IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEARS FOR CUTTING METALS, CLOTH, AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Stephen Purkis, of Stroud, in the County of
Gloucester, and Wesley Guilleaume Etchells, of Huddersfield, in the County of
York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEARS FOR CUTTING METALS,
CLOTH, AND OTHER MATERIALS."
Sealed the 4th June 1880, and dated the 9th December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Stephen Purkis
and Wesley Guilleaume Etchells at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 9th December 1879.
HENRY STEPHEN PURKIS, of Stroud, in the County of Gloucester, and WESLEY
"IMPROVEMENTS
GUILLEAUME ETHELLS, of Huddersfield, in the County of York.
IN SHEARS FOR CUTTING METALS, CLOTH, AND OTHER MATERIALS."
This Invention relates to an improvement on the shears for which a Patent was
granted to one of us, bearing date March 12th 1879, No. 979, the object being to
improve the action of such shears as respects the facility of using them.
The peculiarity of the Patented shears (which were fitted for use upon a table
or board) was the placing of the handle which operated the rising and falling blade
immediately over that blade, and thereby enabling the operator by a direct thrust
to press down the blade.
In order to attain this advantage with the use of a handle set in rear of the
blade we now propose to arrange the shears in the following manner:-
The upper
blade is provided in rear of its pivot pin with a tail piece extension
which bears upon the table, and the lower blade, which is connected to the upper
blade by a spring as well as by a pivot pin, is canted so as to ensure its point
moving along close to the table. In advance of the pivot pin which connects the
upper or movable blade to the lower blade stands up a projection from the lower
blade which carries a pivot pin for connecting the handle (which now extends
rearwards) with the lower blade. This handle at its pivotted end terminates in a
cam piece which stands up above the upper blade and a little to the off side thereof.
At this side the upper blade is fitted with an antifriction bowle which is coned and

page_text: receives the downward and lateral pressure of the cam shaped termination of the
lever, which is chamfered on its inner face for the purpose of insuring this compound
pressure. As the pressure of the cam upon the bowle is in advance of the pivot pin
of the upper blade the thrust upon the upper blade will be virtually a forward
thrust instead of a tipping action, as in the ordinary tailor's shears. The spring &
before mentioned is provided for opening the blades when released from pressure
and thereby preparing the shears for the advance movement to continue the cutting
action.
An obvious modification of the above described arrangement is to form on the
pivotted end of the handle a segment rack, and to gear with this rack a similar 1
rack upon the pivotted end of the upper blade. By the depression of the handlo
the upper blade will be depressed, and on the release of the handle the spring will
force up the blade as before to open the shears.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Stephen Purkis and Wesley Guilleaume Etchells in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th June 1880.
HENRY STEPHEN PURKIS, of Stroud, in the County of Gloucester, and WESLEY
GUILLEAUME ETCHELLS, of Huddersfield, in the County of York.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN SHEARS FOR CUTTING METALS, CLOTH, AND OTHER MATERIALS."
This Invention relates to an improvement on the shears for which a Patent was
granted to one of us, bearing date March twelfth, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy nine, No. 979, the object being to improve the action of such shears as
respects the facility of using them.
The peculiarity of the Patented shears (which were fitted for use upon a table or
board) was the placing of the handle which operated the rising and falling blade
immediately over that blade, and thereby enabling the operator by a direct thrust
to press down the blade. In order to attain this advantage with the use of a
handle set in rear of the blade we now propose to arrange the shears in the manner
shewn in the accompanying Drawing, whero Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved
shears with the blades open; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the blades closed; Fig. 3
is a plan view of the shears corresponding to Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is an end view of
the shears in a closed position. In these Figures A is the upper blade terminating
at rear in a tail piece A¹ which rests upon the table that carries the work, and is
intended to slide forward as the cutting proceeds; B is the lower jaw and C is a
lever handle overlying the tail picce A'. The blades A and B are connected
together by a pivot pin D. The lower blade B is connected to the upper blade A
by a spring E, as well as by the pivot pin D, and it is canted when the shears are
open, as shewn at Fig. 1, so as to ensure its point moving along close to the table.
In advance of the pivot pin D stands up a projection B¹ from the blade B for
carrying a pivot pin F. This pin serves to connect the handle (which now extends
rearwards) with the lower blade. This handle at its pivotted end terminates in a
cam piece C which stands up above the upper blade A and a litttle to the off side
thereof. At this side the blade A is fitted with an antifriction bowle G which is
coned and is intended to receive the downward and lateral pressure of the cam
shaped termination C' of the lever handle. This cam C¹ is chamfered on its inner
face so that it may bear fairly on the coned surface of the bowle for the purpose of
ensuring this compound pressure. As the pressure of the cam upon the bowle is in
advance of the pivot pin D, the thrust upon the upper blade A will be virtually a
forward thrust instead of a tipping action as in the ordinary tailor's shears.
The spring E before mentioned as connecting the two blades together is provided
for opening the blades when released from pressure, and thereby preparing the
shears for the advance movement to continue the cutting action. The forward end
of this spring E is made fast by a screw to the projection B¹ of the blade B, and it
is bent over this projection rearwards so that its tail end may bear on the under
side of a bowle H carried by a bracket standing up from the blade A just in rear
of its pivot pin. The tail extension of this blade is forked, and the prongs are
bent down to receive antifriction bearing pieces made preferably of box wood. The
action of these shears, whether used for cutting thin sheet metal or woven fabric, is
as follows:-
The article to be cut being brought within the grip of the shears the lever handle
is depressed by the workman to bring down the upper blade on the work. So soon
as a cut is made the lever handle is released from pressure and the blades are forced
open by the action of the spring E. While these movements are taking place the
shears will have a tendency to advance and take up a position for renewing their
cutting action. Thus, not only are the shears operated by an efficient downward

page_text: thrust, but the edges of the blades are drawn together by the travelling of the
cam C¹ over the conical bowle G, while at the same time a tendency to advance on
the work is imparted to the shears. Fig. 5 shews in side view a modification of the
shears just described. In this Figure C¹ is a segment rack formed on the pivotted
end of the lever handle C, and having for its centre the pivot pin F. In gear with
this rack is a similar rack G upon the pivotted end of the upper blade A having for
its centre of motion the pivot pin D. By the depression of the lever handle C the
blade A will be depressed, as in the first described arrangement, and on the
release of the handle the spring E will force up the blade as before to open
the shears.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of "Improvements in Shears
for Cutting Metals, Cloth, and other Materials," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent we claim, the application to shears of a pivotted lever
handle which acts upon the upper and moveable blade at a point in advance of the
coupling pin of the blades, so as by its downward thrust to close the shears upon
and advance the same into the work.
In witness whereof, I, the said Wesley Guilleaume Etchells, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
AMATOT TA
W. G. ETCHELLS. (L.S.)