Improvements in Apparatus for Shearing or Clipping Wool or Hair.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 4th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 4th Feb., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Shearing or Clipping Wool
or Hair.
1, WILLIAM SILVER, of Tamworth, in the Colony of New South Wales,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machines for shearing wool or hair, and consists, first,
of improved means for supporting the rear arm of the vibrating lever which operates
the cutter in apparatus such as that described in the Specification to Letters Patent
granted to Nathan Cohen and myself and dated 31st October, 1889, No. 17,270,
aud, secondly, of improved means for reducing the friction incidental to the to-and-
fro movement of the cutting plate in an ordinary clipping machine.
According to my improved means for supporting the rear arm of the vibrating
lever above referred to, I mount the said lever on a spindle which, instead of being
fixed in the casing of the apparatus, is mounted so as to partially rotate in suitable
bearings. The upper bearing is formed by boring a hole for the reception of the
end of the spindle in the cone-shaped nut which serves to adjust the ball-bearing at
the pivot of the vibrating lever; the hole being of sufficient depth to allow for
adjustment of the nut. The nut after adjustment is locked by a spring-catch in
the usual manner. The lower bearing is a step-bearing, preferably formed by
placing a hardened steel cup in the casing of the apparatus. This cup may contain
a series of anti-friction balls. Just above the lower bearing, an arm projects from
(and is preferably formed in one piece with) the movable spindle. This arm
extends to a point corresponding with that at which, in the construction described
in the aforesaid previous Specification, the supporting roller was placed. The
extremity of the supporting arm is turned up and enters a cup-shaped cavity formed
in the rear arm of the vibrating lever. Or a pin or projection on the lever may
enter a cup-shaped cavity formed in the extremity of the supporting arm. A helical
spring may be placed on the spindle between the supporting arm and the pivot of
the vibrating lever.
The rear arm of the vibrating lever is thus supported at some distance from the
pivot of the lever; and, inasmuch as the supporting point moves to and fro with
the lever about the same axis, friction is reduced to a minimum.
According to my improved means for reducing the friction incidental to the to-
and-fro movement of the cutting plate in an ordinary clipping machine, I place
the arm on the spindle (which then becomes a pressure-arm) above the movable
cutting plate. The spindle may pass through a slot formed in the cutting plate or
in the lever by which the latter is actuated. The cone-shaped adjustable nut is in
this instance caused to act on the spindle, which is provided with a ball-race and a
series of anti-friction balls at the point of contact. The lower extremity of the
spindle fits in a hole in a steel bush in the casing; the hole being of sufficient
depth to allow for the depression of the spindle (and consequently of the pressure-
arm) by the adjustable nut.
Dated this 4th dow of Kobruary 1891
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: DI MUITIVATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Shearing or Clipping Wool
or Hair.
I, WILLIAM SILVER, of Tamworth, in the Colony of New South Wales,
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 relates to machines for shearing wool or hair, and consists, first,
of improved means for supporting the rear arm of the vibrating lever which operates
the cutter in apparatus such as that described in the Specification to Letters Patent
granted to Nathan Cohen and myself and dated 31st October, 1889, No. 17,270:
and, secondly, of improved means for reducing the friction incidental to the to-and-
fro movement of the cutting plate in an ordinary clipping machine.
In the accompanying drawings, a machine of the class described in the aforesaid
Specification, and embodying my invention, is represented in Fig. I in side elevation,
in Fig. 2 partly in side elevation and partly in section, and in Fig. 3 in plan.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail views drawn to an enlarged scale.
Fig. 4 illustrates, partly in side elevation and partly in section, the vibrating
lever and the spindle and supporting arm; Fig. 5 being a corresponding plan.
Fig. 6 is an underside view of the adjustable.nut.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 shew an ordinary clipping machine fitted with my improved
means for reducing friction; Fig. 7 being a longitudinal section, Fig. 8 a plan,
and Fig. 9 a cross section through the pivot.
For supporting the rear arm a of the vibrating lever a ', I mount the lever on
a spindle, which, instead of being fixed in the casing eel of the apparatus, is
mounted so as to partially rotate in suitable bearings. The upper bearing is
formed by boring a hole (Fig. 6) for the reception of the end of the spindle
in the cone-shaped nut d which serves for adjusting the ball-bearing a² at the
pivot a³ of the vibrating lever; the hole being bored right through or of sufficient
depth to allow for adjustment of the nut. The nut after adjustment is locked by
a spring-catch in the usual manner; the catch being furnished with teeth d³
which engage with teeth on the nut. The lower bearing is a step-bearing,
preferably formed by placing a hardened steel cup e with step e in the part c of
the casing of the apparatus. This cup may, however, contain a series of anti-
friction balls. Just above the lower bearing, an arm & projects from (and is
preferably formed in one piece with) the movable spindle. This arm extends
to a point corresponding with that at which, in the construction described in the
aforesaid previous Specification, the supporting roller was placed; the extremity 6,3
of the supporting arm being turned up and entering a cup-shaped cavity at formed
in the rear arm a of the vibrating lever. Or a pin or projection on the lever may
enter a cup-shaped cavity formed in the extremity of the supporting arm.
helical spring may be placed on the part 6x of the spindle between the supporting
arm and the pivot a³ of the vibrating lever.
A
The rear arm of the vibrating lever is thus supported at some distance from the
pivot of the lever; and, inasmuch as the supporting point moves to and fro with
the lever about the same axis, friction is reduced to a minimum.
According to my improved means for reducing the friction incidental to the to-
and-fro movement of the cutting plate in an ordinary clipping machine, I place
the arm (which then becomes a pressure-arm) above the movable cutting plate f
The spindle bb' forms the pivot for the latter; the plate being connected to the
lower plate g by a strap h. A separate pivot may, however, be used, and the
spindle may pass through a slot formed in the cutting plate or in the lever by
which the latter is actuated. The cone-shaped adjustable nut d is in this instance
caused to act on the end of the spindle. If preferred, there may be provided at

page_text: the point of contact between the nut and the spindle a ball-race and a series of
anti-friction balls. The lower extremity of the spindle fits in a hole (which may
be formed in a steel bush) in the lower cutting plate or casing the hole being
bored right through or of sufficient depth to allow for the depression of the spindle
(and consequently of the pressure-arm) by the adjustable nut.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. In apparatus for shearing or clipping wool or hair, the employment of a pivoted
arm, such as 2, working about the same axis as the vibrating lever and serving to
support the rear part of the latter, substantially as described with reference to
Figs. 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for shearing or clipping wool or hair, pivoting the vibrating
lever on a spindle having an arm for supporting the rear part of the said
lever, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. In apparatus for shearing or clipping wool or hair, the combination, with the
vibrating lever a a', of the spindle having an arm 2, and the nut d, substantially
as described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings and for
the purpose set forth.
4. In apparatus for shearing or clipping wool or hair, the employment of a pivoted
arm, such as 2, working about the same axis as the movable cutting plate and
serving to press the latter against the lower cutting plate, substantially as described
with reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In apparatus for shearing or clipping wool or hair, pivoting the movable
cutting plate about a spindle b¹ having an arm 62 for communicating pressure to
the fore part of the said plate, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 7,
8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
6. In apparatus for shearing or clipping wool or hair, the combination, with the
movable cutting plate f, of the spindle bb having an arm b², and the nut d, substan-
tially as described with reference to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings
and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 4th day of December 1891
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.