IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING THE HUMAN HAIR, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR SHEARING HORSES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Maynard, of Whittlesford, in the County of
Cambridge, 'for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
CUTTING THE HUMAN HAIR, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE FOR SHEARING
HORSES."
Sealed the 25th July 1865, and dated the 6th April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Maynard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
April 1865.
I, ROBERT MAYNARD, of Whittlesford, in the County of Cambridge, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR CUTTING THE HUMAN HAIR, THE SAMÉ BEING APPLICABLE FOR
SHEARING HORSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in using for the purpose of cutting the human hair a
revolving knife or a number of knives mounted on a drum and acting against
a fixed knife, the same being held to the part of the hair to be operated upon,
the revolving knife or knives coming in contact with the fixed knife cut the
bair to the length required; also in using with the same a moveable comb
which holds the hair in a suitable position for the knives to act upon it. I
also use the same machine for shearing horses.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 represents an end view, and Fig. 2
a side view of the apparatus I employ. The same letters denoting the same
parts in each Figure.
A is the fixed knife to which is made fast the frames B, B, supporting the
spindle C. To the spindle C is made fast the drum D and the pulley E.

page_text: The spindle C is continued through the handle F within which it revolves.
The drum D carries the spiral knives I, I, I, I, which, as it revolves, come in
contact with the fixed knife A, and cut the hair which is presented between
them. The drum is caused to revolve by an elastic strap leading from any
motive power to the pulley E. His a comb which may be brought by the
lever L to the position shewn by the dotted lines or to any desirable inter-
.mediate distance from the fixed knife. The machine is held by the operator,
and the comb being passed through the hair, holds it in a suitable position for
the knives to cut it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Maynard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th September 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
MAYNARD, of Whittlesford, in the County of Cambridge, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Maynard, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Maynard, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Maynard, 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 MACHINERY
POR CUTTING THE HUMAN HAIR, THE SAME BEING APPLICABLE POR SHEARING
HORSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert
Maynard, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their bands 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 Robert Maynard, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-

page_text: My Invention consists, first, in using for the purpose of cutting the human
hair or for shearing horses a revolving knife or a number of knives mounted
on a drum and acting against a fixed knife, the same being held to the part of
the hair to be operated upon, the revolving knife or knives coming in contact
with the fixed knife cut the hair to the length required. Second, in using
with the same a comb which holds the hair in a suitable position for the
knives to act upon it.
The nature of my Invention will be more readily understood by reference
to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, Fig. 1st, representing a side view,
and Fig. 2nd, an end view of the apparatus I employ.
A is the fixed knife, to which is made fast the frame B, B, supporting the
spindle C. To the spindle is made fast the drum D and the pulley E. The
spindle is continued through the handle F, within which it revolves. The
drum D carries one or more spiral knives I, I, I, I, which, as it revolves,
come in contact with the fixed knife and cut the hair which is presented
between them. The drum is caused to revolve by an elastic strap leading
from any motive power to the pulley. H is a comb which may be brought
by the lever L to the position shewn by the dotted lines or to any desirable
intermediate distance from the fixed knife. The machine is held by the
operator, and the comb being passed through the hair holds it in a suitable
position for the knives to cut it; or instead of using a movable comb as
described I attach to the fixed knife A a number of teeth forming a comb, as
shewn in Fig. 3, A being the knife, and T, T, the teeth; or I attach a comb
in any convenient way for holding the hair while the knives are cutting it.
Although I have thus described an arrangement of parts which I find con-
venient in present practice, yet I do not confine myself precisely to this
arrangement, as probably a more suitable one may be found hereafter; I
declare that I claim as novel and original, the use of a revolving knife or
knives acting against a fixed knife as described for the purpose of cutting the
human hair or shearing horses.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Maynard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
ROBERT (L.s.) MAYNARD.