The Old Lawnmower Club
Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers
X

ATCO De Luxe 1931 rear roller drive help request

Enter a word or two to search the forum section and click the Search Forum button.
r manasse Wed, 17/10/2012

I have just taken on ownership of a 1931 Atco De Luxe 16 inch with an articulated rear roller in 3 parts. The drive shafts and pinions that link the two outer segments of the rear roller are seized and/or rusted away. It would be possible to re-assemble with drive only to the central section and the two outer sections simply rolling free on their shaft, but I would like to re-instate the drive of all three segments. Has anyone:- i) experience of restoring similar ii) had new pinions cut, iii) specifications or a pattern for cutting new ones that they'd be willing to loan? 

Any help much appreciated. 

 

Robert Manasse

Forums

wristpin Sat, 20/10/2012

Regret that I have no info that far back. Sounds to be a pretty over engineered roller for 16", but then they did things like that in those days!

From what you have said it would seem that it may have been a scaled down version of the setup used in the later Heavy Duty 28 and 34" Atco Groundsman machines that were in production until the 80s or early 90s.

Any chance of some images?

wristpin Mon, 22/10/2012

Interesting pics, what a shame about the gears. Assuming that no one is going to come up with the correct items I suppose that the options are to leave it driving on the centre roller alone or devise a non destructive and reversable means of locking the two outer rollers to the centre.

If the objective is to use the machine the latter course of action in possibly the better option - just devise a mowing pattern without too many sharp trurns so as not to scuff too much.

I'm not an Atco expert but have noticed that some of my as yet unrestord Atco Standards have 3-piece rollers so maybe they use the same gears  - and the Standard is still reletively common so there is the possibilty that one is being canablised or scrapped somewhere - a matter of putting the word out in as many places as possible - could start with the Vintage Horticultural and Garden Machinery Club.

r manasse Tue, 23/10/2012

Thank you very much for your response - much appreciated. Actually, the outer rollers had seized and so were all working as one, and now only one side slips (due to the rusted-away pinions), the other is held fast by the seized shaft in centre section (with pinion with sufficient teeth left to engage). I will re-assemble as is and use it, and also try to find a Standard roller and hope for less decay inside. Thank you once again for your input. Robert Manasse