IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEEP SHEARS, THE SAME CONSISTING IN PROVIDING THUMB REST AND GUARD UPON ONE BLADE OF THE SHEARS, AND FINGER RESTS UPON THE SHANK OR BACK EDGE OF BLADE." THE OPPOSITE
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Shannon McWilliams, of Colusa, County
of Colusa, State of California, in the United States of America, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEEP SHEARS, THE SAME CONSISTING
IN PROVIDING THUMB REST AND GUARD UPON ONE BLADE OF THE SHEARS,
AND FINGER RESTS UPON THE SHANK OR BACK EDGE OF
BLADE."
THE OPPOSITE
Sealed the 25th July 1873, and dated the 5th June 1873.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Andrew Shannon
McWilliams at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition and Declaration, on the 5th June 1873, pursuant to the
9th Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
SHANNON MCWILLIAMS, of Colusa, County of Colusa, State of California,
in the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHEEP SHEARS, THE SAME CONSISTING IN PROVIDING A THUMB REST AND GUARD
UPON ONE BLADE OF THE SHEARS, AND FINGER RESTS UPON THE SHANK OR BACK
EDGE OF THE OPPOSITE BLADE," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant
unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that I really
believe myself to be the first and true Inventor thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Andrew Shannon Mwшnams, do
hereby declare that the following Complete Specification, under my
hand and seal, fully describes the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to provide an attachment to the blades
of sheep shears by which the thumb and fingers of the person using
them are protected and supported.
In using the ordinary sheep shears the thumb must press against the
back edge of one of the blades, while the fingers grasp the opposite
blade or shank in such a manner that the shears are operated mostly by
the pressure of the thumb. This constant pressure of the thumb upon
the back of the blade of the shears causes it in a short time to become
sore and lacerated by the sharp edges of the back, owing to the narrow
bearing upon which it presses. The grasp upon the shears is also
insecure, so that a shearer will have his shears kicked from his hands
many times by the sheep which are being sheared.
My improvements consist in providing a suitable rest and guard upon
the back of one blade for the thumb, and also a rest upon the shank of
the opposite blade for one or more fingers of the hand, so that they will
be protected and the grasp upon the shears rendered more secure.
In order to more fully illustrate and explain my Invention reference
is had to the accompanying Drawing forming a part of this Specification,
in which Fig. 1 is a view of my improved shears.
A and B represent the two blades of an ordinary pair of sheep shears,
and C, C, the shank. To the shank of the blade A. I secure one end
of a concave or cup-shaped plate d, which is of a suitable form to fit the
ball or inside of the thumb and provide a rest for it. This guard will
also serve to protect the thumb from being cut by the opposite blade in
case the two blades should slip past each other. This thumb rest can
be made in various forms, and applied in a number of ways so as to give
the desired support, but I prefer to construct it with a plate extension e,
and then secure the extension to the shank, as shown, so that the thumb
seat will project out over the back edge of the blade. By cutting away
a small portion of the back edge of the blade below the thumb rest, as
represented, the plate or rest will be given a slight springing motion as

page_text: the pressure is applied, and removed when the shears are being used,
thus relieving the thumb from the dead pressure which would otherwise
result.
To the back edge of the opposite blade B and its shank I secure one or
more semi-rings or saddles fin the proper position to receive and provide
a seat for one or more fingers of the hand, thus giving the person using
the shears a better and more convenient hold upon them.
If desired, entire rings might be used in place of the semi-rings, but
I prefer the semi-rings on account of the facility they furnish to grasp
the shears and drop them quickly when necessary. By this means I
greatly improve the ordinary sheep shears, so as to render them con-
venient and easy to operate, and at the same time giving the shearer
better control of the shears, so that there will be less danger of cutting
the sheep.
Having thus described my Invention, what I claim and desire to
secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. The blade A of a pair of sheep shears with its thumb rest d,
substantially as and for the purpose above described.
Second. The blade B of a pair of sheep shears, having the finger rests
or saddles f, substantially as and for the purpose above described.
Third. The improvement in sheep shears above described, the same
consisting in providing one blade of the shears with a thumb rest & and
one or more finger rests ƒ on the opposite blade, substantially as and for
the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Shannon M Williams, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
0 Witnesses,
ANDREW SHANNON M°WILLIAMS. (L.S.)
C. M. RICHARDSON,
JOHN L. BOONE.