may be placed at each end of the shaft, instead of the centre, as may be required; the spring may also be made spirally or otherwise. The spiral spring answers in place of levers, and it is this spring which is the important feature of this part of the Invention.

In the ordinary mowers, the method of emptying the grass box is defective in so far as it is necessary to stop the machine from working and empty the box by means of the hand or by two false ends placed in the box. This imperfection is remedied by the present Invention, which consists under the second head of an apparatus which will empty the box without the necessity of stopping the machine or leaving the handles for this purpose. The apparatus consists of a rod or lever, which is made to turn backwards or forwards on a pivot or other joint fixed on the back rail or other part of the machine. One end of the rod is fixed by means of two or more joints, or otherwise, to a false end in the grass box of the machine. The other end is lengthened till it reaches the stilts or shafts of the machine and this end is made into a handle for the man working the machine to take hold of, so that by a simple throw of the handle from one side to the other, the grass is thrown out of the box by means of the travelling end.

Under the third head of my Invention, I prefer to employ a small fly wheel placed on the end of the top shaft for the purpose of imparting a momentum to the cutters, and rendering their action easier and more steady.

And in order that my said Invention of "Improvements in Mowing Machines," may be properly understood, I shall now proceed to describe in detail certain modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously carried out in practice.

In constructing mowing machine as adapted for horse-power, I prefer the following general arrangement of the parts. The main framing of the machine consists of two wrought or cast-iron side plates, which are connected by transverse tie-bars forming a rectangular frame. To the back cross rail of the framing are attached the two upwardly directed curved bars, the extremities of which form the guiding handles of the machine. Each of the side plates of the framing has fitted to it a pendent bearing, arranged opposite to each other and serving to carry the journals of the horizontal shaft, on which the two driving rollers are carried. These driving rollers are broad smooth open-ended iron cylinders, the two being equal to the length of the cutter, or nearly so, which is arranged immediately in front of them. The nave of each driving roller has either cast thereon or fixed to it a clutch or coupling, which is made to gear with a similar clutch on the shaft, on which the driving rollers revolve loosely. The clutch of each driving roller may be arranged so as to be contiguous to each other near the centre of the shaft, or they may be fitted out at the ends of the rollers next the framing. On the horizontal shaft on which the driving rollers rotate, there are arranged two loose clutches or couplings which slide to and fro on a feather formed on the shaft so as to prevent them turning round except with the shaft. These couplings have fitted between them a helical spring of iron or steel wire the extremities of which press against the couplings on the shaft, so as to keep them always in gear with the clutches of the driving rollers. The horizontal shaft of the driving rollers carries a spur wheel, which is loose on the shaft; to this spur wheel is cast or fixed a clutch or coupling which gears with a clutch or coupling made to slide to and fro on a feather formed on the shaft so as to prevent it turning round except with the shaft, all fitted in the same manner as the two loose clutches which gear with the driving roller before described. To the loose clutch of the spur wheel a lever or rod is attached for the purpose of throwing the working parts of the machine into and out of gear. This rod or lever extends from the clutch to the guiding handles of the machine and has a socket which moves backwards and forwards on a strut fixed to the back transverse rail of the machine, so that by a movement of the rod or lever to the right hand or to the left, the sliding clutch is put in and out of gear with the clutch fixed to the centre or nave of the spur driving wheel. The loose clutches which gear with the driving rollers are always kept in gear by the springs, and in turning the machine generally, one roller is in gear and drives the cutter whilst the other roller is turning in a backward direction, and thus causing the clutch to slip, so that the machine is turned with great ease. If the driving roller clutches are preferred to be at the ends of the rollers, the couplings on the shaft are each kept in gear with the clutches of the driving rollers by means of a helical or other suitable spring arranged between the coupling and the framing on either side of the machine, and in this case the main spur wheel and clutch for working it will be placed in the centre or between the two rollers. The horizontal shaft of the driving rollers carries a spur wheel, which gears with a pinion on an intermediate shaft which carries a spur wheel in gear with a pinion on the cutter shaft. On the intermediate shaft, which is arranged above the cutter shaft, is fitted at the end opposite to the intermediate spur wheel a small fly-wheel, the object of which is to impart momentum to the cutter, and render the machine easier to work. The cutter is of the usual form, consisting of a series of blades arranged helically upon a central shaft, to which a rapid rotatory movement is imparted by means of the spur gearing in connection with the shaft of the driving rollers. The grass as it is cut is thrown by the cutter on to an open box arranged in front of the machine, connected with which is an arrangement for readily emptying the box without stopping the machine. On the back- ward transverse rail of the framing is fixed a vertical stud, on which is centred a long rod extending forwards to the centre of the grass box in front, and backwards to within convenient reach of the person who guides the machine. The front extremity of the rod is jointed to a false end or transverse sliding partition, which by this means is caused to traverse from end to end of the grass box at the will of the operator. The front vertical edge of the false end of the grass box has fitted in it a bracket, into which two small pulleys with a flange on either side are fitted horizontally three or four inches apart, and which pulleys are made to slide backwards and forwards on an iron rail fixed to the front part of the box, and the after edge of the false end has a similar bracket and pulleys which slides to and fro also on a similar iron rail, or a horizontal guide bar fitted across the back part of the grass box. The front end of the actuating rod is turned upwards and has a vertical handle fitted thereto; by moving this handle either to the right or left hand side of the machine, the operator causes the false end to traverse to the opposite end of the grass box, and so deposit the cut grass in a heap at the side of the machine. And this operation of emptying the grass box may be repeated as often as necessary during the onward progress of the machine, and without in any way interfering with or impeding the action of the mower. With these several novel arrangements the management of mowing machines and their general operation is rendered easier and more effective in practice. 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 general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus for cutting or mowing grass or other similar plants or vegetable matters, as herein-before described.

Second, the application and use of helical or other springs to and in mowing machines, for the purpose of keeping the couplings on the driving roller shaft in gear with those of the driving rollers, and so dispensing with the use of the levers for this purpose, as herein-before described. 

Third, the application and use of a fly wheel to and in mowing machines, which fly wheel is fitted to the intermediate shaft arranged above the cutter, or to any other convenient part of the machine, so that its momentum is imparted to the cutter so as to render its action easier and more effective, as herein-before described.

Fourth, the system or mode of arranging and constructing the grass boxes or receivers of mowing machines with a moveable false end or sliding partition piece, which moveable part upon being actuated by means of a hand lever, enables the operator to clear the grass box of its contents as often as necessary without stopping or any way impeding the motion of the machine, as herein-before described.

In witness whereof, I, the said James Shanks, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of January, One thousand eight hundred and sixty. JAMES SHANKS. (L.S.)

LONDON:

Printed by GEORGE EDWARD EYRE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE, 

Printers to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty. 1860.