Gathering or Cutting Light Objects.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 8th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 21st Jan., 1887.
Gathering, or Cutting Light Objects.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this said Invention to be.as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in devices or instruments, employed for
seizing, gathering, or cutting objects at a distance from the hand. These improve-
ments have for their object, first, to construct the shaft or rod of the seizing or cutting
instrument in the form of a walking-stick or cane in order that the same instrument
may be used both in walking and for the gathering of flowers, fruits, &c. The shaft
or rod of the seizing or cutting instrument is constructed of a tube of wood or metal
furnished with a handle of any suitable form, an internal metal rod establishing
communication between a trigger situated near the handle, and a forked piece by
which the seizing or seizing and cutting devices are actuated, so that the instrument
may be operated by the hand which holds the handle in order to seize and cut objects
which are out of direct reach of the hand.
The conversion of the instrument into a walking stick or cane may be effected in
two ways. First, by simply applying to the end of the tube before mentioned a
tubular cap piece with a ferrule, said cap piece fitting securely by means of a bayonet
joint upon the end of the said tubular rod and serving as a sheath to enclose the
seizing and cutting devices; or secondly, by enclosing the entire tubular rod in an
external tubular sheath of wood or metal. In either case the trigger before referred
to is hinged or pivoted so as to fold out of the way against the tubular rod of the
instrument.
The improvements consist, secondly, in giving a curved form to the slots in the tail
ends of the scissor cutters in order to give increased command over the scissors when
wide open, and so multiply the cutting power of the scissors at the moment when the
object to be cut is close up to the angle formed by the cutting edges of the scissors,

page_text: that is, close to the pivot of the blades. The curvature of the slots is in opposite
directions so that when the scissor blades are wide open, the coinciding portions of the
two slots more nearly approach the same direction than if the diverging slots were
straight. The result of this form of the slots is that at the beginning of the cutting
action of the scissors, the distance travelled by the stud carried by the forked piece
above mentioned and working in the two slots, is relatively very great as compared
with the diminution of the angle of opening of the scissor blades so that the power is
multiplied at this part of the operation where it is most required.
The improvements consist, thirdly, in substituting for the cutting and seizing
scissors, nippers, forceps or tongs of special form. The jaws of these tongs or forceps
are partly of a curved form which adapts them to embrace voluminous objects, such as
a nut, a snail, &c., and terminate in nipping ends by which insects, leaves and other
objects of little thickness may be seized.
The improvements consist, fourthly, in fitting within the handle of the stick a brush
for cleaning the scissors or nippers, said brush screwing into a socket in the handle.
The improvements further consist in combining the seizing and cutting instrument
with an umbrella or sunshade which may not only be used for ordinary purposes but
also as a basket for receiving the gathering effected by means of the instrument. To
this end I may either mount upon the tubular sheath (already described as enclosing
the rod of the instrument) the ordinary umbrella furniture, or upon the rod of the
instrument itself, I may apply a removable umbrella frame. For this purpose I screw
the top notch of the umbrella frame upon a threaded portion of the rod or handle of
the instrument so that it may be readily removed therefrom. This top notch is in one
with a short tube which carries a spring or springs adapted to engage with the runner
and retain it in position when the umbrella is opened.
In order to dismount the unbrella from the cutting or seizing instrument, it is only
necessary to unscrew the parts. The umbrella when removed from the stick may be
retained in the open position and in this form be used without a handle as a basket to
receive flowers or fruit.
The top notch of the umbrella frame may also be combined with the short tube
forming the sheath or cap for the cutting and seizing devices, the tube being extended
sufficiently through the runner when the umbrella is in the open position to serve as a
handle by which the point or cap end of the tube may be driven into the ground. In
this case, as in the case before described, where the umbrella is mounted on the tubular
sheath enclosing the whole instrument, the umbrella can be fixed in the ground in an
inverted position and form a receptacle for flowers, &c.
A. M. .CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: Gathering, or Cutting Light Objects.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. & Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents,
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me from abroad
by Adrien Dubois, of 71 Boulevard Voltaire, Paris, France, Manufacturor) 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 devices or instruments, employed for
seizing, gathering, or cutting fruit and other objects out of reach of the hand.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifica-
tion wherein figures 1 to 5 shew two arrangements of the improved instruments for
seizing and cutting light objects, while figures 6, 7, 8 shew three arrangements for
seizing objects only, which may also be adapted to the instruments shewn in figures 1
to 4 in place of the cutting and seizing devices represented in these figures.
These improvements have for their object, first, to construct the shaft or rod of the
seizing or cutting instrument in the form of a walking stick or cane, in order that
the same instrument may be used both in walking and for the gathering of flowers
fruits, &c.
The shaft or rod of the seizing or cutting instrument is constructed of a tube of
wood or metal A furnished with a handle P of any suitable form, an internal metal
rod T establishing communication between a trigger t situated near the handle, and a
forked piece T (figure 4) by which the seizing, or seizing and cutting devices D aro
actuated so that the instrument may be operated by one finger of the hand which
holds the handle, in order to seize and cut objects which are out of direct reach of
the hand.
The conversion of the instrument into a walking stick or cane may be effected in
two ways. First, by simply applying to the end A² of the tube before mentioned a
tubular cap piece A¹ with a ferrule, said cap piece fitting securely by means of a
bayonet joint al upon the end of the said tubular rod, and serving as a sheath to
enclose the seizing and cutting devices (see figure 1) or secondly, by enclosing the
entire tubular rod in an external tubular sheath of wood or metal F (see figure 2).
In either case the trigger t before referred to is hinged or pivoted so as to fold out of
the way against the tubular rod A of the instrument.
The improvements consist, secondly, in giving a curved form to the slots d in the
tail ends of the scissor cutters D in order to have increased command over the scissors
when wide open, and so multiply the cutting power of the scissors at the moment

page_text: when the object to be cut is close up (as at a figure 3) to the angle formed by the
cutting edges of the scissors, that is, close to the pivot of the blades.
Thus, by referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the study working in slots d
moves in the line of the longitudinal axis 1 (figure 5) of the tube A, being guided by
the slot in end piece A² and at this moment the curvature of the slots with the stud in
the position shewn would be theoretically indicated by the line 2 whereas if straight
they would take the direction indicated by the dotted line 3.
The result of this form of the slots, is, that at the beginning of the cutting action
of the scissors, the distance travelled by the stud carried by the forked piece T
above mentioned and working in the two slots d is relatively very great as compared
with the diminution of the angle of opening of the scissor blades, so that the power
is multiplied at this part of the operation where it is most required.
The improvements consist, thirdly, in the substitution for the cutting and seizing
scissors (figures 1 to 5) of nippers, forceps or tongs of the special form represented in
figures 6, 7 and 8. The jaws of these tongs, or forceps are partly of a curved form d²,
which adapts them to embrace voluminous objects, such as a nut, a snail, &c., and
terminate in nipping ends d² by which insects, leaves, and other objects of little
thickness may be seized. The nippers shewn in figure 8 can be enclosed in a sheath A',
like the scissor blades D.
The improvements consist, fourthly, in fitting within the handle P of the stick, a
brush p (figures 1 and 2) for cleaning the scissors or nippers, said brush screwing
into a socket in the handle.
The improvements further consist in combining the seizing and cutting instrument
with an umbrella or sunshade which may not only be used for ordinary purposes but
also as a basket for receiving the crop gathered by means of the instrument. To this
end I may either mount upon the tubular sheath F figure 2 (already described as
enclosing the rod of the instrument) the ordinary umbrella furniture, or upon the rod
of the instrument itself, I may apply a removable umbrella frame. For this purpose
I screw the top notch B of the umbrella frame upon a threaded portion a of the
end A2 of the rod or handle of the instrument so that it may be readily removed
therefrom. This top notch is in one with a short tube which carries a spring or
springs adapted to engage with the runner and retain it in position when the
umbrella is opened.
In order to dismount the umbrella from the cutting or seizing instrument, it is only
necessary to unscrew the parts, and separate them as shewn in figures 10 and 11. The
umbrella top when removed from the stick may be retained in the open position and
in this form be used without a handle, as a basket to receive flowers or fruit.
The top notch of the umbrella frame may also be combined as shewn in figures
12 and 13, with the short tube A¹ forming the sheath or cap for the cutting and
seizing devices, the tube being extended sufficiently through the runner at when the
umbrella is in the open position, to serve as a handle by which the point or cap end of
the tube A may be driven into the ground. In this case, as in the case before
described, where the umbrella is mounted on the tubular sheath enclosing the whole
instrument, the umbrella can be fixed in the ground in an inverted position and form
a receptacle for flowers, &c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1st. An instrument for seizing, gathering or cutting light objects out of reach of
the hand, which is also convertible into a walking stick or cane, as described.
2nd. In an instrument for cutting, gathering, or seizing light objects, provided with
cutting blades or gripping jaws, operated by a pin sliding in slots in the tail ends of
such blades or jaws as herein described, I claim giving the said slots such a curvature
as to increase the cutting or gripping power of the instrument when the blades or
jaws are wide open as described, also the combination therewith of a cleaning brush
as described.

page_text: 3rd. In an instrument for gathering or seizing light objects, the employment of
gripping jaws so formed as to be equally adapted for seizing either round objects, such
as nuts &c. or objects of little thickness, such as leaves &c., and which are also capable
of being enclosed in a metal sheath fitting on the lower end of the tubular rod or
stick as described.
4th. The combination with an instrument for cutting and seizing light objects
convertible into a walking stick, or cane, as herein described of an umbrella frame
removably applied thereto in the manner described so as to be serviceable as a
basket for holding the crop, gathered by the instrument.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Applicant's Agents.