OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Rotary Models COLLECT-O-MATIC - c1956

Hello ODK members,

This is an important vintage lawnmower for many reasons.

If a vintage lawnmower collector was to ask me what was the technically most significant Australian-made
mower to come from the 1950s then I would have to put the Collect-O-Matic high on the list.

The Collect-O-Matic appears to have had two manufacturers in its life.

The first was G.M.F. Electric Motors of Bonar Street, Arncliffe, Sydney.
GMF was a significant manufacturer of Fractional Horsepower Motors for industry, and made some
domestic consumer goods, like its famous bench grinders.

Here is a photograph of the then modern Arncliffe factory:-


GMF were the 1957 Patent Applicants, and their Cut-N-Catch Collect-O-Matic was an 18" cut rear-catcher lawnmower.
The base was aluminium of the high arch design and catching was via a fabric bag mounted on a steel tray.
The engine was a forward-facing 125cc Hurricane engine fitted with a short snorkel air cleaner.
Height control was manual to all four wheels.

Here is an advertisement from early 1957.
Note GMF'S other lawnmower, the electric Multi-Mower, discussed separately in these history forums.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART 2 - Anglo-Australian Engineering Co.

The second manufacturer was the Anglo-Australian Engineering Company with premises at
Exceller Avenue, Bankstown, Sydney. They manufactured - or marketed - this machine from 1958.

I do not know what arrangement caused this change in manufacturing company. I do know that the design
was improved and modernised. The machine was renamed as the Exceller 18" Collect-O-Matic.

The two important changes were in providing a folding handle and, most interestingly, in providing
automatic height adjustment that was controlled from the handle!

NOTE: Note the similarities in the "hey Dad!" headline. Also notice the
metal tray under the catcher (supported by chains to the handle), and the handle height adj. lever.



Here is a rare photograph of the Anglo-Australian Engineering Company's display
at the 1958 Sydney Royal Easter Show. Note here that the mower had four blades.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART 3 - More Improvements

By 1960, The Anglo-Australian Engineering Company had made two significant improvements to their machine.

The first improvement is the use of an up-dated power unit. The engine in the company advertising is
simply described as a '3.6 H.P. petrol engine'. It should be no secret that the engine was a Victa Industrial Unit
- probably a Mk 11 Tiger Standard.

The second improvement is the move to a synthetic, nylon woven catcher bag. This catcher had a
'transparent rear panel' whereby the operator could see grass being collected.

Note in the copy the company's pronouncement that the Collect-O-Matic was
'The most advanced rotary mower in the world'...



In this late 1961 advertisement from the large A.C.T. dealer Scott's, there is explicit reference
to the engine being a Victa. Also note the mower cartons in the background and the discounted price.

These must have been colourful machines with their tartan-checked catchers.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART 4 - THE PATENT

The patent for what would become the Collect-O-Matic was lodged in late 1956, with the specification
Published and Accepted by mid-1958.

The Actual Inventor was George Albert Cumines, but the Applicant was G.M.F. Electric Motors Pty. Limited.

The patent relates to 'Improvements in or Relating to Rotary Type Lawnmowers'.
The main object of the patent was in providing for a grass catcher ('container') that was lighter,
larger, and more efficient at catching grass.

Most importantly, the patent envisaged 'flanged cutting blades' and an 'inclined open ended duct'.
That 'inclined duct', fitted to this machine, would later become known as a high-arch rotary lawnmower.
The Collect-O-Matic was ahead of its time.

The patent envisaged the concept of the 'velocity of air' needed in the design of the arch and even
discusses the possibility of engine exhaust assisting air flow!

The catcher would not be metal. It would be a flexible material (like canvas) for light weight,
although this design envisaged a metal support for the bag. This was an American-style 'bagger' mower,
and it would pre-empt the use of synthetic catchers used on many lawnmowers today.

Here is the Illustration that accompanied the Patent.
The full Patent Document is attached below.

This is the first model Collect-O-Matic, the GMF Cut-N-Catch.
NOTE: the exhaust directed towards an aperture in the arch chute and the manual height adjustment.

PART FIVE - UPDATE - Exceller Collect-O-Matic

Member Paul C was astute and lucky to acquire an Exceller Collect-O-Matic in
early 2016. This was the second version of the mower, still powered by Hurricane
(before the Victa engine), and with significant upgrades from the original model
(see discussion above).

This was the most advanced Australian designed and manufactured lawnmower of
the 1950s, and should be considered the Holy Grail of vintage Australian rotaries
for a very simple reason - it was a decade ahead of anything else on the market.

Like all of these machines that have come to light, the catcher was missing,
but apart from that, it was in amazing, original condition.

A couple of surprising and unknown features have come to light. The first was
that, not only was the height adjustable from the handle, but there were handle
height pre-sets for operator comfort:-





The biggest - and most important - surprise was the blade holder design.
It would appear that aerodynamic lift was achieved, not necessarily by blade
design, but by an alloy three-bladed blade holder! Like the truly revolutionary
British Rotoscythe of 1932, this mower created lift via blade holder design.
This change was probably introduced in late 1958 (best guess).

I do not believe the current blades on the machine are originals, but are
later stepped and fluted types - like Supa-swift blades. We still do not know
what the original blades would have looked like, but they probably had small
flutes as shown in the patent illustration.




The History Forum is lucky to have this new insight to the most-amazing if AUS vintage
mowers. Again, a big thank you to Paul C for this (also for the great photos).

The rest is history.
----------------------------
Jack

[video][/video]

The Rest is History.
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GMF MULTI-MOWER
THE HUMBLE GRASS CATCHER



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The Rest is History.
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