Emerson, Talcott d Co.'s very wide-cut mower, Fig. 5, made by Emerson, Talcott & Co., of Illinois, is a representative of a class of side-cutting mowers in which much of the weight of the cutting apparatus and frame for crank shaft is su-tained by a strong spring, which may be seen attached to the side of the tongue in front, and to a bell crank at its rear end, the crank booked to a supplemental lift chain, so arranged that a constant pull is applied upon the upper end of an upright arm of the main shoe. The purpose is to keep tho tension of the spring strong enough, by adjustment, to greatly relieve the friction of the finger liar, particularly at the outer end, when in work ; and also diminish the labor of the operator in moving the lifter lever to pass the bar over obstacles ; the con traction of the spring aiding him by an upward pull on the guide roller under which its chain passes. The arrangement increases the driving power of the wheel nearer the cutters by im posing part of the weight of the finger bar upon it, and is adopted to make wide swathing practicable under the convenient arrangement of mowing machines by which the cutting is done entirely on one side of the path traveled by the team and driving wheels. This mower may be used with a finger bar of 6, and even 7 ft. length. To overcome the tendency, which so long a bar would otherwise have, to crown in the center when largely upheld at the main shoe end, the bar in manufacture is given a de cided upward curve, which is neutralized as nearly as possible, in use, by the tendency of the outer end to sag. Unless the guard fingers maintain a straight line, the reciprocating knife can neither move freely nor present to the herbage a proper shear cut by contact of the cut ting sections with the cutting edges of the guard fingers.
Iu the class of mowers represented by Fig. 6, the two driving wheels straddle the swath
just after it is cut, but one of the two horses drawing the machine must necessarily walk in the uncut grass to maintain centrality of draft. The scythe is vibrated by a short pitman, operated by a combination of chain and cog gearing from a chain wheel on the end of the main axle. which in turn is revolved forward by both or either of the driving wheels, through the medium of the now universal hub ratchets. The main draft is by the tongue, but any desired portion of it may be transferred so as to act upon the cutter frame below, by an adjustable arrangement of suspended bars and chains, to ease up the cutter bar and its frame hinged upon the main axle. The object of this general construction is to attain great width of swath in connection with central draft. The mower may be used right hand or left hand.
Lawn Jlowei's.—Fig. 7 is the Buckeye" lawn mower. It is provided with a hinged handle bar, and is self adapting to the ground surface. height of cut is determined at pleasure by adjustment of a rolling guide at the rear. The mowing-reel pinions are driven by internally toothed gear wheels, con centric with the ground wheels, in which they are ratcheted, so as to rest when the machine is backed by the operator. The hub of each ground wheel, projecting inward, forms a bearing for the hubs of the gear wheels, to condense the driving parts laterally, to avoid projections destructive to the bark of trees and shrubbery ; a front bar also fends them from the blades of the machine. Fig. 8 is a horse lawn mower, with which the lawn may not only be mown, but rolled, and also cleared of the mown grass, which, as it flies from the mowing reel, is caught in a pan attachment, carried on the mower.
Naphtha Engine : see Engines, Gas.
Napper : see Cotton-spinning Machines.