improvements in Shears for various purposes, gardening purposes and the like
Year: 1888

page_text: I, ARCHIBALD HART, of Dean Cottage, Newtown-of-Pitcairns, Dunning, in the
County of Perth, North Britain, Minister of the Gospel, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
-
This Invention relates to improvements in Shears for various purposes, gardening
purposes and the like.
Figure 1. of the accompanying drawings illustrates a pair of Shears constructed in
accordance with one of the several modifications constituting my said invention. The
handles are sheathed with wood "A," secured upon the iron frame "B," by
rivets "b."
The blades are closed against a flat spring "C," so that the handles opening auto-
matically, under the influence of the said spring, enable the shears to be operated by
one hand; the rings "D," always keeping the handles comfortably and securely in the
grasp; the said rings are preferably so mounted with the handles that they hinge or
turn readily to suit the motion or position of the fingers. In order to lock the blades
I provide the catch piece "E" locking into the pin head "F;" I also prefer to provide
a locking ring or catch "G" at the end of the handles.
As shewn in the drawing I may provide the back of one of the blades with saw
teeth for the purpose of enabling stout branches, for example; to be severed and
which the ordinary cutting blades would be unable to effect; the said form of shears
is therefore more especially adapted for gardening purposes, especially as regards the
shearing blades, for cutting or trimming grass borders. The saw may be of any
suitable contour, for example, the line of teeth might be straight, or of a simple curve.
The teeth may be cut either directly out of the blade or they may form a detachable
portion thereof.
If desired to use the saw as a separate instrument, the two blades may be made
detachable by simple screw and nut for pivoting the blades.
In lieu of a saw I may make the said back of one of the blades as a sickle for
cutting or scutching twigs of privet or other growths.
Figure 2 illustrates a modification of my invention, in which I employ a straight
formation of shears, as a distinction from the curved formation shewn in Figure 1.
This figure also shows a modification in the releasing spring, and thumb and
fingers rings. With regard to the former, I employ a spiral spring, preferably of brass
wire, operating between two lugs; "D1" is the thumb ring, and "D" the fingers
ring, and I employ a stop "H," and locking catch "I;" this form of shears is also
perferably wood sheathed as shewn. I prefer to shape the cutting blades at the lower
portion of the cut, so as to obtain a supplementary leverage for branch cutting, which

page_text: is obtained by the recessed contour indicated in dotted lines at "J," and also at the
corresponding full lines "J."
The handles as shewn in Fig. 1. may also be face to face, or abutting, as in
Fig. 2.
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a modification of shears or
scissors more especially applicable for cutting twigs and so forth; the wood sheathing
is similar to that shewn in Figure 1, and the handles are shewn as overlapping as
in Figure 1, but the handles may be mounted face to face, and as a distinction from
Figure 2, in which the handles abut, the fingers and thumb rings may be similar to
those shewn in Figure 2; the flat spring and the catch may be as shewn in Figure 1,
but the blades are of a formation differing from both Figures 1, and 2.
1
In lieu of rings for the fingers and thumb, I may make the said parts of leather,
or of strong cloth, or I may make the said thumb and fingers portions of any other
material.
In accordance with my improvements the shears may be curved, or bent at the
pivot, either along the edge as shewn in figures 1, and 3, or along the back as
might be applied to Figure 2, being the formation of the ordinary two handed garden
shears.
In lieu also of the handles being wood sheathed they may, if desired be entirely
of metal, and the metal may be either cast, or stamped out; or I may so construct
the blades, or cutting edges that they are clamped or screwed on to an entire frame
of cast metal.
Also with regard to the pivoting of the blades, the blades may be either screwed,
or rivetted, or joined, as in figure 3a in the latter case by the one blade a¹, being
hollowed, and the other blade ', passing through it, as through a slot, with
obliquely cut formation and shoulders c', made exactly to fit, so that in this arrange-
inent no pinhead is required, the pin being filed flat and invisible, and the opposing
blades remain in the same position as long as the metal wears, without wearing too
loose at the joint. This is the strongest possible joint as a pivot for blades.
I may, with the heavier shears, having long blades and with a bend at the neck,
provide an arrangement for preserving the edges from coming close to the earth.
For this purpose the underside of the blades and the heel may have on their outer
side along the under-edge of the back as shown in figure 3b, a projection of the
metal in the form of a thin rail a³, from the heel deeper and tapering to thinner
for three fourths the length of the blade, but running entirely out an inch or two
from the points, the form of the rail being a small semicircle, as shown in section
in figure 3º.
Sheet 2, of the accompanying drawings illustrates modifications of my shears, in
which I effect two perfectly good cuts at one stroke of the levers, which are specially
made as well as the cutting blades and appliances for the effecting of this object.
The arrangement is especially applicable for all sorts of surface trimming, not only in
the garden but for other purposes.
Figure 4, illustrates a pair of shears for surface trimming in which the cut is divided
into two halves by a double-edged central member "K with a lever or continua-
tion "K¹," both being formed to adapt to the working of the two blades. The blades
are formed so as not to meet or pass, but only to cross the edges, which are bevelled
outwards from the underside, as shewn in the drawing, as in the ordinary "Pruners."
Figure 4º, is a sectional end elevation through the shears handles and continua-
tion K', when closed; Figure 4b, being a side elevation of the shears when in the
position shewn in figure 4.
I may provide a stop at the junction of the foot of the blades or 1 may dispense with
In
a separate stop by the handles coming close against each other, near their ends.
order to keep the handles closed as required I may employ the slip ring "L.”
"M," is a spiral spring made in two independant parts. The continuation "K"
has mounted upon it the central lug or disc "m," preferably having a short stout pin
on each side of its centre for the twin springs to work into. This arrangement is
found to be ample for keeping the central blade in the proper central position

page_text: as is also the mode of joining it by using an extra strong nail for the whole three
members.
In order to maintain the necessary pressure on the centre member which receives
the pressure of the blades on its two edges at the same time, I may employ the
arrangements shewn in Figures 4, and 5.
With regard to figure 4, I make the centre lever to come up through between the
two handles at the shoulder end part of them, and to lie when the shears are closed,
flat along, and covering the inner side of the upper surfaces of the handles so that when
working, the central lever will be pressed with the hollow of the hand.
In accordance with the other arrangement as shewn in Figure 5, and its edge view
(Figure 5) the central lever is entirely underneath and suitably shortened, and with
a crossbar "n," forged on to it, as a slide to impinge on the handles evenly, preferably
on the iron of the handles, a slot "o," being formed for it. The handles may be
made of hollow iron work and tinned, and the slot made in the iron, or as shown in
Figure 5, I may employ wood sheathed handles.
The handles shewn in Figure 4, are of cast or forged metal, semicircular in shape,
the edges of the metal facing inwards towards each other as shewn more particu-
larly in the section figure 42, the centre being hollow and receiving the ends of the
spiral spring as shewn in dotted lines, Figure 4; with this form of handle the
central lever "K'," lies as a flat semicircular shaped bar covering and overlapping
the two rounded edges of the handles underneath when closed, as shewn in Figure 4*,
the said lever "K" having a bevelled surface as shown. In the modification shewn
in Figures 5, 5ª, the bent formation of ordinary two-handed garden shears is
employed, and for an efficient working of the spring and central lever, I employ
the two lugs "p," for retaining the ends of the springs, the central lug "p¹," being
similar to the lug shewn in Figure 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First. In one-handed shears for gardening and other purposes, as shewn on
Figure 1, the arrangement and construction of handles," ",A," "B," and rings or
guards
"D," and in combination with the same the self-opening device, "C,"
"E," "F," and locking device "G."
Second. The general arrangement of the blades in combination with the handle
portion thereof as shewn in Figure 1.
Third. In combination with the blades of shears, the saw as shown in Figure 1,
or the sickle as described.
Fourth. The arrangement for separating the levers of shears, substantially as and
for the purposes herein before described.
Fifth. In shears the employment of a projection or rail along the back of the
blades, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
Sixth. The particular construction of blades for shears as shewn in Figure 2.
Seventh. The combination of spiral spring, sheathed handles, rings "D¹‚” “D³‚”
catch "I," and stop "H," as shown in Figure 2.
Eighth. The combination of sheathed handles, rings, and spring, as shewn in
Figure 3.
Ninth. The double-cut arrangement, substantially as and for the purposes herein-
before described, and shewn on sheet 2, of the accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 19th day of November 1888.
JOHNSONS,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Applicant's Agents.