A New or Improved Method of and Apparatus for Actuating Machine Sheep Shears and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Method of and Apparatus for Actuating
Machine Sheep Shears and the like.
We, EDWIN ATKINSON WHITEHEAD of Broken Hill, in the Colony of New
South Wales, Engineer, and WILLIAM PETER MACGREGOR of No. 454 Collins
Street, Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates particularly to machine sheep shears and is devised to
provide a simple method of and apparatus for actuating the cutting mechanism of
such machines. The invention is also applicable to other cutting and clipping
machines of a similar class.
The employment of our apparatus obviates the use of rigid and flexible driving
shafts and the necessary motive power required to overcome the friction of same,
whilst the number of parts constituting the apparatus are few and simple.
The invention consists essentially in the employment of a small motor or turbine
which is attached to or forms part of the shearing machine, the connection being
made in such a manner that a rotation of the motor will give the necessary
reciprocal motion to the cutter teeth of the machine or a rotary motion to the
machine spindle to actuate its cutting mechanism, or the motor may otherwise
actuate the cutting mechanism either directly or indirectly by a cam grooved rim
or disc upon same.
The motor is preferably driven by hydraulic power, and has its inlet pipe con-
nected by a flexible inlet tube to the source of water pneumatic or gaseous pressure
supply and may have its outlet or exhaust tube attached or secured to the inlet
flexible tube and led back alongside same to the supply so that (in case of water
having been employed and having performed its work in rotating the motor) it
may be returned and again energised for the same purpose.
By the employment of our apparatus more freedom is obtained in operating the
machine than in the present system whilst by lengthening or shortening the supply
and exhaust tubing the machine can be arranged to work in varying portions of
the shearing shed and not limited as is now the case to the predetermined length
of the flexible shafting.
The motor we prefer to employ consists of a casing to which an inlet pipe is
connected, said pipe projects and is arranged to take the end of a tubing of approved
material which conducts the high pressure water or other motive force as above
from a central accumulator or supply vessel. A pipe shaft is set within the casing
on suitable gland bearings, said pipe shaft being in communication with the inlet
pipe and terminates in curved webbed branches or blades (preferably three in
number) set at right angles to the pipe shaft. These curved tubular branches are
preferably of greatest diameter at their junction with the pipe shaft and taper
towards their ends which are of smallest diameter. The webbed construction con-
sisting of the pipe shaft and its blades (which form the rotating portion of the
motor) is provided at its closed back with a projecting threaded bush, pipe flange
or similar mechanism to form a connection with the spindle of the machine or other
mechanism for driving the cutters.
The motor casing is enlarged so as to enclose the rotating webbed branches of
the pipe shaft and preferably at the bottom of this portion a lead away duct is
provided and a pipe is set, said pipe being arranged to form an adjustable connection
with a flexible tube for leading away the discharge water. The casing is preferably

page_text: extended and this extended portion may cover a part of the shearing machine and
be arranged to form a handle for the operator to grasp. The connection of the
motor and machine is made watertight by a back gland or analogous device. In
some cases the motor may be so constructed as to actuate machines either with or
without rotating spindles for instance the motor may have connected to it a cam
grooved rim the rotation of which will actuate one end of a lever gearing in the
cam groove such lever being centred and having at its opposite end the cutter
teeth.
The modus operandi of one form of the invention may be described as follows-
Water at the required pressure practically speaking about 100 lbs. to the square
inch but may be more or less as required, enters by the inlet pipe passes along the
pipe shaft where it strikes the web construction and passes along the curved tapering
pipe shaft branches causing the said construction to rotate and thus giving motion
to the machine spindle or other mechanism connected with the motor and thus
operates the cutters.
Dated this 21st day of January 1895.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
70 & 71, Palace Chambers, Bridge Street, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicants.
A New or Improved Method of and Apparatus for Actuating
Machine Sheep Shears and the like.
We,
EDWIN ATKINSON WHITEHEAD of Broken Hill, in the Colony of New
South Wales, Engineer, and WILLIAM PETER MACGREGOR of No. 454 Collins
Street, Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Gentleman, 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 has been devised to provide a simple method of and apparatus for
actuating the cutting mechanism of machine sheep shears and the like and at the
same time is applicable to other similar machines for cutting or clipping hair or
analogous work. Owing to the peculiarity of our apparatus its employment obviates
the use of the present rigid and flexible driving shafts and the motive required to
overcome the friction of same whilst the number of wearing parts in our
apparatus are few, their construction staunch and inexpensive.
In order that our invention may be the better understood reference may be made
to the accompanying drawings in which-
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of a machine sheep shear embodying
our method and apparatus for driving same.
Figure 2 is a cross section of our apparatus taken at line - on Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation in section and
Figure 4 a sectional plan view embodying an alternative arrangement and some
additional parts to those contained in Figures 1 and 2.
"
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In these drawings (see Fig. 1) "A is a hydraulic motor or turbine acting as
a re-action wheel which is attached to or may form part of the spindle "B of the
shearing machine a connection being made in the manner shewn, that is to say,
a rotation of the motor "A" will give the necessary synchronous revolution to the
spindle "B" and thence by the crank or cam action "C" to the cutter teeth "D"
of the machine but we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves
to any rigid adherence to the revolution of a shaft as "B" as we may vary the
application of our driving mechanism to suit varying forms of construction of the
different patterns of sheep shears to be actuated, and we shall hereinafter describe
an alternative way in which same may be carried out. "E" is the tubular pipe

page_text: shaft of the reaction wheel "A" and through the passage "F of which the
pressure fluid, such as water, flows so as to operate the said reaction wheel "A."
This latter is preferably driven by hydraulic power and has its inlet pipe "E"
connected through an intermediate screw gland "G" with a union "G" and
flexible inlet tube "H" leading from the source of water pneumatic or gaseous
pressure supply.
"I" is an outlet passage terminating in a union "J" and connected therewith to a
flexible exhaust tube "K," the latter being so arranged as to lead back all exhaust
water (or the like pressure fluid) to its source of supply in the first instance,
presumably a water pump and accumulator, so that if water has been employed in
the motor or reaction wheel "A" and has performed its work in rotating the said
motor it returns or circulates back to be again energised for the same purpose.
The flexible tube "H," preferably receives its supply from a pressure main
arranged throughout the shearing shed and from which said main a number of such
tubes as "H" may be fed simultaneously. In like manner the exhaust pipe "K'
may also join a general return main.
""
"L" (Figs. 1 and 2) is the casing in which the reaction wheel or notor "A" is
set and is preferably an extension of the outer shell or casing of the sheep shear
machine. "L" illustrates a bearing surface carefully constructed so as to receive
the pipe shaft "E" and allow it to revolve in same. "L" is a box for packing
to prevent the pressure water from the inlet " H" from finding its way through the
bearing L'" into the chamber formed by the casing "L or out through the
screw threads of the intermediate connection "G."
"L3" are ribs or baffle plates of metal, their function being to prevent the
water from the branches "M" revolving with the re-action wheel "A" and so
counteracting the pressure.
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"
"
"B" is a connecting screw bolt formed upon "B for the purpose of associating
the latter with the cylindrical butt piece "A" of the motor "A" and in lieu of
such bolt being screwed into a holding a dowel or other suitable analogous
fastening may be employed.
It will be noticed that at the line - the casing "L" is in two parts and
connected together by a screw thread joint but in some cases flanges may be sub-
stituted in lieu of the screw thread.
With reference to Figure 2 the re-action wheel is composed of three curved
webbed branches or blades "M" having tubular passages "M" and webs "M2"
and their revolution being concentric with the pipe shaft "E." These curved
tubular branches "M" are preferably of greatest diameter at their junction with
the pipe shaft "E" and tapered towards their ends "M3" which are of the
smallest diameter. "Y" is a bushed bearing for the spindle "B" of the sheep
shears and also forms a junction for the casings of the machine and motor. Its
flanged face "Y" is neatly turned to receive the revolutionary thrust of the butt
piece "A" of the motor "A and at the same time to prevent leakage of fluid
from the chamber "L" to the journal surfaces of spindle "B" or into the body of
the sheep shears. If preferred any simple gland may be employed to fulfil this
latter function but in practice we prefer the construction illustrated.
Figures 3 and 4 shew an alternative arrangement of motor and the manner in
which same is set to suit a machine sheep shear of different pattern to that shewn
in Figure and in which it will be noticed that the motor "A" is set to rotate
in an axis parallel with the axis "N" of the oscillating arm "O." In this case
the arm "O" is connected at its head with link piece P." This latter may if
preferred terminate in the manner shewn by dotted lines "P 1," but in each case
the object of "P" is to form knocker plates or horns to receive the oscillatory
motion from the eccentric "Q" revolving on and with the pipe shaft "E" of the
motor "A."
"R" (Fig. 3) is a gullet or pressure expanding ring to prevent leakage from
the pressure inlet "H" finding its way through the bearing at "R¹" into the
chamber "S" in which the motor "A 23 revolves.

page_text: "T" is a hat shaped piece of leather or analogous material so constructed that
it will tighten with the action of the water pressing upon it in the chamber "S,"
its object being to prevent the leakage of water through the slotted aperture
at "U."
In the alternative arrangement shewn on Figs. 3 and 4 the weight
of "A" and its parts would be supported at the hearing "V" or the bottom of
spindle at W."
The modus operandi of our invention may be described as follows-
Water at the required pressure (practically speaking about 100 lbs. to the
square inch) enters by the inlet pipe "H" (see Fig. 1) passes through the pipe
shaft at "F" and along through the curved branches "M" (Figs. 1 and 2)
causing the whole of such construction to rotate and thus giving motion to the
spindle "B" which in its turn operates a cam and knocker plate at "C" and thus
horizontally oscillates the cutters "D" placed on the end of an arm centred at "D¹."
'The arms or blades "L" prevent the water revolving with the reaction
wheel "A" and so counteracting the pressure. The water having thus expended
its motive force in the rotation of "A" and having found its way out at the
openings "M3" into the chamber "L" escapes thence by the outlet passage "I"
into and away by the flexible exhaust tube "K" to its source of supply in the
first instance, presumably a hydraulic pump and accumulator, there to be re-
energised and circulate again as aforesaid. Where the water is not considered of
sufficient value to re-use, the tube "K" may exhaust its contents into any
convenient waste channel.
We would have it distinctly understood that we do not confine ourselves
arbitrarily to the exact construction of motor illustrated, as we may substitute
in lieu thereof another class of fluid pressure motor such as a Pelton wheel, Jouval
turbine or similar motor nor do we confine ourselves to any particular material or
metals for constructing our apparatus.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is-
1. In methods of actuating machine sheep shears and the like-Actuating a
machine sheep shear by a fluid pressure motor arranged in or attached to the
casing of the said machine shears substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In apparatus for actuating machine sheep shears and the like-The com-
bination of a fluid motor as "A" with a machine sheep shears substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
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3. In apparatus for actuating machine sheep shears and the like-A motor
.as A" provided with curved branches as "M" hollow pipe shaft as
"E" to
which is connected a fluid inlet tube as "H," a casing as "L" with plates as
"L3"
and exhaust passage as "I" substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. In apparatus for actuating machine sheep shears and the like-The com-
bination of a fluid pressure motor as
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"A" with a cam or eccentric as Q
mounted upon its shaft, such cam or eccentric being arranged to engage with horns
or link as P" substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
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5. In apparatus for actuating machine sheep shears and the like-A cap of
leather or analogous material as "T" for preventing leakage from a fluid pressure
motor casing substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. In apparatus for actuating machine sheep shears and the like-A gullet
piece as "R" substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 30th day of September 1895.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W., Agent for Applicants.