OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Machine Histories MANLEY Roto Trimmer - c1949

Hello ODK History Lovers
This is a less common article in the History Forum, in that it discusses
an implement that is not a lawn mower, but an edger and hedger.

The mechanisation of the lawnmower did not take place in isolation.
With the advent of the garden bed and surrounding walls or boundaries
to properties came the need for not just trimming grass but for also
trimming edges - to say nothing about hedges.

Traditionally, it was back-breaking work, if doing the lawn or garden edges
with manual shears or clippers. Hedges, as aesthetic improvements, were also
done by manual shears or clippers.

Post WWII, mechanised lawnmower attachments appeared for edging. Some were
quite novel, but none seemed to be versatile, lightweight and flexible
enough to do both edges and hedges of all sorts and varieties.

The Roto Trimmer was an Australian invention - by Patrick Joseph Manley of
Sydney, who adapted the small, lightweight electric motor (then becoming popular)
to a single handle bar, that could be hand-held and rotated to cut at any angle.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO - Specification
This rare leaflet from my collection pretty much sums up the features of the
Roto-Trimmer. It was dual functioned in that it could be used for edging and
hedging.

This was a machine that addressed the issue of safety - in using electrical
appliances outdoors. The Roto Trimmer was powered by a transformer to operate
at 32 volts. Member aussietrev has advised why such an unusual voltage:
32 volts was the common voltage for farm lighting plants such as those produced
by Southern Cross and Dunlite. For remote used it could be powered by batteries.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART THREE - Patent
Patent 30055 of 1949 was applied for in September of 1949 -
about the same time the Roto Trimmer went on sale. The patent is a good
summary of the features and advancement on previous designs.

The inventor Patrick Joseph Manley gives an interesting address in
the patent: 36-40 Parramatta Road, Camperdown, Sydney. That would prove a
clue to the identity of the actual manufacturer. A well-known lawnmower
manufacturer was just a few lots away ...

Its lightweight construction, direct drive, adjustable angles, and safety
features all pointed to economy, safety, and ease of use.