OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Rotary Models CLANCY ENGINEERING - LAWN KING

Hello ODK members,

Much of what I say here is speculative and provisional.
Little is known about these intriguing machines. I have no doubt that more information
will be forthcoming in time.

The Lawn King was a 16 inch Australian rotary mower, having an alloy base with
a very thin skirt. It had rear wheels that appear to have a narrower track than the front.
The Lawn King did go through a couple of engine variants, but all seem to be Villiers two-strokes.

The earliest advertisement I have is from late 1955; the latest advertisement I have found is from
late 1956. I can only speculate that the Lawn King was introduced for the 1955-56 season,
and survived for a few years. I do not know whether it survived to see the 1960s.
I would think it did not.

The first ad. is recorded from a local newspaper; the latter from the State Sydney Morning Herald.
Here are the advertisements now:-




This story to be continued ...

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.



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:-


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:-

UPDATE 01

Lawn King bases:-
This image comes courtesy of the State Library of NSW.
It's a poor quality photograph taken at Baker Enamelling Company at Lidcombe.
The image is dated as 7 November, 1956.

AUSTRALIAN ROTARY MODELS



The record for the Clancy Lawn King is incomplete.
Do you have any information? Would you like to comment?
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