Hair Clipping Machine.
Year: 1894

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by CHARLES GREENE, of No. 105, Beale Street, in
the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, United States of
America, Manufacturer.]
Hair Clipping Machine.
I, VICTOR ISIDORE FEENY of No. 60 Queen Victoria Street in the City and
County of London Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
My invention relates to a machine which is intended for the purpose of clipping
bair. It consists of handles to be grasped and moved to and from each other by
the operator, transversely reciprocating toothed comb and cutting plates adjustable
with relation thereto, and intermediate actuating mechanism, with details of
construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying
drawings upon which :-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hair clipping device.
Figure 2 being a bottom view of the handles with the cutting plates turned to a
position approximately at right angles therewith.
The object of my invention is to provide a hair clipping machine having a hinged
connection between the cutter-head and the handles and a mechanism whereby the
cutter may be actuated from the handles in whatever position it may stand with
relation to said handles.
A A' are the handles pivoted together and suitably constructed to be grasped in
the hands of the operator, so that they may be closed by compression, and allowed.
to open by the action of a spring to be hereafter described.
The handle A, which may be termed the stationary handle for convenience, has
extension lugs B projecting from its lower end, and exterior to these lugs are
journaled the brackets C which are secured to the main or bottom plate D of the
cutters.
Through the brackets C holes are made transversely and journal boxes E extend
into these holes from the ends of the extensions B so that the cutter-head is turnable
about these journals.
Through these journal-boxes a shaft F extends having fixed to its centre a
disc G.
H is the top reciprocating plate of the cutter. Both the comb and cutter plates
are toothed as shewn, and the top plate is adapted to reciprocate above the bottom
one, so that the sharp angles of the adjacent faces of the teeth act as cutters when
the top plate is reciprocated across the botton one.
The brackets C are secured to the lower comb plate Dat the rear and their ends
overhang the upper cutting plate H and extend downward so as to enter a transverse
groove or channel I which is made in this plate behind the teeth and these brackets
thus serve to guide the plate H in its reciprocations. The plate H has made in
its centre a slot or channel J into which the edge of the disc G fits, and as the
cutter-head is journaled to turn about the shaft F, it will be manifest that whatever
the position occupied by the cutter-head relative to this shaft and the handles the
edge of the disc G will always enter the slot or channel J, and when the shaft F
and the disc are reciprocated from side to side, it will be seen that the disc will
move the upper cutting-plate H over the lower plate D.
In order to cause this reciprocation the handle A' is fulcrumed to the handle A
at the point K as shown in both figures, and the fulcrum piu or shank is attached

page_text: to the handle A¹ so as to be movable with it. Fixed to this fulcrum pin is the
short cam-shaped arm L, the front edge of which has made in it a slot or channel M in.
such a position that it clasps the edge of the disc G, or is otherwise loosely
connected therewith so that whenever the handle A' is closed toward the handle Å
it acts through the arm L upon the disc G so as to reciprocate it and its shaft F
sliding in the journal-boxes as previously described, and the edge of the disc G
engaging the slot in the plate H of the cutter causes this to reciprocate in like
manner above the plate D.
Just behind the pivotal centre K of the handle A A' are formed the transversely
disposed sockets N N which are of sufficient internal diameter to receive a stout
spiral spring O. These sockets are long enough to receive a spring so long that it
will not become set by use.
The tension of this spring is sufficient to hold the handles A: A normally at their
greatest distance apart, and when the handles have been pressed together by the
hands of the operator so as to reciprocate the movable cutting plate over the
stationary one in one direction, and as soon as the pressure upon the handles is
relaxed, the spring acts to throw the movable handle and plate; and through it the
reciprocating plate, back to its original position. The power of this spring is so
great that it exercises a positive pressure upon the reciprocating plate sufficient to
cause it to cut as strongly when moved back as it does when forced in the opposite
direction by the pressure of the hands, and the machine thus becomes a positive
double acting cutter.
By reason of the hinge joint by which the cutter-head is connected; with, the
handles, the reciprocating and the circular disc upon said shaft, the periphery of
which always engages the plate to be reciprocated whatever be the position of the
cutter-head with relation to the handles, it will be seen that the apparatus, may be
turned to any convenient position for work without its becoming disconnected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In a hair clipping machines handles fulcrumed together and adapted to move
to and from each other about the fulcrum pin, a cutter head having stationary and
reciprocating cutter-plates, a hinge joint by which the stationary plate is connected
with one of the handles and about which it is turnable with relation to said handles, a
shaft adapted to reciprocate axially through the hinge-joint and having a central
disc, a channel in the reciprocating cutter plate with which the periphery of said
disc engages, and a connecting device for reciprocating the shaft and disc with
relation to the handles, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A hair clipping-machine consisting of two handles pivotted together, adapted
to approach and separate from each other, a cutter-head consisting of a stationary
toothed comb plate hinged to and turnable about the extensions of one of the
handles, a shaft slidable axially through said hinge-joint having a disc fixed to it
the periphery of which engages a slot or channel in the reciprocating cutter-plate
which travels above the stationary one, an arm fixed to fulcrum shaft and movable
with the movable handle, said arm having its outer end adapted to loosely engage
the periphery of the disc whereby the movement of the handles will reciprocate
the disc shaft and movable cutter plate in any position occupied by the cutter-head
with relation to said handles, substantially as herein described.
3. A hair clipping machine consisting of the stationary and movable toothed
comb and cutter plates, brackets by which the stationary plate is hinged to
extensions of one of the handles of the device, a shaft slidable axially through said
hinge joint having a central disc the periphery of which engages a channel in the
movable plate, a movable handle fulcrumed to the one which carries the cutter-
head, having an arm which engages the periphery of the disc whereby the recipro-
cation of the disc shaft and movable cutter plate in one direction are effected by
the pressing of the handles toward each other and a spring fitted transversely in

page_text: containing chambers between the handles whereby the reciprocation of the parts in
the opposite direction is insured, substantially as herein described.
4. A bair cutting machine having the cutting portion adapted to turn about a
joint connecting it with the handle portion, so as to change its angle with relation
thereto, and a mechanism connecting the movable cutter-plate with the movable
handles by which it is reciprocated, whereby the movement of the handles is
transmitted to the cutter-plate, in any position which it may occupy relative to the
handles.