Improvements in Sheep Shears.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1886.
Complete Left, 9th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 16th Sept., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by REUBEN WITHELL and MATTHEW GRAINGER, the
younger, both of Canterbury, New Zealand, Sheep Farmers.]
Improvements in Sheep Shears.
I, ROBERT FRANCIS DRURY Bank Buildings, George Street Sheffield, in the County
of York Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEEP SHEARS a communication from abroad to be as follows :—
This Invention of improvements in Sheep Shears refers more particularly to
the adjusting of the spring action of such shears, and to what is known as the
"driver."
The object of the invention is to enable the Shearer to instantly adjust the spring
power of the bow of the Shear, to suit his hand, and secondly to construct the driver
so that the shearer shall have perfect control over the shears, with comfort to the
hand, and so as to insure equal wear upon the blades.
In carrying out the first part of the invention, which is applicable to what are
known in the trade as " double-bow shears, and usually made in halves and joined
together in the centre of the bow by rivetting the ends together, (thus giving the
appearance of a double bow) I make the said joint ends longer than usual, so that the
separation or divergence from each other shall be more gradual than is usual.
Upon and over the tongue thus formed by the joined ends, 1 pass a slide or clip,
capable of being easily moved to and fro upon the said tongue, and of being secured
in any desired position by means of a set screw or equivalent device. When the clip
or slide is moved towards the terminal end of the said tongue, a soft and easy tension
of the spring is obtained suitable for cutting fine silky short wools, but when the
slide is moved towards the head of the bow, it shortens the spring-action, and produces
a strong tension suitable for cutting heavy wools.
The driver consists of a leather strap having its two ends connected by a buckle, the
said buckle being placed behind the bow, the strap passes round the bow, and is
secured to each shank close to the bow by a light thong of leather passed through
small holes made for the purpose.
The driver is also fastened in a like manner near the upper edge of the thumb-
blade shank, about one and a half inches from the heel of the blade, and similar holes.
are made in the opposite shank to enable the driver to be reversed.
Dated the 4th day of November 1886.

page_text: I ROBERT FRANOIS DRURY Bank Buildings, George Street Sheffield, in the County
of York Patent Agent 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:—
This invention of improvements in Sheep Shears (a communication from abroad):
refers more particularly to the adjusting of the spring action of such shears, and to
what is known as the "driver."
And in order that the invention may be fully understood I annex a sheet of
drawings illustrating same, in which
Fig. 1 is a pair of Shears with our new adjusting Clip, and improved driver shown
in position.
Fig. 2, the Clip.
Fig. 3, the driver removed from the Shear.
Similar letters of reference repeated in any of the figures indicate the same parts.
The object of my invention is to enable the shearer to instantly adjust and regulate
the spring power of the bow of sheep shears to suit the strength of the hand of
the shearer and also to so construct the "driver" that the shearer may have perfect
control over the shear with comfort to the hand, and the least exertion of the muscles,
and thus to equalise the wear upon the blades.
I carry out the first part of the invention which is applicable to what are known in
the trade as double bow shears, and which are sometimes made of one piece of steel
and sometimes of two separate pieces joined together by means of the ends which form
a tongue in the centre of the bow, and illustrated in Fig. 1.
In either method I prefer to make the ends A andA', longer than usual, and secure
them by rivets or equivalent means, and I leave the separated space or divergence B,
by this means longer and more gradual, than is usually the case.
Upon the tongue formed by the parts A and A¹ I place a slide or Clip C, capable
of being easily moved up and down the tongue and of being secured in any desired
position by means of a set screw D, or its equivalent. When the Clip C, is moved
towards the terminal end of the tongue, a soft and easy tension of the spring is
obtained, such as would be most suitable for cutting short and Silky Wools, but when
the Clip is moved towards the head of the bow and secured there, it shortens the spring
action, and produces a stronger tension more suitable for cutting heavy, thick wool.
As I am aware that drivers made of leather are already made, I do not claim such
broadly, but only the special construction and arrangement of such appliance. It
consists of a leather strap, preferably, but other material may be substituted if desired,
marked E in Fig. 1, but shown separately in Fig. 3, in the position it assumes when
on the Shears. F is an adjusting buckle placed under the bow, to be out of the way;
the strap passes round the bow, and is secured to each shank G and G¹ close to the
bow, by a light thong of leather passed through small holes made in the shank for the

page_text: said purpose, a similar fastening is also made near the upper end of the shank G, of
the thumb blade," say one and a half inches or thereabouts from the heel of the
blade.
Similar holes are made in the shank Gl, in like position, to enable the driver to be
reversed if desirable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and carried into practice, I declare
that what I claim is :-
1. In double bow Sheep Shears having a central tongue, an adjustable Clip (such
as C) for the purpose specified, and substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
2. In combination with Sheep Shears a strap driver having its buckle placed under
the bow, the strap passing each part of the bow, and secured to the shanks by the
thongs of leather (or other suitable material)-in the positions shown, for the purpose
herein specified and substantially as described and illustrated.
A 1007