Improvements in Shearing Machines suitable for Shearing Sheep.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Shearing Machines suitable for Shearing Sheep.
I, WASHINGTON HUME, of 278, Dashwood House, 9, New Broad Street,
London, E.C., Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to a simple construction of shearing machine
suitable for shearing sheep, and which comprises a frame, a toothed cutter fixed
to the frame, another toothed cutter fixed to a pivoted arm, means for imparting
radial movement to such arm in a direct manner so as to cause its cutter teeth to
reciprocate opposite those of the fixed cutter, and an adjustable spring device
for pressing the reciprocating cutter against the fixed cutter more or less forcibly
according to requirement, as hereinafter described.
Referring to the accompanying illustrative drawing,
Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section of a sheep shearing machine according
to this invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan; and
Fig. 3 is a partial cross section, hereinafter referred to.
A is a blade curved to a suitable radius, and fixed as hereinafter described
to the frame S. At the outer end of the blade A there are teeth A¹
C is the radially
forming the fixed cutter, which is the lower cutter.
movable or upper cutter.
The teeth Cat its outer edge are, in the
are the teeth A' of
example, twice as far apart at their outer ends as
the lower blade. The upper cutter is fastened, by bolts D, to an arm B, which is
centred on a stud bolt that is riveted at its lower end to the fixed blade A.
The upper cutter and radial arm are both curved to suitable radii. In the arm B
there is an oblong slot whose sides are furnished with slide guides K, soldered or
otherwise fastened to the blade, so as to form guiding faces for the sliding block
hereinafter mentioned. H is a cam of sufficient throw to give the requisite
radial motion for reciprocating the upper cutter C. The cam H is fast on a
spindle V, and fits with an easy working fit a cylindrical hole in a sliding block L
which is adapted to reciprocate between the slide guides K. M is a bush of
suitable material, such as steel, fastened into the frame S (which may be of brass)
to take the wear of the spindle V. O is a flexible wire or other driving shaft,
brazed or otherwise fastened to a screwed coupling N, whereby it can be fastened
to the spindle V. F, F, and G are three studs riveted into the bottom blade A
and passing through the frame S to which they are secured by mill headed nuts.
Pis a flat steel spring having its one end inserted into a recess in the frame S,
and its other end engaged with a friction block Q, which is, in the example,
formed with three holes into which are inserted three claws formed on the
corresponding end of the spring. This spring is for the purpose of pressing the
cutter C against the fixed cutter A, the pressure being regulated by the stud and
milled nut R. T is a handle (which may be of wood) sunk at each end into
sockets in the frames S and U. X is one of two bolts extending through the

page_text: back end of the fixed blade A, and through the handle T, and screwing into the
frame S. But there might be only one bolt, and in other respects the details
illustrated may be varied--when using one bolt, it may screw into a snug or socket
formed in the frame (Fig. 4).
1
Improvements in Shearing Machines Suitable for Shearing Sheep.
I, WASHINGTON HUME, of 278, Dashwood House, 9, New Broad Street,
London, E.C., Civil Engineer, 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 has reference to a simple construction of shearing machine
suitable for shearing sheep, and which comprises a frame, a toothed cutter fixed to
the frame, another toothed cutter fixed to a pivoted arm, means for imparting
radial movement to such arm in a direct manner so as to cause its cutter teeth to
reciprocate opposite those of the fixed cutter, and an adjustable spring device for
pressing the reciprocating cutter against the fixed cutter more or less forcibly
according to requirement, the said parts being constructed and arranged in the
improved manner I shall now describe with reference to the illustrative drawings
filed with my Provisional Specification and the accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of my provisional drawings show respectively in central longi-
tudinal section, plan, and partial cross section, a sheep shearing machine, according
to this invention.
A is a blade curved to a suitable radius, and fixed, as hereinafter described, to
the frame or holder S. At the outer end of the blade A there are teeth A¹ forming
the fixed cutter which is the lower cutter. C is the radially movable or upper
cutter also curved to a suitable radius. The teeth C¹ at its outer edge are, in
the example shown, twice as far apart at their outer ends as are the teeth A¹ of
the lower blade. The upper cutter is fastened by bolts 1), to an arm B which is
also curved to a suitable radius and centred on a stud bolt E that is riveted at its
lower end to the fixed blade A. By curving the fixed and movable blades and
radial operating arm to a suitable railius as shown, the shears, whilst available for
cutting wool from convex portions of a sheep's body can be advantageously used for
cutting wool from concave portions of the sheep, such as from its neck and behind
its ears, without danger of cutting the animal, as is the case with flat cutting blades
and frame, and such curved blades also enable the wood to be cut closer and faster
at the concave parts mentioned, than is possible with flat cutting blades. The use
of a curved fixed blade also admits of its forming part of the frame and so
increases the strength and lightness of the machine. In the arm B there is an
oblong slot, whose sides are furnished with slide guides K soldered or otherwise
fastened to the arm B, so as to form guiding faces for the sliding block hereinafter
mentioned. His a cam of sufficient throw to give the requisite radial motion for
oscillating the upper cutter C. The cam H is fast on a spindle V, and fits with an
easy working fit a cylindrical hole in a sliding block L which is adapted to
reciprocate between the slide guides K. M is a bush of suitable material, such as
steel, fastened into the frame S (which may be of brass or other metal) to take
the wear of the spindle V. O is a flexible wire or other driving shaft, brazed or

page_text: otherwise fastened to a screwed coupling N, whereby it can be fastened to the
spindle V. The arrangement of the driving spindle V and cam H vertically.
at or near the centre of the machine enables the machine to be easily turned around
such centre without any resistance from the flexible driving shaft 0. F, F, and G
are three studs riveted into the bottom blade A and passing through the frame S
to which they are secured by mill headed nuts. P is a flat stiff spring plate having
its one end inserted into a recess in the frame S and its other end engaged with a
friction block Q, which is, in the example shown, formed with three holes into which
are inserted three claws formed on the corresponding end of the spring plate.
This plate is for the purpose of pressing the movable cutter C against the fixed
cutter A, the pressure being regulated by the stud and milled nut R. T is a
handle (which may be of wood) sunk at each end into sockets in the frame S and U:
X is one of two bolts extending through the back end of the fixed blade A and
through the handle T and screwing into the frame S. The operation of the
machine is as follows:
The flexible driving shaft 0, which is attached by the screw coupling N to the
spindle V, is rotated by any suitable motor. The cam H which is fixed to the
spindle and rotates freely in the sliding block L, is thereby caused to rotate
and cause the said sliding block to reciprocate between the slide guides K and at
the same time cause the upper cutter C to oscillate over the lower cutter A.
Instead of using two bolts X for securing the handle T to the frame of the
apparatus there may be only one and in other respects the details illustrated may
be varied. Fig. 4 of my provisional drawings shows a handle T provided with
only one bolt X screwed into a socket S¹ formed in the frame S.
In the accompanying illustrative drawings, Fig. 5 is a side elevation, Fig. 6 a
plan, Fig. 7 a longitudinal vertical section, Fig. 8 a sectional plan, and Fig. 9 a
part transverse section, showing a slightly modified construction of shearing
machine according to this invention.
In this arrangement the lower fixed blade A terminates at the rear just behind
the point E at which the arm 13 is pivoted thereto, and the handle T is unsupported
at its rear end and rivetted at its forward end to a plate X which is fixed between
a sleeve G and the plate P by the stud G* and nut G. The frame of the machine
comprises a metal plate S fixed at one end between the enlarged lower part of the stud
G* and the sleeve G¹ and at its forward end to the top of a stud F by a set screw F¹.
The lower ends of the stud G* and F are rivetted to the lower fixed curved blade B.
The inclined forward portion of the pressure plate P is arranged to bear directly
upon the movable cutter C and is fixed by a set screw P¹ to the forward portion
of the plates, the upper portion of the said plate being provided with lateral thumb
plates P. The plate P serves the double purpose of keeping the upper and lower
cutting blades A, C in contact and of preventing wool from becoming entangled
in the front part of the frame. The radial arm B instead of being oscillated by the
cam or eccentric block H is oscillated by an equivalent arrangement comprising a
crank pin H' which is carried by the cam or block H and takes into the slide
block L fitted to reciprocate between the guides B' on the oscillating arm B. The
bush M of the spindle V extends upward through the plates S and P so as to
admit of a metal thimble or guard tube M being tightly fitted over it. M2 is a
guard tube of suitable flexible material such as leather, or india-rubber fitted on to
the thimble or guard tube M and designed to prevent the flexible shaft and
coupling N becoming entangled with the wool being cut from a sheep. In other
respects the arrangement is substantially similar to that hereinbefore described
with reference to and shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.
The lower fixed cutter A¹ instead of being made in one piece with the remainder
of the blade A may, as shown in Fig. 10, be made separate therefrom, and be
secured thereto by countersunk set screws W, the forward portion of the lower
surface of the blade A being then tapered off so as to offer little or no obstruction
to the free movement of the machine over a sheep.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A shearing machine wherein the fixed and movable blades are curved length-
ways to a suitable radius and the driving spindle is arranged vertically near the
centre of the machine and is directly connected to the vertical cam or equivalent
used for oscillating the arm carrying the movable blade, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the drawings annexed, for the purposes
specified.
2. Shearing machine constructed arranged and operating substantially as herein-
before described with reference to and shown in the drawings filed with my
Provisional Specification or modified according to the accompanying drawings,
Dated this 23rd day of May 1899.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.