Improved Rotary Cutting Machine for Sheep Shearing and other purposes.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improved Rotary Cutting Machine for Sheep Shearing and other
purposes.
OWEN JONES MEACOCK, 18, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Consulting Engineer, HENRY PENN, Scotland Passage, High Street, Birmingham,
Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists of an improved rotary cutting machine peculiarly
adapted for sheep shearing but also applicable for cutting grass and other purposes..
Our object is to provide a convenient and effective appliance of simple construc-
tion and facilitates the uniform adjustment of the rotary cutter.
In carrying our invention into effect we provide a fixed disc having teeth formed
at the periphery; in the centre of the said disc we secure a vertical stem screwed
at the upper portion; upon the upper surface of the said disc we mount a circular
cutter having teeth formed at the periphery, the latter do not project 'to the
extremity of the afore-described teeth of the said fixed disc; upon the upper surface
of the circular cutter we secure a ring of bevel spur teeth having a boss formed in
the centre bored to fit the afore-mentioned vertical stem of the fixed disc; the
circular cutter is rotated by a bevel spur pinion gearing with the said ring of
spur teeth, we preferably form the said pinion upon the end of the horizontal
motion shaft. We provide a metallic casing to protect the working parts the front
portion having screwed nut in centre to operate the afore mentioned vertical stem
effecting the uniform pressure in contact with each other of the said fixed disc and
circular cutter the outer portion of the said casing having bored bearing formed
therein for carrying the said motion shaft the interior of the casing forming an oil
reservoir for lubricating the working parts.
When our improved rotary cutting appliance is used for sheep shearing the
said motion shaft may be rotated through the medium of a flexible shaft, or an
electric, compressed air or hydraulic motor may be secured to the said outer casing
for the purpose of rotating the motion shaft.
For cutting grass and similar purposes the said motion shaft may be rotated
through the medium of gearing operated by the rotation of the rollers or wheels
of the frame or carriage carrying the rotary cutting appliance.

page_text: Improved Rotary Cutting Machine for Sheep Shearing and other
"
purposes.
We, OWEN JONES MEACOCK, of 18, Burlington Chambers, New Street, in the
City of Birmingham, Consulting Engineer, and HENRY PENN, of 18, Burlington
Chambers, aforesaid, late of No. 2, Scotland Passage, High Street, Birmingham,
aforesaid, Cycle Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:
-
This invention consists of an improved rotary cutting machine for shearing sheep
and for other like purposes such as for clipping horses and for cutting human hair
and the said machine can also be constructed so as to be applicable for mowing
grass and the like and for reaping.
Our invention consists essentially of a fixed partial disc or bottom plate made with
projecting comb like teeth to take into the wool or other substance which is being
cut and a rotating circular cutter provided with teeth at its periphery said teeth
having cutting edges so that as they pass over the comb like teeth of the disc or
bottom plate (which are also made with cutting edges) the wool or standing grass
or corn is sheared off, means being provided for effecting the uniform pressure of
the rotary circular cutter on the disc or bottom plate and for protecting the work-
ing parts and preventing the wool or other substance being cut being drawn into
the teeth of the wheels which drive the rotating cutter.
On the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of
our invention arranged as a rotary cutting machine for shearing sheep and for
other like purposes such for instance as for clipping horses and cutting human,
hair; Fig. 2 is a plan of the said machine; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the same
on line X X of Figs. 1 and 2 and Fig. 4 is a cross section of the same on line Y Y
of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 5 is a plan of our invention arranged as a rotary cutting
machine for mowing or cutting grass; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same and
Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of the same; Fig. 8 is a plan of our invention
arranged as a rotary cutting machine for reaping corn or other like standing
crops and Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the reaping machine represented by Fig. 8.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 both inclusive, A is the fixed
partial disc or bottom plate made with the projecting teeth a at the front which
have cutting edges and B is the rotary circular cutter arranged to rotate on the
top of the bottom plate A. and made with projecting teeth b at its periphery each of
these teeth having a cutting edge b¹. The teeth 6 of the rotary cutter B are curved
in the direction in which the same rotate and do not project to the extremity of the
teeth a but are somewhat within the same as shewn. The rotary cutter B is made
from a flat plate, and has fixed centrally upon its upper surface the bevel wheel C¹
which gears with. a bevel pinion C fixed on the motion shaft D) which passes
through bearings ele in the handle E of the machine and at its back end d¹ is
constructed in any suitable manner to connect to a flexible shaft or receive rotary
motion from any other convenient source so that when the shaft D revolves the
rotary motion will be transmitted through the bevel wheels C¹ C to the disc B
which will revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. On the
front part of the handle C there is screwed or otherwise fixed a metallic casing F
which is made hollow and at 1 is shaped to enclose and protect the bevel
wheels C¹ C³. This hollow part fl of the casing F is circular when viewed in plan

page_text: and its lower edge is faced up and bears on to a felt or like washer 9 which is
fixed on to the top of the rotary cutter B. The bottom plate A is made with a
central boss a on which the rotary plate B and bevelled wheel C₁ revolve. Fitting
in this boss as of the bottom plate A there is an adjusting screw H which takes into
the boss formed in the casing F and which is chambered out and contains a
spiral or other spring i which is compressed between the bottom of the chambered
part of the boss f³ and a shoulder h' on the screw H so that this spring i ensures a
uniform pressure of the bottom plate A against the rotary disc which pressure
can be readily adjusted by turning the screw H. The upper part of the boss c¹ of
the bevelled wheel C₁ bears against the underside of the bottom of the casing F
so that the bevelled wheels CC will be properly in gear. The bottom plate A is
made with a tang at a which fits in a recess (see Fig. 3) formed in the underside
of the casing F so as to prevent the bottom plate A from turning about the pin H.
In order to ensure efficient lubrication the handle part E is made hollow at e so as
to form an oil reservoir which is closed as by the removable screwed stopper et so
that the oil from the chamber E will lubricate the bearings ele and passing
through the bearings will lubricate the bevelled wheels C! C³ and
bearings of the same and the felt washer 9 will effectually prevent the
oil from flying about. The felt washer g also serves the very important purpose of
preventing the wool or hair or the like working into the interior of the casing F
or getting entangled by the wheels.
the
When the rotary cutter B is rotated by the turning of the shaft D and the
machine is pushed forward into the wool or other like substance which is to be cut,
the bottom teeth a pass into the wool which is sheared off between the cutting
edges b' of the teeth of the rotary cutter B and the cutting edges of the teeth a.
When our invention is arranged as a rotary cutting machine for mowing grass
(see Figs. 5, 6 and 7) the hollow casing F which carries the pin H and the bottom
plate A and rotary cutter B is provided with a cross bar J fixed to the machine
frame K which latter carries a roller L' at the front of the rotary cutter B and
another roller La at the back of the same, the said frame K being provided with a
handle or with other means for propelling it along on the rollers L' L³. The
rotary motion of the rotary cutter B is obtained from the roller La by any con-
venient means as by the endless chain m' which gears with a sprocket wheel l¹ on
the roller L and with another sprocket pinion n' which is fixed on the motion
shaft D and which in this case revolves in bearings in the cross bar J and machine
frame K. As the mowing machine represented by Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is moved along
in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5, the teeth a on the bottom plate A
which is carried near the surface of the ground come between the blades of grass
which are cut between the cutting edges of the teeth 61 and the cutting edges of
the teeth a and the grass is delivered to one side of the machine by the curved
guard O represented in Fig. 5.
When our invention is arranged as a reaping machine for cutting standing corn
or the like, the metal casing F which carries the screw H and the bottom plate A
on which the rotary cutter B revolves, projects from one side of the machine
frame P as shown in Fig. 8 so as to take into the standing corn or the like and
the motion shaft D has a spur pinion q' upon one end which gears with a spur
wheel which is fixed on one of the land wheels R¹ R³ so that the rotary motion
of the land wheel R' will as the machine is drawn along be communicated
from the spur wheel q' and pinion through the motion shaft D and bevel
wheels C C to the rotary cutter B causing the same to revolve and its teeth 6 to
cut off the standing corn or the like which is between the, teeth a of the bottom
plate A which latter is carried at a short distance above the ground level. The
weight of the plate A and rotary cutter and other over-hanging parts are counter-
balanced by the counter-balance S carried on the carriage of frame P.
The guard O prevents the cut corn from getting in the gearing q¹ q? or under the
land wheel R¹.

page_text: 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:-
1. In a rotary cutting machine for sheep shearing and for other analogous uses
the combination of a rotary circular cutter made with sharpened teeth at its peri-
phery and driven by bevelled gearing, a non-rotative bottom plate made with
projecting comb like teeth at the front and on which the rotary cutter revolves, a
casing enclosing said bevelled gearing made with a circular facing to bear against
a felt washer or other like bearing on the rotary cutter, the said parts being so
arranged that as the rotary cutter revolves the wool hair or the like is severed
between the teeth of the rotary cutter and the teeth of the bottom plate and by the
casing is effectually prevented from working into the bevelled gearing or round
the cutter spindle, substantially as set forth.
2. In a rotary cutting machine for shearing sheep and other analogous uses
provided with a rotary circular cutter made with sharpened teeth at its periphery
arranged to rotate upon a non-rotative bottom plate made with sharpened comb
like teeth projecting from the front so that the wool hair or the like is severed
between the teeth of the rotary cutter and the teeth and the bottom plate. The
employment of the adjusting screw Ḥ and spiral spring i arranged to adjust the
bottom plate against the rotary cutter and ensure uniform pressure between these
parts substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings..
3. In a rotary cutting machine for shearing sheep and other analogous uses or
for mowing grass or for reaping, the combination of the rotary cutter B made
with sharpened teeth b, the non-rotative bottom plate A made with the projecting
comb like teeth a at the front and on which the rotary cutter revolves, the motion
shaft D and bevel wheels C¹ C³ fixed respectively to said motion shaft and rotary
cutter for causing said rotary cutter to revolve, the casing F enclosing said bevel
wheels and bearing against the rotary cutter or a felt or like washer thereon, and
the adjusting screw H carried by said casing and screwed in the said bottom plate
and provided with a spring so as to ensure an even pressure of the toothed bottom
plate against the rotary cutter and enable the said pressure to be adjusted, all
substantially as set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. A rotary cutting machine for shearing sheep, and for other analogous uses
constructed arranged and operating substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
5. A rotary cutting machine for mowing grass constructed arranged and
operating substantially as herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 5, 6
and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
6. A rotary cutting machine for reaping corn and other standing crops con-
structed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illus-
trated by Figs. 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1898.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.