A NEW INVENTION.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 75, 16 December 1875, Page 7

A NEW INVENTION.

The ' Melbourne Telegraph ' of the sth inst, reports :— A trial of Messrs Blanchard and Johnson's horse- clipping machine was made at Garton's stables, Little Collins streak The machine is an ■ American invention, for which Messrs Blanchard and Johnson, newly arrived from Boston, are the Australian agents, and it differs materially from the old-fashioned one at present in use. The machine itself consists of a oast iron stand, about 4£ feet high, in the circular base of which is a socket, so that the standard may be fitted to any position required when clipping. The motive power is furnished by a hand wheel fixed midway up the standard, which drives wheel to an arm, at one end of which is a heavy weight, and to the other is attached a swinging pendant. At the lower end 6f this pendant is fixed the cutting apparatus,, which consists of a series of compound cog wheels arranged in the most ingenious fashion, that produce revolutions of a knife upon a circular steel comb of 200 per minute. The handle and cogs can be easily adjusted to any position re-, quired by the operator, and altogether the machine is a perfect mechanical wonder. About three o'clock a large number of gentlemen interested met at the stables where the experiment took place. A horse was led out and located near the machine. The animal had, a long coat of hair, but was not otherwise a good subject, having too many- angularities in his formation. The machine was put in motion, and in somethingunder three quarters of an hour the horse stood entirely divested of hair. Several , professional horse-clippers tested the machine, and were unanimous in their expressions of approval. The principle of the invention has been extended to sheep shearing, and n puplic exhibition in this direction will shortly be held.