IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLIPPING HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernard Fitzpatrick, of Sheffield, in the County
of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
CLIPPING HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS."
Sealed the 27th August 1872, and dated the 4th March 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernard Fitzpatrick
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th March 1872.
I, BERNARD FITZPATRICK, of Sheffield, in the County of York, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR CLIPPING HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS," to be as follows:-
The improved apparatus consists of two steel combs, each about the
fourth of a section of a circle, the teeth of the combs being parallel (not
radiating from the centre. The top comb is about one quarter of an
inch less in width than the bottom comb, which latter is perfectly flat
and stationary, the top comb working upon a centre, which gives the
clip precisely the same as a pair of scissors, a stop being placed at the

page_text: heel of the bottom comb to prevent over action, thereby making i
impossible to cut the skin of the animal. The teeth work from heel to
toe, and cut the hair instead of dragging it as in apparatus now made.
The machine can be easily worked, as there is no friction except a
the heel and on the cutters.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bernard Fitzpatrick in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 30th August 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BERNARD
FITZPATRICK, of Sheffield, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Bernard Fitzpatrick,
Her special licence that I, the said Bernard Fitzpatrick, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Bernard Fitzpatrick, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLIPPING HORSES
AND OTHER ANIMALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Bernard Fitzpatrick, 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.

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say :-
The improved apparatus consists of two steel combs, each about the
fourth of a section of a circle, the teeth of the combs being parallel (not
radiating from the centre). The top comb is about one quarter of an
inch less in width than the bottom comb, which latter is flat and
stationary, the top comb working upon a centre, which gives the clip
precisely the same as a pair of scissors, two stops being placed at the
heel of the bottom comb to prevent over action, thereby making it
impossible to cut the skin of the animal. The teeth work from heel to
toe, and cut the hair instead of dragging it as in apparatus now made.
The machine can be easily worked, as there is no friction except at
the heel and on the cutters.
The accompanying Drawings illustrate the manner in which I carry
my Invention into effect.
Figure 1 is a front view of the bottom comb or bottom plate with the
top plate removed; Figure 2 is a view of the top plate without the
handle; Figure 3 is a front view of the apparatus complete; and
Figure 4 is a side view of the same.
c is the top plate, and d is the bottom plate. a, a, are the comb teeth
shewn most clearly in Figure 1, which are parallel with one another as
shewn, that is, they do not radiate from a common centre; b is the pin or
point with two nuts, one screwing to the right and one to the left, which
prevents the plate c from becoming loose, about which the top plate c
moves over the bottom plate d; e, e, are slots in the top plate c, which
are made of any length required according to the distance of travel of
the plate cover the bottom plate d; ff, are pins connected to the
bottom plate, which act as stops to the slots in the top plate; y is a cup
in the top plate, whereby oil is supplied to the under side thereof; and
h is a stud for stopping the cup and preventing dust entering when the
apparatus is at work.
The Invention is also applicable for shearing as well as for reaping
and mowing.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, the cm-

page_text: ployment of two combs, one moving over the other, each comb edge
being a section of a circle, and the teeth parallel or nearly so to one
another, and consequently not radiating from à common centre, all
substantially in manner and for the purposes herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bernard Fitzpatrick, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
BERNARD FITZPATRICK. (L.S.)