IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEARS OR SCISSORS
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEARS OR SCISSORS."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Richard March Hoe, of the City of New York,
in the United States of America.
Sealed the 19th June 1866, and dated the 10th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th January 1866.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEARS OR SCISSORS," to
be as follows:-
This Invention of "Improvements in Shears or Scissors is applicable
to various kinds of shears, and has for its object to give a firmer grasp to
the bows or handle of the shears or scissors, and also to arrange the cutting
blades in such a manner that the opening between the blades will be made
of greater width than heretofore, and consequently will be more convenient
to cut. The improvement in tailors' shears consists in lowering the cutting
edge of the lower limb by cranking the limb downwards so as to bring the
plane of the cutting edge but little above the centre of motion of the limb.

page_text: The improvement in barbers' scissors consists in adapting to the lower bow
a projecting tail to receive or bear the pressure of the little finger of the
right hand so that the instrument may be more firmly grasped and held.
The improvements in sheep shears consists in adapting thereto a guard,
which projects forward parallel with the blades, and consequently prevents
the points of the blades from penetrating the skin and cutting the animal.
This guard is secured to one limb, but carries a slotted guide in which
works a pin fixed in the side of the lower limb. The arms or handles of
the pruning shears are provided-with springs to keep them open, and on
their outer sides these arms are provided with horns, against which the
fingers will bear and will thus be prevented from slipping forward, conse-
quently the instrument can be more firmly gripped and held than heretofore.
The cutting edges of the blades are curved so as to act more effectually
on the twigs or branches which they will be required to operate upon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 10th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of January, in the year
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the
said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 SHEARS OR SCISSORS,"
communication to him from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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

page_text: 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 Edward Newton, do .hereby
declare the nature of the 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):
This Invention of "Improvements in Shears or Scissors" is applicable
to various kinds of shears, and has for its object to give a firmer grasp to
the bows or handle of the shears or scissors, and also to arrange the cutting
blades in such a manner that the opening between the blades will be made
of greater width than heretofore, and consequently will be more convenient
to cut.
The several improvements are shewn in the accompanying Drawing, in
which Fig. 1 represents a side view of a pair of tailors' shears constructed
according to the Invention. The improvement consists in lowering the
cutting edge a of the lower limb by cranking the limb downwards as at a',
so as to bring the plane of the cutting edge but little above the centre of
motion of the limb. Fig. 2 represents a side view of a pair of barbers'
scissors constructed according to the present Invention. The improve-
ment in barbers' scissors consists in adapting to the lower bow of the
instrument a projecting tail e to receive or bear the pressure of the little
finger of the right hand so that the instrument may be more firmly grasped
and held.
The next improvement relates to sheep shears, and is shewn in side
elevation at Fig. 3. The improvement consists in adapting to the shears
a guard d, which projects forward parallel with the blades a, a, and conse-
quently prevents the points of the blades from penetrating the skin and
cutting the animal. This guard d is secured to one limb as at a*, but
carries a slotted guide d', in which works a pin e fixed in the side of the
lower limb.
The last improvement relates to pruning shears or scissors, and is shewn
in side elevation at Fig. 4. The arms or handles of the pruning shears
are provided with springs g to keep them open, and on their outer sides
these arms are provided with horns h, h, against which the fingers will
bear and will thus be prevented from slipping forward, consequently the
instrument can be more firmly gripped and held than heretofore. The

page_text: cutting edges of the blades a', a', are curved so as to act more effectually
on the twigs or branches which they will be required to operate upon.
Having now described this Invention of improvements in shears or
scissors which has been communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,―
1st, cranking the lower limb of the shears so as to bring the cutting
edge but little above the centre of motion of the limb.
2nd, adapting to barbers' scissors a projecting tail, as shewn in Fig. 2,
to receive or bear the pressure of the little finger.
3rd, I claim adapting to sheep shears a projecting guard, as herein set
forth, for preventing the points from penetrating the skin and cutting the
animal.
Lastly, I claim the mode herein set forth of constructing pruning
shears.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)