IMPROVEMENTS IN GARDEN SHEARS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles George Clarke, the younger, of Owthorn,
near Hull, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GARDEN SHEARS."
Sealed the 17th April 1863, and dated the 21st October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles George Clarke
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1862.
I, CHARLES GEORGE CLARKE, the younger, of Owthorn, near Hull, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GARDEN SHEARS," to be as follows:-
The object of the improvements is to collect the cuttings produced in
trimming the edging of lawns or grass borders with garden shears. For this
purpose I apply to the lower blade of the shears a receiver, of metal or other
suitable material, and of form inclining outwards and upwards, so that whilst
it is capable of collecting the cuttings produced by the use of the shears, it
may not interfere with their proper action. By which cleanliness with
economy of labour will be effected.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles George Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
GEORGE CLARKE, the younger, of Owthorn, near Hull, in the County of York,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles George Clarke, Her special licence that I, the
said Charles George Clarke, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Charles George Clarke, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GARDEN SHEARS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles George Clarke, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was 'to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles George Clarke, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner. the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of the improvements is to collect the cuttings produced in
trimming the edging of lawns or grass borders with garden shears. For this
purpose I apply to the lower blade of the shears a receiver, of. metal or other
suitable material, and of form inclining outwards and upwards, so that whilst
it is capable of collecting the cuttings produced by the. use of the shears, it
may not interfere with their proper action. By which cleanliness with
economy of labour will be effected.
But that the nature of the Invention, and the method I adopt in carrying

page_text: Figure 1 shews a side or somewhat perspective view, Figure 2 a plan view,
and Figure 3 a section of a pair of ordinary garden shears with my improve-
ments applied to them. In each of the views the same letters are employed
to indicate corresponding parts.
a, a, are portions of the handles; b is the axis of the blades; and c, d, are
the cutting blades of the shears, c being the upper blade, and d the lower
blade, all which is well understood; e is a trough, which, according to my
improvements is applied to the lower blade d, so as that when the shears are
being used for cutting grass edgings, the portions or ends of grass, in place of
falling on the adjoining gravel walk or bed, as the case may be, will be caught
into the receiver e, and when that is full it may be emptied into any other
suitable receiver, by which increased tidiness will be obtained, and time and
labour saved.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and means
which I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood
that I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement of parts shown, as
they may be varied; but what I claim is, the application of a receiver to the
lower blade of garden shears to receive the cuttings produced by the use of
such shears.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles George Clarke, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
CHARLES GEORGE CLARKE. (L.S.)