Improvements in Clippers and Shears for Animals or Human Hair!
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clippers and Shears for Animals or Human Hair!
I WILLIAM CLARK, of 528 Oxford Street, W. in the County of Middlesex,
Horse Clipper Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to he
as follows:-
My invention relates to certain now and useful improvements in the construction
of the well-known form of clipping, or shearing instrument, wherein a movable
toothed plate is caused to traverse upon a stationary toothed plate.
The said improvements are more particularly applicable to those instruments,
wherein the movable plate is actuated by the hand of the operator, but certain
of the said improvements are also applicable to instruments driven by power
mechanism.
The main objects of the invention are to effect an improvement in the form
and action of the movable cutting teeth, in the springs used to give the return
stroke of such teeth, and in the devices employed in connection with the said
springs and teeth.
I make the teeth of the movable cutting plate of a lancet-like form in plan,
that is to say with two convex cutting edges, and I find that with teeth of this
shape, the cutting, action commences directly the plate is moved, and is distributed
over the whole stroke, ensuring ease and smoothness in operation, whereas with
the form of teeth ordinarily employed, there is a certain amount of lost motion
before the teeth begin to cut, while the actual cutting is confined to and con-
centrated more or less upon a portion of the stroke. The spaces between the
teeth on the lower, or stationary plate, may be narrow or wide, according to the
nature of the hair, or wool, upon which the instrument is designed to operate.
This form of tooth is applicable to clipping or shearing instruments, whether
operated by hand, or by driving mechanism.
".
The improved forms of springs, which I use for giving the return stroke of the
movable plate, only apply to instruments operated by hand, as in machine driven
instruments no springs are required, both strokes of the plate being given by
means of the mechanism, as will be well understood.
One of the said improved forms consists of a helical spring, one end of which is
attached to a lug, or projection formed upon, or affixed to the short end of the
moving lever handle, which operates the movable plate. The other end of the
spring is provided with a screwed stud passing through an aperture in a lug, or
projection formed upon, or affixed to the stationary handle, or other part to which
the stationary cutting plate is secured. This stud is provided with a nut, so that
the tension of the spring can be regulated as desired. To prevent the said stud
revolving when the nut is rotated, it may be square in section, or have a flat
formed on one side, the aperture through which it passes being of corresponding
form, or other suitable means may be employed for this purpose. When the
handles are brought together by the grasp of the hand of the operator, the spring
is stretched, and on the grasp being relaxed the reaction of the spring, moves the
handle out again, and so gives the return cutting stroke to the plate. A suitably
formed cover is provided completely enclosing the spring, inner end of the moving
lever, and the whole of the cutting plate, except the teeth. This cover is held
down by a nut on the screwed end of the stud forming the lever handle fulcrum,

page_text: and its front edge bears upon the moving plate, just behind the teeth, the requisite
pressure to keep the teeth in cut, being regulated by means of the said nut on the
fulcrum stud.
In place of the helical spring aforesaid, a spring consisting of a strip of steel,
bent into a semicircular, or curved shape may be employer. One end of this
spring is provided with an eye to fit over a pin on the lower fixed plate, or handle,
while the other end bears against the moving lever handle just behind the fulorum
stud; when the handles are brought together this spring is compressed, an'l by its
reaction gives the return stroke to the handle, which gives the back stroke to the
moving cutting plate.
A cover, as above described, may, if desired, be employed with this form of
Bpring.
In an instrument where a cover is not employed, I may make use of a pair of
spring fingers, somewhat similar to those shown and described in the Specifications
of my Letters Patent, No. 1228 of 1873, No. 3592 of 1876 and No. 4293 of 1888,
but instead of causing these fingers to bear at or about the centre of the plate, as
heretofore, I extend them in length, so that they bear upon the plate just behind
the teeth, and widen their extremities, so that the bearing surface extends all
along the plate. By employing the means above described, the pressure exerted
upon the plate may be reduced in amount as the said pressure is applied just where
required, thereby reducing friction and the power necessary to operate the
instrument.
In place of, or in addition to the helical or other spring above described, I may
employ a composite spring, applied to the outer ends of the handles. Such spring
consists of two or more narrow thin spring plates, riveted or otherwise affixed to
the said handles, so that they form a semicircular spring loop connecting the n
together.
On the inner side of the said loop, I apply one or more shorter spring plates, the
said plates being attached at one end by rivets, or otherwise to one handle, or to
the aforesaid outer plate, the other end being free and having a slot formed in it,
engaging with a più or stud in the outer plates, to allow for the longitudinal motion
which takes place when the spring is compressed by the approach of the handles to
each other.
Such form of spring is cheap, and simple in construction, and gives a smooth,
elastic and easy motion in operation.
Dated this 16th day of November 1895.
AMBROSE MYALL,
2 Lancaster Place, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Clippers and Shears for Animals, or Human Hair.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 528 Oxford Street, W., in the County of Middlesex,
Horse Clipper Manufacturer, 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 certain new and useful improvements in the construction
of the well-known form of clipping, or shearing instrument, wherein a movable
toothed plate is caused to traverse to and fro upon a stationary toothed plate.
The said improvements are more particularly applicable to those instruments
wherein the movable plate is actuated by the hand of the operator, but certain
of the said improvements are also applicable to instruments driven by power
mechanism.
The main objects of the invention are to effect an improvement in the form and

page_text: 800 in WHICH BIar letters of reference denote sumar parts throug
Fig. 1 is a plan of a pair of cutting plates, shewing the improved form of teeth
in the movable plate.
Fig. 2 is a plan,
Fig. 3 is a plan with cover removed, and
Fig. 4 is a sectional view through AA in Figs. 2 and 3 of a hair cutter, shewing
one form of my improved spring arrangement.
Fig. 5 is a plan of part of a similar hair cutter, shewing a modified form of
spring, and
Fig. 6. is a similar plan shewing a further modification in the spring.
Fig. 7 shews a slight modification of Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a plan, and
Fig. 9 is a sectional view through B B in Fig. 8 shewing an improved arrange-
ment of spring pressure fingers.
In Fig. 1, C is the movable, and D the stationary cutting plate. The teeth E
on the plate Care, as shewn, of a lancet-like form in plan, that is to say with two
convex cutting edges E' E', the edges of adjacent teeth meeting at the base.
I find that with teeth of this shape, the cutting action commences directly the
plate is moved and is distributed over the whole stroke, ensuring ease and
smoothness in operation, whereas with the form of teeth ordinarily employed, there
is a certain amount of lost motion before the teeth begin to cut, while the actual
cutting is confined to and concentrated more or less upon a portion of the stroke.
The teeth F, on the stationary plate D are of the ordinary shape, and the spaces
between them may be narrow or wide according to the nature of the hair, or.
wool upon which the instrument is designed to operate, but ordinarily, as shewn,
I make the teeth F on the plate D of finer pitch than the teeth E on the
plate C.
This form of tooth is applicable to clipping or shearing instruments, whether
operated by band, or by driving mechanism..
The improved forms of spring which I use for giving the return stroke of the
movable plate, only apply to instruments operated by hand, as in machine driven
instruments, no springs are required, both strokes of the plate being given by
means of the mechanism, as will be well understood.
In Figs. 2, 3 and 4, illustrating a hair cutter D is the stationary cutting plate,
riveted to the extension H of the handle J. C is the movable cutting plate,
having slots K, K, formed in it to engage with pins L, L, riveted in the
plate D to guide and limit its traverse. M is the moving lever handle working
on the fulcrum N, and having a pin P at its shorter end; engaging with a slot Q in
the plate C, to operate the said plate.
The improved arrangement, berein shewn, for giving the back stroke to the
plate consists of a helical spring R, one end of which is formed with an eye to
slip over a stud S on the short end of the lever M, the other end is connected
to a screwed stud T sliding through an aperture in the extension H. This stud.
is provided with a nut T', so that the tension of the spring can be regulated as
desired. To prevent the said stud revolving when the nut is rotated, it may be
square in section, or have a flat formed on one side, the aperture through which
it passes being of corresponding form, or other suitable means may be employed
for this purpose.
When the handle M is caused to approach the handle J, by the grasp of the
band of the operator, the spring R is stretched, and on the grasp being relaxed,
the reaction of the spring moves the handle M out again, and so, through the said
handle, gives the return cutting stroke to the plate.
A suitably formed cover V is provided, completely enclosing the spring R, inner

page_text: end of the moving lever M.and the whole of the cutting plate C, excepting the
teeth. This cover is held down by ainut W on the screwed end of the stud N,
forming the lever fulcrum, and its front edge V₁ bears upon the plate C just
behind the teeth, the requisite pressure to keep the said teeth in cut with the
plate D, being regulated by means of the said nut W.
In place of the helical spring aforesaid, the arrangement shewn in Fig. 5 may
be adopted. In this case a spring, consisting of a strip of steel R¹ bent into a
semicircular or curved shape, may be employed. One end of this spring is provided
or formed with an eyo to fit over a pin S on the short arm of the lever M, while
the other end is bent over and engages with a slot X in the aforesaid extension H.
When the handles are brought together this spring is compressed, and by its
reaction gives the return stroke.to, the handle, which gives the back stroke to the
plate C.
A cover V, as above described, is preferably employed with this form of
spring.
In place of, or in addition to the helical, or other spring above described,
I may employ a composite spring applied to the outer ends of the handles J, M as.
shewn in Fig. 6. Such spring consists of a narrow fat strip of steel Y riveted or
otherwise affixed to the ends of the said bandles, so that it forms a curved loop
connecting them together. Although only a single strip is shewn in the drawing,
two or more such strips may be combined, if desired..
On the inner side of the said loop, I apply one or more shorter spring strips.
In the drawing two such strips are shewn.
The first short strip Z, is riveted at one end a to the plate Y, while its free end
is provided with a slot b, engaging with a pin or stud c in the plate Y to allow for
the longitudinal or sliding motion which takes place between the strips when the
spring is compressed by the approach of the handles to each other.
The second and still shorter strip Z' is connected in a similar manner to the
strip Z.
If preferred, as shewn in Fig. 7, all the strips Y, Z and Z¹ may be riveted
together in the centre of the loop at d, while the short strips are guided at each
end by slots and studs c.
Such form of spring is cheap and simple in construction, and gives a smooth,
elastic and easy motion in operation.
In an instrument where a cover V is not employed, I may make use of a pair
of spring fingers, e e Figs. 8 and 9, somewhat similar to those shewn.and described
in the Specifications of my Letters Patent, No. 1228 of 1873, No: 3592 of 1876
and No. 4293 of 1888, for the purpose of keeping the toothed plates in proper
cutting contact..
Instead of causing these fingers to bear at, or about the centre of the plate, as
beretofore, I extend then in length, as shewn, so that they hear upon the plate C
just behind the base of the teeth, and widen their extremities, so that the
bearing surface in contact with the plate is practically continuous for its whole
width.
By employing this improved pattern of finger, the pressure exerted upon the
plate C may be reduced in amount, as the said pressure is applied just where
required, thereby reducing friction and the power necessary to operate the
instrument.
'
My invention is applicable to clippers, or shears of the class described, whether
adapted for horses, sheep, or other animale, or human hair.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is :-
:-
1. In a clipping or shearing instrument of the class described, having a stationary
toothed cutting plate D; the combination therewith of a movable toothed cutting
plate baring teeth E with curved cutting edges El El said cutting edges meeting

page_text: at their base, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth, with reference.
to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In a clipping or shearing instrument of the class described, having a movable.
toothed cutting plate C, a stationary toothed cutting plate D, a handle J' fixed to
Baid plate D, and a lever handle M; the combination therewith of a device giving
the return stroke to said handle M and through it to said plate C, consisting of a
helical spring R connected to a stud S on said handle M and to a screwed stud 'T
having a tension adjusting nut T¹, substantially as herein set forth with reference.
to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In a clipping or shearing instrun:ent of the class described, having a movable-
toothed cutting plate C, a stationary toothed outting plate D, a handle J fixed to
said plate D, and a lever handle M; the combination therewith of a device giving
the return stroke to said handle M and through it to said plate C, consisting of a
curved spring R¹, connected to a stud on said handle M and to the extension H of
said handle J, substantially as herein set forth with reference to Fig. 5 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. In a clipping or shearing instrument of the class described, having a movable-
toothed cutting plate C, a stationary toothed cutting plate D, a handle J fixed to-
said plate D and a lever handle M; the combination therewith of a device giving
or assisting to give the return stroke to the said handle M and through it to the
said plate C, consisting of a curved spring Y fixed to the ends of and connecting-
the said handles J and M, and having curved springs Z, Z' attached to and acting
in concert with it, substantially as herein set forth with reference to Figs. 6 and 7
of the accompanying drawings.
Doted this 15th dari of Anous 1906
AMBROSE MYALL,
2 Lancaster Place, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant..