Mowing machine patentIn 1822, a U.S. patent was issued for the first practical grass mowing machine to Jeremiah Bailey of Chester county, Pennsylvania, said to mow ten acres a day. It was horse-drawn, and the movement of one of its wheels turned gears to spin a vertical shaft with six scythes laid horizontally above the ground in the form of a complete circle. During the rotation, the scythes passed under a whetstone. The cutting apparatus adjusted to the variations in ground surface or grass to stay at the proper distance above the ground. The machine was known both in the U.S. and in Britain, where it was described and illustrated in the Mechanic's Magazine (1823). The first, though unsuccessful, U.S. patent was issued 4 Dec 1811 to Peter Gaillard.« |
