Improvements in Appliances for Shearing or Clipping Animals and for Cutting Hair.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 11th June, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 12th July, 1887.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Appliances for Shearing or Clipping Animals and
for Cutting Hair.
We, WILLIAM BELL of Murrurundi in the Colony of New South Wales, Engineer,
JOHN WILLIAM BROOMHEAD and WALTER AUGUSTUS JONES both of Sydney in the
said Colony of New South Wales, Mathematical Instrument Makers and JOHN LIONEL
SUCKLING of Barsham near Blandford in the Colony aforesaid Grazier, 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 relates to appliances for shearing or clipping animals and for cutting
hair in which a fingered knife bar or cutting plate is reciprocated in contact with a
comb plate or finger bar in order to clip or shear the wool or hair and it has been
specially devised in order to minimise the power required to be expended by the
operator in working and guiding such appliances. By it power is provided to impart
the reciprocating motion to the knife bar or cutting plate and thus leaving nothing
for the operator to do but to guide the implement which guiding is in no way or in
very little way interfered with by the construction of the machine.
Our implements or appliances for shearing or clipping animals and for cutting hair
consists essentially in actuating or operating the clipping or shearing mechanisms by
air or other convenient fluid pressure supplied (through flexible or elastic piping) to
an engine forming portion of the whole appliance and secondly in the several novel
constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly set forth.
Our improved shears or clippers consists essentially first of a cylinder and valves
for regulating the movement of a piston in such cylinder secondly of the finger and
knife bars and thirdly of connections between the piston and the knife bar. The
cylinder we prefer to use consists of closed ends and an open centre and the piston
has an open central space across which open central space we provide a pin or
thimble. The valves may be of any suitable construction to alternately supply and
exhaust the fluid pressure to and from either end of the cylinder but we prefer to use
such forms of valves as will be hereinafter particularly described. From the valve
chest or cylinder body a hollow handle extends backwardly to which handle a
flexible pipe from an air compressor or other reservoir of pressure is attached. A

page_text: .
flange or frame plate extends forwardly to the underside of which the comb or finger
bar is secured and the upper side of which carries a bridge or inverted U-piece.
Through or under this bridge the connecting lever between the piston and the cutter
or knife bar is passed and it is pivotted or fulcrumed by a screw through said bridge
taking into a, bored centre the adjustable amount of pressure given by such screw
on the centre regulating the friction between the knife and finger bars. The con-
necting lever is forked at one end and bifurcated at the other the fork taking around
the pin or thimble across the centre of the piston and each of the other ends pressing
upon and into the knife bar or cutting plate. We provide friction bearings or rollers
between the lever and other parts of the appliance.
But in order that our invention may be clearly understood reference will now be
made to the accompanying drawings showing various constructions of appliances for
shearing or clipping animals and for cutting hair according to our improvements.
Figures 1 and 2 are plan and side view respectively of a sheep shearing machine
with its dust cover removed. Figure 3 and 4 are plan and front view of the comb or
finger bar. Figure 5 is plan and edge view of the cutter or knife bar. Figure 6 is a
plan of the connecting lever. Figure 7 is a partial section through the centre of the
cylinder showing also side view of the connecting lever in position. Figure 8 is a
front view of the friction roller. In these Figures the details are shown about full
size while Figures 1 and 2 are about half size. Figure 9 is a section of a cylinder
and four flanged valve and Figure 10 is a cross section of same on line yy in
Figure 9. Figures 11 and 12 show central sections of cylinders with three flanged
valves and four flanged valves respectively. Figure 13 is a similar view of a cylinder
with a D-valve. Figures 14 and 15 are plan and front view of the hinged dust cover
for the mechanism. Figure 16 is a central section of a modified form of clipping or
shearing appliance according to our invention. Figure 17 is a plan partly in section
of the same. Figure 18 is a back view and Figure 19 is a section on line in
Figures 16 and 17. Figure 20 shows details of connecting lever. Figure 21 details
of valve. Figure 22 details of cutter or knife bar. Figure 23 details of connecting
bridge and Figure 24 details of comb plate or finger bar.
Referring to Figures 1 to 8 A is the cylinder B the valve chest C the hollow
handle D the bridge E the connecting lever F the cutter or knife bar G the comb or
finger bar A' A' are cylinder covers A2 piston A³ central cross pin A' thimble A³
front flange or frame plate B₁ B' are valve chest covers C₁ supply pipe 02 screwed
end D is screwed centre pin D2 milled head D³ spring pawl E is fork. E bearing
piece having flanges E³. E is friction roller E radius rod Ee fixed centre E' are
bifurcated ends Es pintles F are teeth F' pin-holes G¹ are fastening screws. To the
screwed end C is attached a flexible pipe from the reservoir of motive power and
preferably with a universal joint as an intermediary.
In operation the motive power, preferably compressed air is supplied to the valve
chest' B through handle C and the valve (as hereinafter described) causes the piston
to reciprocate from end to end of the cylinder. The fork E' taking around thimble A*
is thus moved to and fro around central screw D' and gives a reciprocating motion to
the ends' E' which having their pintles Es in pin holes F2 move the cutter or knife
bar F to and fro over the comb plate or finger bar G giving a cutting or shearing
motion to the teeth F' against the teeth or fingers of said plate G. The lever E
has its bearings at the front end by the cutter F on the plate G and at the back
by the bearing piecé E upon the roller E over frame A. This roller E' moves
around centre E to minimise friction. The stiffness of movement or friction of the
lever E is regulated by turning milled head D2 the spring pawl D³ retaining the
head D' and the centre D¹ in the position desired. The cutter F may be released for
sharpening by unscrewing the centre pin D' until pintles Es are clear of their
holes F. The cutter having the reciprocating motion above the comb as described
the operator grasps the handle C and guides the appliance over the animal and the
wool or hair entering between the teeth of both cutter and comb is cut or sheared off. -
Referring to Figures 9 and 10 A is the cylinder B the valve chest or cylinder
the socket for the-hollow handle 'A' is the opening for the 'movement of the
and

page_text: ر
connecting lever a is pin or thimble across the open space of the piston and a¹ and a²
are piston ends B' is valve stem bare valve pistons c is main supply entrance 'c¹
and are supply and exhaust ports of cylinder and c and c are supply ports (shewn
by dotted lines) from cylinder to valve and care exhaust ports (through valve
cylinder). It is preferred that packing rings be fitted in the main and valve pistons
and also that elastic packing or buffers be fixed in the ends of the main cylinder.
Starting with the pistons in the positions shewn in the figures the mode of
operation is as follows:-Compressed air is entering through opening c valve chest B
and port c¹ into the cylinder behind piston end at and the contents of the other end
of cylinder are exhausting through port c² valve chest B and port e into the
atmosphere. As shown the piston has just upon completed one stroke and has opened
port allowing the compressed air which has entered the cylinder to pass into the
valve chest just behind piston at this moment the valve being moved by the
pressure behind piston to the other end of the valve chamber opens the cylinder
behind piston a through port valve chest B and port to the atmosphere
and also supplies power to the cylinder behind piston a² by opening port allowing
the compressed air to enter across the valve chest and move the piston a¹ a² to the
other end of the cylinder when passage will allow the power to again reverse the
valve (to that position shown on the drawing) and supply the power to again move
the main piston a¹ a². Similar reciprocating movements will take place until the
supply of power is discontinued and this movement is transmitted to the cutter or
knife bar of the shears preferably by means of the forked lever herein before described
the fork of which takes around pin or thimble a.
Referring to Figure 11 A is the cylinder B the valve chest or cylinder and C the
socket for the hollow handle A is the opening for the movement of the connecting
lever-a is the pin or thimble across the open space of the piston-a' and a³ are
piston ends bis valve stem- and are valve pistons is main supply
entrance-e and care supply and exhaust ports to main cylinder c³ and are supply
ports (shown by dotted lines) from cylinder to valve- and c are exhaust ports
(through valve cylinder).
The operation will be easily understood for it will be seen that the main piston
alternately opens ports c³ and c to reverse the position of the valve and by this means
allows valve piston to alternately close and open port c¹ and close and open port c
allows valve piston 3 to render the same service for ports e² and c; and causes valve
piston to alternately open ports c' and c² to the supply call in proper order and as
required to produce a reciprocating motion of the main piston a¹ a².
Referring to Figures 12 and 13-These modifications have cylinders with almost
similar movements to the cylinder described and illustrated in reference to Figures 9
and 10 and similar letters of reference to those in that figure denote in Figures 12
and 13 parts having similar or like uses or purposes. The arrangement shown in
Figure 12 differs from that shewn in Figure 9 in that the valve supply ports 3 and c
are crossed, the supply opening c is bifurcated, and the exhaust is through one
passage through the cylinder to the front of the machine. The arrangement shewn
in Figure 13 differs slightly from that in Figure 12 in that the valve instead of having
four pistons has the two central pistons converted into a D-valve and thus does away
with the necessity of dividing the supply opening c.
The operation of these two arrangements in order to produce a reciprocating
motion of the piston may be easily followed as the valves are designed to be reversed
by the main piston at the end of its stroke opening a supply port to the valve chamber
and this reversal governs the admission and exhaust of the main cylinder.
Referring to Figures 14 and 15 A is the cylinder E the connecting lever and H is
the dust cover A' is flange or frame plate A is catch piece H' is hinge H2 is a front
slot or recess. This cover may be retained in position by a suitable catch say a spring
clip and knob as well understood and which is represented by H³.
The cover H is for the purpose of keeping the dust from the working mechanism
as is easily seen and it may be quickly thrown back upon its hinges H¹ for the purpose
of inspecting or oiling such mechanism.

page_text: Referring to Figures 16 to 24. The modification herein shewn is one in which the
valve used is a tappet D-valve actuated directly by the piston and is one in which the
cutting or shearing mechanism has what may be termed a mowing-machine motion
that is the cutter has a straight and not a circular reciprocation on top of the comb
plate; but it is to be understood that the cylinder and valves shewn might be used
with the hereinbefore described shearing mechanism and that the shearing mechanism
illustrated in Figures 16 to 24 might be used in combination with any other cylinder
and valves which would give the cutter a reciprocating motion. A is the cylinder B
the valve chest C the hollow handle D a centre pin the connecting lever F the
cutter or knife bar G the comb or finger bar A'A' are cylinder covers A2 piston A³
central cross pin A' thimble A front flange or frame plate A' guide pins B' is valve
chest cover B outside flanges B³ fastening screws C₁ supply pipe D¹ is screwed
cap D³ spring pawl E' is fork E' bearing groove E³ friction rollers E friction ball
or roller E ball socket Es centre bearing E' outer fork F¹ are teeth F2 pin holes
Fa bridge F is centre pin F pintles and guide pins G₁ are fastening screws G² screw
holes G³ are guide slots for pins F6 H is dust cover. The supply pipe C¹ through the
hollow handle has attached to it a flexible pipe from the reservoir of motive power A°
is the opening for the movement of the connecting lever a is tappet hole in piston a¹
and a are piston ends is tappet stem b¹² a D-valve a back spring is main
supply entrance c¹ and c² are supply and exhaust ports of ends of cylinders c³ is exhaust
port to front of the machine.
In operation power is supplied through pipe c' and it will be easily seen that as the
piston a' a² is moving to one end of the cylinder it reverses the position of the valve
by means of tappet hole a and stem and opens the exhaust from that end of the
cylinder and the supply of the other end so that the piston takes an opposite move-
ment and so on. By this reciprocating movement stem A3 and thimble A moves the
end E back and forth upon centre D causing the fork E' to have a reciprocating
motion radially upon such centre pin. This motion is conveyed to bridge F³ by
pin F working inside the fork and is taken by such bridge in a straight line-the
pins F working in the straight guide slots G³ and at the same time fitting in holes F
give this motion to the cutter F namely the teeth F' above and in contact with the
comb plate G. The rollers E³ in groove E2 and the ball E are for the purpose of
minimising friction the amount of which may be regulated by screw cap D. The
operator having seen that his shearing mechanism is working satisfactorily inserts
the implement into the hair or wool and guides it over the skin of the animal when the
hair or fleece is shorn very easily and quickly and without damage to itself or to the
animal.
It is to be understood that we do not confine oursrlves to the precise details nor to
the precise combinations of parts herein set forth nor to the sizes or materials to or of
which any of the several parts of the same may be constructed so long as the nature
of our invention be retained.
But having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim as improvements in appliances for shearing or clipping animals and. for
cutting hair is
First. Operating or actuating the clipping or shearing mechanism by a
reciprocating power engine combined with said mechanism substantially as herein
described.
Second. The combination and arrangement with a reciprocating clipping or
shearing mechanism of an engine driven by compressed air or other fluid pressure
preferably supplied to it through a hollow handle and flexible or elastic piping
substantially as herein described.
Third. The combination and arrangement with clipping or shearing mechanism
and with cylinder and valves for giving reciprocating motion to a piston in said
cylinder of a connecting lever or bar between said piston and the cutter or knife bar
of said mechanisın substantially as herein described.

page_text: Fourth. The combination and arrangement with the shearing or clipping mechanism
of a piston having the cross pin A³ with or without thimble A and the lever E having
fork E substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in Figures 1
to 8 of the drawings.
Fifth. The combination and arrangement with connecting lever E of the centre
pin D and the friction bearing marked E' E' E' E' and E substantially as herein
described and explained and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 of the drawings.
Sixth. The combination and arrangement with a cylinder and valve chest of the
hollow handle substantially as herein described.
Seventh. The combination and arrangement with a cylinder having a central
opening for the working of a lever and with the piston having an open central space
and a cross pin of ports and valves to supply and exhaust compressed air or other
motive power alternately to and from either end of the cylinder substantially as herein
described.
Eighth. The combination and arrangement with a divided cylinder of the con-
struction of piston valves and ports substantially as herein described and as illustrated
in Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings.
Ninth. The combination and arrangement with a divided cylinder of the con-
struction of piston valves and ports substantially as herein described and as illustrated
respectively in Figures 11 and 12 of the drawings.
Tenth. The combination and arrangement with a divided cylinder of the con-
struction of D-valve and ports substantially as herein described and as illustrated in
Figure 13 of the drawing.
Eleventh. The combination and arrangement with a divided cylinder of the con-
struction of tappet valve and ports substantially as herein described and as illustrated
in Figures 16 to 24 of the drawing.
Twelfth. The combination and arrangement with the forked lever taking around
the piston cross pin of means for converting its radial motion into a straight motion
substantially as herein described.
Thirteenth. The combination and arrangement with the lever E and frame A' of
the centre and friction bearings substantially as herein described and as illustrated in
Figures 16 to 24.
Fourteenth. The combination and arrangement with the lever E having fork E7 of
the bridge F³ and parts marked F F F G substantially as herein described and as
illustrated in Figures 16 to 24.
Dated at Sydney in the Colony of New South Wales this Twenty eighth day of
April One thousand eight hundred and eighty seven.