Improvements in Sheep Shearing Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1893-Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sheep Shearing Machines.
I MICHAEL FORD of Paddington near Sydney in the Colony of New South
Wales Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
n what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
scertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention relates to sheep shearing machines in which a reciprocating or
main lever imparts to and fro motion to a cutter above and in contact with a comb
and this invention has been specially devised in order that the adjustable pressure
or tension of said cutter upon the comb will be equally applied to said cutter
and distributed thereon at all parts of its stroke.
"
These improvements in sheep shearing machines consist in the particular com-
binations and arrangements of mechanical parts hereinafter specifically claimed
which together make up first a novel connection between the main lever and the
reciprocating cutter and secondly novel tension devices.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now
be made to the drawing herewith.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of part of a sheep shearing machine
constructed according to these improvements.
Figure 2 is a plan of same with top cover or casing removed.
Figures 3 4 5 and 6 are transverse sections on lines a-a b-b c-c and d-d
(Figure 1) respectively of the same.
Figures 7 and
rocker.
show a modified construction of connecting fork and pressure
It is clearly to be seen that the parts not shown are not material to this present
invention and that the reciprocating motion of the main lever may be imparted to
its back end by any convenient means as by a compressed air engine or by flexible
shafting through appropriate crank or other gear.
From the bottom casing A of the machine there rises a stud or fulcrum pin B
on which takes the boss C¹ of reciprocating or inain lever C whose back end gears
The forward
with an appropriate positively moving device as well understood
end of said main lever contains a parallel slot C2 strengthened by bottom piece C³
A connecting fork D is centred by means of its tail piece D₁ on a ball D' having
bearing in the underside of said tail and in socket B' which should be (although
not so shown) sunk so that the centre of ball D' will be in the central line of the
main lever in the centre of the fulcrum pin B and this fork having convex sides fits
neatly into slot C' of the main lever the curvature of the sides allowing of any
necessary rocking of the fork on its ball D' so that the front prongs or fingers D'
fitted with the usual pintles to take into the cutter will adjust or equalise them-
selves on the cutter E above the comb F In this fork D at a convenient distance
back of the points of the fingers D³ say at one third of its length from said points
there is another bearing to take the bottom end of the pressure or tension rocker G
as shown in Figures and 8 by means of a turned wrist D and a jaw G* or
preferably by means of a ball and socket joint as in the machine shown in
Figures 1 to 6 consisting of slot or orifice D' having bearing for ball G' taking
into socket G' of tension rocker G whose upper end or head Gis arc-shaped or
formed of a segment of a circle with circular ends and parallel sides set trans-
versely of the machine and taking into a peculiarly constructed recess in the
forward end H' of a tension plate or hinged-piece H The radius of the arc-face
of the segment head G³ is struck of a true circle from the centre of the bearing
of the lower socket end G The top bearing of the segment head G of the
tension rocker G or the internal top face H' of the recess in the end H' of plate H

page_text: is perfectly flat while the ends of the oblong recess are filled by quadrant pieces
or liners H with concave faces H the curves being of the same radii as the face
of the segment head G³ The tension plate or hinged piece H has its bearing or
hinge backwardly of the fulcrum pin B in internal ears or snugs of the casing A
or as shown in snugs or bosses J¹ of screwed down top casing or fixed cover J by
through-pin H The casing or cover J is fastened to the bottom casing A by
screws J and it has parallel side guide J³ to take the edges of tension plate or
piece H and a screwed socket J to take the tension screw K whose square under
surface takes upon a half round or curved upper surface H of tension plate H
The locking spring K' takes into teeth or orifices in or on the milled head K¹ of
screw K after adjustment of the tension Instead of having an oblong recess and
a parallel segment piece I might make cylindrical recess either in the bottom of
the tension plate or in the tension screw and then use a spherical headed pressure
piece or mushroom stud in which case I would close in the bottom end of the
recess by a hollow plug or annular cup-piece presenting a concave face to the edge
of the spherical head.
In operation motion being given to the back end of main lever C it reciprocates
on fulcrum pin B as well understood The reciprocations of the forward end of
said lever C impart to the connecting piece or fork D as it is held in slot C² a to
and fro motion on its ball bearing D' in perfect accord with the bearing of boss C¹
on fulcrum pin B and these reciprocations are imparted by fingers D³ to the
cutter E above and in contact with comb F This construction of connecting
fork thus relieves the fulcrum pin or stud of the main lever from the stress
occasioned by the pressure or tension being imparted direct on to any part of the
main lever for conveyance to the cutter and the fulcrum bearing is only required to
take the strain of the reciprocating motion The fork D is left free to oscillate
so as to adjust itself to any inequalities of the surface of the comb or to any
variation of thickness of the cutter and this freedom of movement is attained by
means of the back ball bearing D' the curvature of the sides of said fork in slot C²
of lever C and the forward bearing or ball and socket connection of said fork
to the tension rocker or other tension devices for this construction of connection
between main lever and cutter might be used with "tensions of descriptions
other than those shown and herein described The pressure of the cutter E upon
the comb F is adjusted by means of tension screw K taking through boss J* on to
tension plate H which is hinged at H in alignment or "out of winding" with the
surface of the comb F and which is held sideways in guides J³ During the
reciprocations of the forward end of fork D the tension rocker allows by means
of ball and socket connection the freest possible adaptability of the fork under
the pressure as the arc-face of the tension rocker G moves or rolls on the internal
face H of the recess or chamber in end H₁ of tension plate H and the ball and
socket connection insures perfect radial bearing from the centre of motion and also
allows for the swing or curvature of the reciprocations The wrist bearing D of
the modification shown in Figures 7 and 8 allows of this radial bearing in a
somewhat less degree It will be seen then that at all parts of the movement or
reciprocations of the fork D the distance from the centre of the bearing on said
fork and the surface of the tension plate by which the pressure is given is a true
radius and cannot alter thus insuring that the pressure or tension is always the
same The concave faces H' of the liners H³ form bearing surfaces for the
circular ends of the segment head G³ and thus do away with any "back lash or
lost motion in the rolling movement of said segment head thereby preventing or
minimising the wearing or forming of "flats on the arc-face of said segment
head G³.
"
Having now particularly described and explained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
First In a sheep shearing machine the combination and arrangement with the

page_text: other main parts thereof of a connecting fork held loosely and actuated by the main
or reciprocating lever having ball bearing on the top of the fulcrum pin of said
main lever having radial connection to the tension devices and taking fixedly on
the cutter substantially as herein described and explained.
Second In a sheep shearing machine of the class set forth the combination and
arrangement with a cutter such as E and a reciprocating or main lever such as C
having boss such as C¹ bearing around fulcrum pin such as B and having slot such
as C³ of a connecting fork such as D with tail piece such as D' and convex sides a
ball such as D2 socket such as B' in fulcrum pin such as B prongs or fingers such
as D with pintles to take into said cutter and a bearing such as D' or ball and
socket connection such as G₁ and G' to a pressure or tension radius piece
substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in the drawing.
Third In a sheep shearing machine the combination and arrangement with the
main or reciprocating lever loosely holding and actuating a centred or juxtaposed-
fulcrumed connecting fork and the other main parts of a tension plate hinged at its
back end and recessed at its forward end with a flat oblong under-surface and a
segment headed or are faced pressure piece taking on said Hat under-surface and
having bearing or preferably ball and socket connection to said fulcrumed connecting
fork substantially as herein described and explained.
Fourth In a sheep shearing machine the combination and arrangement with a
segment headed or arc-faced pressure piece of a peculiarly constructed recess in a
tension piece or plate having flat surface parallel sides and convex-faced ends
adapted to form bearings for the ends of said segment head substantially as herein
described and explained.
Fifth In a sheep shearing machine the combination and arrangement with a
spherical headed pressure piece taking into a cylindrical recess of a hollow plug
for such recess presenting a concave under-face to the edge of said spherical head
of said pressure piece substantially as herein described and explained.
Sixth In a sheep shearing machine of the class set forth the combination and
arrangement with a main lever such as C and a connecting fork such as D with
bearing such as ball D in socket B' and prongs or fingers such as D³ of a tension
plate such as H with hinge such as H half-round surface such as H and recessed
end such as H' and pressure piece such as G with arc-faced head such as G and
bearing foot such as G or G¹ and G2 substantially as herein described and explained
and as illustrated in the drawing.
Seventh-In a sheep shearing machine of the class set forth the combination and
arrangement with a pressure piece such as G with arc-faced head such as G' of a
tension piece having recess with flat such as H2 and concave ends such as H
preferably formed by quadrant pieces such as H³ substantially as herein described
and explained and as illustrated in the drawing.
Eighth The particular combination and arrangement with actuating devices or
motive power mechanism of the mechanical parts set forth and explained all
together forming an improved sheep shearing machine substantially as herein
described and illustrated in the drawing.
Dated this Tenth day of May One thousand eight hundred and ninety-three.
MICHAEL FORD.
Abel & Imray,
Agents for the Applicant.