Improvements in Sheep-shearing Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sheep-shearing Machines.
We PATRICK BLACKIE of Redfern near Sydney in the Colony of New South
Wales, Engineer, and JOHN NISBET of Coolabah in the said Colony, Grazier, 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 those machines having a cutter reciprocating over a comb
plate principally used for shearing the wool from sheep and now generally termed
sheep shearing machines" and it has been devised in order to produce a neat and
bandy machine for the purpose.
These improvements in sheep shearing machines consist first in the combination and
arangement with and between the revolving spindle and the reciprocating lever giving
motion to the cutter of peculiar gearing or mechanical motion secondly in the com-
bination and arrangement with the main or reciprocating cutter lever of mechanical
parts forming effective tensions thereon thirdly in the combination and arrangement
with the other parts of the machine of a comb plate having a concave back or working
face and a reciprocating cutter having a concentrically convex face; and lastly in the
particular constructions of sheep shearing machines as a whole.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now be
made to the drawings herewith in which Figures 1, 2 and 3 are sectional elevation,
plan with cover removed and side elevation respectively of a sheep shearing machine
constructed according to this invention and Figures 4, 5, 6 are similar views of a
modified construction of same. Figure 7 is a front sectional elevation of the comb
and cutter.
A is casing or frame, B driving spindle, main lever, D comb, E cutter, A' is
cover and tension plate hinged at A2, A3 A3 bearings, A stud or fulcrum, A³ shoulder,
A ratchet nat, A stud, As spring pawl, A snugs, B₁ is femestar and diametang
(as particularly described in Specification accompanying our application for Letters
Patent of even date herewith) 132 centre piece or steadying pin, C slot, C³ jaws,
Clever, Cs friction roller, screw, C7 friction pieces, (8 toes, pins, D' are teeth,
D2 fastening screws, El are teeth, E2 pin holes.
In operation the spindle B is revolved by flexible shafting or other suitable means
and as the femestar B' at the end of said spindle turns a sideways reciprocating
motion is given to the diametang C causing the lever C to reciprocate on fulcrum A
and to give motion to the lever C which fits between the jaws C³ of lever C and
moves on the same fulcrum A'. This lever C reciprocates the cutter E in which the
pins C on toes take over the comb D so that all the hair or wool between the
teeth D' of said comb is sheared or cat by the teeth E of said cutter.
The necessary
tension to keep the cutter E against the face of the comb is given to the lever C by
the tension plate A' which is pressed down by the head of nut A pressing upon
stud A and pressing the tension plate upon friction pieces ( the screw being held in
place by spring pawl A8.
In the modification shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 the lever is reciprocated in
precisely the same manner but lever turns upon a second fulcrum c* while the
end c¹ fits between the jaws (3 so the lever C acts as an intermediate reciprocating
lever between femestar B' and lever C. In this case the tension is given directly by
the nut A having a spring stop 2 which forces junk ring e³ on flexible packing c
and so presses lever downwards on to the cutter with flexibility so that it may adjust
itself to the cutter and comb.
being the
Figure 7 shows a preferred construction of the comb and cutter: a
straight face of the comb and a' the inside or concavity of same while b' is the

page_text: convex face of the cutter the concave face a' and the convex face are ground and
sharpened upon a grinder or stone having suitable faces so that such convexity and
concavity are obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
First. In a sheep shearing machine the combination and arrangement with a comb
and a reciprocating cutter of a main lever having upon its end a diametang in gear
with a femestar on the end of a driving spindle substantially as herein described and
explained and as illustrated in the drawing.
Second. In a sheep shearing machine the combination and arrangement with a
comb and a reciprocating cutter having a reciprocating or secondary lever of a main
or toggle lever having on its end a diametang in gear with a femestar on the end of
a driving spindle substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated
in the drawing.
Third. In a sheep shearing machine the combination and arrangement with a
comb and a reciprocating cutter having a main lever such as C of the tension devices
such as those marked A¹ A6 A7 A8 07 and 8 substantially as herein described and
explained and as illustrated in the drawings.
Fourth. In a sheep shearing machine the combination and arrangement with a
comb and a reciprocating cutter having a reciprocating lever of the tension devices
consisting of flexible packing such as junk ring such as cand nut such as A and
stop such as c² substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in
the drawing.
Fifth. In a sheep shearing machine the combination and arrangement with
mechanism for imparting motion to a reciprocating cutter of a comb having a concave
inside or working face and a cutter having a convex face sitting in the concavity
of the comb substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in
the drawings.
Sixth. The combination and arrangement together of the mechanical parts forming
complete sheep shearing machines substantially as herein described and explained and
as illustrated respectively in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the
drawings.
Dated this Twenty-first day of August One thousand eight hundred and ninety.
PATRICK BLACKIE.
JOHN NISBET.
Wm. P. Thompson & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.