MOWER OF THE MONTH
Number Sixty Nine
RANSOMES PATENT CHAIN AND GEAR AUTOMATONS
In 1897 Ransomes introduced two new mowers to replace its
existing Automaton models. The Patent Chain Automaton (PCA) and the Patent
Gear Automaton (PGA) were destined to become some of the most popular hand
mowers of the period leading up to the First World War. Outwardly the
mowers appear similar to the earlier models although there were a number
of enhancements:
-
the rear driving roller was ribbed circumferentially to
help prevent the mower slipping sideways on slopes
-
the cutting cylinder was double-angled (the left and right
halves angled towards the centre) to deliver the clippings more evenly
into the grass box
-
the front roller was more easily adjusted through the
incorporation of a bell shaped hand wheel that eliminated the need for a
spanner
-
the scraper plate behind the rear roller was more
elaborate to incorporate the name of the machine. The central round
motif was repeated as a transfer on the grass box.
The PCA and PGA models appear almost identical except for
the drive mechanism. The PCA had the familiar wide "block chain" used on
so many different mowers during this period. The original PGA design had
spoked gear wheels (enclosed by a surrounding cast iron protective cover).
On later models the gaps between these spokes were filled in, presumably
to produce a more durable component.
Although the mowers appear the same the PGA was surprisingly
much harder to push than the PCA model of equivalent size. This is because
it was more highly "geared" which meant that the cutting cylinder rotated
more quickly for each unit of forward motion than on the PCA. This higher
rotation speed requires more effort from the operator.
Both models were available in a wide range of sizes from 8
to 24in cutting widths (in two inch increments) for the standard
models. The grass box handles and brackets on the 8, 10 and 12-inch
models were different to those used on larger machines. The company's
larger models for use with donkeys and horses incorporated a number of
design features from the PGA model but were not referred to by this name
in official literature.
Cast iron handle bars identical to those from the earlier
Chain Automaton models were used on the PCA and PGA. During the Edwardian
period (1901-1910) the word "England" was added after "Ipswich".
The PCA and PGA were destined to be the last Ransomes mowers
made completely from cast iron. From the 1920s onwards the company
introduced more modern designs incorporating press steel, precision gears
and roller chain. Both models had faded from the scene by about 1930.
The PCA and PGA were some of the most popular hand mowers
made to that date and, although not quite as numerous as the Greens Silens
Messor, many have survived. Complete examples in good original condition
are the most highly prized by collectors.
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