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THE AUSTRALIAN SHEEP-SHEAR-ING MACHINE.

The Sydney Mail gives the following accounV of this invention, about which a good deal of : curiosity has been expressed :— An interesting trial of this invention took place at Eurok* station, near Walgett, recently, in pr'esenee of several squatters, station managers, and o.ther' gentlemen more or less interested in.'t.he wool! industry of our colony. The resulf was pronouncedby all as beyond their most 'sanguine", 3xpectatious andau unqualified success.' r O,win« ; to the many difficulties imminent in obtaining;., mechauical accessories at such a distance, it wajs ! found impossible to have the machine conipjete,d * in some details until too' late for the present shearing ; the trial had, therefore, to be madeupon straggling sheep, whose r wool was. much"; overgrown, and so dense that it made the testflt severe one; nevertheless, the work was' done ifcl/, a thorough and perf ect manuer, "and without & : single hitcb, which is not generally the case, with experiments. Sheep-shearinjp'bjSTtn'a' chinery may now be looked, upon as an accomplished faefc. The first sheep was" shorn iv 4imin, and the second in r 3£tnjn., r ,Then a large-* w'ethef was shorn with tfte. ordinary sheers by af skilled shearer present, and afterwards by tfcyemachine, the resulfc being that fib of extra, wool was gained ; thea a small wether shona by o'rdf~'" nary sheawsand then run over by tie machine^' when in this case £lb was obtained. ' Thft y> ' superior work was very 1 eviotent as compare* '■• with ordinary shorn sheep, »ach animal showing-"' a clean, even surface* no second cut, 'nor aW' ! injury to the skia. The machine is invented - and patented througboat - the colonies T>y Mr ' F. Y. Woiseley, of Eureka station? it is the result ol many years' oarefnl study and experi- ' lJ ' ments by. this gentleman, and bears evidence of'" 1 great scientific abilityjc „'■■. j, 'J -•> , j iv. The, machine, is smaHi String -enclosed M r a^ brass casing* eight inches ' long ; ■ tha c pajts in' ftont, the hind part formitog. asaitaible^' handle. Through the handle rnna % light <steel rod working in bearings at both cads. At'the front end is attached a light steal crank, with pig *tta<rtw<i thereto; tMa $b ftte into a bole

in a small piece half -inch long of | steel-rod called the plunge ; this plunge fits a light steel* cylinder, the^ front, part of ..which, is :. slightly scored* out •to - permit of * lateral motion.to the crank pin. -At the back of the cylinder is an arm extending one inch, with sleeve, fitting over the main pin, which is securely attached to the case, Under the arm is a friction double wheel, which rolls on a steel step as the arm reciprocates. On the top of this arm is a hinge joint, to which is hinged the lever arm or fork ; this fork has three prongs, the ends being bent downwards with pins in each point to receive the small hollow steel cutters. On the top side Of the fork is a slight hollow to receive the arms •f the saddle, being a light collar fitting over the main pin, with arms resting on the fork. A SiiUed rouad*headed hollow nut, whioh also acts at a receptacle for oil to lubricate the main pin, to screwed down on the main pin head, and thus preww the saddle arms into the fork, and gives presaore on the points of the fork holding the email cutter, „ This pressure or tension is kept in position by a small steel spring fitting into the ratchets on tension put.. l The cutter, which cuts the wool as it reciprocates over the comb, is of light steel, having three points, and is stamped hollow to avoid friction. The comb is of steel, being oneeighth of an inch thick, and having 11 teeth half an inch long. It is fastened to the underneath part of the front of the casing by suitable, fiat, broad-headed screws, and has an adjusting slot, so as to prevent of its being moved backwards or forwards to suit the cut required. At the end of the handle is a universal joint con* necting the machine with the case conveying the motive power. This joint enables the operator to twist and tarn his hand in any direction, thus giving him as much freedom of use as if he were working a pair of common shears. The action of the cutter as it reciprocates quickly over the comb is self-sharpening ; thus one cutter may shear a thousand or more sheep unless the wool possesses sand or foreign matter to destroy the catting edges. In this case, or where it may be necessary to remove the cutter and replace it by a sbaip, one', the tension nut is eased, the fork is raised till the pin points are above the corresponding holes in the cutter and in a few seconds a fresh one is placed in position, the tension nut is screwed down till the required tension or pressure is effected onthecutter and work is resumed. In the event' of the comb being broken, or its cutting edges being injured, it can speedily be replaced by relieving the screws which connect ft with the ease and substituting a new one. All the parts of the machine are interchangeable ; thas, should one part be injured or wear out in course of time it can be quiokly replaced by a duplicate. The motive power is conveyed to the machine by either steam or horse. An eight horse-power engine will work 100 machines. Hollow turned shafting is selected as being fighter and thus more suitable where long carriage has to be borne. The shafting is erected on suitable bearings ; it runs through the shed, facing the sheariug floor, where it is desired to use the machines. On the shafting and sft apart are cast-iron wheels 2ft in diameter ; each wbeel has one side of its flange slightly bevelled. Six feet six inches above the shearing floor and attached to eaoh post by back screws, and sft apart, is a cast iron bracket, with an extension of 3ft of light angle iron ; on each 'Bracket is a small leather wheel 4in in diameter; with a bevel of l£iq, corresponding to the bevel of the iron wheel above ; th s wheel is formed by compressing several layers of leather between brass plates ; it rotates on a spindle in suitable bearing. On the end of the spindle is a steel hook, and outside the bearing is screwed a brass coupling, which is attached to' a flexible tube 6ft 6in long, and made with steel wire tightly and closely coiled and covered with leather, but in practice it will be ooyered with cord by machinery. Inside this tube is, a piece of round gat, half an inch in diameter with a hook at one end and an eye at the other ; the eye is placed in the hook at the end of the spindle carrying the small j leatherifriction wheel ; the hook is placed in the eye at the end of the universal joint forming part, of the shearing machine. The connection I is made complete by a thin brass coupling, slipping easily over a light brass ferrule on the end of -the flexible tube, and screwed cuts the ends of the universal joint.

Presuming that the shaft running through the shed is in motion, by lightly pulling a small cord hanging from the bracket a spring liberates a catch, and instantly the bevel leather wheel Is pushed into position of contact with the bevel of the iron wheel revolving on the shaft, and thus it communicates a rotary motion to the core inside the flexible tube, and so to the small rods working the crank inside the casing of the machine. This crank moves from side to side the cylinder, and thu3 causes the fork with Cotter attached at end to reciprocate over the comb' , and as the comb is pushed into the wool so does the small cutter nut it. It is claimed for this invention not so much rapidity of action as perfection of work done. It cuts evenly the wool, leaving only that length which equals the thickness of the comb. The combs are of various thickness, so that any desired length of wool can be left on the sheep to prevent blistering in times of hot weather and to protect them in extremely' cold- weather. There need be no second cutting; by simply holding the comb close to the pelt, the wool is cut evenly and with rapidity. With any ordinary common care, the sheep cau be shorn without leaviug a scratch on their pelts. The machines can be used by unskilled men, though of course where obtainable skilled labour will always be employed. As there will be a great gain in obtaining more wool of a better than an ordinary kind, as there will be no double cutting, and the best of the wool, that closest to the skin, will be shorn, it will even remunerate the flockraasters to pay more per hundred for sheep shorn by the patent machines, as it is coutended by actual experience that from half to three-quarters of a pound more wool is gained by the use of the machines. Even were but two ounces of more wool obtained, this amount coming from 50,000 sheep, and valuing the wool at B|d per lb, would represent a sum of money equal to £221 0d sd.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW18870114.2.12.7

Bibliographic details

Otago Witness, Issue 1834, 14 January 1887, Page 7

Word Count
1,574

THE AUSTRALIAN SHEEP-SHEARING MACHINE. Otago Witness, Issue 1834, 14 January 1887, Page 7

THE AUSTRALIAN SHEEP-SHEARING MACHINE. Otago Witness, Issue 1834, 14 January 1887, Page 7