Improvements in or applicable to Scissors or Shears,
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd May, 1894-Accepted, 8th Dec., 1894
OUBLE LIELE OF DUIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Scissors or Shears,
I, ERNEST NOWILL of Ranmoor Rosendale Road West Dulwich in the County
of Surrey Manufacturing Cutler do hereby declare the nature of this invention
which is partly my own invention and partly the result of a communication to me
from abroad by Ebenezer Farie Macgeorge of d'Aroncourt Monte Carlo and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The invention relates to improvements in or applicable to scissors or shears and
has for its object primarily to provide a means whereby an ordinary pair of scissors
may be rendered capable of automatically cutting the hair to a given length without
risk of injury to the head and which device is especially useful as an adjunct to the
nursery and the invention further relates to various details of construction of the
device as hereinafter described.
In carrying the invention into effect according to one arrangement a pair of
ordinary scissors is employed or they might be of that kind which are formed with
blunt ends.
One blade of these scissors is provided on its back or blunt edge with two headed
projections or studs arranged at a suitable distance apart, and in connection there-
with is employed a plate provided with three or there might be more sets of key-
hole slots each set corresponding in position with the headed studs of the scissors
the several sets of slots being suitably spaced transversely of the plate and formed
on or fixed to one edge of this plate, and standing up at right angles thereto,
and consequently parallel with the blades of the scissors is provided a comb.
By the arrangement of parts herein before described the comb is capable of being
removeably but firmly fixed with the scissor blades.
This comb is of such a length that it extends to or overlaps the ends of the
scissor blades, and thus acts as a guard or shield thereto, but the primary office of
the comb is to enter amongst the hair and rest against the head, thereby holding a
certain portion of the hair in proper position to be cut by the scissors the distance
of the comb from the blades of the scissors determining the length to which the
hair will be cut.
The comb at the same time efficiently protects the head from possible injury by
the scissors whilst it is curved transversely of its length to facilitate its entry into
the hair and to prevent the possibility of injury to the head from the points of its
teeth.
In order to adjust the length to which the hair would be cut, it is merely
necessary to connect the scissors with the base plate of the comb by that set of
key-hole slots which gives the required distance between the comb and the scissor
blades and thus any desired adjustment of the length of cut may be obtained within
certain limits according to the particular set of key-hole slots engaged by the
studs.
According to a modified arrangement of parts the comb in lieu of being carried
by a base plate as hereinbefore described has formed on or fixed thereto a handle
or shank terminating in a single eye or bow similar to that of one of the scissor
blades and this shank or handle is near to the comb laterally cranked and in the
cranked part is formed a slot through which the scissor blades are passed until the
usual rivet connecting them is at or near that point, so that by passing the thumb
D

page_text: The comb b at the same time efficiently protects the head from possible injury by
the scissors whilst it is curved transversely of its length as represented more
particularly at Figures 3, 4, and 7 so as to facilitate its entry into the hair and to
prevent the possibility of injury to the head from the points of its teeth.
•
In order to adjust the length to which the hair would be cut it is merely
necessary to connect the scissor blade a with the base plate of the comb b by
that set of key-hole slots 6* which gives the required distance between the comb b
and the scissor blades a and thus any desired adjustment of the length of cut may
be obtained within certain limits according to the particular set of key-hole
slots engaged by the studs a².
It will be understood that other fastening means than the arrangement of studs
and key-hole slots hereinbefore described may if desired be employed to removeably
fix the plate with the blade a of the scissors.
In the example given at Figures 8 to 14 which represent a modified arrangement
of parts the comb b in lieu of being carried by a base plate connected with a
blade a of the scissors as hereinbefore described is in this case formed with a
handle or shank terminating in a single eye or bow similar to that al of one of
the scissor blades a and this shank or handle 6 is near to the comb b laterally
cranked at and in the cranked part is formed a slot through which the
scissor blades a are passed as represented at Figures 8, 9, and 10 until the usual
rivet connecting them together is at or near the point 6 when by passing the
thumb through the upper one of the scissor bows a¹ and through the eye or bow b*
of the comb handle 3, the comb and scissor blades a may be held together in such
a position that they will operate in the manner hereinbefore described with respect
to the previous arrangement.
In this case in order to obtain an adjustment as to the length of cut a loop or
strap is formed upon the outside of the comb handle & adjacent to the cranked
part and through which loop 62* the scissors a may be passed as represented at
Figure 11, and as herein before described with respect to the slot in the cranked part b¹
the effect however being to hold the blades a of the scissors at a greater distance
from the comb b, and thus increase the length of cut, that is to say increase the
length to which the hair will be cut.
The arrangement lastly hereinbefore described although to some extent answering
the purpose desired is considered inferior to that described with respect to Figures
to 7, inasmuch as it only provides for two degrees of adjustment, and furthermore
the comb is not fixed with the scissor blades a in the same solid manner as in the
previous arrangement.
By the means hereinbefore described at a very small expense a pair of ordinary
scissors may be converted into an efficient hair cutting machine more particularly
adapted for use in the nursery, and by the aid of which the hair of young children
and others may be cut to a given length without the necessity for calling in a
hairdresser and without risk of injury to the child.
The comb device being easily detachable from the scissors the latter may
generally be used for ordinary purposes whilst the comb device may be thoroughly
washed and cleansed after use.
It is obvious that a similar arrangement of parts may be employed in connection
with shears designed for shearing sheep or for other purposes, and for some
purposes such as that lastly herein before referred to where it is not necessary or
desirable to vary the length of cut the adjusting arrangement may be dispensed
with and the comb may be permanently fixed with the scissors or shears.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :--
1. The combination of a pair of scissors or shears and a comb arranged with
relation to the blades of the scissors in manner substantially as herein shown and
described.
.

page_text: 2. The combination of a pair of scissors.or shears and a detachable comb arranged
with relation to the blades of the scissors in manner substantially as herein shown
and described.
3. The combination of a pair of scissors or shears, a comb and means for
removeably fixing the comb with relation to the blades of the scissors in manner
substantially as herein shown and described.
4. The combination of a pair of scissors or shears provided with headed studs or
projections at the back or thick edge of one of the blades; a plate formed with one
or more sets of key-hole slots adapted to engage the headed studs and a comb fixed
with the plate and arranged with relation to the blades of the scissors in manner
substantially as herein shown and described.
5. A comb provided with means for removeably fixing it with relation to
the blades of a pair of scissors in manner substantially as herein shown and
described.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1894.
WHITE & WOODINGTON,
27, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.