Historical information

The Chicago Flexible Shaft Company was established in Chicago, Illinois, in 1893. Horses were integral to both the agricultural and transport sectors at the time so hand-cranked clippers that reduced the time to remove the excess winter coat of working horses and other large animals (including sheep) that previously needed to be trimmed with hand shears to a job that could be completed in less than twenty minutes was a considerable advancement. This model, the Number 1, was actually the second iteration of the company's hand-cranked devices; it was smaller and lighter to transport and cheaper for farmers to purchase and therefore had a bigger impact on overall agricultural practices than the company's first, pioneering, 'Chicago Clipper'.

This item is the stand and power-generation unit of the machine. An attachment on the left-hand side of the item shows where a long, flexible 'shaft' ending in sharp clippers could be attached to the crank unit and powered by manually turning the crank handle. The clippers could then be used to easily remove long hair from animals such as horses, whose winter coats could interfere with their ability to wear a harness or hold sweat which would be uncomfortable for the horse when it dried.

The inventors who founded the Chicago Flexible Shaft Company, John K. Stewart (born Terrence O'Brien Junior) and Thomas J. Clark (born Thomas Conlon), went on to design the speedometer used in the Ford Model T car. After Stewart sold his shares in the Chicago Flexible Shaft Company to focus on developing the speedometer concept, the company changed direction to focus on domestic appliances - including clippers for human hair - and rebranded as Sunbeam, a brand still in use today.

Significance

This item is significant as an example of agricultural technology in use in the Emerald area in the early Twentieth Century. The particular make and model of clipper represented a considerable technological advance as it was significantly smaller in size and easier to operate than previous models from the same company. This smaller size meant it had a much bigger impact on farming processes internationally as it was easier to transport and more affordable for farmers to purchase. It is not known which farm in the Emerald area purchased and used the machine.

Physical description

The item consists of a small metal case, which may house a ball bearing mechanism, powered by a wooden handled metal crank to the right side of the case. A metal handle is provided at the rear. An outlet for a cord is present on the left hand side of the unit. The unit stands on an attached tripod to raise it to working height. The item is the brown of rusted metal all over, though it can be seen that the rear handle was originally red and the wooden handle black, in distinction to the possible original chrome colour of the unit overall.

Inscriptions & markings

Top:
THE /
STEWART /
CHICAGO /
BALL BEARING /
No. 1 /
CLIPPER /
MADE BY /
CHICAGO /
FLEXIBLE /
SHAFT CO /
CHICAGO USA /
PATENTED BY /
U.S.A., ENGLAND /
AUSTRALIA /
NEW ZEALAND /
CANADA /
CUBA /
ETC

Right side:
STEWART /
CLIPPER /
MADE /
BY /
CHICAGO FLEXIBLE SHAFT CO /