IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEEP SHEARS AND OTHER SIMILAR SHEARS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Austin Sorby and Robert Henry Sorby, trading
under the name of Robert Sorby and Sons, of Sheffield, in the County of
York, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHEEP SHEARS AND OTHER
SIMILAR SHEARS,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Austin Sorby and
Robert Henry Sorby at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
11th March 1881.
THOMAS AUSTIN SORBY and ROBERT HENRY SORBY, trading under the name of
Robert Sorby and Sons, of Sheffield, in the County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHEEP SHEARS AND OTHER SIMILAR SHEARS."
This Invention relates to sheep shears and other similar shears.
As ordinarily made the bow of the shears is made of thin sheet or plate iron or
steel, and the sides thereof are straight, the said bow being weak, thereby rendering
it liable to lose its elasticity or spring, and being liable to fracture, or liable to
twist and throw the blades out of position, technically termed "off the cut."
This Invention consists, firstly, in fitting or fixing to the bow either inside or
outside, or both inside and outside, a plate or plates of spring steel or other suitable
metals or materials, the said plate or plates being rivetted, soldered, or brazed to
the bow, or fixed thereto in any other suitable manner. The plate or plates may
extend the full depth of the bow or be narrower than the bow, and be fixed.
centrally or otherwise to the bow, thereby giving that elastic spring and support
which has always been found wanting in the old construction of shears.
This Invention consists, secondly, in forming the bow with a projection or set off
at or about the centre of the depth thereof, the said projection tapering from the
centre of the length of the bow towards the blades, thus making the centre of the
bow the strongest part thereof, or the projection may be of the same width instead
of tapering towards its ends; the projection may be formed either inside or outside,
or on each side of the bow.
As a modification of the improvements secondly described the bow of the shears
may be of equal thickness throughout, but will be bulged or curved in the centre, either
inwardly or outwardly, so that in cross section the said bow would be straight, say,
for one fourth of its depth, then curved (inwardly or outwardly) for two fourths of
its depth, and be straight for the remaining one fourth part of its depth, the curving
or bulging of the said bow giving it strength, and thus rendering the blades less
liable to get "off the cut" by the twisting of the bow.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent. filed
by the said Thomas Austin Sorby and Robert Henry Sorby in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 10th September 1881.
THOMAS AUSTIN SORBY and ROBERT HENRY SORBY, trading under the name of
Robert Sorby and Sons, of Sheffield, in the County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SHEEP SHEARS AND OTHER SIMILAR SHEARS."
This Invention relates to sheep shears and other similar shears.
As ordinarily made the bow of the shears is made of thin sheet or plate iron or
steel, and the sides thereof are straight, the said bow being weak, thereby rendering
it liable to lose its elasticity or spring, and being liable to fracture, or liable to
twist and throw the blades out of position, technically termed "off the cut."
- This Invention consists, firstly, in the construction of. sheep shears, to the solid
bow of which is fitted or fixed either inside or outside, or both inside and outside,
a plate or plates of spring steel or other similar and suitable metals or materials,
the said plate or plates being rivetted, soldered, or brazed to the bow, or fixed
thereto in any other suitable manner. The plate or plates may extend the full
depth of the bow or be narrower than the bow, and be fixed centrally or otherwise
to the bow, thereby giving that elastic spring and support which has always been
found wanting in the old construction of shears.
This Invention consists, secondly, in a modification of the improvements firstly
described, and in the construction of the bow of sheep shears with a projection or
set off at or about the centre of the depth thereof, the said projection tapering from
the centre of the length of the bow towards the blades, thus making the centre of
the bow the strongest part thereof, or the projection may be of the same width
instead of tapering towards its ends; the projection may be formed either inside or
outside or on each side of the bow, and is or are for the same purpose as the plate
or plates firstly described, and is or are in substitution thereof.
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 is a front view, and Figure 2 is an
edge view of a pair of sheep shears of the improved construction. B is the bow of
the shears; A is the plate fixed inside the bow by the rivets R, R; Figure 3 is a
front view, and Figure 4 an end view of the bow B with the single internal plate A;
Figure 5 is a front view, and Figure 6 an end view of the bow B with the internal
plate A, and an external plate C; Figure 7 is a front view, and Figure 8 is an end
of the bow. B with an internal solid projection D; Fig. 9 is a front view, and
Fig. 10 is an end view of the bow B with an internal solid projection D, and an
external solid projection E; Figure 11 is a front view, and Figure 12 is an end
view of the bow B with an external plate C; Figure 13 is a front view, and
Figure 14 is an end view of the bow B with an external solid projection E.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, we would observe in conclusion, that what we consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore
in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly,
The construction of the solid iron or steel bows of sheep shears with one or more
straightening plates of spring steel or other similar and suitable metals, the said
plate or plates being fixed or fitted to either the inside or outside of the said bow,
or both inside and outside of the said bow, and substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, and 12 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly,
1
duration of the

page_text: jections, the said projection or projections being either inside or outside the said
bow, or both inside and outside the said bow, and substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, and 14 of the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Austin Sorby and Robert Henry
Sorby, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day of
June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.