Shearing apparatus

An improved shearing apparatus supportable from an overhead member for shearing wool of a sheep positioned generally below the shearing apparatus on a working surface, the shearing apparatus comprising:

• a motor having a selectively rotatable drive shaft;
• suspension means connected to the over-head member for supporting the motor in an equilibrium position in which the drive shaft depends downwardly in a substantially vertical direction from the motor in a direction of the working surface, the suspension means permitting substantially free movement of the motor along a pendular path;
• a clipper head assembly having cutter blades and a rotatable driven shaft, the cutter blades operable by rotation of the driven shaft;
• a flexible shaft assembly connected to the drive shaft of the motor and the driver head of the clipper assembly for transmitting rotational motion of the drive shaft of the motor to the rotatable driven shaft of the clipper head assembly, the flexible shaft assembly having a length of from about 50 to about 70 inches and comprising an inner core portion formed of wound steel wires and a housing for encasing the core portion;
• and,
• a connector means for connecting the flexible shaft assembly to the clipper head assembly so that the rotatable head of the clipper head assembly is rotated and such that in the connected position of the motor, the clipper head assembly and the flexible shaft assembly, the flexible shaft assembly is approximately equal to the vertical distance between the motor of the working surface and the flexible shaft assembly resists twisting when the clipper head assembly encounters a load during the shearing of wool of sheep.