According to James Ricci’s book, “Hand, Horse and Motor, The Development of the Lawnmower Industry in the United States”, this mower was produced from 1933-1936. “Its trademark, Silent Yard-Man, reflected that the mower’s V-belt drive and air gap clearance between the cutting cylinder and the bed knife resulted in less mechanical noise.”
It was probably not a great success, in 1936 the Yard-Man changed to the normal pinion and pawl inside the wheel. . In addition to each wheel having a V-belt to drive the cutting cylinder, the body and wheels are of pressed steel construction. Note also the hidden rear wooden roller. My example has five blades and a 14 inch cut, I'm unsure if these are the original colours but it still works well.
The Yard-Man trademark has been used by a number of companies including the latest, MTD.
