An Improved Appliance for Marking or Branding Live Sheep and other Animals.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 26th May, 1896-Accepted, 27th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Appliance for Marking or Branding Live Sheep and
other Animals.
We, HENRY WILLIAM POTTER, of No. 14 Brandon Street, Wellington, in the
Colony of New Zealand, temporarily of No. 29 Hunter Street, Sydney, in the
Colony of New South Wales, Architect, and SIMEON FRANKEL, of No. 29 Hunter
Street, Sydney in the Colony of New South Wales, Stock and Share Broker,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
he performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide an appliance for marking or branding
live sheep and other animals whereby brands or marks may be applied to the head
of the animal either by means of heat or dye in such a manner as to render the
brands or marks easily distinguishable, and when so desired practically ineffacable,
also to provide means whereby three distinct brands or marks may be simultaneously
made on the face of the animal.
It consists in an appliance comprising a stop or rest to regulate its position on
the animal's head as well as a pair of brands connected to a vertically sliding
operating handle whereby said brands can be moved towards each other at will,
provision being made for the addition of a third brand if desired, as well as for
the substitution of one kind or character of brand for another as may be required,
and a suitable spring being provided to return the various parts of the appliance
to their normal positions after each operation.
When the appliance is to be used as a fire brand a pair of suitable burners are
provided for heating the brands.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a front, and
Figure 2 a side elevation of my improved appliance for branding live sheep and
other animals, but with the screens around the burners removed.
Figures 3 to 9 are various detail views of different parts of the appliance.
In its ordinary form the invention consists of a frame A having downwardly
projecting bars a at each end and two upwardly projecting slotted guide bars a¹.
A fixed handle B is fitted between the upper ends of these slotted guide bars a¹
whilst underneath said fixed handle and parallel thereto is an operating handle B¹
which is arranged to slide vertically in the slots a² in said guide bars, a curved or
other spring being arranged between said handles B B in order to keep the
operating handle B' normally in its lowest position.
Each of the projecting ends b of this said operating handle B' is connected by
a short pitman C to a bell crank lever (Figures 1, 2 and 3), fulcrummed (as
shown at 2), upon the frame A of the appliance.
The opposite end of each of these bell crank levers C is connected to a
supporting arm or travelling lever D upon the free end of which either a fire or
dye brand E is secured, whilst the opposite end of said arm or travelling lever is
provided with a pin d fitted with an anti-friction roller d' working in a peculiarly
shaped cam slot d2 cut for the purpose in a bracket d³ (see Figure 4), secured
upon the frame A. This cam slot d2 is curved outwardly and downwardly from
its upper end and at or about the centre of its length it turns round at right
angles to the curved part and thence extends horizontally towards the centre of
the appliance.

page_text: The effect of these cam slots d in combination with the bell crank levers C is
to impart a somewhat peculiar motion to the brands E, the first part of the motion
of the bell crank levers being to raise said brands until their supporting arms or
travelling levers D are horizontal and the faces of said brands E are opposite to
each other, whilst the second part of the motion is to move said brands horizontally
towards each other until they come in contact with the side of the animal's face.
In order to allow the brands E to adjust themselves to variations in the shape
of the heads of different animals, they are connected to the ends of the travelling
levers D by ball and socket joints e e¹ (see Figures 1, 2 and 5) which whilst
supporting them allow sufficient play for that purpose.
It will be evident that various kinds of brands may be fitted and used upon
these travelling levers and that if desired a blank (such as is illustrated in
. Figure 6), may be fitted on one side, when it is desired to brand only on the one
side.
When it is required to brand the animal with dye and not with fire the brands
may be made (as illustrated in Figure 7) of small hollow vessels filled with cotton-
wool or other absorbent material soaked in any of the well-known branding dyes,
such for instance, as a mixture of nitrate of silver and peroxide of hydrogen, or,
citrate of iron and ferro-cyanide of potassium, the character to be impressed being
cut in the face of the brand; but when a fire brand is required they are made
(as illustrated in Figure 8) of small blocks of copper or other metal that will
retain the heat and have the desired character raised upon them in the ordinary
manner.
With these latter brands some means for heating them must be provided.
For this purpose a burner and a vessel to contain the requisite fuel is mounted
upon the lower ends of the downwardly projecting bars a of the frame work of the
appliance so that the flames will play upwardly upon the underside of the brand.
Methylated spirit may be used as the fuel, and the burner may be such as is used
in ordinary spirit stoves. Or kerosene may be burnt preferably in what is
commonly known as the "Primus" burner, (as illustrated at Fin Figures 1 and 2),
a small air pump G being preferably fitted in the end of the oil reservoir H to
maintain the requisite pressure on the surface of the fuel. Screens or shields I
may be arranged around the backs of the burners F to shelter them from
draughts.
Referring to Figure 5, (which illustrates one of the ball and socket joints used
for connecting the brands to their supporting arms or travelling levers D).
e represents one of the sockets upon said arms, and e¹ the ball fitting same, and to
which the brand is secured. A set screw e passes through said socket and engages
in one or other of four recesses e³ in the ball e' according to the angle or direction
of the brand or mark required.
In order to adjust the position of the appliance on the animal's head, a slotted
bracket J extends forwardly and horizontally from the frame A and upon this
bracket is clamped a nose-piece or regulator which can be adjusted according to
the varying sizes of the head of the animals to be branded and to the position
where the brands are to be impressed. This regulator may take the form of a
muzzle K (dotted in Figure 2) to be fitted over the animal's nose or it may be
simply a bridge piece or crutch K' to rest upon the animal's nose, or if desired
both may be employed.
If it is desired to impress a third brand on the animal the bridge piece or
crutch K just referred to may be made hollow as indicated in Figure 9 and be
filled with an absorbent material soaked in a suitable dye and have a number or
other mark cut or stamped out of its under face to indicate for instance the year
when the branding was effected.
If desired a broad strap may be fitted across the top of the handle in order to
assist in supporting the weight of the appliance, and provision is made for
protecting the hand of the operator from the heat of the burners when the fire
brands are used.
.

page_text: The manner of using the bereinbefore described appliance for branding sheep
and other live animals is as follows:-
It is fitted over the head of the animal so that the bridge piece or crutch K¹
rests upon its nose, and the brands E hang downwards on each side of its face.
The two handles B and B are then grasped by the hand of the operator so as
to draw the latter up towards the former against the resistance of the spring b,
the effect being to turn the bell crank levers C upon their fulcrums 2 and cause
the pins d to travel down the curved part of the cam slot d' until the brands have
been raised into position opposite to each other. The continued movement of the
bell crank levers C will carry the arms D together with the brands mounted upon
them inwards towards each other until the brands come in contact with the
animal's face and thus effect the branding, the ball and socket joints e e' allowing
them to adjust themselves to any inequalities on the animal's face as hereinbefore
described.
After the operation the brands fall or return automatically into position over
the burners F to be heated for the next operation. When it is required to brand
only one side of the animal's face a blank, such as is shown in Figure 6 is fitted
instead of the opposite brand in order to effect the necessary resistance.
With the above described appliance a large number of sheep or other live
animals may be quickly branded with one, two or three brands simultaneously,
whereas the present processes only admit of one brand at a time being applied.
Moreover with this invention there is less danger of fire to sheds etc., than
there is with ordinary heated iron brands, and the system of branding does not
injure the fleece, whilst the brands or marks being on the animal's face, cannot be
destroyed or removed without detection, and their position on the face enables them
to be more readily discernible than when applied elsewhere, as for instance on the
body or wool of the animal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The herein described appliance for marking or branding live sheep and
other animals consisting of the various parts constructed arranged and operating
substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In an appliance for marking or branding live sheep and other animals a pair
of handles (such as B B¹), the one fixed and the other movable, the latter one
being retained in its normal position by a spring or springs and connected through
the medium of suitable intermediate gearing with the brand or brands of the
appliance, substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In an appliance for marking or branding live sheep and other animals, a set
of three brands, the one in the centre being fixed and set to mark the top of the
animal's nose, and the two side ones being connected together and operating so as
to brand or mark each side of the animal's face substantially as and for the purposes
specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In an appliance for marking or branding live sheep and other animals,
a brand upon the end of an arm or lever (such as D) in combination with a
bracket having a cam slot (such as d¹); an operating bell crank lever (such as C)
and a pitman connecting said lever to an operating handle substantially as and for
the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In an appliance for marking or branding live sheep and other animals,
brand upon the end of an arm or lever (such as D) having a pin at its erd
fitted with an anti-friction roller working in a cam groove of approximately the
shape herein described, said arm or lever being connected to the operating handle
substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: 6. In an appliance for marking or branding live sheep and other animals, a
brand, (such as E) connected by a ball and socket joint (such as e e¹) to its supporting
arm or lever substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
7. In an appliance for marking or branding live sheep and other animals, a
bridge piece or crutch (such as K') adjustably mounted upon the frame so as to
regulate the position of the appliance on the animal's head, substantially as and for
the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
8. In an appliance for marking or branding live sheep and other animals, a
muzzle (such as K) for guiding or assisting to guide the face of the animal into
the proper position in combination with the other operating parts of the appliance,
substantially as and for the purposes specified and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
9. In an appliance for marking or branding live sheep and other animals, a
pair of brands (such as E) adapted to be pressed against each side of the animal's
face in combination with a pair of burners mounted upon the frame of the appliance,
substantially as and for the purposes.specified and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this Fourteenth day of April One thousand eight hundred and
ninety-six
H. W. POTTER.
SIMEON FRANKEL.