OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Personal Histories ROY KNIGHT and the Scott Bonnar Company

Hello ODK history lovers
Roy George Knight [Roy Knight] made a significant contribution to the Scott Bonnar
Company for decades, yet little is known about him.

When member and researcher Max Western posted some Scott Bonnar patents in 2018
alarm bells sounded. Adelaide Scott Bonnar historian, custodian and collector,
Grant Simpson, had sent me a document years� ago that revealed a list of names of
former employees of the firm. The document dates to 2001.

Roy Knight was listed as one of three employees in the Drafting Department: Sid Bowditch,
Roy Knight, and Derrick Lomas. Knight�s patents reflect a broad range of expertise in reel
and rotary designs. Patents range from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s.

This topic remembers Roy�s contribution to this great Australian lawnmower company.

TO BE CONTINUED �

PART TWO � Patent 38558 � Folding Mower Handle
Effective folding handles on Australian rotary lawnmowers only appeared in about 1957.
Prior to this, some disassembly was required. This was a significant obstacle in lawnmower
design � both in easy packaging and transport by the manufacturer, and easy transport
(in a vehicle) for the owner/end user.

Many early folding handles still required tools (to loosen fasteners) before folding the handle.
This included Scott Bonnar�s first rotaries; the Models 22, 31 and 35. By the late 1950s and
early 1960s, folding handles on many mowers required no tools. It became a significant
selling feature.

Roy Knigh'ts first recorded patent [1963] would appear on Scott Bonnar�s first three rear-
discharge rotary mowers � the Models 47, 48 and 49 � from about 1964 to 1974. It was a
simple, brilliant design that permitted both full-folding and rake adjustment for operator
comfort. Folding simply required the squeezing of two spring-loaded triggers together.
Brilliant!

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART THREE � Patent 38488 � Tractor-Mounted Gang Lifting Assy.

If ever a patent needed context, it�s this one �

Scott Bonnar made Australia�s first gang mower. They designed and manufactured their
Model 14 �Eagle� gang mower since about 1934. The Model 14 would be Scott Bonnar�s
most enduring production model, staying in production for half a century.

I wonder whether 'Eagle' was a tribute to the North Americans?

Gang mowers, a USA invention of the early 20th Century, were originally pulled by horse(s)
in single unit and triple unit configurations. However, the advent of the farm tractor changed
all that. Larger sizes: quintuple (5), septuple (7), and even nonuple (9) gangs could be
practically used in mowing very large areas � golf fairways, aerodromes, parklands.

Parklands presented the biggest problem � in that their city and suburban placements
meant easy transport along roadways was a necessity. Post WWII, the use of hydraulics
came to the rescue. Large gang mowers could now be more easily transported along
roadways and narrow lanes and gateways.

Roy Knight�s 1968 patent was Scott Bonnar�s version of this. It enabled a tractor mounted
triplex unit to be hydraulically lifted for land and road carriage whilst enabling fully-floating
capability on the turf. It was a labour-saving device. Scott Bonnar would also use hydraulics
to lift tractor-pulled 5 and 7 units.

I guess Sid Bowditch and Roy Knight introduced hydraulics to Scott Bonnar�

The problem with Roy�s patent is this: I don�t think it was ever used by Scott Bonnar beyond
the idea of use of hydraulics for gang lifting. A Scott Bonnar triplex gang was 7-foot-wide �
well within a road carriage lane. The outer units of a triplex did not necessarily need to be
folded to a vertical position for transport.




However, a point may be easily missed here. This patent seems to foresee the future
of gang designs. Note the lack of friction drive wheels � Within a few short years, the
UK�s ground-breaking Ransomes Hydraulic 5/7 would appear � with full hydraulic
drive to the gang units and full lifting (to a vertical position) of units 4, 5, 6 and 7.
The modern all-hydraulic gang mower was born.

For me this patent shows that Roy Knight knew what needed to happen, but Scott
Bonnar was in no position to commit to the huge capital required to build large,
next generation machines. With successive takeovers, and no �mower men� at
the helm of this once great company, the proven Model 14 would soldier on until
the late 1980s ,,, but with hydraulic lift on some configurations.

PART FOUR � Patent 40190 � Grass Catcher Securing Means.
This 1972 patent demonstrates Roy Knight�s continuing contribution to rotary design.
In particular, this patent relates to the sealing and safety flap engagement on high-arch
rear discharge lawnmowers fitted with grass catchers.

Roy gave us an elegant, safe and simple solution to catcher fitting,
flap engagement and catcher removal. Brilliant!

This patent most certainly went into production and featured on Scott Bonnar
Models 720 and 520 lawnmowers. These were Scott Bonnar�s first and last high-
arch design series. Introduced in late 1971 for the 1972 season, these machines
would remain in production until the early 1980s when Adelaide manufacture ceased.

PART FIVE � Patent 58122 � Gang Frame Simplification
This 1973 patent demonstrates Roy Knight�s continuing contribution to
gang mower design. In particular, this patent relates to the simplification
of the frames that link gang mowers to each other.

Roy gave us a simple and more cost-effective (modular) way to fully articulate
and float traditional friction drive gang mowers. It was a great improvement on
the previous Scott Bonnar gang framing system.

This patent most certainly went into production and featured on Scott Bonnar
gangs until the end of production in the 1980s.

PART SIX-A � Patent 60545 � Mower
Roy Knight�s Patent 60545 is the second from 1973 that I record here.
1973 must have been a tumultuous year, given that the Scott Bonnar
company would change its ownership again � from the Electrolux Group
(1970-1973) to NZ�s Challenge Corporation (1973-1980).

But 1973 must have also been a furtive year for Roy Knight, and this is
arguably his most important reel mower patent. Many thanks to researcher
Max Western for bringing this patent to my attention.

I think I can make the claim that Roy Knight�s patent was the inspiration
behind what would become, in a few years, the Scott Bonnar Diplomats �
the 590s and 430s of the era. This patent reveals the basic design
precepts that underpin that controversial design.

I can�t say the accompanying illustration from the patent gives the game
away. The devil and detail are in the patent itself. But can you see what�s
going on?



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART SIX-B � Patent 60545 � Mower
BACKSTORY:
Rear catcher reel lawnmowers had been around for over a century when
Roy Knight patented a new take on the idea. All reel mowers (in manual
and powered variants) naturally throw grass to the rear. In reel-roller
machines the seeming insurmountable obstacle was the large diameter
rear roller. It is for this reason that, from the earliest days, a deflector
plate was used to direct clippings towards a front-mounted catcher.

Reel mowers � without rear rollers � had an advantage here.
The advent of the side-wheels (from the late 19th Century onwards)
enabled clippings to take their natural course and be thrown into a rear
catcher. We see this in the first recorded side-wheel, the UK�s Follows
and Bate Climax of c1869.

However, this did not prevent side-wheels from using front catchers.
In fact, post WWII Australian designs favoured use of deflector-plates
to deliver grass frontwards!

In the meantime, �
The rotary revolution of the 1950s changed everything!
Rotaries could cut grass forward or backward � and catchers could be
mounted front, side, or at the back. Within just a couple of decades,
the reels were pushed or propelled towards a niche market � but not
without a fight.

Roy Knight�s patent represents the fightback. If domestic reel mowers
could be simplified (and made cheaper) and look like rotaries then
they stood a chance to compete with rotaries in the modern world.

[Commercial reels were never in the same position. It goes un-disputed
that reel mowers produce a finer cut for aesthetic and sporting purposes.]

Roy Knight�s patent took the obstacles onboard. A deflector system could
be used to throw grass over the rear roller and into a rear catcher. The
mower�s balance could be improved, with the rear catcher making the
machine more compact for maneuverability.

� More maneuverable and more compact
� Improve balance � catcher rear mounted
� Rear roller acts as fulcrum



Yes, more work to be done over the next few years before the Diplomats
would be released in c1976. I present the patent (with amendments) as a
download below.