IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEEP SHEARS
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY BRAMHALL 40 St Barnabas Road Sheffield in the County of York
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEEP SHEARS to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of sheep shears, the object being to
reduce the cost of manufacture.
In carrying out my invention in the construction of sheep shears, I cut or
punch the blades with suitable shanks out of sheet or strip or bar steel, and by
preference out of double bevilled bars, that is bars of a suitable thickness in the
middle, and tapered to the edges, the blades being so cut out that the backs are
thick and the edges thin, to save both labour and material. The bow is also cut
or punched out of sheet steel, to the desired shape, the ends being left sufficiently
long to be attached to the shanks. The shanks are made by casting them of any
suitable material, but preferably of malleable cast iron, the outside being rounded
to suit the hand, and the inside having a slot or opening for the shank of the
blade to fit into, and to which it is secured by rivets or their equivalents.
To adjust the strength of the shears to suit the shearer, I attach the shanks to
the ends of the bow in such a manner that the bow can be drawn back; this is
done by making a slot or slots in one part, that is, in either the tangs of the bow
or the cast shanks, and corresponding steady pins or projections in the other part,
to prevent any side play, the parts being held firmly together by set screws.
The stops are made in the usual place close to the blades, and the shanks also
close one against the other lower down the shank, so that it is impossible to spring
the blades apart.

page_text: I HENRY BRAMHALL 40 St Barnabas Road Sheffield in the county of York
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF SHEEP SHEARS and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of sheep shears the
chief object being to reduce the cost of manufacture.
I annex a sheet of drawings to render this my specification clear and so that it
may be fully understood, the same letters of reference when repeated indicate the
same or similar parts in any of the figures.
Fig. 1, represents a pair of sheep shears made in accordance with my invention.
Fig. 2, the same closed.
Fig. 3, shows the method of cutting out the blades from bevilled steel.
Fig. 4 represents the bow before it is bent to shape as in Fig. 5.
Fig. 6, represents the end of Fig. 4 when prepared with a slot and an extended
fork, for adjusting the bow to alter the power of the spring.
Fig. 7, is a full size view in three positions of the shank of the shears.
In carrying out my invention, I cut or punch out the blades A. from either single
bevilled steel as shown in Fig. 3, or from double bevilled steel, tapering from the
centre to the edges, and I thus gain two advantages, the blade not only being 2
tapered thinner towards the edge B, but it also tapers towards the point C, and
I thus save both labour and material.
The tang of the blade D, is shaped to suit the construction of the shank E, the
end being bevilled to fit into the undercut part of the recess F, which is also
tapered or dovetailed from back to front as shown in the end view, this method 2
locks the parts securely together and to prevent the blades being drawn out from
the end of the shank, I finally secure them by means of the rivets G, G.
I cut the bow from sheet steel as shown in Fig. 4, hollowing the ends H H to fit.
the inside of the shanks E, and giving the desired curve to the bow as shown in
Fig. 5, but when the shears are required to have the means of adjusting the power 3
of the spring to suit the wants of the shearer, I make a slot I in each of the ends H,
and I extend the points of the fork J.
Instead of attaching the bow to the shanks E in a permanent manner by means
of rivets through the holes K, K, I hold it in its position by means of a screw and
nut fixed to the shank and passed through the slot I, by this arrangement the bow 3
may be drawn out as shown in Fig. 8, and fixed at any position required.
The more the bow is drawn out, the less strength is required to work the shears,
and vice versa.
The shanks E are preferably made of cast malleable iron, which combines
strength and lightness, the front part may be extended to form a support to the 4
steel blade if desirable.
Although I have mentioned that the blades are made from steel, I do not bind
myself to make them from all steel, as they may be made from steel faced iron or
other suitable combinations of steel.

page_text: The stops L, are in the usual position, but I also use a second pair of stops L¹
placed lower down the shanks, the object of these stops L', are to prevent the
blades from being sprung past their proper position, by the compression of the
shanks E, towards each other when the stops L are in contact.
Having now described and particularly 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 manufacture of Sheep Shears substantially as herein before described
and illustrated.
(2.) In Sheep Shears, the arrangement of an adjustable bow for the purpose
specified, and substantially as described and illustrated.
(3.) In Sheep Shears, the method of securing the blades to the shanks, by the
system of dove tails or undercut slots or recesses formed in the shanks and the
corresponding bevilled parts of the tangs of the blades as herein described and
illustrated.
R. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicant.