Improvements in the Construction of Mechanical Clippers for Wool and Hair.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Oct., 1892-Accepted, 14th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Mechanical Clippers for Wool
and Hair.
We, PHILIP ASHBERRY, of Burngreave Road, Manager, and WALTER BARNES,
of Intake Road, Ivory Carver, both of Sheffield in the County of York, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the mechanism of sheep clippers and
like clippers, and refers more particularly to the reciprocating arm for driving the
cutter, the appliance for securing the two parts of the universal joint, and the
construction of the driving wheels used in such joint.
The reciprocating arm is made with its front end of a suitable form to engage
with and hold the cutter, and the back end is made with a vertical tubular slide to
receive the ball of the eccentric driver.
A large headed stud passes vertically and clearly through the centre of the arm,
and over the arm it carries a pressure plate secured by a locknut; this plate passes
forward towards the cutter to a suitable distance to bring under a screw acting
vertically through the casing, and by which pressure is put upon the cutter.
In the opposing faces of the head of the stud, the underside of the pressure plate
and the two sides of the arm, are ball retaining grooves, in which are placed two
circles of balls, and on each side of the pressure plate in a line with the centre of
the said stud is a short axis or trunnion which drops into corresponding bearing
recesses on the inside of the casing.
Thus the pressure plate with the arm can rock up and down upon the two
trunnions, but the arm alone can oscillate horizontally upon the circles of balls.
I may if found desirable support the arm by making the head of the stud a half
sphere, resting in a cup secured to the bottom of case.
The driving wheels at the universal joint of the clipper are of peculiar
construction to allow them to work when at any angle with each other, instead of
the ordinary teeth I make one of the wheels with a circle of ball shaped teeth, and
the other has a corresponding number of cups to receive them, the parts are so
constructed that they work freely together, and are more durable than teeth as
usually formed.
The appliance by which I attach the two joint pieces each of which carries one
of the before described wheels, consists of a flat half hoop spring, provided at each
end with a short pin or bolt pointing towards each other from opposite sides.
The joint pieces have corresponding holes and fit one upon the other so that the
holes will come into juxta position, when in this position, the two pins may be
sprung apart and be passed into the holes completing the joint.
Dated the 20th day of May 1892.
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicants.

page_text: 4
1.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Mechanical Clippers for Wool
and Hair
We, PHILIP ASH BERRY, of Burngreave Road; Manager, and WALTER BARNES,
of Intake Road, Ivory Carver, both of Sheffield in the County of York, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in the mechanical details of sheep clippers
and other like clippers that are driven through the medium of flexible shafting, and
refers more particularly to the following parts of such apparatus.
1-The vibrating arm which carries and drives the cutter, shown in Figs. 1. 2. 3.
of the annexed' sheet of drawings.
2-The arrangements for adjusting the pressure upon the cutter, Figs. 4. 5.
3-The arrangement of the joint pins Figs. 6. 7. 10.
4-The driving wheels for transmitting rotary motion through the joint, Figs. 8. 9.
similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in any of the figures.
The clipper is of the well known type to be held in the hand, having a
reciprocating cutter moving rapidly to and fro across a fixed cutter or "comb;"
the cutter is carried by the front end of a vibrating arm, the back end of arm
engages with the eccentric pin of a disc, rotated by means of a flexible shaft driven
by any kind of motive power.
1
1
i
The apparatus' is in two parts hinged or pinjointed together, and the working.
parts are enclosed in a metallic casing shaped to fit the hand.
The' before mentioned joint in combination with the flexible shaft enables the
shearer to turn the clipper to any desired angle.
.
The objects of the invention are to reduce the friction of the working parts to a
minimum, and to simplify the mechanism, especially those parts that require the
attention of the shearer.
In carrying our invention into practice, we make the vibrating arm A, with its
front end A, of a suitable form to carry the cutter which is of the usual type,
and for this purpose it is provided with driving pins A³, and an elastic intermediate
· piece" A³.
f
The back end of the" arm has a semi-tubular slide A, to receive the ball end of
an eccentric pin upon a disc connected with the driving shaft.
The shank of a large headed stud B, passes upwards vertically through the
"centre" of the arm A, without touching, and above the arm it carries an elongated.
pressure plate C, secured by a lock nut D, and extending forwards towards the
cutter, so as to bring it under a vertically acting screw E, Fig. 4, which passes
from the outside 'through 'the' casing I, and enters the recess F, and by, which,
pressure is put upon 'the cutter through the intermediate piece.A.
:
In the opposing faces of the head of stud B, and the underside of arm A, and of
the "top side of arm and the under face of the pressure plate C, we make annular.
grooves which are fitted with hardened steel balls G, these serve to retain the arm A,"
concentric with, and clear from the shank of the stud B, and upon these balls the
arm has its semi-rotary movement..
On each opposite edge of the pressure plate C, in a line through the centre of the
stud B, we make a short axis or trunnion H, which fit in vertical slots on the sides
of the casing, enabling both the arm and the pressure plate to rock up and down,
and the arm alone to move horizontally upon the circles of balls G.
In substitution for the said trunnions H, we may support the arm A, upon a ball
and socket bearing T, under the stud B, as shown in Fig. 3, the cup or socket
being in the head of the stud, and the rounded support being attached to the casing,
or vice versa, and we prefer this method of support as giving the best result.

page_text: The pressure screw E, passes through a short screwed stud J, attached to the
casing, aud takes into a recess F, in the front end of pressure plate C, and under
the head is a circle of ratchet teeth K, to engage with a retaining spring L,
rivetted to the casing, and by this screw the shearer is enabled at any moment to
adjust the pressure of the cutter upon the comb.
The junction of the two parts of the clipper which constitutes a so-called
universal joint, where the driving power is transmitted from the part M, carrying
the end of the flexible shaft, to the eccentric shaft in the part N, which is held in
the hand, and while the clipper is being turned in the various directions necessary
during the operation of clipping, must be so constructed that the said parts M
and N, may be quickly and easily separated and replaced, and it is important that
loose joint-pins should not be used, as they would be shaken loose by the vibration
of the working parts of the apparatus.
We therefore connect the two joint-pins P, either by rivetting them to each end
of a bow-spring Q, Figs. 6, 7, so that when the pin holes of each part M and N,
are in line, the pins are drawn apart by expanding the spring and are passed into
the holes, the contraction of the spring preventing their escape; or preferably the
two pins are connected by means of a small bolt, either with or without the use of
springs, see Fig. 10.
The driving wheels through which the rotary motion is transmitted from the
part M, to the part N, at the joint of the clipper, are of peculiar and novel
construction, shown in Figs. 8 and 9, which enables them to gear together and to
work with smoothness at any angle to which the clipper may be turned during
shearing.
Instead of ordinary teeth we make one of the wheels as shown in Fig. 8, having
a circle of balls or spherical teeth R, projecting from its periphery, and the
companion wheel Fig. 9, with a corresponding number of cups or pockets S, to
engage with the balls at whatever may be their relative angular position.
The cups may be open at the side as shown, or may be perfect half cups.
Having now particularly described and explained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed or carried into practice;
we declare that what we claim is :-
1-In mechanical clippers for wool or hair, a horizontally vibrating arm A, for
driving the cutter, carried between two circles of antifriction balls G, retained in
annular grooves, in combination with a supporting stud B, and an elongated pressure
plate C, provided with trunnions H, projecting from each side, and fitting in
vertical slots in the casing, substantially as hereinbefore described, and as shown in
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
2-In a mechanical clipper for wool or hair, a horizontally vibrating arm A,
for driving the cutter, in combination with an elongated pressure plate C, secured
upon a central stud B, resting upon a ball and socket joint inside the casing,
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 3 of the annexed
drawings.
3-In a mechanical clipper, securing the two jointed parts M and N, by means
of two removable joint pins connected by an intermediate bow-spring as in Figs. 6
and 7, or by means of a bolt as shown in Fig. 10, for the purpose specified, and as
herein before described.
4-For mechanical clippers, a wheel constructed with ball shaped or spherical
teeth, and its companion wheel constructed with cups or pockets to engage with the
balls, substantially as described and with reference to Figs. 8 and 9 of the annexed
sheet of drawings.
Dated the 20th day of Onthou 1000
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Bank Buildings, George Street, Sheffield, Agent for Applicants.