US462788A - Hand-power grass-cutting machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

M. W. WRIGHT. HAND POWER GRASS GUTTING MACHINE. No. 462,788. Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

0/5501' 1W, W I I W fm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARK T. \VRIGHT, OF BALTIMO RE, MARYLAND.

HAND-POWER GRASS-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,788, dated November 10, 1891.

Application filed -Tuly 16, 1891. Serial No. 399.781. (No model.)

T0 all witam, z't may concern:

Be it known that I, MARK W. Ware-HT, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 30 East Fayette street, in the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Power Grass-Cuttin g Machines; and I do deelare the following to be a full, clear, and exaet description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the aecompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which 'form a part of this specification.

.My invention relates to improvements iu small grass cutting machines operated by hand-power, in which- Figura lis a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

The eutting part of the machine consists of two series of knives formed upon the edges of two horizontal plates a and Z), which rnb against each other, the lower plate a remaining stationary, while the upper plate Z) has a reciprocating and partia-lly-rotary motion, thus: As shown upon the accompanying drawings, the lower plate a, upon whose front edge are formed knives for Cutting, is firmly affixed to a wooden stale or handle by a shank forming the back part of the plate a, while the front of this plate a deseribes a short are or a circle.

Resting and working upon and in close contact with the plate a is another plate Z), very similar in form, whose front edge describes a trifie shorter are of the same, or of, perhaps7 atrifie srnallercirele, and upon whose front edge are also formed a series of knives designed to work in conjunction with the hnives upon the front edge of plate a. These two plates a and Z) have one common center c, where the two plates are fastened together with a bolt, and said common center is the center of the eircle partly described by the outer or front edges of the two plates a and 7). The knives upon the edge of plate a slightly differ from those upon the edge of plate b, inasmuch as those of plate a are a trifle longer and project from the common center e a very little farther than do those on plate b to protect the points of the knives upon the plateb in their reciproeatory motion. The knives upon plate a are pointed and those on plate b nearly or quite pointed, and where they rub across each other, as they do throughout nearly thei r enti re length, they are very nearly`` of the same size. The knives upon plate a are beveled upon their lower sides, the knives upon plate Z) are beveled upon their upper sides, and thus the knives upon the two plates rubbing together form a shear cut The motion is only in plate b, which swings laterally and with a slight rotary lnotion upon the common center c, but the motion being reciproeal, the knives passing over and describing the are of an imaginary circle, of which the bolt at c is the center.

Midway of the upper side of plate b and a short distance back of the base of the knives thereon is afiixed an ear or projeotion (Z, and through this ear runs a Vertical slot e. Just back of the ear (Z is placed the bearing of the driving-shaft. This bearing f does not rest upon the plate Z) at any point, but is so adjusted that it rests upon plate a, thus: Upon each side of the ear (Z and some distance from it are cut two curved slots g g through the plate Z) wide enough and for the purpose of admitting of screws to be run through them and screwed to the plate a, thus keeping the plates a and h in close contact. The bearingabove alluded to is shaped something like a bridge, and is so formed that its ends shall rest one in each of the slots g g, thus extending from one slot to the other; but the ends of the bridge-like bearing f are each formed with a shoulder as they reach the plate Z), but possess a further extension long` enough and small enough to reach through the slots g g to plate aand rest upon plate a. The screws running through the slots g g also pass through the ends of bearin g f, fastening the bearing f firinly to plate a.

Passing through the center of the bridgebearing f (which is just behind the ear d) is the driVing-shaft h, which has but two bearings, one in the bridge-bearing f and the other at or near its other extremity and resting upon the stale Z. The driving-shaft 71 upon its lower end is provided With a erank or Crank-wheel, the wrist of which is run through the slot in the ear (Z, but fitting IOO . tached to the same.

loosely therein, and thus as the driving-shaft revolves and the crank revolves in and through the slot e reciprocatory lateral motion is given to the plate Z), and of course carrying with it the knives formed upon its front edge. Upon the upper or opposite end of the driving-shaft h is affixed a bevel gearpinion which ineshes into and is driven by the bevel-cog drive-wheel 7a. The drive-wheel k, as well as the upper bearing of the shaft h, rests upon the handle or stale Z. At the upper end of the stale Z is affixed a convenient handle m.

The method of operation is substantially as follows: The operator grasps the handlem in the left hand, and it is designed that when this handle m is brought to the proper height to be held conveniently the knife-platesa and b shall lie horizontally. The operator then with the right hand revolves the drivewheel k by means of a convenient handle at- As the drive-wheel revolves, the bevel-cogs upon its left-hand edge. mesh into corresponding bevel-cogs on the pinion and thus giving the shaft h a rapidly-revolving motion. As the shaft h revolves, the Crank at its lower end is forced into a rapid circular movement, carrying with it in a laterally-reciprocating movement the ear d, through which it runs, and, as the ear (Z is firmly affixed to the knife-plate b, plate b is thus forced into the same movement,

w and thus the knives upon plate a remaining stationary and the knives upon plate b plying laterally and in close contact with and across the knives upon plate a, as the grass is caught between theknives it is readily and cleanly shaven as the entire machine is pnshed foward by the operator. Ease in moving the machine upon the ground and in adjusting the distance of the knives from the ground is facilitated by oneor two small Wheels or casters n, attached to the rear part of plate a, the Wheels 'a resting upon the ground and the weight of the lower portion of the entire machine resting upon them, they being so adjusted that by slightly depressing the handle 'm the points of the knives are lifted to a greater distance from the ground, or Vice Versa.

If preferred this machine may be rendered still lighter in weight by placing the curved slots g g, the bearing f, and the ear (Z forward much nearer to the base of the knives than shown in the acoompanying drawings and herein described, but none having the motive power applied in the manner in which it is in my inVention-th at is, by applying the power to the knives in front of the common center, (here marked 0,) and I thus apply the power more directly and avoid the destructive strain placed upon the center c, which accompanies the movement of' all whose motive power is applied to the rear of the common center c, and I thus move the knives more easily and with less resistance and with thevuse of less power. The knives will also in this machine be longer' than those shown in any prior inachine.

I am also aware of the fact that the driving-power of hand-power grass-cutting ma'- chines has been constructed with some features in common with the one here shown, but none with the same form of direct connection between the application of power and the lateral motion of the knives.

Hence I do not claim as my invention either the reciprocating circular motion of plate b or the cranked driving-shaft as such; but

What I do claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

In hand-power grass-cuttingmachines, the combination of the two knife-plates a and b, hinged to each other at a point to the rear of the connection of plate b with the drivingshaf t and the bridge-like bearing f, all substantially as shown in the above specification and in the accompanying drawings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, MARK W. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

FRANK DE S. BENZINGER, H. T. GRANE.

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