IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHEARING, CLIPPING, OR GROOMING ANIMALS
Year: 1877

page_text: i
LETTERS PATENT to Albert Martin; of Old Charlton, in the County of Kent,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SHEARING, CLIPPING,
OR GROOMING ANIMALS."
Sealed the 22nd June 1877, and dated the 1st January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Martin at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st January 1877.
"
ALBERT MARTIN, of Old Charlton, in the County of Kent. IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR SHEARING, CLIPPING, OR GROOMING ANIMALS."
According to my former Invention in apparatus for clipping or shearing animals,
A.D. 1876, December 17th, No. 4382, I found that in consequence of having the
same number of teeth in both the upper and lower cutter plates the wool did not
gather freely into the spaces, and to obviate this my improvements consists of
having the upper cutter plate made with the teeth twice the distance apart of those
on the lower plate, so that every alternate space between the teeth and the lower plate
is always open, by which means the wool is readilly gathered in.
I give motion to the upper cutter plate by a crank or eccentric (attached to the
under side of the handle, which is cranked on purpose to receive it) working through
a tube placed vertically with the cutter plates so as to form a long bearing,
which crank or eccentric gives motion to the upper cutter plate by means of a
connecting rod attached to a lever working on a screw or pivot, the crank or
eccentric and lever being protected from the wool by a casing of suitable material.
It may also be made to work by a cam, in which case the connecting rod would be
unnecessary.
My improvements also consists of keeping the coil of wire or flexible shaft
described in my former Specification in steady motion whilst working at any
angle; and to distribute the strain uniformly throughout the said coil of wire or
flexible shaft I attach to it on either side the arrangement of a link joint. The
coil of wire or flexible shaft being allowed to resolve in a casing at the lower end,
the whole apparatus may be worked either by steam or manual power.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Albert Martin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th June
1877.
ALBERT MARTIN, of Old Charlton, in the County of Kent. " IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR SHEARING, CLIPPING; AND GROOMING ANIMALS."
In my Patent dated 17 December 1875, No. 4382, I made both the upper and lower
cutter plates with teeth the same distance apart in each of them, similar to other
clipping and shearing apparatus, and in using these plates with teeth as described
in connection with my apparatus, for working them. I find that, in consequence of
the to-and-fro motion being so rapid the hair or wool cannot readily gather in the
spaces, and also the grease from the. wool when used for sheep shearing clogs the
teeth, and to obviate this my improvements consist, among other things, of making
the upper cutter plate with the teeth twice the distance apart of those on the lower
cutter plate, so that every alternate space between the teeth of the lower cutter
plate is always open,, and sometimes, all the spaces are open, by which means the
hair or wool is readily gathered in, and the grease is also wiped away, which would
otherwise clog the teeth of the upper cutter plate. I also make the teeth of the
upper cutter plate much coarser than those of the lower cutter plate, which enables
the apparatus to work freely into the hair or wool, and does not cut the animal.
For the purpose of horse clipping I make the teeth of the lower cutter plate as
fine as possible so as not to leave any marks, visible. after clipping, and also to avoid
fidgetting the horse.
I find in Grayson's Specification, dated A.D. 1869, October 22nd, No. 3076,, the
top cutter plate has much coarser teeth than the lower cutter plate, the bottom one
having 37 teeth, and top one one only 11, in consequence of which none of the spaces
between the teeth of the lower cutter plate. are. at any time perfectly open to
receive the hair or wool, the broad bases of the teeth of the top cutter plate prevent-
ing it, and the result is that the hair or wool is nibbled instead of being cut cleanly.
Many horse clipping and shearing apparatus are made with one, two, and some-
times three cutters working in a segment of a circle, but these soon become dull and
useless, in consequence of having so large a surface to travel over, thereby causing a
large amount of friction, which is avoided in my apparatus..
According to my Invention I give motion to the upper cutter plate by means of
a lever taking its fulcrum from a pin passing downwards through a tube placed
vertically on the lever and between the two projecting pieces of the handle plate at
top and bottom, which handle plate is attached to the lower cutter plate by means
of two rivets or screws. The handle plate is provided with a tube, standing up
vertically from it to form a long bearing for the spindle.. The lower end of the
lever is worked by means of a crank, cam, or eccentric placed at the back of the
handle plate, which is cranked on purpose to receive them. The eccentric on
the lower end of the spindle is attached by means of a screw or pin to a small
rectangular block, haying a hole bored in it, which block slides in a slot formed in
the lever, which slot is at right angles to the line of cutting teeth, so that when the
eccentric is revolved the upper cutter plate is moved to and fro parallel with the
line of teeth, and is guided in its movement, by guide pins passed through slots
formed in it in the usual manner, or it may be worked by a friction roller, instead
of the rectangular block. The cam gives motion to the lever by means of a stud
and block attached to the lower end of the lever working in a circular groove; the
crank gives motion to the lever by means of a, connecting rod; the whole of the
working parts at the back of the handle plate may be protected from the wool by
means of a shield plate of suitable material attached to the handle plate in any
suitable manner.
My improvements also consist of keeping the coil of, wire, or flexible shaft
described in my Specification, A.D. 1875, December 17th, No. 4382, in steady motion
whilst working at any angle and to distribute the strain uniformly throughout the

page_text: said coil of wire or flexible shaft, I attach to it on either side the arrangement of
a link joint, the coil of wire or flexible shaft being allowed to revolve in a casing
at the lower end; the whole apparatus may be worked either by manual or steam
power.
And in order that my Invention may be better understood I hereunto annex a
Sheet of Drawing, in which similar letters refer to similar parts in each Figure.
Fig. 1 is a front view of the apparatus shewing the cutter plates with large teeth
for sheep shearing. a is the lower cutter, and a¹ the upper cutter plate; b is a
cover plate; c, c, are the slots in the upper cutter plate for the pins to move along
in the to-and-fro motion; d is the pin by which the motion is given to the upper
cutter plate by means of the lever; e is the lever, and f the pin or fulcrum on
which the lever works; f¹ is the vertical tube for the pin or fulcrum to work in ;
g is the connecting rod, and is is the crank; i is the long bearing placed vertically
on the handle plate for the spindle to work in, and i¹ is the spindle; k is the handle
plate; 1, 1, are two rivets or screws, by which means it is attached to the lower
cutter plate; m, m, are two screws or studs, by means of which the shield plate
may be fastened to the handle plate. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1.
Figure 3 is a front view of the apparatus, also shewn with sheep-shearing cutter
plates, but with the cam motion, m¹ being the cam; n, the block working in the
circular groove o; and p is the pin connecting them with the lever. Fig. 4 is a side
view of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a back view of the apparatus, also shewn with the sheep-shearing cutter
plates, but with the eccentric motion, q being the eccentric; r, the slot in the lever,
in which the small square block or friction roller 8 works; and s¹ is a screw or stud
attaching the block to the eccentric.
'
Fig. 6 is a front view of the cutter plate for horse clipping, a being the lower
cutter plate, and a' the upper; Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a back view of the lower cutter plate for horse clipping.
Having thus fully described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,-
(1st.) The construction of apparatus for clipping or shearing animals, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the moveable
cutter of the apparatus having motion transmitted to it by means of a crank, cam,
or eccentric.
2nd. The combination of the motive parts working vertically from the handle,
and the long bearing to the lever working on the pin, substantially as described.
3rd. The construction of the upper cutter plate with coarser teeth, and twice the
distance apart of those on the lower cutter plate, substantially as described.
4th. The combination of the link joint with the coil of wire or flexible shaft.
described in my Specification A.D. 1875, December 17th, No. 4382, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Albert Martin, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, the 28th day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
'
ALBERT MARTIN. (L.S.)