A MACHINE FOR SHEARING WOOL OR HAIR FROM ENTIRE SKINS OR PARTS OF SKINS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, of the Firm of Harris
and Mills, of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, for the Invention of "A MACHINE FOR SHEARING WOOL OR HAIR FROM
ENTIRE SKINS OR PARTS OF SKINS." A communication from abroad by
Messieurs Garin, Curson, and Company, of Lyons, in the Republic of France.
Sealed 1st June 1880, and dated the 4th December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard
Mills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th December 1879
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. " A MACHINE
FOR SHEARING WOOL OR HAIR FROM ENTIRE SKINS OR PARTS OF SKINS."
A communication from abroad by Messieurs Crarin, Curson, and Company, of Lyons,
in the Republic of France.
This machine has for its object to shear mechanically and with great rapidity
skins of goats, sheep, and other animals, either whole or even in pieces, which are
at present abandoned on account of the small return of hand shearing.
It consists principally-First. Of an endless blade mounted upon two pulleys in
a similar manner to band saws, with the difference that the cutting blade runs
horizontally, and that it is not provided with teeth. Second. Of a series of teeth or
claws acting automatically to draw the wool or hair so as to present it always
stretched to the action of the cutting blade.
Third, of sharpening tools suitably arranged to maintain the sharpness of the
cutting blade even during the working of the machine.
The pulleys carrying the endless blade are mounted upon two heads or supports,
the parallelism of which can be established by turning them upon the framing
which supports them; one of them can also be caused to approach or recede from
the other by a screw to regulate the tension. Motion is given to the other head or
support by a strap. The lower part of the endless blade is that which works, it is
guided in a straight groove, the skin is presented to it with the wool or hair
downwards, and the flesh side is supported under a cylinder parallel to the cutting
blade, the height of which being variable at will regulates the cut according to the

page_text: thickness of the skin. The latter is drawn by hand or mechanically over the
cutting blade whilst the cut wool or hair falls below.
The operation would be impossible if the wool or hair were not drawn
immediately before the passage of the cutting blade, which should encounter
stretched fibres which are easy to be penetrated. This operation is effected by
three series of teeth or claws formed of narrow blades arranged perpendicularly to
the cutting blade at a short distance along the entire length of its operating
part.
The two first series work horizontally in front of the cutting blade which
engages a little in their ends, which are grooved for this purpose; the teeth or
claws of equal dimensions work in a direction opposite to those of unequal sizes,
producing a cross alternate motion which pushes the wool or hair constantly
towards the edge of the cutting blade.
The third series of teeth or claws oscillates around a common axis, each of them
passing between the preceding; their object is to stretch the fibres brought by the
horizontal teeth or claws and are for this purpose shaped like a hook at their
end.
The upper part of the cutting blade is submitted to the action of two oblique
grindstones, one of which grinds the underside and the other the upper; the
inclined position of these grindstones causes the chamfer to be formed with a series
of oblique lines giving a biting action to the blade, they are driven at a suitable
speed by cords passing over grooved pullies.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 4th June 1880.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of 23,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "A MACHINE
FOR SHEARING WOOL OR HAIR PROM ENTIRE SKINS OR PARTS OF SKINS."
A communication from abroad by Messieurs Garin, Curson, and Company, of Lyons,
in the Republic of France.
This machine has for its object to shear mechanically and with great rapidity
skins of goats, sheep, and other animals, either whole or even in pieces, which are
at present abandoned on account of the sinall return of hand shearing. It consists
principally,
-
First. Of an endless blade mounted upon two pulleys in a similar manner to band
saws, with the difference that the cutting blade runs horizontally, and that it is not
provided with teeth.
Second. Of a series of teeth or claws acting automatically to draw the wool or
hair so as to present it always stretched to the action of the cutting blade.
Third. Of sharpening tools suitably arranged to maintain the sharpness of the
cutting blade even during the working of the machine.
The Drawing hereunto annexed represents the machine in front view at Figure 1,
in transverse section at Figure 2, and in detail at Figures 3 and 4. Similar letters of
reference are employed to indicate like paris in all the Figures.
The pulleys b, b, carry the endless blade a, a; they are mounted upon two shafts
or axes, the parallelism of which can be established by causing the heads or
supports c, c, to turn upon the framing which supports them; that marked c can
further be caused to approach or recede from the other by means of the 'screw d to
regulate the tension of the endless blade.
Motion is given to the shaft or axis carried by the fixed head or support c¹ by
means of the pulleys e, e¹.
The lower edge of the blade is that which works, it is guided in a horizontal
rectilinear groove, see Figure 3, formed in the upper side of a solid block f
connecting together the two end frames, and under a thin counter blade g the skin
is presented to it with the wool or hair downwards; it is drawn by hand or
mechanically above the blade whilst the cut wool or hair falls below. A roller /
which can be raised at will by means of a trendle to enable the skin to be
introduced, holds the latter parallel to the cutting blade and at a suitable height
during the cutting operation.
The operation would be impossible if the wool or hair were not drawn
immediately before the passage of the cutting blade which requires to encounter
stretched fibres which are easily penetrated. This operation is effected by three
series of teeth or claws i, i, j, formed of thin blades arranged parallel to and at a
short distance from each other along the entire length of the working part of the
machine.
These teeth or claws are put in motion by the shaft or axis o which itself receives
motion from the driving shaft by means of the vertical shaft p, the horizontal
shaft q, and the bevelled wheels.
The two first series of teeth or claws i, i, composed of similar blades, work
horizontally in the guide s, approaching and receding from the cutting blade whose
cutting edge enters into their grooved or split ends; the one set of claws or teeth is
fixed upon the cross bar k, the other upon the cross bar ³, these two cross bars,
mounted at the upper ends of levers 1, ", submitted to the action of similar
cams m, m, recede and approach alternately, thereby giving to the teeth or claws
which are fixed to it a movement by which the wool or hair is constantly pushed

page_text: towards the cutting blade; the third series of claws or teeth j is composed of hooked
blades passing between the former and oscillating upon a common axis n which
receives its motion from an eccentric r fixed on the shaft o; the function of these
claws or teeth is to stretch the fibres brought by the horizontal teeth or claws.
The upper part of the cutting blade is submitted to the action of two circular
grindstones, of which that marked t, which is of free stone, grinds the underside,
and the other which is narrower, and of emery, grinds the upper side. The
inclined position of these two grindstones, one of which is represented in plan ai
Figure 4, causes the chamfer of the cutting blade to be formed with a series of
ollique lines, thereby giving a biting or holding action to the cutting blade; the
grindstones are driven at a suitable speed by grooved pulleys x, .
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and the mode in which-
the same is carried into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim for the
purpose above described is, the combination of the endless cutting blade with the
teeth or claws for drawing the wool or hair before its passage against the cutting
blade, whatever may be the means employed for putting these teeth or claws in
motion, provided that the forin adopted for their operating part be combined with
these movements so as to preduce the desired effect, without which the endless
cutting blade would not have the proper action.,
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
B. J. B. MILLS. (L.S.)