An Apparatus for Facilitating the Shearing of Sheep, which may be adapted for Facilitating the Shearing and Dipping of the same.
Year: 1891

page_text: * Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 27th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Facilitating the Shearing of Sheep, which may be
adapted for Facilitating the Shearing and Dipping of the same.
1, WALTER COLE, of 290, High Holborn, in the County of London, Architect,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an apparatus designed for use in connection with the
shearing of sheep.
The apparatus comprises two raised platforms onto which the sheep are respec-
tively conducted and delivered; a revolvable table on which the sheep rests
whilst being sheared; a tramway placed above the said platforms and table and a
carrier adapted to run upon the said tramway for conveying the sheep to and
from the table and for holding them in position during the shearing operation.
The carrier is advantageously constructed of a rectangular frame from each
corner of which hangs a spring-suspender provided with a noose the four nooses
serving to receive the four legs of the animal. The suspenders are movable along
the ends of the frame to allow of the animal being turned into various positions.
whilst being sheared. Or I may effect this object by other suitable means such as
by making the table adjustable.
The part of the tramway which is immediately over the shearing table is adapted
to be lowered and raised to allow the animal to rest upon the table while being
sheared and to raise it when finished so that the carrier may convey it to the
delivery platform. The tramway forms a continuous line over both platforms to
the shearing table where it ends in a point or switch.
The carrier conveys the animal from the platform onto which it is first con-
ducted, to one end of the tramway over the shearing table and after the shearing
operation the carrier is switched onto the other end of the tramway and conveys
the animal to the delivery platform; the animal is then released and the carrier
is run along to the other platform where another animal is secured to it ready to
be taken to the shearing table and so on.
In some cases I place a dipping trough between the shearing table and the
delivery platform and form the tramway with a depression which will allow the
animal to be passed through the trough after the shearing operation.
Dated the 27th day of January 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Apparatus for Facilitating the Shearing of Sheep, which may be
adapted for Facilitating the Shearing and Dipping of the same.
1, WALTER COLE, of 290, High Holborn, in the County of London, Architect,
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 an apparatus designed for use in connection with the
shearing of sheep.
The apparatus comprises two raised platforms from and to which the sheep are
respectively conducted and delivered; a revolvable table on which the sheep rests
whilst being sheared; and a carrier adapted to swing upon a pivot or run upon

page_text: a tramway for conveying the sheep to and from the table and for holding them in
position during the shearing operation.
The carrier advantageously comprises a rectangular frame from each corner of
which hangs a spring-suspender provided with a noose, the four nooses serving to
receive the four legs of the animal. The suspenders are movable along the ends of
the frame to allow of the animal being turned into various positions whilst being
sheared. Or I may effect this object by other suitable means such as by making
the table adjustable.
The carrier, when over the shearing table, is adapted to be lowered to allow
the animal to rest upon the table while being sheared and raised, when finished,
so that the carrier may convey it to the delivery platform.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed according to my
invention for facilitating the shearing of sheep:
Figure 2 is a plan of the same partly in section on the line 2, 2 of Figure 1:
Figures 3 and 4 are elevations at right angles to one another of one of the
spring-suspenders drawn to an enlarged scale.
Similar reference letters indicate similar parts throughout the drawings.
a and are the two raised platforms, from one of which each sheep is carried.
to be sheared while the other serves to receive the sheep after the shearing
operation.
is the revolvable table on which the sheep rests while being sheared and
which advantageously consists of a disc d adapted to revolve on friction-rollers d', d'
on the top of a frame d², the said disc being provided with a central shaft e
turning in a bush f.
ولا
g is the carrier which is advantageously constructed, as shewn, so as to be adapted
to swing pivot-wise upon a post g and is the rectangular frame thereof, the
said frame being constructed so as to be capable of revolving upon a pivot pin i
through the medium of which it can be raised and lower by a lever i fulcrummed
to the carrier. The rod or handle by which the lever is actuated is provided
with a collar which, when located beneath a forked extension on the carrier
supports the carrier in its raised position, the carrier being supported in its lowered
position by a collar on the pivot pin resting upon the top of the bush ³,
through which the pin slides. In the drawings two carriers are shewn but I
may employ only one. kare the spring-suspenders, each of which advantageously
comprises a coil spring which is prevented from being over-extended by a cord *
and to which is attache. a noose ², the said spring being supported on the
frame by a hook provided with a wheel so that it can be easily moved from
one side to the other of the frame h. The suspenders are normally held at the
four corners of each frame by pivotted hooks / which engage with the side bars
of the frames h, each noose serving to receive and hold one leg of the animal to
be sheared.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows, that is to say, the sheep to be
sheared is driven onto the platform a and one of the carriers is moved into
position over the sheep with its frame lowered; the sheep is then turned over
upon its back by the attendant, either alone or assisted by the means described in
the Specification of my application for Letters Patent dated November 18 1891
No. 20054, and the nooses k² on the said frame passed onto its legs, the two
nooses at one end of the frame being attached to the fore legs whilst those at the
other end are attached to the hind legs. The frame is then raised by its handle j
to lift the sheep off the platform and swung round into position above the table
and again lowered to allow the sheep to rest upon the table on its back, as shewn
clearly in Figure 1. The shearer can now effect the shearing of the sheep, the
revolvability of the table c and the frame h allowing it to be done expeditiously.
The greater part of the back of the sheep which is in contact with the table can
be exposed to the shearer by releasing the hooks engaging with one side of the

page_text: frane and moving the suspenders to which they are connected over to the other
side of the said frame, as shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 1. To expose the
other part of the back, the said suspenders must be returned to their former
position and the other two suspenders disengaged from their side of the frame and
moved over to the opposite side. After the shearing operation the frame his
again raised and swung round into position above the platform where the sheep
is released.
By employing two carriers, as shewn, it will be obvious that while one sheep is
being sheared another can be prepared ready for shearing and thereby save the
time of the shearer.
By my invention it will be seen that sheep can be sheared more expeditiously
than heretofore on account of their being held in position as described, instead of
being held by the shearer thereby giving him greater freedom to effect the.
shearing.
It will be obvious that a dipping trough can, if required, be placed between the
shearing table c and the delivery platform, through which trough the sheep can
be passed after the shearing operation by simply lowering the frame / from which
it is suspended, and the frame being then again raised and the sheep passed by
the carrier to the delivery platform.
It will also be obvious that the herein before described platforms and table could
be dispensed with and the sheep thrown, slung and sheared on the floor.
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 apparatus for facilitating the shearing of sheep, the herein described
means for holding the sheep in an inverted position, substantially as, and for the
purpose, set forth.
2. In apparatus for facilitating the shearing of sheep, the combination of the
herein described frame and suspenders for holding the sheep in an inverted
position with a revolvable table for sustaining the said sheep during the shearing
operation, the said frame being adapted to revolve with the table, substantially
as described.
3. In apparatus for facilitating the shearing of sheep, the combination with
raised platforins, of a carrier (or carriers) and a revolvable table, the carrier being
adapted to swing upon a pivot and having a frame capable of revolving upon a
pivot and of being raised and lowered and provided with two pairs of spring-
suspenders for holding the sheep in an inverted position, each pair being adapted
to be moved towards the other, all substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The apparatus for facilitating the shearing of sheep herein before described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in combination, or not, with a dipping
trough.
Lach day of November 1801
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.