IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE CLIPPERS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Bown, of Birmingham, in the County of!
Warwick, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HORSE CLIPPERS."
Sealed the 12th May 1874, and dated the 25th February 1874
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Bown at the
-
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th February 1874.
I, WILLIAM BOWN, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN HORSE CLIPPERS," to be as follows:
7
The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction of horse
clippers, and to prevent their being clogged by hair and dirt.
The fixed serrated or toothed cutter is secured as usual by screws. or
rivets to the stem of one of the handles, and upon it slides the movable..
toothed cutter, the latter being slotted to receive a guide piece which
projects from the inner face of the fixed cutter. The movable cutter is
held in place by a T shaped clamping bar, through the centre of which

page_text: passes a screw bolt which is intended to receive a clamping nut. Pro-
jecting inwards from the tail end of the T picce is a stud pin which
passes through a hole in the movable or propelling handle and enters a
hole in the fixed handle and thus forms a fulcrum for the movable
handle. The stem of this handle carries a stud pin which enters a hole
made in the movable cutter plate and serves to impart a reciprocating
motion thereto.
The seat for the clamping nut is notched to receive a V projection on
the face of a washer upon which the clamping nut bears, and by this
arrangement the clamping bar while being screwed up will be caused to
adjust and equalize its pressure upon the moving cutter.
The fixed plate I propose to slot in lines parallel with the teeth, and
to chamfer the ends of the slots so as to facilitate the discharge of any
hair or dirt that may work in between the cutters.
Instead of slotting the moving cutter to receive a guide piece which
projects from the inner face of the fixed cutter I may form on the
clamping bar lugs which will project through clongated slots in the
moving cutter and fit into holes made in the fixed cutter.
Instead of making the clamping bar T shaped so that it may carry:
the fulcrum pin of the movable handle I may secure that pin to the
fixed handle and tap it to receive a clamping nut, when substantially
the same result will be attained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Bown in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th August 1874.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
Bown, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
2
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year 3
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Bown, Her specia]*

page_text: licence that I, the said William Bown, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Bown, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HORSE CLIPPERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, tho said
William Bown, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Bown, do hereby declare tho
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
.
One of the objects of this Invention is to simplify the construction of
horse clippers by doing away with many of the loose parts which are
liable to become detached and lost, thereby rendering the instrument
temporarily useless.
Another object of my Invention is to so construct the parts as to prevent
the instrument from being clogged by hair and dirt, which if not removed
will injure the cutting edges and otherwise derange the apparatus.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a front view and Fig. 2 an
edge view of my improved horse clipper.
The fixed serrated or toothed cutter plate a is secured as usual by
screws or rivets to the stem of one of the handles b, b', and upon it
slides the movable toothed cutter plate c, the latter being slotted as
shown at c', c', in the detached views Figures 3 and 3*, in order to
receive guide pins which project from the inner face of a T piece or
clamping bar d which is secured to the fixed cutter a by means of a
screw bolt a' and wing nut a³, or thumbscrew.

page_text: The T shaped clamping bar d whereby the movable cutter c is held in
place is shewn detached in front and edge views, Figures 4 and 5, and
through the centre of this clamping bar passes the screw bolt a¹ which
is intended to receive the clamping nut a². Projecting inwards from the
tail end of the T picce d is a stud pin d¹ (Figures 4 and 5) which passes
through a hole 63 in the movable or propelling handle b¹ and enters a
hole in the fixed cutter plate a and thus forms a fulcrum for the moveable
"handle ; the stem of this handle carries at its upper end a short pro-
jecting arm which enters a notch or recess c² made in the moveable
cutter plate c and serves to impart a reciprocating motion thereto; the
.clamping nut bears on the back of the T shaped clamping bar near the
middle, and by this arrangement the clamping bar d while being screwed
up will be caused to adjust and equalize its pressure upon the moving
cutter plate c, thereby rendering this part of the instrument self
adjusting.
Fig. 6 is a back view and Fig. 7 a front view of a modification of tho
horse clipper just described, the T shaped clamping piece having been
removed in order that the joint may be more clearly seen; Fig. 8 is a
section of the same. In this case the principal working parts are con-
structed very much in the same manner as those shown at Figures 1 to
5. In Fig. 6 are shewn a number of slots g, g, made in the fixed plate a
and arranged in parallel lines below and in line with the teeth of the
cutting plates. The ends of the slots are chamfered or bevilled outwards
in order to prevent the back plate from picking up any dirt from the
horse's skin, and also to facilitate the discharge of any hair or dirt that
may work in between the cutters. It will be obvious that in place of
the long slots shewn in the Drawings openings of other forms may be
used.
In order to reduce the instrument to as few pieces as possible, and
thus obviate the liability of losing small detached parts when the
machine is taken to pieces, I form the upper end of the movable handle 6¹
with a boss e, Figures 7 and 8, which fits into a circular countersunk
recess made either in the fixed cutting plate a or in the head of the fixed
handle b. By this means I dispense with the use of the fulcrum pin
and the nut, which is liable to be dropped out and lost, thereby rendering
the instrument temporarily useless.
=
Instead of securing the cutting plates by means of a nut and screw
bolt passed through them and the T shaped clamping piece d I effect

page_text: this object by means of a simple thumbscrew which screws into a hole
tapped in the fixed cutting plate a.
Instead of making the clamping bar T shaped so that it may carry
the fulcrum pin of the moveable handle, as shewn in the Drawing, it
may be made straight and be held in its place by a clamping screw
and nut.
By arranging the several parts of horse clippers as herein set forth the
construction of these instruments is much simplified. They are also
greatly strengthened and are rendered less liable to derangement than
horse clippers of the ordinary construction. Morcover by dispensing
with many loose parts the risk of losing such parts and thereby
temporarily disabling the instrument is avoided.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in horse
clippers, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid, constructing, arranging, and combining the several parts as
herein set forth whereby the construction of horse clippers is much
simplified, the instrument is greatly strengthened and rendered less
liable to derangement as many of the loose parts usually employed are
dispensed with.
I also claim, constructing slots or openings in one of the cutting
plates in order that any dirt or hair that may work in between the
cutters may be discharged with facility, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Bown, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-fifth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.