CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLIPPING HORSES OR OTHER ANIMALS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 232, Oxford Street, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR CLIPPING HORSES OR OTHER ANIMALS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th July 1874.
.
i
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 232, Oxford Street, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLIPPING HORSES OR OTHER
ANIMALS;" to be as follows:-
The Invention relates to further improvements on Letters Patent
granted to me on the 3rd day of April, 1873, No. 1228, and is designed
for the purpose of adapting to the shearing apparatus. therein described a
medium that will expand the handles actuating the cutting-shears after.
each closing of the same by self-acting means, enabling thereby the

page_text: apparatus to be used with one hand only; and, further, in applying to.
the sliding cutter plate a compensating medium that will yield to the
cutting force of the handles, should extraneous or gritty matter get
between the teeth, and come in contact with the edges of the cutting
shears when in operation. The application of a compensating medium
is designed for the purpose of preserving the cutting edges of the
small shears, and also preventing any one or more of their number
being destroyed when in action by undue pressure upon
their edges.
The improvements consist,-
First. In adapting to each of the shearing handles two blade spring,
one end of each being adjustably connected to the inner surfaces of
their respective handle, and their opposite ends are secured by an hinge
joint, thus preventing any rubbing or friction when in work; the con-
nection of the springs with the handles being so arranged by slot & set
screw that more or less pressure of the springs can be exerted for the
expansion of the handles in proportion to the density or quality of the
wool or other material being sheared.
Secondly. The improvements relate to the application of a compen-
sating spring or cushion placed in the recess of the cutter plate between
its edges and the stud, giving it motion through the medium of the
handles. Or an equivalent of the same may be obtained by constructing
the short lever giving motion to the cutter plate of a blade spring suffi-
ciently stout to overcome the ordinary pressure or force required for giving
motion to the cutters when in action, but which will yield and allow the
cutters to rest or dwell during the whole or a partial opening or closing
of the handles should any extraneous gritty matter get between the
teeth, or rigidity occur to prevent the free action of the same during the
operation of shearing.
74
I would remark in conclusion that I am aware that springs have
heretoforé been employed for expanding the handles of shears after com-
pression, but that such springs have not been adjustable and without
friction when in action, neither have they been used in combination
with a compensating yield applied to the cutting teeth, the novel
features of which (viz.) the adjustable frictionless expanding springs,
and the compensating yield given to the cutter plate; are essentially the
points of novelty forming the subjects of this my present Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 232, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Clark, Her special licence
that I, the said William Clark, my executors, administrators; and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Clark, 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 “CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CLIPPING HORSES OR OTHER ANIMALS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Clark, 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 and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:-
The Invention relates to further improvements on Letters Patent
granted to me on the 3rd day of April 1873, and is designed for the
purpose of adapting to the shearing apparatus therein described a
medium which will expand the handles actuating the cutting shears
after each closing of the same by self-acting means, enabling thereby
the apparatus to be used with one hand only; and, further, in applying

page_text: t
to the sliding cutter plate a compensating medium which will yield to
the cutting force of the handles, should extraneous or gritty matter get
between the teeth and come in contact with the edges of the cutting
shears when in operation. The application of a compensating medium is
designed for the purpose of preserving the cutting edges of the small
shears, and also preventing any one or more of their number being
destroyed when in action by undue pressure on their edges.
The improvements consist,
First. In adapting to each of the shearing handles two blade springs,
onc end of each being adjustably connected to the inner surfaces of their
respective handle, and their opposite ends are secured by a hinge joint,
thus preventing any rubbing or friction when in work, the connection of
the springs with the handles being so. arranged by slot and set screw
that more or less pressure of the spring can be exerted for the expansion
of the handles in proportion to the density or quality of the wool or
other material being sheared.
Secondly. The improvements relate to the application of a compen-
sating spring or cushion placed in the recess of the cutter plate between
its edges and the stud, giving it motion through the medium of the
handles. Or an equivalent of the same may be obtained by constructing
the short lower lever, giving motion to the cutter plate of a blade spring.
sufficiently stout to overcome the ordinary pressure or force required for
giving motion to the cutters when in action, but which will yield and
allow. the cutters to rest or dwell during the whole or a partial opening or.
closing of the handles should any extraneous or gritty matter. get
between the teeth, or rigidity occur to prevent the free action of the
same during the operation of shearing.-
.
2
I would remark in conclusion that I am aware that springs have
heretofore been employed for expanding the. handles of shears after
compression, but that such springs have not been adjustable and without.
friction when in action, neither have they been used in combination
with a compensating yield applied to the cutting teeth, the novel
feature of which, namely, the adjustable frictionless expanding springs
and the compensating yield given to the cutter plate are essentially the
points of novelty forming the subject of this my present Invention.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and described
in detail, I have hereunto annexed a Sheet of Drawings made about full
E

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF KA
Fig. 1 represents the shearing apparatus having applied thereto the
springs giving an opening motion to the handles, and also the compen-
sating spring causing the cutter plate to yield when stones or grit get
between the teeth:
Fig. 2 represents an end section of the cutter plates shewing the
position of the yielding spring.
Fig. 3 represents a modification of the spring shewn at Fig. 1 as
applied to the handles for opening the same after being closed.
in
In these Figures a, a', are the handles, a¹ being the handle fixed to
the bottom plate or comb A; and a, the handle giving motion to the
cutter plate B; b, b, are blade springs attached to the handles a, a',
such a manner that when the handles have been closed, so as to give
motion to the shearing teeth of the plate B, the springs on relaxing
the hand will force open the handles so as to give the shearing plate a
reverse direction, thus enabling the shearing operation to be performed
with one hand only.
The compensating yield of the cutter plate B, when any obstacle gets
between the teeth that prevents its free action, is obtained through the
medium of the spring lever c, which forms the short lever beyond the
fulcrum o of the actuating handle a. This spring lever c is made
sufficiently strong to overcome the ordinary pressure required for
cutting; but in the event of grit or stones getting between the cutting
teeth the spring lever c will yield to the pressure exerted, thereby pre-
venting a positive motion to the cutter plate, which is so destructive to
the cutting teeth.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, together with
the means of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be
understood in conclusion that I claim,-
First. The application of a spring to the handles of instruments giving
motion to a number of small shears employed for cutting hair or wool
from the skins of animals, the said spring or springs being used for the

page_text: purpose of forcing the handles apart; or opening them after each closing
of the same during the operation of shearing.
And, Secondly, I claim, the application to the actuating handle of
such shears of a spring lever giving motion to the cutter plate the
employment and adaptation of which prevents any one or more of the a
cutting teeth when in operation being destroyed by undue pressure upon
their cutting edges.
In witness whereof I, the said William Clark, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy- 1
four.
Witness,
THOMAS WRIGLEY.
WILLIAM CLARK: (L.S.)