IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR PRUNING, HEDGE CLIPPING, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Ridal of Crosspool in the County of York.
Manufacturer. for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR
PRUNING, HEDGE CLIPPING, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Ridal at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th March 1882.
JOHN RIDAL of Crosspool in the County of York, Manufacturer. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR PRUNING, HEDGE CLIPPING, AND OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to improvements in implements or shears for pruning trees,
clipping hedges, and other similar purposes, and it consists in the peculiar arrange-
ment of the cutting parts of such iinplements whereby I obtain greater cutting
power, and produce a cleaner cutting action than is usual in Shears of the ordinary
construction. In carrying out my invention in the construction of a pair of Shears
for tree pruning for example, I construct the implement either with two long
handles, or I make it with the cutters supported by one handle, and operated by a
lever and connecting rod-in either case while cutting, the two edges of the cutters
move in opposite directions upon their centres, while at the same time they approach
and pass each other.
There are two cutters or blades working upon separate centres or pins attached
to the hook and placed at a little distance apart, the cutting edges of the blades
projecting into the hollow of the hook.
The Cutters or blades may be secured to and work against the side of the hook,
or they may work through a slot formed in the book, the pins being thus supported
on both sides.
At the tail end of the top cutter or blade is a pin projecting from the side and
working in a long slot formed in the side of the bottom cutter-so that when the
bottom cutter is moved up and down it actuates the top cutter at the same time,
both the edges cutting whatever is between them in opposite directions.
A Spring of any suitable construction may be used for the purpose of drawing
the cutters together-and the handles of the implements may be of metal, wood,
cane, or other suitable material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Ridal in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th September
1882.
" IMPROVE-
JOHN RIDAL of Sheffield in the County of York, Manufacturer.
MENTS IN IMPLEMENTS FOR PRUNING, HEDGE CLIPPING, AND OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES
"
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction of implements or
shears for pruning trees, cutting hedges and grass and for other similar purposes
such as shearing sheep and gathering fruit, the object being to obtain a sliding and
shearing motion by the peculiar arrangement of the various parts whereby I also
obtain greater cutting power and produce a cleaner cut than is accomplished by
shears of ordinary methods of construction, this being a matter of great importance
in tree pruning, where is is very desirable not to crush or injure the wood.
And in order that my invention may be clearly understood I shall refer to the
annexed sheet of drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon premising
that similar letters indicate similar parts in all the figures.
Figure 1, represents a Hedge Clipper, the blades being open
Fig 2 represents a grass edge cutter
Figures 3, and 4, represent a tree pruner open and closed.
Figures, 5 and 6 represent a pair of bough lopping shears both open and closed
Figure 7, sheet 2. a pair of Sheep Shears.
Figure 8, sheet 2, represents a Fruit and Flower gatherer.
In carrying out my invention in the construction of a pair of Shears for tree
pruning for example, as illustrated in Fig, 3 and 4. The implement may be made
with two long handles, or the cutter may be carried by one long handle as
shown and be operated by a connecting rod attached to a hand lever at the
opposite end.
The peculiar arrangements of the various parts causes the edges of the cutters to
move in contrary directions while they approach and pass each other. The hook A
is made by preference double sided, forming a slot through which the blades B
and C move, while turning on their fulcrums, namely the pins or screws D, D.
The long blade C is provided with a slot E in which the pin or stud F attached to
the short blade B slides, as the blade C is actuated by the rod G connected with
the hand lever.
The slot is sometimes made in the shank of the handle and the pin carried by
the blade. The direction of the movement of the cutting edges of the blades is
indicated by the arrows.
In the lopping shears shown in Figures 5 and 6, the hook is made single and the
blade C is extended so as to form a tang like the other, and is inserted into a wood
handle.
A Spring may be fixed between the shanks or tangs to aid in closing the blades
or cutters, but this is immaterial.
There is a sufficient space left between the blade C and the hook A to admit the
blade B.
In the hedge Clipper Figure 1; the arrangement is very similar to that of the
before described implements, but for this purpose the hook is dispensed with, and
the loose blade B is supported by the arm H.
The grass edge cutter Figure 2 and grass shears generally are modifications of
the arrangement shown in Figure 1, to suit the different operations for which they
intended to be used, and handled so as to be most convenient to use by the
workman,

page_text: Thus the hedge clippers have usually short straight handles while the grass
cutters have long handles to use vertically.
In some cases where it is desirable that the blades shall open to a greater width
than is usual, I make shears with two sliding blades by which arrangement the
amount of slide or lateral movement or opening may be doubled.
The shearing Shears represented in Figure 7, are intended for sheep shearing, and
other similar work where single handed shears are required, in these Shears as in
the others, a shearing motion is obtained by means of the loose blade (B,) working
on its fulcrum (H) in combination with the action of the pin (F) in the slot (E)
thus giving the blade (B) a forward or shearing movement at the same time that
the edges are passing each other.
The handles are bent round into bows (M) and terminate in Springs (L) which
by preference are attached to the bows (M) by means of two rivets (N) and are
connected by a double headed stud working in a slot at (0) but other arrangements
of the Springs may be applied to both blades of these Shears if desirable.
A pair of combined shears and nippers for gathering fruit and flowers are shown
in Figure 8, It is a common occurrence in ordinary gatherers that the cutters
separate the stalk before the nippers have secured the fruit or flower, thus allowing
it to drop to the ground and defeating the object they are for.
In those shown in Figure 8, the nippers first close upon the stalk of the fruit or
flower, then by the action of the spring I the blade or cutter J is forced forward
into the elbow of the slot K and the stalk is cut through and separated from the
tree or shrub.
Having now described and fully ascertained the nature of my said invention
and the manner in which the same may be carried into practice, I would observe in
conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original and therefore claim as the
invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is:-
The construction of Shears for pruning and lopping trees, cutting grass, shearing
sheep, gathering fruit and for other similar purposes with one or more of the cutters
or blades provided with a slot and stud so arranged as to give a forward or
shearing motion, while the cutting edges of the blades are being brought together
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof I the said John Ridal have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Eighth day of September in the year of our Lord One thousand