IMPROVEMENTS IN NIPPERS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN NIPPERS."
- A communication from abroad by William Scott Millar, Thomas
Greenman Hall, and Albert Michelsberg, all of New York City,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd June 1867.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN NIPPERS," to be as follows:-
The main object of this Invention is to so arrange a pair of nippers that
the jaws when worn out can be easily replaced instead of rendering the
instrument useless as is the case with those now in use.
Another object is to obtain more power than usual by the compound lever
action of the movable jaw and parts.
In the Drawing, A. represents a pair of nippers which are composed of a
movable jaw B and a stationary. jaw C. The movable jaw is secured to the
outer end of a lever D, which has its fulcrum on a pivot a secured in two lugs
or ears e which rise from the sbank or handle F of the stationary jaw. The
inner end of this lever is acted on by a toe 6 formed at the end of the handle

page_text: E, which has its fulcrum on a pivot c in the lugs or ears d, which rise from the
handle F at some distance fro:n the lugs or ears e. A spring keeps the
inner end of the lever D in contact with the toe b, as shown in the Drawing,
and by these means the jaw B is thrown open. The stationary jaw C is fitted
into a V-shaped or dovetailed recess in the end of its handle F, and it is
retained in position by a screw g. By taking out this screw the jaw can be
readily removed for the purpose of sharpening, or when worn out it can be
easily replaced by another. The stationary jaw C reaches into a recess which
is provided in the upper edge of the lugs or ears e to which the lever Dis
pivotted, and is fastened by the screw g, as shown, while a screw h which also
fits through the handle F and the jaw C; as shown, prevents injury to the
cutting edges in case undue pressure should be applied to the handles, whereby
if the set screw should be omitted said cutting edges would be liable to be
forced too close together or caused to overlap each other and to get broken.
By the combination of the lever D, toe b, and handle F an immense power
can be brought to bear on jaw B, and the operation of cutting wire or other
articles is materially facilitated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS. IN NIPPERS," a communication to me from abroad by William Scott
Millar, Thomas Greenman Hall, and Albert Michelsberg, all of New York

page_text: City, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I
the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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 Alexander Melville Clark, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a pair of nippers the movable jaw of which is
secured to one end of a lever, the other end of which is acted upon by a toe
attached to the inner end of the appropriate handle in such a manner that a
great leverage is effected, and the operation of the nippers in cutting wire or
other articles is materially facilitated. The stationary jaw is secured to the
end of its handle by a dovetail and screw, so that the same can be readily.
taken off for the purpose of sharpening, or that it can be replaced when worn
out. A suitable set screw prevents the cutting edges of the two jaws from
overlapping or from being forced too close..
The main object of this Invention is to so arrange a pair of nippers that
the jaws when worn out can be easily replaced, and that in such a case the
whole instrument need not be thrown away, as has to be done with the ordinary
devices now in use.
Another object is to obtain more power than usually.
The annexed Drawing represents a perspective view of these improved
nippers.
A represents a pair of nippers which are composed of a movable jaw B and
a stationary jaw C. The movable jaw is secured to the outer end of a lever D,
which has its fulcrum on a pivot a secured in two lugs or ears e which rise
from the shank or handle F of the stationary jaw. The inner end of this lever
is acted on by a toe 6 formed at the end of the handle E, which has its fulcrum
on a pivot c in the lugs or ears d which rise from the handle F at some
distance from the lugs or ears e. A spring
D in contact with the toe b, as shown in the
jaw B is thrown open. The stationary jaw C is fitted into a V-shaped or
dovetailed recess in the end of its bandle F, and it is retained in position by a
screw g. By taking out this screw the jaw can be readily removed for the
keeps the inner end of the lever
Drawing, and by these means the

page_text: purpose of sharpening, or when worn out, it can be easily replaced by another.
The stationary jaw C reaches into a recess which is provided in the upper edge
of the lugs or ears e to which the lever D is pivoted, and is fastened by the
screw gas shown, while a screw h also fits through the handle F and the
jaw C as shown prevents injury to the cutting edges in case undue pressure
should be applied to the handles, whereby if the set screw should be omitted
said cutting edges would be liable to be forced too close together or caused to
overlap each other and to get broken. By the combination of the lever D,
toe 6, and handle F an immense power can be brought to bear on jaw B, and
the operation of cutting wire or other articles is materially facilitated.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the lever D, handles E and F, toe b, spring f, jaws B, C, and set
screw h, constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as and for the
purpose described,
Secondly, the manner herein shown and described of securing the stationary
jaw C...
I.'.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
A
M CLADIZ