PROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR CUTTING, CLIPPING, OR SHEARING HAIR, WOOL, OR OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES."
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Clark at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 14th November 1877.
"IM-
WILLIAM CLARK, of 232, Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex.
PROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR CUTTING, CLIPPING, OR SHEARING
HAIR, WOOL, OR OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCES."
The object of this Invention is for giving motion through the medium of.
mechanical or electrical apparatus to the cutter plate of that class of instrument
employed for clipping or shearing hair or wool, in which a cutter plate provided
with a number of cutting teeth is caused to slide to and fro over the comb teeth of
an under plate; the said instrument being so arranged and connected with its
driving mechanism that it can be employed with the greatest advantage to cut and
trim the hair of human heads, or clip and shear the hair or wool from the backs of
horses, sheep, or other animals.
The first part of my improvements relate to a simple arrangement of mechanism
which can be readily fixed so as to drive the cutter plate of the before-mentioned
instrument, whether employed in a hair dresser's shop for the purpose of cutting
human hair, or in a stable or field for clipping or shearing horses, sheep, or other
animals; and this part of my improvements consist in communicating motion to
the cutting instrument through the medium of a driving wheel and guide pulleys
to an endless cord, which transmits a rapidly revolving motion to one or more
horizontal pulleys conveniently placed in bearings over head, and in a position
directly over the head of the person or back of the animal to be operated on. To
this horizontal pulley an universal coupling is fixed, which forms connection with
a tube containing a rod having a square section, which protrudes and slides tele-
scopically in and from the lower end of its supporting tube; this rod is also provided
at its lower end with an universal joint or coupling, which forms connection with a
spindle projecting from the handle of the instrument, and which by preference is
placed in front of the operator's hand. This spindle terminates in a crank pin,
eccentric, or other equivalent inside the handle, and is so constructed that it will
when at work give a rapid vibratory motion to the lever, giving motion to the
[Price 2d.1

page_text: cutter plate, thus enabling the operator to handle his instrument and perform the
process of clipping, cutting, or shearing with the greatest ease.
Secondly. The improvements relate to an arrangement of apparatus designed for
giving motion to the cutter plate of the herein-before mentioned instruments through
the medium of electricity, and consists in placing within the handle of the instrument
two or more electro-magnets, which through the medium of fixed or moveable
armatures and a commutator gives (when the circuit is made or complete between
the battery and the electro-magnets) a rapid or vibratory motion to a lever in
connection with the cutter plate of the cutting or clipping instrument, the instru-
ment being partially supported by an elastic cord or tube connected to a hook or
attachment overhead. The conducting insulated wires are connected with the poles
of a battery, which for the matter of convenience may be placed at any distance
from the instrument, freedom of action to the hand of the operator when at work
being obtained by allowing the conducting insulated wire to, be sufficiently slack,
and by preference to pass in a spiral or coiled direction through the interior of the
supporting elastic tube to the magnets contained in the handle of the instrument.
By the employment of this novel arrangement of electric motor to instruments
similar to those herein referred to, the operator using the same will be enabled to
do his work with ease, facility, and expedition, as the fatigue of clipping is entirely
dispensed with, his attention being solely devoted to the manner in which he
directs the instrument whilst performing the operation of cutting, clipping, or
shearing hair, wool, or other like substances.