OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Component Histories ROVER - Tip-to-Empty Catcher - c1959

Hello ODK History Lovers
Catchers - to catch grass - are as old as the lawnmower itself.
Before that, with the hand scythe, folk (women) were employed on wealthy estates
to collect or 'catch' the grass after scything, so that it could be removed from
the lawn. So catchers are not new ...

Rotary mowers that could collect grass were rare in the 1950s, but by 1960 the
expectation for a residential mower was that it would be capable of an
accessorised catcher - a side catcher for side discharge lawnmowers. By 1962,
rear catchers became obligatory for rear discharge lawnmowers.

This article is devoted to the unique Rover 'Tip-To-Empty' catcher used on
Rover 18", 19" and 21" mowers (as they were introduced) from about 1959.

This metal, side-discharge catcher would be used on Rover mowers for the
following decades - until Rover changed to the new 'plastic' designs.

The interesting thing is this: the original Rover side catcher was designed
by a future competitor of Rover Mowers! The clue was in the patent number ...




TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO - The Patent
I was surprised when I discovered the actual inventor of the future Rover catcher ...

It was Theodor William Reinhold, and the application was lodged on the 6th November,
1958. That name rang a bell - the founder of Greenfield Products in 1966! I do not
pretend to know whether a young Theo was employed by Rover, or whether Rover bought
the patent.

It was such a clever design. With quick capture hooks on the chassis, the catcher
could be quickly fitted and removed. The most important feature was that the mower
could be tilted backwards for emptying. There was abundant ventilation, and a
jockey wheel to support the catcher (and grass) weight. Brilliant!

Rover Rapid with side-catcher:-


Rover Super 4 21 (Model 32) with catcher:-

MODEL HISTORIES


Want to comment on this article?

A Topic has been established in the Old Soap Box:-
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/77836/Rover_and_Theo_Reinhold.html#Post77836