GB2209985A

GB2209985A - Shearing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2209985A
Application number: GB8722272A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nikolai Filippovich Golub; Viktor Alexandrovich Rudenko; Alexei Petrovich Yasakov
Original assignee: AZOVO CHERNOM I MEKH SELS KHOZ
Current assignee: AZOVO CHERNOM I MEKH SELS KHOZ
Priority date: 1987-09-23
Filing date: 1987-09-22
Publication date: 1989-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2007-09-22
Also published as: SE8703730D0; FR2620643A1; SE8703730L; AU586126B2; AU7907187A; GB8722272D0; SE464340B; FR2620643B1; GB2209985B

Abstract

A shearing machine comprises a casing (1) the front part of which accommodates a shearhead including a movable knife (3), a fixed shearing comb (4) and an additional detachable comb (5). The width of the toothed zone of the additional comb (5) is greater than the width of the toothed zone of the fixed shearing comb (4), and lengthwise the teeth are sickle-shaped. Each tooth of the comb (5) has in cross-section the shape of an isosceles triangle with a base thereof facing the shearing comb (4), the surface area of the triangle diminishing toward the tooth tips. The base of the additional comb (5) is secured to the base of the fixed comb (4) to the rear of its toothed zone, the teeth of the comb (5) curving up towards, but spaced from, the tips of the teeth of the fixed comb (4). <IMAGE>

Description

SHARING Il- CHINE This invention relates to mechanized shearing of farm animals, and more particularly to sheep shears.

Shearhesds of such machines embodying the present invention are capable of clipping sheep hair to a set length for obtaining prior to slaughter good fleece, mutton and high quality shearlings, as well as for shea finb sheep in unfavourable weather conditions.

There is known a shearing machine of the British "Lister" Company comprising a shearhead having a comb for shearing sheep in extreme weather conditions clipping wool somewhat higher than during normal shearing. As the segmental part of the tooth of such a comb travels along irregular surface of the sheep's body, tha tip of the starting part of the tooth tends to be continuously offset relative to the skin of the animal to cause non-uniform length of hair being clipped, bald spots or even skin cuts. Such combs are preferable for shearing long-wooled sheep in late autumn taking care not to overcool them, and in spring trying to avDid sunburns.

The length of hair being clipped is not essential for this type Df shearing. However, such combs are not used for shearing sheep before slaughter, since they fail tD ensure a set and uniform length of hair to be clipped and therefore fail to meet the requirements of fur-coat production.

More suitable for this purpose is a shearing machine in which rectilinear teeth of an additional comb are spaced at a set distance from a shearing plate. This shape of teeth of the additional comb ensures the desired hair length being clipped only at straight and rounded body portions. At other body shapes this machine fails to provide uniform hair cutting. In addition, the use of a shearhead of this construction for shearing sheep is disadvantageous because the movement of the additional comb in the wool coat of the sheep is difficult due to piercing the wool by comb teeth and the tendency of the teeth to get stuck after cutting the mat of wool formee by wavy wool hair.

In view of the foregoing, the prior art construc tions of shearing machines have a rather limited application and fail to ensure shearing sheep prior to slaughter.

The present invention aims at obviating the foregoing disadvantages.

It is therefore an object Df this invention to provide a shearing machine having a shearhead so constructed as to ensure uniform clipping of wool at a set distance from the skin of the animal being sheared and minimize the force required for moving the machine on the sheep body.

The object is attained by that in a shearing machine co:prising a casing the front part of which accommodates a shearhead including a movable knife and a fixed shearing comb engageable therebetween, and an additional detachable comb, each comb having a base and a toothed zone, the additional comb being secured so as tD provide a clearance between tooth tips of the two combs, according to the invention, the width of the toothed zone of the additional comb is greater than the width of the toothed zone of the fizzed shearing comb and lengthwise the teeth are sickle-shaped, each of the teeth having in cross-section the shape of an isosceles triangular with a base thereof facing the fixed shearing cob, the base surface area diminishing toward the tooth tips, whereas the base of the additional comb is mounted on te base of the fixed comb to the rear of its toothed zone.

Preferably, the teeth of the additional comb are arranged in the toothed zone of the shearing corny with a variable pitch increasing from the middle tooth to the peripheral teeth.

Alternatively,locking lugs can be provided at the base of the additional comb at the side adjacent to the fixed shearing comb, This arrangement of the machine makes it possible to ensure uniform hair cutting at a set height during shearing a range of sheep breeds, including fine-freece sheep, with a minimum of physical effort consumed for moving the machine along the sheep body.

The proposed sheep shearing machine for cutting sheep wool to a height somewhat greater than in normal shearing comprises a casing with a drive, and a shearhead with a movable knife, a fixed shearing knife, and an additional detachable comb, The teeth of the additional comb arranged in a com- mon vertical plane with the corresponding teeth of the shearing conb follow the contour of the sheep skin and retain it at a set distance from the movable knife and shearing comb, whereas the sickle shape of such teeth with a radius equal to the set height Df shear makes it possible to change the inclination angle of the machine within the range of the normal shearing vdth the height of shear not being affected.

The clearance between the teeth of the combs allows to preserve the mat of hair being cut; as the teeth of the additional comb pierce the wool, forces ofadhesion between the wavy sheep hair act on its inner surface in the vertical plane. This in turn promotes the force of compression of the teeth to the base of the hair and results in a more uniformly cut hair in terms of height.

The arrangement of the teeth of the additional comb with a variable pitch increasing from the center to the periphery ensures shearing to a set height of hair without bald spots or cuts at bumpy or rounded parts of the sheep body. Resistance to the forward movement of the shearing machine in the course of shearing is made up of the force for cutting the fur hair and the force required for the movement through the hair of the additional comb, which forces are a combination of the force for piercing the wool by the teeth and for movement of the tooth base trough the wool.The tip of the tooth having, a prDgressively increasing surface of triangular shape toward its base acts to pierce the wool and separate it into strips accompanied by splitting and drawing the ends of fur hair apart, thereby ensuring free movement of the tooth base therein.

In view of the sforedescribed, the proposed geometry Df the tooth enables to shear every sheep breed with a minimum of nanuOl effor, which is the second important advantage.

With the corresponding modification Df the width of the additional comb and number of teeth in the row, such a comb can be used in combination with all types of shearing combs thus expanding the range of possible applications. Thanks to the proposed structural features, shearing machines serve longer, less labour constiming in operation, and offer a substantially lower shearing cost as cDaparad with the prior art machines.

These objects and attending advantaÓes Df the present invention will become more fully apparent from a more detailed description that follows with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an axonometric view of a shearing machine according to the invention with partially cut-away sec t ions; Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine shDwn in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view of the proposed shearing machine taken in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 2.

With reference to Figs. 7 and 2, the proposed shearing machine, such as for shearing sheep, comprises a casing 1 fabricated from metal and having a drive 2 mounted inside the casing 1. The front part of the Ca- sing 1 has a shearhead which includes a movable knife 3, a fixed shearing comb 4, and an additional detachable comb 5 arranged under the comb 4 and affixed thereto by pressure screws 6. Each comb 4 and 5 has a base and a toothzone. Provided at the base of the additional comb 5 at the side adjacent to the fixed shearing comb are locking lugs 7. Provision of the locking lugs 7 ensure the required positioning of the teeth of the two combs.

In the assembled state the movable knife 5 with drive 2, fixed shearing comb and additional comb 4 make an integral unit with teeth arranged in a common vertical plane. The siaBlsshaped tooth of the additional comb 5 (Fig. 2) form with the tooth of the shearing comb 4 a clearance d growing from their tips to the base0 The sickle-shaped teeth of the additional comb 5 and the teeth of the shearing comb 4 define at their base a collector 8 for finely cut wool. The base of the teeth of the additional comb 5 is after the wool cutting zone.

The initial or starting part of the teeth of the additional comb 5 in the wool cutting zone is needle shaped and projects somewhat forward of the tooth tips of the shearing comb 4. The starting part of the teeth in the wool cutting zone extends into a bearing portion intended for maintaining the wool cutting zone by the shearhead at a set distance from the sheep skin.

In the wool cutting zone the bearing part of the tooth of the additional comb 5 takes the form of an isosceles triangle in cross-section with the surface area of this triangle progressively growing toward its base. The portion between the bearing part of the tooth of the additional comb 5 and its base is intended to separate by its side edges the fibers of the hair coat into strips. The separating part of the teeth extends into their base having the form of diverging wedges.

The base portions of the teeth extends into the base of the additional comb 5 after the wool cutting zone.

At the base of the additional comb 5 (Fig. 3) the base portions of the teeth are arranged with a variable pitch increasing from the center to the periphery. The number of teeth in the comb 5 depends on the desired width of the shearing comb 4. The width of the toothed area of the additional comb 5 is greater than the width of the toothed area of the shearing comb 4.

The proposed shearing machine operates in the following manner.

As the machine is moved on the animal skin, the starting part of the tooth of the additional comb 5 acts to pierce the thick hair coat at its base to be locked therein and ensure that the skin of the animal is drawn to a desired distance from the wool cutting zone.

Then the starting part of the shearing comb 4 pierces the hair coat, locks it and feeds it to the wool cutting zone. At the same time, the bearing part of the teeth of the additional comb 5 follows the body shape and retains the base of the hair coat at a set distance from the wool cutting zone. The sickle shape of the additional comb in its starting and bearing sections ensures cutting hair coat of uniform length as the machine is moved along the animal body.

In the course of shearing, as the machine moves along the animal body, the hair coat fibers are separated by the triangular teeth accompanied by the formation of longitudinal depressions in the hair coat. As the machine moves further, the base of the tooth of the additional comb leaves the hair coat being sheared. The geometry of the teeth makes it possible to separate the hair coat and shear animals with various wool conditions.

When shearing bulging parts of the animal body, the teeth of the additional comb follow the body shape and.

ensure uniform wool clipping transversely of the shearhead.

In view of the foregoing, the proposed shearing machine ensures high-quality shearing sheep of any breed, including fine-fleece sheep, to a preset clip height without bald spots and skin cuts at the minimum of labour expenditures. This in turn allows to obtain good wool prior to slaughter and high-quality shearlings, as well as to shear sheep in extreme weather conditions, viz., during early spring or late autumn.

Claims

7. A shearing machine comprising a casing the front part of which accommodates a shearhead including a movable knife, a fixed shearing comb, and an additional detachable comb; each of the combs having a base and a toothed zone, the width of the toothed zone of the additional comb being greater than the width of the toothed zone of the fixed shearing comb, and lengthwise the teeth are sickle-shaped, whereas cross-seotionally each of the teeth has the shape of an isosceles triangular with a base thereof facing the fixed shearing comb, the triangular base surface area diminishing toward the teeth tips; the additional comb being secured so as to provide a clearance between the tooth tips of the two combos, and the base of the additional comb is secured to the base of the fixed comb to the rear of its toothed zone.
2. A shearing machine as claimed in claim 1, in which the teeth of the additional comb are arranged in the toothed zone of the shearing comb with a variable pitch increasing from the middle tooth to the peripheral teeth.
3. A shearing machine as claimed in claim 1, in which locking lugs are provided at the base of the additional comb at the side adjacent to the fixed shearing comb.
4. A shearing machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims substantially as described in the description and represented in the drawings.