CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SHEARING OR CROPPING WOOLLEN OR OTHER CLOTHS
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
SITLINTON, of Stanley Mills, in the County of Gloucester, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Пis present most Excellent Majesty King George the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Sixteenth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-five, in the sixth year of His reign, did, for IIimself, Ilis
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Sitlington, lis
especial licence that I, the said Thomas Sitlington, my exors, admors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Sitlington, my exors, adiñois, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times during the term of years herein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SHEARING OR CROPPING WOOLLEN OR OTHER CLOTHS;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Thomas Sitlinton, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Sitlinton, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly

page_text: described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the
following description thereof (that is to say):
:-
In Drawing No. 1, Figs. 1 and 2 are elevations of the opposite sides of the
machine, and Fig 3 a plan thereof; and in Drawing No. 2, Figs. 4 and 5 are
elevations of the opposite ends of the machine; in all of which said Figures,
as well as in those to be referred to hereafter, the same letters & figures of
reference indicate the similar parts of the machine.
A, A, &c. is the machine frame shewn as being made of cast iron, and of
sufficient strength to bear the weight of the different parts without yielding.
B, B, the two carriages of the shears, each running upon four tram wheels
C, C, &c. guided upon the rails D, D, &c. affixed to the machine frame, as is
more clearly shewn in Fig 6. E, E, &c. the cast-iron frame which supports
the flat elastic bed or substitute for the shear board (this is shewn separately
in Figs 7 and 8) F, F, &c. the wooden covering affixed to the iron frame
E, E, &c. by wood screws passing through from underneath into the wood.
This wooden covering has several thicknesses of coarse woollen cloth laid over
its surface, forming the elastic bed G, G, &c., the cloths being secured
by nails driven through them into the wood at each end, and by lacing
them to wires on each side, which wires pass through metal eyes or
loops driven or screwed into the wood, as shewn at II, II, &c. in Figs. 4, 5,
9, and 10. The cloth to be sheared or cut is wound upon a wooden roller I,
shewn in Fig. 4, furnished with a ratchet wheel J at one end, as shewn in
Fig. 5, with a chick K to it, and also with a winch or handle L to turn it by.
It is then passed over two wooden rails M, M, placed one on each side of the
machine over the elastic bed, and it is held firm by the workman till it bas
undergone the cutting action of the shears; it is then released, and wound
upon another wooden roller N, which is also fitted with a ratchet wheel J, a
click K, and a handle L, similar to the roller I. The rails M, M, are each
sockets to them, by which
supported at one end by two short arms O, O, with
they are affixed upon the ends of an axis P, Fig 11, which turns in pivot-
holes in metal plates affixed to the machine frame, the axis also having a
handle Q to turn it by, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 11, and by two other
short arms R, R, which turn on studs S, S, affixed to the machine frames, as
shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 10, and they are thus caused to rise and fall uniformly
and parallel to each other on both sides of the machine. The cloth is habited
or stretched crossways from list to list in the following manner :-
In the Plan Fig. 3, T, T, is an iron bar, having two pieces of leather U, U,
riveted to it at each end, by which it is hung or secured upon one end of each
of the rails M, M. To the bar T, T, a flap of leather V, V, is rivetted on its
under side, having habiting hooks W, W, affixed along it in the usual manner.

page_text: Those parts are shewn separately in Fig. 12. On the other ends of the rails
M, M, another iron bar X, X, is laid, which has two pieces of webb Y, Y,
rivetted to it, which are secured to and wound around a wooden cylinder Z, the
necks or pivots of which turn in holes made in iron plates a, a, bolted to the
iron frame E, E. A ratchet wheel 6 is affixed on one end of the cylinder Z,
and a click c to an arm united with the frame, to prevent it from unwinding
until the click c is released. A leather flap V, V, is rivetted on the under side
of the bar X, X, furnished with habiting hooks W, W, in the same manner
as the bar T, T, above described The cylinder Z being released, and the
rails M, M, raised, by depressing the handle Q the cloth is hooked upon the
habiting hooks on each side, and the cylinder Z is turned by grasping it in the
hand, and' secured by the click c. The rails M, M, are then lowerered by
raising the handle Q, and the cloth becomes thereby sufficiently tight agross,
or from list to list. The receiving roller N and the delivering roller I are then
to be turned by their handles L, L, until the cloth is become also sufficiently
stretched lengthways to undergo the action of the shears, the rails M, M, being
at the same held down by the cloth pressing upon them. The carriages B, B,
of the shears or cutting blades each consist of two pairs of straight bars of cast
iron or other proper material, B, B, from which descend the forked parts d. d,
having notches e, e, on their lower ends, which rest upon necks made on the ends
of the axes of the tram wheels C, c, and upon other necks made on the ends
of a piece of iron affixed on the bent cast-iron bais, as shewn in Figs. 13 and 14,
and which said bars have also another forked piece d, with notches e, e, in
them, which rest upon necks made upon the ends of the other tram wheels C, C.
The pairs of bars B, B, are united by means of a cast-iron arch or bow h, h, h,
extending across the machine, which is firmly bolted to them on each side, as
shewn in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 15, and 16, and the bent bars 9, 9, are united with those
parts by passing through mortise holes i, i, made in the bars B, B, and when the
shears are in use, resting upon the pins or studs j, j, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 4,
and 5. Through the arch h two holes are made to prevent the screws k, k,
to pass through, and which have two screwed nuts 1, 1, upon them, acting
against the tops and bottoms of the socketts m, m, which surround the holes,
so as to raise or depress the screws k, k, as required. The lower ends of the
scrows k, k, have loops or eyes made in them, which are lodged between two
pair of cheeks n, n, which are formed solid with the bar o, o, to which the
ledger blade p, p, is affixed in the manner to be described hereafter. Through
these cheeks n, n, and through the loops in the screws k, k, pins or bolts q, q,
are passed and secured by other pins r, r, which are driven into holes made
through them. On each side of the loops of the screws k, k, are other ears,

page_text: with screwed holes in them to receive other adjusting sciews 8, s, as shewn in
Fig, 17, by turning which more or less the bar o, o, and the ledger blade p, p,
affixed to it by screws, can be secured in its proper position for usc. The
ledger blade p, p. is shewn separately in Fig. 18. At each end of the bar o, o,
of the ledger blade are forined the flames t, t (shewn separately in Figs. 19
and 20), through which are holes for the screwed loops n, n, to pass through;
the holes in the shorter of the two upright pieces of the frames t, t, are made
round for the screws on the loops u, u, to pass through, and which are secured
firmly by the two screwed nuts v, v. Through the longer upright pieces t
mortiors are made to fit the square ends of the screwed loops u, u, and
screwed holes are made in the tops of the mortisos for the screws w, w, to pass
through. The use of these screws will be described hereafter. Through
the loops u, u, other screwed holes are likewise made to receive the upright
screws a, a, as also shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. These latter screws x, x, act or
thrust against the bar o, o, and tend to lift up the ends of the screwed
loops u, u, but by the downward pressure of the screws w, w, upon them they
are held steadily in any required position. The loops or horizontal holes in
the screwed loops u, u, are also screwed, and receive into them the cast-stcel
screws y, y, with lock bars z, z, upon them, and having comical holes at one
end of each, for the conical points 1, 1, of the bars 2, 2, of the oscillating
blades to turn in, and the other ends are made square to fit a wrench on to
turn or adjust them properly. The bars 2, 2, have their ends made cylindrical,
but are made semi-cylindrical between those ends the length of the blades,
and are also formed spirally along their flattened faces, in order to compel the
thin steel webs, forming the cutting or shearing blades, to assume that spiral
figure when screwed to them.
Fig. 21 is a section through the middle of the bar 2, 2, of the real working
size. 3, 3, is the flattened part against which the cutting blade 4, 4, is fixed,
and secured in front by a long iron plate 5, 5, and screws passing through the
bar 2, 2, and the web and plate, with screwed nuts 6, 6, upon them. P is the
ledger blade. The holes in the oscillating blade 4, 4, for the binding screws
to pass through are made long enough to allow the blade to be lowered as it
wears in use, as shewn at 7, 7, in Fig. 21, and also in Fig. 5, where part of
the ion plate 5, 5, is broken off to shew them. 8, in Fig. 9, is an arm
affixed upon one end of the bar 2, 2, having a mortise in it to receive the
squared shoulder of a binding and adjusting screw 9, by which a crank rod 10
is connected with it, and which crank rod icceives motion from the moving
power in the manner to be described hereafter, so as to communicate an
oscillatory movement to the bar 2, 2, and the shearing blade 4, 4, upon it, as

page_text: bolt
indicated by the dotted lines 11, 11, &c. in this Figure. 12, in Figures
1, 2, 4, and 5, is a leather band or strap which passes from a drum moved by
a water wheel, steam engine, or other first moving power. This band 12 cạn
be thrown on or off the pulley or nigger 13, which is affixed upon one end of
the axis 14, on to the loose pulley or ligger 15, also turning upon that axis.
To the other end of this axis a large band wheel 16 is affixed, over which a
band 17, 17, &c. is passed, which also passes around two other band wheels or
pulleys 18, 18, which are affixed upon tw crank axes 19, 19, and finally over
a loose adjustable band wheel 20, which turns upon a stud affixed to a
moveable sliding iron plato 21, secured to the machine frame by a sciew
The band 17, 17, &c., thus communicates a rotatory movement to the
cianks 22, 22, the axes of which tuin in pivot holes made in the arms 23, 23,
which are affixed to the forks 24, 24, descending from the carriages B, B, to
which they are securely affixed by the screw bolts 25, 25. The crank
1ods 10, 10, have screwed sockets at then upper ends, into which the lower
parts 26, 26, are screwed, and secured by the binding nuts 27, 27, so as to be
adjusted to a proper length for use. Upon the axis 14 an endless screw 28 is
affixed, which works into an endless screw wheel 29, affixed upon an upright
shaft or axis 30, having a spherical pivot turning in a step 31 below, affixed
by an aim or bracket to the machine frame. The upper neck or pivot of this
upright shaft tuins in a sliding plate 82, affixed to a projecting piece of
fianie 33, screwed to the machine frame A, A, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4.
Upon the upper end of the shaft 30 a bevil pinion 34 is affixed, which works
into a bevil wheel 35, mounted upon an adjusting screwed socket 36, which is
fitted upon a square-threaded screw 37, formed upon a shaft or axis 38, the
necks or pivots of which tuin in pivot holes made in two non aims sciewed to
the machine fiame Upon each end of this shaft 38 a wooden banel 39, 39,
is affixed, from each of which a strong line or 1ope 40, 40, passes through a
hole made in a small banel 41, 41, the round stem of which tuins in a hole
made in each of the bars B, B, of one of the carriages for the shears, and has a
loop at its end to turn it by. On one end of each bariel a notched wheel 42, 42,
15 affixed, one of which is shewn separately in Fig. 22, and alongside of them
a vertical cylindrical hole 43, 43, is made in the bars B, B, having a gap or
slit in it through which the web of a key 44, shown separately in Fig. 23,
passes and enters into any of the notches in the wheels 42, 42, as required in
Usc The ropes then pass over the pulleys 45, 45, which turn upon studs
affixed to the machine fiame; the ropes then again return to the barrels
39, 39, around which they make a suflicient number of turns to carry the
sheas either quite across the clastic bed G, G, or only half way across it, as

page_text: nay be required. On the side of one of the carriages B an adjustable bar
of non 46 (shewn in Figs. 1 and 8) is affixed and secured by the screw
bolt 47; the end of this bar 46, after the carriage or carriages B, B,
have passed across the cloth to be cut, encounters the top of the bent
leven or tumbling catch 48, which turns upon a stud 49 affixed to the
machine frame. The heel 50 of this catch rests against a pin or stud 51
: fixed in a moving plate 52, which turns upon a stud 53 at the outer end of
an adjusting bracket 54, which is secured by two screws to the machine frame.
This is shewn separately in Fig, 221. Upon a collar at the bottom of the
stud 53 the moving plate 52 rests, around the collar a bent spring 55 is placed,
one end of which is secured to the bracket 54, and the other acts against a pin
affixed in the under side of the moving plate 52, as shown by dotted lines in
Fig. 20, so as to throw the grooved arm 56 of that plate outwardly. In the
groove of this arm the band fork 57, shewn separately in Fig. 24, slides, and
can be adjusted to the required length by two binding screws, as shewn in
Fig. 3. The catch 48 detains the moving plate 52 in the position shewn in
Fig. 3 until the arrival of the aim 46, affixed as aforesaid to the carriages of
the shears B, when it pushes against the upper part of the tumbling catch 48,
and causing it to turn on the stud 49, clevates or raises the heel 50 above the
top of the pin 51, which, liberating the moving plate 52, the spring 55 on the
bracket throws the fork outwards and casts the band 12 upon the loose rigger
15, so as to stop the motion of the machine. The moving plate 52 likewise
disengages the bevil pinion 34 from the bevil wheel 35 by means of a con-
necting rod 58, shewn separately in Fig. 25, which unites this moving
plate 52 with the sliding plato 32, shewn in Fig. 4, as before described.
The motion of the arm 56 of the moving plate being, however, more than is
required for releasing the bevil pinion 34, a shit 59 is made in the rod 58, as
shewn in Fig. 25, to allow of the extin motion of the stud 60 in the arın 56,
and to which stud the connecting rod 58 is hung. The cloth on the elastic
bed being sheared or cut, in order to bring forward a fresh portion, it is
necessary to elevate and support the cutting blades, and as these are conectly
adjusted and hung from the arch h of the carriage, so it is necessary to raise
it along with them, in order to piesei ve that adjustment unchanged. To do this,
a bent lever 61 is placed at the side of each carriage, turning upon an axis 62,
the necks or pivots of which move in holes made in two cars 63, 63, affixed to
the upright sides of the arch. On the opposite end of the axis 62 an armı 64
is affixed, corresponding with the arm 65 of the bent lever 61. To these
levers are jointed connecting plates 66, 66, &c, which are also jointed to the
tops of the bent cast-iron bais 9, 9, already described as resting with theu

page_text: pins j, j, lying upon the carriage plates B, B. Upon the bent levers 61, 61,
being depressed the bars 9, 9, are raised, and the notches 67, 67, at the
outer ends of the connecting plates 66, 66, come nearly into contact with the
arms 61, 61, and are detained by means of the lever catches 68, 68, which
turn upon pins 69, 69, passing through the mortises in the bent levers 61, 61,
and upon which catches the notches 67, 67, are hung, as shown in Fig. 9.
By this movement it will be seen that the carriage and cutting blades are
both raised. The bent lever 61, and its lever catch 68, are shewn in Fig. 26.
The rails M, M, are then to be elevated by depressing the handle Q, and the
ratchet catches K, K, to be lifted up out of contact with the ratchet wheels
J, J, as also is the catch c of the ratchet wheel of the tightening roller Z,
the carriages B, B, being also drawn back to the positions shewn in Fig. 1,
so as to leave the cut cloth at liberty to be unhooked from the habiting
hooks W, W. Another portion of cloth to be cut is then drawn upon the
elastic bed, by turning the winch handles L, L, which delivers the cloth from
the one roller and winds the out portion upon the other roller; the new portion
of cloth is then to be habited and tightened, as before described; the carriages
B, B, are then drawn back to the positions shewn in Figs. 2 and 3, and the
workman releases the catcher 68, 68, of the levers 61, 61, which lowers the
cutting blades to the cloth. He then puts the machine into work by pulling
the handle 70 of a sliding rod 71, running through a loop 72 affixed in the
side of the machine frame, and having a hook 73 at its other end, which fits
into a hole 74 made in the moving plate 52, as shewn in Fig. 23, and thus
pulls in the moving plate till the tumbling catch 48 falls down and retains it,
thereby causing the band fork 57 to replace the band 12 upon the rigger 13,
and at the same time bringing the bevil pinion 34 into gear with the bevil
wheel 85. I can either cut the cloth accross by employing one carriage and
shears only, or cut it halfway by two carriages with shears to them at once,
so as to go over the whole; in which latter case I connect the two carriages
by means of two adjusting jointed rods 75, 75, &c., seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3,
and which are screwed to the hind carriage, and hooked upon studs affixed to
the front carriage. The use of the adjustments in the rods 75, 75, &c., is to
suit the different widths of cloth, and the hooks and joints enable the work-
man to separate the carriages, to throw up the cloth, or to begin a fresh
piece. By the spiral direction given to the edges of the oscillating blades,
as shewn in the Plan, Fig. 3, I obtain the advantages of the revolving spiral
cutting blades, of encountering only portions of the ledger blades in succession,
instead of meeting the whole breadth of the ledger blade at once, whilst by the
oscillating or combined backward movement of the blades the wool is raised up
realy to receive the cutting action of the blades instead of being carried under-

page_text: neath the leger blades by the continued revolving motion of the spiral blades as
usual, and thus put out of the way of being cut. The degree of obliquity or
spiral given to the blades is not however sufficient to cause the wool to slip
away or to escape the cutting action of the shears, as would be the case should
a greater degree of obliquity be given to them.
Another advantage is, that with both carriages and shears it cuts four times
the quantity of cloth usually done in the same time with the original or
Iarmer's shearing machine; and it also preserves the well-approved principle of
that machine of cutting upon an elastic bed, but without the injuries occasioned
by its ponderous shears beating upon the cloth, or the necessity of straining it
so severely as frequently to injure its texture.
Another advantage of my said machine over the more modern rotatory
machines is, that it is not liable to cut the cloth so unequally, noi to spoil the
face of it by cutting down to the threads, as sometimes happens with careless
or negligent workmen.
I do not mean oi intend hereby to claim as my Inventions any of the several
parts of my said machine which may be already known or in use; but I do
hereby claim,-
Firstly, the Invention of the cast-iron horizontal frame, which supports the
elastic bed, and which, being securely fitted at each end to the cast-non
frame A, A, of the machine, is not liable to waip or to get out of truth, and it
thereby admits of the employment of straight flat knives or ledger blades
double the length of the ordinary shears.
Secondly, the peculiar form of the carriage, with its accompanying bars for
attaching and adjusting the ledger blade and the oscillating or cutting blade.
Thirdly, the peculiar method of giving motion to the oscillating blade by
means of a travelling crank.
Fourthly, the manner of adjusting the position of the ledger blade relatively
to the surface of the cloth by depressing or elevating its edge, and the manner
of connecting it with the oscillating blade, so as not to disturb their adjustment
on raising them to remove the cloth or again lowering them; and,
Fifthly, the application of the two wooden rails, one on cach side of the
elastic bed, by elevating which the cloth can be readily moved across the bed,
and by depressing which the workman, after habiting the cloth, communicates
an equal strain to both sides of it.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Sitlinton, have hereunto set my
hand and scal, this 16th day of January, in the year of our Loid One
thousand cight hundred and twenty-six
THOMAS (LS) SITLINTON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of January,
in the year of our Lord 1826, the aforesaid Thomas Sitlinton came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in
form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped accord-
ing to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.