Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE EDWARD SMART of Belvedere House, Tunbridge Wells in the
County of Kent, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
-
The object of this invention is to provide means for increasing the power of
the grip or cut, and the invention consists principally in lengthening at will the
arms or levers and in attachments by which the leverage may be still further
increased.
The invention is applicable to most kinds of shears, tongs, pliers and the like.
The lengthening of the arms may be effected by forming them telescopically so
that they may be drawn or screwed out as required, or extension levers may be
jointed to one or both of the arins proper and adapted to fold outwards and so
increase the length-or other equivalent devices may be employed.
The attachments for increasing the leverage may be special pieces jointed to
the arms.
One
Or the above described extension levers may be utilised for this purpose.
of these pieces or levers is formed as a rack or pierced with holes or otherwise
adapted to receive the projecting short end of the other piece or lever; the first
piece preferably passes through an opening in the arın to which it is not attached.
The action is that when the second piece engages with the tirst it acts itself as
a lever and being fulcrummed upon the main arm it greatly increases the power
exercised upon the blades or jaws.
This arrangement may be duplicated if desired.
Where great power is desired one arm may be cranked so as to increase the
space between the arms and provided with folding feet or supports which can be
opened out when desired so as to support the tool when placed upon the ground or
bench; the action is similar to that already described but as both hands or even
the foot or knee can be brought to bear upon the top lever very great power can
be applied..
Implements of this description will be found to be of great service for jobbing
purposes and for gardeners shears for instance for clipping hedges as the lengthening
of the handles dispenses with the necessity for using steps to reach the top.

page_text: On account of the great power obtained by this invention means must be pro-
vided to prevent the object to be held or cut from slipping out on account of the
angle at which the blades are opened. To do this I employ teeth lips or facing
jaws or blades jointed to the original oues and provided with means such as set
screws or the like whereby they may be adjusted and made to lie at the required
angle or even parallel if desired.
Improvements in Shears, Pliers, and other similar Tools.
I GEORGE EDWARD SMART of Belvedere House, Tunbridge Wells, in the County
of Kent, Gentleman 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:—
The object of this invention is to provide means for increasing and maintaining
the gripping or cutting power in shears and other implements of analagous con-
struction such as tongs, pliers, punches tinmans snips and the like.
My improvements consist principally in forming the arms or levers in a manner
which permits of the length thereof being increased when more than usual pressure
is required and in the use of other attachments for affording additional leverage.
The utility of cutting off, or gripping implements having simple blades or jaws
hinged together depends greatly upon the extent of the opening or angle between
the said blades or jaws, and if this passes a certain limit which vary with the
nature of the material every increase of pressure tends to force the said material
away from the jaws.
To prevent this I employ facing jaws or blades jointed to the original ones and
provided with means whereby they may be made to close either parallel to each
other or at any desired angle.
The lengthening of the arms may be effected by forming them telescopically so
that they may be drawn out as required or extension levers may be jointed to one
or both of the arins proper and adapted to fold outwards and so increase the length
or other equivalent devices may be employed.
The attachments for increasing the leverage may be special pieces jointed to the
arms or the above described extension bars may be utilised for this purpose. One
of these pieces or levers is formed as a rack or pierced with holes or otherwise
adapted to receive the projecting short end of the other piece or lever; the first

page_text: piece preferably passes through an opening in the arm to which it is not attached
and the lever mounted upon this arin being extended slightly beyond its fulcrum
in the form of a heel or catch this latter engages with the teeth on the other one
and acts at a great advantage. This arrangement may be duplicated if desired.
Where great power is required one of the arms may be cranked or bent so as to
increase the space between them. The cranked arm is provided with folding or
swivelling feet or supports which can be opened out when desired so as to support
the tool when placed upon the ground or bench. This arrangement enables. the
operator to bring the weight of his body to bear upon the top lever whereby the
pressure is greatly increased.
Implements of this description will be found to be of great service for jobbing
purposes and for gardeners shears for instance for clipping hedges as the lengthening
of the handles dispenses with the necessity for using steps to reach the top.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawings I have shown three methods
of lengthening the arms of shears or other implements which require the use of
both hands. The arrangement in each case is telescopic (though other forms may
be used if preferred) that is to say the ordinary arms A which are forged in con-
junction with the blades A¹ are surrounded by closely fitting tubes or sleeves B
capable of sliding thereon. When constructed as shown in Figure 1 the arms A
are serrated so as to form two ratchets the teeth pointing preferably inwards.
Pawls B¹ projecting through slots in the sleeves B enters into the spaces between
the ratchet teeth and prevent the sleeves from closing thereon as they otherwise
would do on pressure being applied.
In Figure 2 male threads are formed on the arms C and corresponding female
threads in the sleeves D and by giving the requisite number of turns to the latter
the length of handle and leverage may be increased or diminished at pleasure.
In Figure 3 the arms E are plain rods in the end of each of which is a threaded
pin or stud E¹ which projects through a slot E' which extends almost from end to
end of the sleeve E³. On this pin is screwed a wing nut E' by tightening which
the sleeves are retained in the required position.
When the nature of the work admits of the implement being used in a stationary
position the arrangement shown in Figures 4 and 4ª will be found extremely
powerful. In this case the lower arm A is cranked or bent at right angles or there-
alouts so as to leave a considerable interval between the two arms when the blades
meet. This arin rests on feet A' which are hinged to studs A² so as to be capablo
of folding or swivelling as shown by dotted lines. A ratchet A³ hinged to the
arm A passes through a slot in the upper arm B and receives the pawl shaped end
of a lever B' fulcrumed at B2. By applying pressure on the handle B³ the closing
power of the blades or jaws is multiplied or B2 may be under B and a small wheel
or equivalent may gear with B' and A³. Figures 5, 5ª 6, 7, and 7ª illustrate
modified forms of apparatus for affording a parallell or firm grip upon articles which
could not be held between angular jaws.
In each case the jaws proper C are supplemented by facing jaws C¹ which are
hinged to the former at C. The parallelism or other position of the jaws is effected
in Figures 5 and 5º by screws D which pass through the jaws C and bear against
the jaws C or between C and C which are slightly enlarged and channelled to
prevent any lateral slip. By adjusting the screws D a parallel grip may be ensured
upon an object E of any thickness not exceeding the opening capacity of the
jaws at F.
In Figure 6 the inner edges of the jaws C are notched or toothed and the outer
edges of the facing jaws are similarly notched or toothed. Flat metal rings or
washers G are placed loosely over the jaws C the inner edges of which enter between
the teeth thereon whilst the outer edges enter between the teeth on the jaws C' and
by moving these washers nearer to or further from the fulcrum H the jaws may
be caused to assume the parallel position at any required distance apart within
reasonable limits. The apparatus shown in Figures 7 and 7 is a modification of

page_text: -
Figure 6 the arms or jaws C being threaded instead of toothed and nuts J substi-
tuted for the washers G. .In other respects the mode of regulating the apparatus
is the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The method of increasing or decreasing the power of the grip or cut or the
reach of shears or other implements by providing them with handles which can be
lengthened or shortened at will substantially as specified.
2. The application of the folding feet A¹ to one arm of a pair of shears or other
similar implements substantially as described and shown in Figures 4 and 4°.
3. The combination with the jaws C of facing jaws C¹ substantially as and for
the purpose specified.