Improvements in Sheep Shears and Hair and like Clippers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sheep Shears and Hair and like Clippers.
We, WILLIAM HAWKES BURMAN, and THOMAS BURMAN, trading as Burman
and Sons, of Ryland Road, Edgbaston, in the City of Birmingham, Clipper
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to detail improvements in power and other sheep shears,
horse clippers, toilet clippers, and other like clipping machines for various uses,
but is particularly applicable to power sheep sheers, and has for its objects,
primarily, the reduction of heat in the working parts, the saving of power in the
working of the apparatus or instrument and the lessening of the wear and tear
of the said working parts.
Our invention consists, first, in mounting the cutter or fork lever upon a
balanced and universal fulcrum, capable of making a slight gyratory movement
so as to admit of the underside plane of the cutter falling to the topside plane
of the comb plate; secondly, in disposing fore and aft of the balanced fulcrum
(which is adjustable), antifriction and spheroidal or arc-ended bearers, whereby
the parallelism of the fork cutter or cutter plate and the topside plane of the
comb plate is attained, and equal pressure or tension effected; thirdly, in supporting
the double and part-sphere-ended bearers upon rocking seatings.
In carrying out our invention in connection with power sheep shears, the
machine or apparatus consists of a base plate or framing, carrying at, and having
made rigid to, its forward end, a comb plate, whilst located between a cover plate,
provided with an adjustment cap or tension screw, and the said comb plate, is a
cutter or fork lever, universally and centrally mounted upon the spherical middle
part of a sliding or adjustable fulcrum, whose pivot ends take within bearings
of base plate and cover plate respectively, whilst there is a considerable clearance
between the bearing socket of the spherical middle part and the cheeks of the
opposed pivot bearings.
Thus, the cutter lever, which carries the cutter at its fore end, is held suspended
about its middle by a universal bearing, capable of making a gyratory or universal
movement.
Coming forward of the said middle fulcrum, and rear of the cutter, is a pair
of double and spherical-ended antifriction bearers, with the arc of the part-
spherical ends struck from the centres of the necks or posts, which bearers are
separated from each other to a short distance, with the top bearing surfaces
coming and working upon the plain square inside crowns of inverted and adjustable
socket bearings, which fit and rise and fall within a hole formed through a bossed
and outside-screwed fore part of the cover plate or case, upon which boss part
the adjustment cap or tension screw takes, with the middle part coming upon a
stalk proceeding from the top of the combined socketted and cupped bearings,
which may be, if necessary, independently fitted.
The lower spherical ends of the bearers or posts take within sockets or plain-
ended cupped seatings formed in the sockets of a pinion or trunnion-ended rocking
bearer, fitted within a clearance formed in the middle part of the cutter lever, in
line with the axis of the adjustment cap, and with the trunnion or pivot ends of
the double cupped or socketted bearer working within open bearings formed in
the cutter lever.

page_text: By thus raounting or supporting the fore parts of cover plate and cutter lever
upon part-spherical-ended posts, whose bearings are respectively adjustable
vertically and transversely, the plane of the underside surface of the cutter or
fork is made to fall automatically and at all times to the plane of the topside of
the comb however the said cutter may be worn or irregularly ground.
It will be readily understood that by rotating the tension cap the cutter lever,
with its cutter will be brought over and made to conform to the plane of the comb,
hence the equalization of the cut, and it is further understood that the cutter
lever is of the second order, and that it has the universal pivot as its centre of
motion.
Instead of the cupped or socketted and trunnion-mounted bearings being in
common with one another, they may be independent, and further, instead of
mounting the bearer or bearings upon trunnion ends capable of a rock motion in one
direction, it or they may be mounted upon a part spherical bearing and socket, to
admit of the same making a universal motion.
Located at the back of the universal middle mounting of the cutter lever comes
a centrally disposed and spherical ended bearer or post, with the spherical ends
taking upon the top and bottom inside plain surfaces of opposite sockets or
recesses, formed within the opposed faces of caps or parts let or fitted within the
base plate and cutter lever respectively.
Thus the cutter lever is borne upon or suspended by fore and aft part-
spherical-ended bearers or posts, with a universal and adjustable fulcrum coming
between them.
Instead of employing a single back bearer, I may employ two.
The cutter lever rear end is forked, into which takes the ball pivot of a stud or
crank plate, made fast upon a central axis passing through a sleeve and having at
its outer end a toothed pinion or bevel wheel, which engages with a like toothed
pinion or bevel wheel made fast upon the opposed end of a driving axis rotating
within a sleeve or bush jointedly connected to the sleeve of the instrument.
The rotation of the driving axle communicates motion to the cutter lever, which
is made to vibrate or rock or turn to and fro horizontally upon the universal
fulcrum, and traverse or take the cutting teeth over the comb with a self-
adjusting and parallel cut.
Instead of equalizing the pressure, we may apply the same at the back, and
further the equalization of the cut may be effected by a single bearer having at
one end a part sphere, and at the other end, a nearly complete sphere, with the
latter taking within a spherical seating or cup sunken within the topside of the
cutter lever, whilst the other and part spherical end takes its bearing upon
the inside crown of the tension screw or other equivalent part.
Instead of the rear bearer or bearers coming behind the universal pivot, it may,
if necessary, be disposed forward of it in certain classes of machines."
The application of my invention to other clipping machines differs in no
essential respect from its application to a sheep shearing machine as herein
described.
Dated this 9th day of February 1895.
WILLIAM HAWKES BURMAN,
THOMAS BURMAN,
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Sheep Shears and Hair and like Clippers.
We, WILLIAM HAWKES BURMAN and THOMAS BURMAN trading as Burman
and Sons of Ryland Road, Edgbaston in the City of Birmingham, Clipper
Manufacturers, 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 :-
Our invention relates to detail improvements in power and other sheep shears,
horse clippers, toilet clippers, and other like clipping machines for various uses, but
is particularly applicable to power sheep shears, and has for its objects primarily,
the reduction of heat in the working parts, the saving of power in the working of
the apparatus or instrument and the lessening of the wear and tear of the said
working parts.
Our invention consists, first, in mounting the cutter or fork lever upon a
balanced and universal fulcrum, capable of making a slight gyratory movement so
as to admit of the underside plane of the cutter falling to the topside plane of the
comb plate; and secondly, in disposing fore and aft of the balanced fulcrum
(which is adjustable), antifriction and spheroidal or arc-ended bearers, whereby
the parallelism of the fork cutter or cutter plate and the topside plane of the
comb plate is attained, and equal pressure or tension effected.
In carrying out our invention in connection with power sheep shears, the machine
or apparatus consists of a base plate or framing, carrying at, and having made
rigid to, its forward end, a comb, whilst located between a cover plate, provided
with an adjustment cap or tension screw, and the said comb, is a cutter or fork
lever, universally and centrally mounted upon the spherical middle part of a sliding
or adjustable fulcrum, whose pivot ends take within bearings of base plate and
cover plate respectively, whilst there is a considerable clearance between the
bearing socket of the spherical middle part and the cheeks of the opposed pivot
bearings.
Thus, the cutter lever, which carries the cutter at its fore end, is held suspended
about its middle by a universal bearing, capable of making a gyratory or universal
movement.
Coming forward of the said middle fulcrum, and rear of the cutter is a pair of
double and spherical-ended anti-friction bearers or rocking posts, with the arc of
the part-spherical ends struck from the centre of the necks or bodies which bearers
are separated from each other to a short distance, with the top bearing surfaces
coming and working upon the plain square inside crowns of inverted and adjustable
socket bearings, which fit and rise and fall within a hole formed through a bossed
and outside-screwed fore part of the cover plate or case, upon which boss part the
adjustable cap or tension screw takes, with the middle part coming upon a stalk
proceeding from the top of the combined socketted and cupped bearings, which
may be, if necessary, independently fitted.
The lower spherical ends of the bearers or posts take within sockets or plain-
euded cupped seatings formed in the sockets of a pivot or trunnion-ended rocking
bearer, fitted within a clearance formed in the middle part of the cutter lever, in
line with the axis of the adjustment cap, and with the trunnion or pivot ends of
the double cupped or socketted bearer working within open bearings formed in the
cutter lever.
It will be readily understood that by rotating the tension cap the cutter lever,
with its cutter will be brought over and made to conform to the plane of the comb,
hence the equalization of the cut, and it is further understood that the cutter lever
is of the first order, and that it has the universal pivot as its centre of motion.
Instead of the cupped or socketted and trunnion-mounted bearings being

page_text: in common with one another, they may be independent, and further, instead
of mounting the bearer or bearings upon trunnion ends capable of a rock motion
in one direction, it or they may be mounted upon a part spherical bearing and
socket, to admit of the same making a universal motion.
Located at the back of the universal middle mounting of the cutter lever comes
a centrally disposed and spherical ended bearer or post, with the spherical ends
taking upon the top and bottom inside plain surfaces of opposite sockets or
recesses, formed within the opposed faces of caps or parts let or fitted within the
base plate and cutter lever respectively.
Thus the cutter lever is borne upon or suspended by fore and aft part-spherical-
ended bearers or posts, with a universal and adjustable fulcrum coining between
them.
Instead of employing a single back bearer, we may employ two.
The cutter lever rear end is forked, into which takes the ball roller pivot of a
stud or crank plate, made fast upon a central axis passing through a sleeve and
which axis may have at its outer end a toothed pinion or bevel wheel, which
engages with a like toothed pinion or bevel wheel made fast upon the opposed end
of a driving axis rotating within a sleeve or bush jointedly connected to the sleeve
of the instrument.
The rotation of the driving axle communicates motion to the cutter lever, which
is made to vibrate or rock or turn to and fro horizontally upon the universal
fulcrum, and traverse or take the cutting teeth over the comb with a self-adjusting
and parallel cut.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a complete vertical section
of a sheep shear provided with improvements constructed and arranged according
to our invention.
Figure 2 represents a topside plan of Figure 1 with the top cover of the casing
removed.
Figure 3 is a cross section of the machine upon the dotted line, Figure 2.
The said sheep shear or power wool-clipping instrument has a base plate or
framing a, having made rigid to its fore end, a comb b, whilst located between the
cover plate c, having an adjustment cap or tension screw c¹, and the said comb, is a
cutter or fork lever d, (which carries the cutter f,) universally or centrally mounted
upon the spherical part e', of an adjustable fulcrum e, whose pivot ends e³, take and
work within bearings c³, a', formed in the cover plate and base plate respectively,
whilst the spherical middle part is enveloped within spherical bearings d², made
fast to the cutter lever. Forward of the universal fulcrum, and rear of the cutter,
a pair of part spherical ended rocking posts g, come, with the upper part-spherical
ends of the said posts taking their bearings upon the flat crowns c², of a pair of
sockets c³, formed in a rising and falling bearing block c, having shoulders c³, upon
the neck and against the shoulders of which, the screw down cap comes, and also
screws itself upon the neck c6, formed on the fore part of the cover plate, which
neck has an axial hole c', through its middle, wherein the bearing block c, is
adjustably fitted. The edge of the cap is formed with notches c8, with which an
arm c³, of a double-armed locking lever c, engages, for the purpose of holding the
cap in its adjusted position. The lower part spherical ends of the posts take their
bearings upon the flat bottoms, of a pair of sockets h³, formed in a rocking
bearer, mounted upon trunnion or pivot ends ³, turning in bearings d', in the
cutter lever d.
Rearward of the universal fulcrum, the cutter lever is supported upon a single
rocking post i, having part spherical ends curved to a radius struck from the
middle of the waist or body, and bearing upon the flat bottom d³, of the socket d
in the lever d, at the upper end, and upon the flat bottom j', of a socketted bush j,
Jet into the base plate a, at the lower end.
The after end of the cutter lever is forked at d³, wherein a ball roller pivot k³,
of a crank plate or disc k², made fast upon the end of a shaft k², working within
a sleeve, of the after tubular end a³, of the base or casing a, works.

page_text: Figure 4 represents a sectional view of power sheep shear fitted with modified
forms of universal fulcrum and rocking posts constructed according to our
invention.
Figure 5 is a cross section of the machine Figure 4, upon the dotted line a¹.
a is a base plate, carrying the comb b, having working upon its top face, a
cutter, carried by a pressure plate f¹, at the fore end of the rocking cutter
lever d, which is centrally mounted upon a loose spherical part el, wherethrough
a fulcrum pin e, upon which the said ball is capable of rising and falling, passes,
and takes its end bearings through the metal of the cap and base plate respectively.
The said ball is carried in bearings d², made fast to the middle part of the cutter
lever d. h is a single rocking post, with the one end made part spherical and
curved to a radius struck from the centre of the other and spherical end. The
respective ends take their bearings upon top and bottom bearings c³, and h¹ of cap c
and fore part of cutter lever d, respectively.
Rearward of the universal fulcrum is another post i, alike unto the post h, in
the front and with the bearing ends of the same coming respectively against the
after end underside of the lever d, and a bearing j, let within the rear part of the
base plate. d is the slotted after end of the lever, k¹ the ball crank, k³ the plate,
the driving spindle working within a bush k*, carried by after end a³, of the case
or base plate.
The application of our invention to other clipping machines differs in no essential
respect from its application to a power sheep shearing machine as herein
described.
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:-
First. In sheep shears and hair and like clippers, mounting the cutter or fork
lever upon a suspended and rising and falling and turning pivot, having a spherical
middle part, about which the bearing of the said lever turns universally as a centre
of motion, and in any direction within certain limits, in virtue of which the said
lever becomes universally mounted and self plane finding and its fulcrum is balanced,
substantially as and for the purpose described and set forth.
Secondly. In sheep shears and hair and like clippers, supporting the cutter or
fork lever, fore and aft of the universal fulcrum, by plane keeping rocking posts,
arranged in manner substantially as described and set forth.
Thirdly. The modified arrangement of universal fulcrum for the cutter or
fork lever of sheep shears and hair and like clippers, substantially as described
and set forth in Figures 4 and 5.
Fourthly. In power and other sheep shears and hair and like clippers, the
general construction, arrangement and combination of the parts, substantially as
and for the purpose described and set forth.
Dated this 15th day of October 1895.
WILLIAM HAWKES BURMAN,
THOMAS BURMAN,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.