IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHEEP SHEARS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Woolhouse, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, Shear Grinder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF SHEEP SHEARS."
Sealed the 27th April 1875, and dated the 31st October 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Woolhouse at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 31st October 1874.
I, HENRY WOOLHOUSE, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Shear
Grinder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHEEP SHEARS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to construct sheep shears in such a
manner that these articles may be produced much more economically
than heretofore, while at the same time the shears will be made to act
with greater efficiency. The shears, including the handle part, are made
of cast metal cast in two halves, the forward portion of each half forming
the blades of the shears and the hinder portions the handle.
rearmost and inside portion of each handle is cast with a circular boss,
The.

page_text: and when the bosses of the two halves are placed and secured together
through the centre the two portions of the shear are united together to
form one instrument. A spring is placed between the two parts of tho
handle so as to force the shears to remain open and ready for cutting.
In order to prevent the blades of the shears from being forced too
wide open, so that one blade will pass behind the other, the rear ends of
the handles are made with stops, and in order to prevent the points of
the blades of the shears from passing each other projections or stops are
also formed on the rear ends or hecls of the blades.
Another method of preventing the overlapping of the points of the 1
blades is to place a stop in between the two halves of the handle.
As a modification of the above arrangement the blades of the shears
may be made separate from the handles; and the one portion of the
handle cast on to each blade, so as to form two halves only, which will
bo united in the same way as above described.
Other modifications may be made if found convenient, the principle of
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Henry Woolhouse in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WOOLHOUSE, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Shear Grinder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of October, 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 Henry Woolhouse, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Woolhouse, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Woolliouse, my exe:
cutors, 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 miglit -make, use, exercise

page_text: and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHEEP SHEARS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Woolhouse, my executors or admi-
5 nistrators, 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
0 of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Woolhouse, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
5 annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :—
The object of this Invention is to construct shocp shears in such a
manner that these articles may be produced much more economically
than heretofore, while at the same time the shears will be made to act
O with greater efficiency.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a side and edge view of one-
half of a shears constructed according to my Invention. The shears are
made of iron cast in two halves, which are fitted and held securely
together by a pin, which passes through the centre of the boss a. The
3 halves are held in an open or cutting position (until compressed by the
hand) by a spiral or other suitablo spring b, as shewn in Fig. 4.
The spring is held in its place by two pins c cast on the inside of the
handle.
In order to prevent the blades of the shears from opening too wide,
and thereby causing inconvenience to the operator, the circular and rear
end of the handle is made with a shoulder d, so that when the shears are
open the two ends or shoulders butt against each other and form a stop,
as shewn at d, Fig. 4.
If a superior shear is required a steel blade, Fig. 2, may be forged,
and a handle of brass or iron or other suitable metal cast on to it, as
shewn at Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6. These handles may be exactly similar
to the form shewn at Fig. 1, or as at Fig. 4, or may be of the modified

page_text: '
form shewn at Figures 3, 5, and 6. In this form of shears it is con-
sidered preferable to have a spring of the form shewn at g, Figs. 5, and
in detached view at Fig. 1*. These springs are attached to the handle
of the shears by a small pin or screw, which passes through the tangƒ
of the spring and the handle of the shears, as may be seen in dotted lines 5
at Figures 5 and 6.
Should the spring, shewn at Fig. 5, be considered too weak an
additional spring 9* may be employed and combined with the other, as
shewn at Fig. 6.
To prevent the points of the blades from overlapping each other stops 1
or shoulders e, e, are cast or forged on to the heels of the blades, so that
when the points of the blades meet the stops shall also meet, and prevent
the points of the blades from being moved further over.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Con-
struction of Sheep Shears," and having explained the manner of carrying 1
the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by the
above in part recited Letters Patent, constructing sheep shears of cast
metal cast in two halves, as shewn in Fig. 1.
:
I also claim casting a handle on to a forged blade, as shewn at
Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, and connecting together the two halves thus 2
formed either by means of a boss, as shewn at Fig. 4, or by springs, as
shewn at Figures 5 and 6.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Woolhouse, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One. thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
_HENRY WOOLHOUSE. (7.0)
2