AN IMPROVED HAIR BRUSHING, COMBING, AND CLIPPING MACHINE, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR CLEANING HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS, PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINERY
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Henry Small, of Buffalo, New York,
•
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
London, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED HAIR BRUSHING, COMBING,
AND CLIPPING MACHINE, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR CLEANING HORSES AND
OTHER ANIMALS, PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER
MACHINERY."
"
Sealed the 28th May 1875, and dated the 3rd December 1874:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Henry Small
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd December 1874.
I, JAMES HENRY SMALL, of Buffalo, New York, United States of
America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED HAIR BRUSHING,
COMBING, AND CLIPPING MACHINE, CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR CLEANING HORSES AND
OTHER ANIMALS, PARTS OF WHICH INVENTION ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER MA-
CHINERY," to be as follows:
The object of my Invention is to provide a machine chiefly designed
for brushing and cleaning horses, but which may be used for brushing

page_text: and cleaning other animals, or may be adapted for hairdressers' use. The
said machine will be found to greatly facilitate the cleaning of horses
and other animals, and will enable the same to be more thoroughly
accomplished, and will improve the health and appearance of the
animals.
The said Invention relates to further improvements upon the machine
described in the Specification of Letters Patent bearing date the 2nd day
of January, A.D. 1873, No. 27, which machine has a rotary brush
mounted on a jointed and extending shaft. My present Invention has a
series of jointed revolving shafts connected by bevel gear wheels, or by
peculiarly constructed universal joints at the articulations of the arms
or shafts. The number of joints may vary, but two shafts or parts
besides that to which the brush or other implement is affixed will be
sufficient for the treatment of horses.
The construction of the said machine is as follows:- -A driving shaft
is suspended in suitable hangers, and is driven by a belt and pulley or
by other convenient means connected with the driving power. One
journal of this driving shaft is supported in a box in the hangers; the
other journal rests in a sleeve, which turns in and is supported by an
arm of one of the hanger. This sleeve is connected with and supports
the jointed arm beyond the end of the aforesaid shaft. The first shaft
or joint of the arm is united by a universal joint with the end of the
driving shaft, and I prefer to cover each of the revolving shafts with a
tube that connects the articulations at the joints. The second joint of
the arm is in like manner articulated with the first joint, and with the
third or brush joint or part. On the latter joint there is a handle, inside
of which the shaft revolves, and the end of the shaft projects beyond the
end of the handle sufficiently to receive the brush or other rotating
implement, such as a cloth rubber, sponge, or the like, or a shearing or
cutting device. These implements can be affixed to the shaft by a
bayonet clutch or other convenient fastening that will hold them securely
and allow them to be readily removed.
To form the articulations connecting the joints bevel gear wheels may
be employed, as shown in my said former Specification, but I prefer to
employ my improved globe gear or universal joint, which has greater
freedom of action and range of motion with fewer working parts in
action than the aforesaid bevel gearing, and this joint is applicable to

page_text: any machinery requiring a universal joint, or in which there are con-
nected shafts running at an angle to cach other. This improved joint is
constructed to allow two coupled shafts to change their relative positions
from a straight line to any desired angle, or to a position parallel with
each other, permitting an adjustment of a hundred and eighty degrees
in every direction with one pair of gear wheels. These gear wheels are
made by cutting the teeth on the segment of a sphere, a hemishcrc
being required for the greatest range of motion. The pitch line of tho
tecth is concentric with the centre of the sphere, and they radiate from
the pole or axis to the base of the hemisphere. The form of a tooth
at the base of a hemisphere is exactly like that of a spur wheel,
gradually contracting to a theoretically straight line at the pole. It is
obvious that in practice the teeth thus formed would be too thin and
weak for some distance before they reached the axis. To avoid this
difficulty I diminish the number of teeth one or more times between the
base and the axis and enlarge them proportionately, so as to obtain teeth
of the strength required.
In order that these segments may properly and freely gear together
when adjusted to any angle I employ two segments affixed to a collar or
sleeve in which the shafts run, inclosing each wheel. The curved edges
of the segments are furnished with pin gear, the segment being turned
down to the pitch line of the spherical gear, or they may be cut with
spur tooth with the same pitch line. At the centre point of each of
these segments there is a stout projecting stud or pin fitted with links,
that hold the segments in gear and unite the joints properly at their
articulations. The collars or sleeves at either end of the shafts are
united by tubes when the latter are used to cover the shafts, and I
arrange one or both of the collars to swivel thereon.
The construction of the said hemispherical gear may be modified by
substituting properly formed pins, projecting from one segment and
entering corresponding recesses in the opposite one. The joints at the
articulations may be covered with flexible tubes or otherwise to exclude
dust.
In brushing a horse or other animal with this machine the scurfy
substances and particles removed from the hair and skin form a cloud of
dust, which unless prevented will greatly inconvenience the operator, and
will fall back upon the animal. To obviate this difficulty I provide the

page_text: brush or other rotating implement with a shield or guard to catch the
dust. This shield is attached to the aforesaid handle by a small bracket.
It is provided inside with a shelf or flange so arranged that the dust
in passing around with the brush is caught on the said shelf, which is
made to slope downward into an aperture to which I attach a flexible
tube or pipe to conduct the dust away from the machine. This tube
may lead to a covered box or bin in the stable, or may be connected with
an exhausting fan, which draws the dust away from the machine-and-
brush or other rotating implement with a shield or guard to catch the
dust. This shield is attached to the aforesaid handle by a small bracket.
It is provided inside with a shelf or flange so arranged that the dust
in passing around with the brush is caught on the said shelf, which is
made to slope downward into an aperture to which I attach a flexible
tube or pipe to conduct the dust away from the machine. This tube
may lead to a covered box or bin in the stable, or may be connected with
an exhausting fan, which draws the dust away from the machino-and-
discharges it outside the stable.
-W
In some instances I fix or form on one side of the aforesaid guard or
shield a currycomb or other comb, which will be useful for removing
mud or other substance that may adhere to the animal's skin and have
become hardened on the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Henry 'Small in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 3rd June 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HENRY SMALL, of Buffalo, New York, United States of America, now
of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said James Henry Small, Her
special licence that I, the said James Henry Small, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Henry
Small, 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED HAIR BRUSHING, COMBING, AND CLIPPING MACHINE,
CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR CLEANING HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS, PARTS OF WHICH

page_text: • INVENTION ARE APPLICABLE TO OTHER MACHINERY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Henry Small, 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 immediately
after the date of tho said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Henry Small, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner tho
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
The object of my Invention is the construction of a brushing and
cleaning machine, chiefly designed for use in the grooming of horses,
but which may be used for cleaning other animals, or may be adapted
for hairdressers' usc. By this, machine the cleaning of the animal's
skin may be more thoroughly and more easily accomplished than here-
tofore, and the health and appearance of the animals will be improved.
The said Invention consists in further improvements upon the machine
described in the Specification of Letters Patent bearing date the 2nd day
of January, A.D. 1873, No. 27, which machine has a rotary brush
mounted on a jointed or flexible arm consisting of a series of connected
shafts. My present Invention also has a flexible arm consisting of a
series of jointed revolving shafts, connected by bevel gear wheels or by
peculiarly constructed universal joints at the articulations of the parts
or shafts. The number of joints may vary, but two or three shafts or
parts besides that to which the brush or other implement is affixed will
be sufficient for the treatment of horses.
The construction of my Invention is clearly illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing, in which,-
-
Figure 1 is a plan of my improved machine, shewing the parts of the
jointed arm in a straight line.
Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the said machine,
11. LI

page_text: Figures 3, 4, and ɔ mustrate fuetached portions
and are herein-after described.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in both Figures.
A driving shaft A is suspended in suitable hangers, and is driven by a
belt and pulley, or by other convenient means connected with the driving
power. One journal of this driving shaft A is supported in à box in
one of the hangers; the other journal rests in-a slcove, which turns in
and is supported by a hanger. This sleeve is connected with and
supports the jointed arm beyond the end of the shaft A. I prefer that
the jointed parts or shafts of the flexible arm should be enclosed in a
sleeve or tube, as shewn, but this sleeve or tube is not absolutely
necessary. The first shaft or joint B of the said arm is united with the
end of the driving shaft A by a universal joint and peculiarly formed
gearing, hereafter described. The second joint B' of the arm is in like
manner articulated with the first joint B and also with the third joint B²,
and the latter is united with the brush joint D. This brush joint is
preferably made comparatively short, as shewn, and turns in a handle D¹,
the said shaft being properly formed to receive the brush E or other
implement, such as a cloth, rubber, sponge, or the like, or a shearing or
cutting device. These tools can be affixed to the shaft by a bayonet
clutch or other convenient fastening that will hold them securely and
allow them to be readily removed.
To form the articulations connecting the joints I may use bevel gear
wheels, as described in the said former Specification, but I prefer to
employ my improved globe gear or universal joint, which has greater
freedom of action and range of motion, with fewer working parts in
action, than the aforesaid bevil gearing, and this joint is applicable to
any machinery requiring a universal joint, or in which there are con-
nected shafts running at an angle or obliquely to each other. This
improved joint is constructed to allow two shafts coupled thereby at
their ends to change their relative positions and rotate in any position
without being uncoupled, that is to say, the said shafts may lie and work
in a straight line with each other like a continuous shaft, as shewn in
Figure 1, or may assume the angle shown in Figure 2, or any desired
angle, or lic parallel with each other, having the capability of adjust-
ment to a hundred and eighty degrees in every direction with one pair of
gear wheels. These gear wheels F arc formed by cutting the teeth on

page_text: the segment of a sphere, a hemisphere being required for the greatest
range of motion. The pitch line of the teeth is concentric with the
centre of the sphere, and they radiate from the pole or axis to the base
of the hemisphere. The form of the tooth at the base of one of these
hemispheres is exactly like that of a spur wheel, and if each tooth was
extended from the base to the pole it would terminate in a theoretical or
mathematical line. It is obvious that it would be impracticable to form
the teeth in this manner, as except just at the base they would be too
thin and weak to perform any work, and they could only be extended for
a very short distance from the base. To avoid this difficulty I diminish
the number of tecth one or more times between the base and the pole or
axis, and enlarge them proportionally, so as to obtain teeth of the
strength required, that is to say, from the base 1 to the line 2 there may
be sixteen teeth, and thence to the centre 4 four teeth, as in Figure 3,
or from the basc 1 to the line 2 there may be sixteen teeth, thence to
the line 3 eight teeth, and from 3 to the centre 4 there may be four
teeth, as in Figure 4, or any desired number of teeth may be cut on
cach hemisphere.
In order that these hemispherical wheels may properly and freely gear
together when adjusted to any angle I employ two segments G affixed
to a boss or collar G', in which the shafts turn and enclosing the gear
wheels. The curved edges of the segments G, which work together, are
furnished with pin teeth, the said segments being turned down to the
pitch line of the spherical wheel, or they may be cut with spur teeth
with the same pitch line. At the centre G³ of each of the segments G
there is a strong projecting stud or pin, and on these pins I fit links H
that hold the segments in gear and unite the joints properly at their
articulations. The collars or bosses G' at the two ends of each shaft or
part of the arm are united by the tubes b, b',.6%, as shewn, when the
latter are used to cover the shafts, and I arrange one or both of these
collars to swivel thereon.
The construction of the said hemispherical gear wheels may be
modified by substituting properly formed pins projecting from one
segment and entering corresponding recesses in the opposite one. The
Saints of the arm at the extionlations may be covered with flexible tubes

page_text: Fourth. The combination of a comb with the said shield or guard,
s herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Henry Small, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
JA'. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London:
JAS. H. SMALL. (L.S.)