IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING SHEEP SHEARS
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 8th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 9th Aug., 1887.
1, THOMAS BIRKHEAD of Owlerton Sheffield in the County of York Manager do
hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN REGULATING
SHEEP SHEARS to be as follows:
-
My invention has for its object to provide a simple means for regulating the power
of the spring action of sheep shears, so that the shearer can instantly adjust his shears
to suit the strength of his hand.
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It is especially suitable to "double bow shears whether such double bow is made
out of one piece of material, or consists of two parts rivetted together, and it consists
in passing through the double thickness of the central portion of the bow (where the
said two portions diverge from each other,) a screw appliance, such as a short screw
with a milled thumb nut, so that when the nut is screwed to and fro upon the screw,
it will act against the bow and increase or reduce the power of the spring action as
the case may be.
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Regulating Sheep Shears.
I, THOMAS BIRKHEAD of Owlerton, Sheffield, in the County of York Manager 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 for its object to provide a simple means for regulating the power
of the spring-action of sheep shears so that the shearer can instantly adjust bis
shears to suit the strength of his hand.

page_text: And in order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have annexed a Sheet
of drawings illustrating same, in which :-
Fig. 1, represents a pair of Sheep Shears fitted with my regulating appliance.
Fig. 2, the regulating screw.
This invention is especially applicable to "double bow" shears such as shown in
the drawings whether such double bow is made from one piece of material bent or
doubled over in the centre, or of two separate pieces attached by means of one or
more rivets R.
This invention consists in the combination with such a bow, of an adjusting screw, S,
provided with a nut such as N, that can be readily turned by the fingers, for the
purpose of adjustment.
It is passed through the double central part C, of the bow, where the two parts
have diverged some little distance from each other, so that when the nut N, is screwed
up tightly it will draw the separated parts together, thereby altering the point of
contact of the two central parts C, and consequently the spring power of the bow.
The power of the spring-action may be regulated or adjusted to any desired point
within the range of the screw and nut S & N.
To apply my invention to ordinary single bow shears, I make a spring somewhat
resembling the double central part C, the diverging lower ends being spread out
and attached to the sides of the bow; the screw and nut are applied in precisely
the same manner as before described in connection with the double bow shears.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1 The combination with the bow of a Sheep Shear, of an adjusting screw and
nut for the purpose specified, and substantially as hereinbefore described and as
shown.
2-In Sheep Shears, the combination with the bow, of a regulating appliance or
screw and nut, (such as S, N,) for adjusting the spring-power of the bow, substantially
as hereinbefore described and as illustrated.
3-In combination with single bow sheep Shears the adjusting screw and
nut, S, N, passing through a separate spring, formed in a similar manner to the
central pieces C, C, the diverging lower ends being secured to the bow, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
Dated the fith day of July, 1887