Improvements in Apparatus for Shearing or Clipping Sheep and other Animals.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 17th Dec., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Shearing or Clipping Sheep and
other Animals.
We, CHARLES BURGON, and HARRY BURGON, both of Malin Bridge, near
Sheffield, in the County of York, England, Sheep Shear Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
SHEARING OR CLIPPING SHEEP AND OTHER ANIMALS" 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 improvements in sheep shearing machines and particularly
those of the kind forming the subject of previous Letters Patent granted to us
dated respectively July 12th 1890, No. 10828, March 25th 1891 No. 5317,
February 12th 1892 No. 2805 and April 14th 1892 No. 7244, and the improve-
ments have for their object, first, to provide a more efficient and durable anti-
friction bearing as a substitute for the ball bearings heretofore used about the main
pivotal axis of the cutter driving lever and, secondly, to provide a means of
adjusting the pressure of the top cutters upon the comb, applied to act directly
upon the cutter-driving lever through the medium of the anti-friction bearing above
referred to.
It has been found in practice that in consequence of insufficient bearing surface
afforded by anti-friction balls and of the difficulty of ensuring equal distribution of
the pressure on all the balls, such inequality being due to slight variations of
diameter of the balls and to the different positions which they occupy with regard
to the points of application of pressure, that the bearing surfaces are liable to wear
rapidly, and the object of the first improvement is to overcome this defect and
provide a more durable and efficient form of anti-friction bearing in which the
pressure will be equally divided and distributed over a sufficient area of surface
to avoid rapid wear and to provide means of adjustment of the bearing surface
when worn so that fresh portions of the surface may be brought into wear as
required.
The improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part
of this Specification, wherein
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the machine provided with the
improved form of bearing for the cutter driving lever, the pressure adjusting
devices being the same as before described.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same with the cover and one half of the roller path
removed.
Figure 3 is a cross section on the pivotal axis.
Figure 4 is a similar view shewing the rollers and roller path of conical form.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the machine having the improved
form of pressure adjustment combined with the improved anti-friction bearing.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
A is the lower stationary cutter plate or comb having the usual comb-teeth
acting as cutters in conjunction with the cutters formed on the upper cutter plate B
which is reciprocated over the lower comb plate A by the cutter driving lever C
pivoted on an axis D which is itself pivoted upon a horizontal transverse axis E
in the main frame F. The lever C is driven in the manner usual in such machines
and terminates in a spring G carried by a stem g received in a socket in the
lever C, the spring bearing centrally on the cutter plate B, and the lever is also
provided with a two-pronged cross-head H pivoted about the longitudinal axis of
the lever by a collar h, the prongs of the cross-head engaging with the ends of the

page_text: '
cutter plate B, all as described in the Specification of our last previous Patent
aforesaid.
In lieu however of a circle of balls to resist the upward pressure of the cutter
driving lever we provide two antifriction rollers I placed symmetrically at either
side of the main pivotal axis D with their axes radial thereto, so that the whole
pressure on the lever will under all circumstances be equally divided between them,
Baid rollers being mounted in recesses in the boss C₁ of the lever C their pivots
turning in bearings j therein, whilst the peripheries of the rollers I which present
a broad bearing surface, project sufficiently from the boss C¹ to bear against a roller
path formed by the underside of the disc head K of a sleeve k slipped on to the
pivotal axis D and secured by a nut L and washer I, the head K being prevented
from turning, preferably, by the engagement of one of a series of notches k¹ in
the lower end of the sleeve k with a nibd at the base of the pivot D. The notches k¹
are so spaced with regard to the range of motion of lever C that by successive
adjustments fresh portions of the roller path may be brought into use until the
whole circle of the roller path has been worn out. The washer may be extended
and downwardly flanged as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1 so as to act as a dust
cap if the ring C is not used. Instead however of the notches and nib other
equivalent means of enabling the definite adjustment of the roller path in the
circular direction may be adopted and the sleeve k (which is preferably used
because it affords a long bearing surface for the head K on the pivot D) might be
dispensed with, the head K alone being retained and being secured in position for
circular adjustment by a nib on its upper face engaging in notches in the edge of
the washer which is prevented from turning by fitting on a flat on the upper end
of the pivot D.
The rollers I are represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, as being cylindrical and the
roller path as being flat, but they might be made conical as shown in Figure 4 in
which case the boss C¹ of lever C would be strengthened by a ring C² fitted and
shrunk on it, against which ring the outer pivots i of the rollers would bear to
resist the end thrust due to the conical form of the rollers and prevent the rollers
coming in contact with the sides of the recesses J. The same ring C, although
not absolutely necessary, is also shewn applied in Figures 1, 2, 3, for the last
mentioned purpose and also to prevent the entry of dirt by making as close a
joint as possible without actual contact with the edge of the head K. The head K
and rollers I would be made of hardened steel to enable them to withstand the
pressure and friction to which they are subjected and the lever C and the ring C'
would also be hardened to form durable bearing surfaces for the roller pivots.
The lever C is provided with an antifriction roller c at its rear end which runs
upon a roller path beneath it and in Figures 1, 2 and 3, this roller path is formed
by the base plate d' of the pivot D, the means by which the pressure is applied to
the lever to cause the upper cutter plate B to bear upon comb plate A being
similar to that described in our previous Patent No. 2805 of 1892 and consisting
of a fork m whose limbs bridge over the lever C and are pivoted to the plate d²,
the stem of the fork being screw-threaded and receiving a nut M which works in a
socket in the top of the casing N and is locked in position by a spring detent o
engaging in holes in the nut.
.
Our second improvement has for its object to enable the adjustment of the
pressure to be made by means of the nut L by which the lever C is secured upon
its pivot D thereby dispensing with the forked connection m and the tail portion
of the base plate d' the roller c running on a path on the main frame F. This
improvement is illustrated in Figure 5, in which the nut L is in the form of a
milled knob which projects through the casing N so as to be readily accessible for
adjustment. This knob has a circle of notches in its shoulder into which engages a
detent o carried by a spring O fixed within the top of the casing and provided
with a presser knob o', the anti-friction rollers I, roller path K, and sleeve k,
being the same as before described except that the sleeve must not come quite
down to the base of the pivot D and there must be sufficient vertical play for the

page_text: nib d in the notches ¹ to admit of the vertical adjustment of the roller path K by
means of the milled nut L to enable the necessary compensation for wear of the
cutters to be made and the pressure to be regulated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. In a sheep shearing machine, the combination, with the cutter driving lever
and its pivot mounted in the frame as described, of a pair of anti-friction
rollers mounted symmetrically in the boss of the lever and revolving on an axis
transverse thereto, and of a bearing or path for said rollers consisting of a disc
or head secured upon the pivot, substantially as specified.
2. In a sheep shearing machine, the combination, with the cutter driving lever
and its pivot mounted in the frame as described, of a pair of anti-friction
rollers mounted symmetrically in the boss of the lever and revolving on an axis
transverse thereto, and of a bearing or path for said rollers consisting of a disc
or head provided with means whereby the roller path is adjustable in the circular
direction to a definite extent, substantially as specified.
3. In a sheep shearing machine, the combination, with the cutter-driving lever
and its pivot mounted ou a transverse axis in the frame, as described, of a pair of
anti-friction rollers mounted in the boss of the lever at either side of the pivot, a
bearing or path for said rollers formed by a disc or head secured adjustably on
the pivot, a down-bearing anti-friction roller at the rear end of the lever running
on a path on the main frame, and a nut screwing on the pivot so as to apply
downward pressure to the roller path, the nut which is adapted to be turned by
hand, passing through the casing and notched to engage with a spring detent
thereon, as specified.
3335
C. BURGON,
H. BURGON,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.