General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

Cast metal mower casing painted turquoise blue; off-white moulded synthetic motor housing mounted on mower top; silver metal mower handle and select fittings; off-white and black synthetic (?) wheels; black synthetic covering on power cord; hard black synthetic switch box.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

137.0 cm

Width

60.0 cm

Height

77.8 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Domestic Technology

Category

Exterior work

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

SUNBEAM

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

The lawn mower was picked up in a yard sale. It was manufactured and used in Canada. Canadian Tire was selling Sunbeam lawn mowers also from about 1973 until 1980, and some of that specific model sometime under the name Mastercraft (1973, 1974, p. 167). In 1987, the Etobicoke plant stopped manufacturing kitchen appliances. The company continued manufacturing of lawn mowers (since 1957) and BBQs until at least 1990. (http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1987-03-05/news/0110300227_1_kitchen-appliances-sunbeam-corp-manufacturers-in-canada) Sunbeam company first started in 1893 with John K. Stewart and Thomas J. Clark, in manufacturing and selling a commercial horse clipping machine in Chicago. In 1897 the company was incorporated as the Chicago Flexible Shaft Company. In 1946, the name changed to Sunbeam Corporation. A subsidiary plant was established in Toronto, Ontario after the Second World War. (precise year unknown but the company is present in 1953 on Weston Road in Toronto) ``Sunbeam is a brand almost synonymous with small electric home appliances -- and for good reason. Incorporated in 1898, Sunbeam was the first company to introduce the electric iron, pop-up toaster and the electric mixer. But for a brief period of time, Sunbeam also produced electric lawn mowers. Today, (since 2004) Sunbeam is owned by Jarden Consumer Solutions, and they no longer produce lawn mowers`` [Ref. 1]

Function

To cut grass to uniform height.

Technical

Twin-blade instead of just one. This technology went off the market around 1990. Unlike single-bladed electrics, twin-blades used belts to bring down the speed of the motor. The Sunbeams used toothed timer belts, necessary as their side-by-side blades must be synchronized so they don't collide with each other. This might explain why one-blade lawn mowers were preferred. Also, they needed maintenance to work well. ``There is an electric motor in the middle, and a drive shaft for the cutting blades on each side. The drive shafts have a porous bronze bushing (expensive) at the top and middle, with an oil reservoir between the bushings. There are two independent blades per shaft, and the shafts are driven by toothed rubber belts. It in not sufficient to oil the motor. You must also keep oil in the two oil reservoirs for the drive shafts. These are filled by removing a screw on the outside of the mower body, and squirting the oil in. The reservoirs are not connected, so each must be topped up…` Balancing of the independent blades is important, and if you sharpen the blades, you will change the balance. That can result in destructive vibrations. ` (http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/lmower/msg1121335318425.html?13) The swing over handle folds for storage. First lawn mowers by Sunbeam were introduced in 1957. The lawn mower was invented in 1830 by Edwin Beard Budding, an engineer from Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. Before this, animals were cutting the lawn or garden shears were used. Closer to Canada, In the United States, the first patent for a reel lawn mower was granted to Amariah Hills on January 12, 1868. Early lawn mowers were often horse drawn. In 1870, Elwood McGuire designed a very popular human pushed lawn mower. It was not the first one but his was very light and became a commercial success. An improved rotary blade lawn mower was patented by John Albert Burr in 1899. The 1890s also witness the introduction of steam powered lawn mowers. In 1902, Ransomes produced the first commercially available mower powered by an internal combustion gasoline engine. In the United States, gasoline powered lawn mowers were first manufactured in 1919 by Colonel Edwin George. [Ref. 1]

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

Plate on mower front reads: "MODEL RE 185-1/ DO NOT USE IN RAIN/ DISCONNECT AND STORE INDOORS/AFTER USE. REPLACE DAMAGED/ CORD IMMEDIATELY./ 120 VOLTS/ 60HZ/ 8 AMPS/ A.C. ONLY/ PAT'D/ 1962 '64 '65/ MADE IN CANADA". Decal applied to opposite side of casing reads: "CANADIAN OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION/ CONFORMS TO SAFETY STANDARDS/ CERTIFIED BY MANUFACTURERS", with logo and French text translation. "CAUTION" and directional arrow cast in raised print on front and back of blade casing. Oil ports labelled. "KEEP HANDS AND FEET/ FROM UNDER MACHINE" cast in raised print on blade casing. "Sunbeam" cast in raised print on starter switch casing.

Missing

Clippings collection basket missing. Decal on motor casing top is missing. Lawn mower has obviously been repaired and modified over it's lifetime.

Finish

Cast metal mower casing painted turquoise blue; off-white moulded synthetic motor housing mounted on mower top; silver metal mower handle and select fittings; off-white and black synthetic (?) wheels; black synthetic covering on power cord; hard black synthetic switch box.

Decoration

N/A