Thomas Green Patent No 332
Thomas Green applied for a new patent on 20 February 1858. As can be seen on the document, the "notice to proceed with the application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed by the Act" and the patent was treated as provisional. It is not known why this was the case but one possible reason is that the design modifications described in the application were eventually considered to be not worthy of a full patent. Another possible reason could be that Green decided the new design was not worth pursuing for some commercial reason and therefore full protection from a finalised patent was not necessary.
Nevertheless, there is one interesting design feature described in the document - a "swivel wheel behind". This can just about be seen in the illustrations used for Green's advertisements in 1858. This wheel may have been included to prevent the machine from tipping backwards ("steady" in the patent application) when being used on verges.
A.D. 1858, 20th FEBRUARY. N° 332.
Mowing Machines.
(This Invention received Provisional Protection, but notice to proceed with the application for Letters Patent was not given within the time prescribed by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Green at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th February
1858.
I, THOMAS GREEN, of Leeds, Mowing Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MOWING MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object certain improvements in mowing machines, and such improvements consist in having two swivel wheels in front and one swivel wheel behind, and these wheels work and turn similarly to castors; also, two levers instead of one, and two catches instead of one, as heretofore. These catches are fixed to the two drums instead of to the driving wheels, as heretofore. The drums are loose on the shaft instead of being fast, so that with a spring to keep the levers in their proper places the catches are self-acting, and the drums will turn either way, and with the advantage of the front and back swivel wheels the machine will turn much more easily, and will mow close round the smallest shrub or plant. The object of the back swivel wheel is to keep the machine steady when mowing verges and similar surfaces.
LONDON: Printed by GEORGE EDWARD EYRE and WILLIAM SPOTTISWOODE,
Printers to the Queen's most Excellent Majesty. 1858.
PublicationPatent DocumentDateSourceGoogle Books/English Patents of Inventions, Specifications/1858Link