FEATURES

From the six bullet-listed features in both advertisements I would like to address
the three most significant ones. They are:-

Cutting height instantly adjusted by hand while motor is running.
The unique feature on the Lawn King is its height adjustment mechanism.
The key problem of the earliest rotaries was height adjustment. Typically, this involved
adjusting each wheel, using a tool, when the mower was stopped and stationary.
In the field, this was far from precise on some machines.

The Lawn King used a rack and pinion, connected to a lever with pre-sets mechanism,
to move the engine upwards or downwards. The base remained static.
This was not a new idea, as Australia's first rotary - the Tecnico - used it
(though it had a very simple cam arrangement).
However, it was a vast improvement on what Victa offered at this time.

[Linked Image]

Self-operating clutch on motor to stop damage
The 'self-operating clutch' feature is intriguing. This is an engine protection device.
My best guess is that this was a very compact friction clutch mounted above the blade or blade holder.
None of these clutches appear to have survived. My best guess is that they were replaced
by a more simple (and elegant) solution of the swing-back blade mounted to a bar or disc.

Fan-and-cowl cooled motor.
This is an important feature, given that there is evidence that early rotaries lost performance
by simply using direct air-cooled engines, where cylinder fins radiated heat.
The introduction of forced air via a fan and cowl increased performance, and this was
particularly relevant in Australia's climate.

The Lawn King used fan cooling from 1955.
The contentious issue is who developed the first design: was it Villiers or Clancy?
My best guess is that the first fan-forced Australian rotaries used their own ingenuity,
before Villiers introduced their designs. I accept, this is unexplored territory.

Here is a photo of what I think is the first model Lawn King:-
[Linked Image]

Note that the petrol tank is missing but would have been handle-mounted (1955 advertisement).
The fan and cowl are tinware and do not appear in any Villiers manuals for the Midget that I have found.

The newer model, displayed in the 1956 advertisement has the Villiers
cowling and engine-mounted fuel tank:-

[Linked Image]