IMPREGNATING MACHINE FOR SURFACE IMPREGNATING HIDES OR SIMILAR

Abstract: An impregnating machine (1, 28) for surface impregnating hides (2) or similar, wherein an endless conveyor belt (3), with a transportation branch (5) traveling in a given direction (6), and a conveyor (16), presenting a number of endless belts (17), define a feed channel (19) for the hides (2); the feed channel (19) extending substantially up to a narrow passage (13) for the conveyor belt (3) and the hides (2); and the passage (13) being defined between an impregnating roller (11) and a deflecting member (7) facing the impregnating roller (11) and such as to impart to the transportation branch (5) of the conveyor belt (3) a radius of curvature (R1) equal to a relatively small fraction of the radius (R2) of the impregnating roller (11).

Description: IMPREGNATING MACHINE FOR SURFACE IMPREGNATING HIDES OR SIMILAR TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an impregnating machine for surface impregnating hides or similar. BACKGROUND ART In hide dyeing, impregnating machines are employed wherein a hide conveying member - normally comprising a roller or a belt wound about a roller - is positioned facing an impregnating roller with which it defines a narrow passage for the hides. The impregnating roller is normally so operated that, at the passage, its periphery travels in the opposite direction to that of the conveying member. Though this provides for better impregnating the hides, it poses problems in feeding the hides through the passage. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an impregnating machine wherein the impregnating roller is operated in the opposite direction to that in which the hides travel, but which enables the hides to be fed smoothly and safely onto the impregnating roller. According to the present invention, there is provided an impregnating machine for surface impregnating hides or similar, the machine comprising conveying means defining a given path for the hides, and for feeding the hides in a given direction along said path; a cylindrical impregnating roller rotating in the opposite direction to said given direction, and presenting a given radius and a cylindrical outer surface; and a deflecting member for imparting a given curvature to a portion of said path; said path portion being located facing the periphery of the impregnating roller, and defining, with the periphery of the impregnating roller, a narrow passage for the hides; said conveying means defining, upstream from said passage, a feed channel for the hides; and the machine being characterized in that said path portion presents a radius of curvature equal to a relatively small fraction of the radius of the impregnating roller; said feed channel substantially extending up to said passage. Said conveying means preferably comprise an endless conveyor belt presenting a transportation branch traveling in said given direction, the transportation branch defining said path portion and extending about the deflecting member to assume said given radius of curvature; and a conveyor cooperating with said transportation branch upstream from said deflecting member to define, with the transportation branch, said feed channel. According to a preferred embodiment of the above machine, said transportation branch comprises two contiguous portions in series in said given direction, and of which a first is located upstream and a second downstream from said deflecting member; said two portions forming a given obtuse angle; and the conveyor cooperating with said first portion. More specifically, said conveyor preferably comprises a number of endless, side by side belts; at least one transmission pulley for each said belt; and a deflecting block adjacent to said passage; the deflecting block being comb-shaped, and comprising a number of teeth extending parallel to said given direction; and each pair of adjacent teeth defining a fork for a respective said transmission pulley. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Two non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a plan view, with parts removed for clarity, of a first preferred embodiment of the machine according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a section along line II-II in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a plan view, with parts removed for clarity, of a second preferred embodiment of the machine according to the present invention; Figure 4 shows a section along line IV-IV in Figure 3. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Number 1 in Figures 1 and 2 indicates an impregnating machine for surface impregnating a succession of hides 2 or similar, and which comprises a conveyor belt 3 looped about two pulleys 4 (only one shown) and presenting a transportation branch 5 for successively receiving hides 2 from a known feed device (not shown) , and for feeding them along a path P in a given substantially horizontal direction 6. Machine 1 also comprises a deflecting member 7 located inwards of belt 3 and cooperating with the inner surface of an intermediate portion of belt 3 so that said intermediate portion presents a given radius of curvature Rl. More specifically, deflecting member 7 cooperates with transportation branch 5 on which it defines two contiguous portions 8 and 9 in series in direction 6 and respectively up- and downstream from member 7 to form a given obtuse angle A. Member 7 preferably, but not necessarily, comprises a transmission roller with a radius Rl and mounted parallel to pulleys 4, so that transportation branch 5 is substantially in the form of an obtuse dihedron, the curved outer vertex 10 of which defines a curved portion PI of path P, and forms, on belt 3, the boundary between contiguous portions 8 and 9. Machine 1 also comprises a cylindrical impregnating roller 11 facing deflecting member 7, located outside belt 3, and presenting a much larger radius R2 than the radius of curvature Rl of portion PI. More specifically, radius Rl equals a relatively small fraction - in this case, about 1/20 - of radius R2. Roller 11 presents a cylindrical outer surface 12 defining, together with member 7, a narrow passage 13 for belt 3 and hides 2, and is powered in known manner (not shown) so that surface 12 travels in the opposite direction to direction 6 at passage 13, and carries a thin film (not shown) of dyeing liquid 14 applied in known manner to surface 12 by a known doctor blade 15 located upstream from passage 13 in the rotation direction of roller 11. Machine 1 also comprises a conveyor 16 located upstream from deflecting member 7, and in turn comprising a number of side by side belts 17, each looped about at least two pulleys 18a, 18b, the second of which is common to all of belts 17. Conveyor 16 cooperates with portion 8 of transportation branch 5, with which it defines a channel 19 for feeding hides 2 and extending parallel to direction 6. Conveyor 16 also comprises a deflecting block 20 adjacent to passage 13 and defining the output portion 21 of channel 19, which substantially extends up to passage 13. Block 20 is substantially comb-shaped, and comprises a number of teeth 22 for maintaining hides 2 firmly contacting belt 3, and which extend side by side and parallel to direction 6 along portion 21, and define respective forks 23, each housing in rotary manner a respective pulley 18a. More specifically, each tooth 22 presents a free end 24 substantially at passage 13, and two surfaces 25 and 26 forming an acute angle; surface 25 is a flat surface facing transportation branch 5 with which it defines portion 21; and surface 26 is a curved surface facing and substantially tangent to surface 12 of roller 11. Operation of machine 1 is immediately discernible from the foregoing description. One point to note, however, is that, since the free ends 24 of teeth 22 are such that output portion 21 of channel 19 extends substantially up to passage 13, and since surfaces 26 of teeth 22 are substantially tangent to surface 12 of impregnating roller 11, it is practically impossible for hides 2 or their front ends 27 (Figure 2) to be pushed backwards by the friction produced by roller 11. In this connection, it should be pointed out that the friction between roller 11 and hides 2 is minimized by the diameter of deflecting member 7, the relatively small radius R2 of which forms a path P substantially in the form of a broken line, and minimizes the contact area between roller 11 and hides 2. A further point to note is the stabilizing effect of channel 19 on the shape of each hide 2, which enables the front end „7 to be "propelled" at full speed into and past passage 13, with no danger of the normally thicker end 27 being jammed beneath roller 11 inside passage 13. The stabilizing effect of channel 19 on the shape of hides 2, combined with the small contact area between roller 11 and belt 3, i.e. the relatively small portion of portion PI of path P along which roller 11 interacts with hides 2, enables hides 2 to travel rapidly through passage 13, without being pushed backwards by roller 11, once passage 13 is engaged by front ends 27. The Figure 3 and 4 variation relates to an impregnating machine 28 similar to machine 1, except that deflecting block 20 also comprises a plate 29 extending crosswise to the traveling direction 6 of hides 2, located facing portion 8 of transportation branch 5 immediately upstream from passage 13, and substantially tangent to surface 12 of roller 11. More specifically, plate 29 is fitted to teeth 22, of which it substitutes for respective ends 24, and is located between pulleys 18a and passage 13. Machine 28 operates in exactly the same way as already described in connection with machine 1.

Claims: CLAIMS 1) An impregnating machine (1) (28) for surface impregnating hides (2) or similar, the machine (l) (28) comprising conveying means (3, 16) defining a given path (P) for the hides (2) , and for feeding the hides (2) in a given direction (6) along said path (P) ; a cylindrical impregnating roller (11) rotating in the opposite direction to said given direction (6) , and presenting a given radius (R2) and a cylindrical outer surface (12) ; and a deflecting member (7) for imparting a given curvature to a portion (PI) of said path (P) ; said path portion (PI) being located facing the surface (12) of the impregnating roller (11) , and defining, with the surface (12) of the impregnating roller (11) , a narrow passage (13) for the hides (2) ; said conveying means (3, 16) defining, upstream from said passage (13) , a feed channel (19) for the hides (2) ; and the machine (1) (28) being characterized in that said path portion (PI) presents a radius of curvature (Rl) equal to a relatively small fraction of the radius (R2) of the impregnating roller (11); said feed channel (19) substantially extending up to said passage (13) . 2) An impregnating machine as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said radius of curvature (Rl) is less than 1/10 of the radius (R2) of said impregnating roller (11) . 3) An impregnating machine as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that said radius of curvature (Rl) is about 1/20 of the radius (R2) of said impregnating roller (11). 4) An impregnating machine as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, characterized in that said conveying means (3, 16) comprise an endless conveyor belt (3) presenting a transportation branch (5) traveling in said given direction (6) , the transportation branch (5) defining said path portion (PI) and extending about the deflecting member (7) to assume said given radius of curvature (Rl) ; and a conveyor (16) cooperating with said transportation branch (5) upstream from said deflecting member (7) to define, with the transportation branch (5) , said feed channel (19) . 5) An impregnating machine as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that said transportation branch (5) comprises two contiguous portions (8, 9) in series in said given direction (6) , and of which a first (8) is located upstream and a second (9) downstream from said deflecting member (7) ; said two portions (8, 9) forming a given obtuse angle (A) ; and the conveyor (16) cooperating with said first portion (8) . 6) An impregnating machine as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that said conveyor (16) comprises a number of endless, side by side belts (17) ; at least one transmission pulley (18a) for each said belt (17) ; and a deflecting block (20) adjacent to said passage (13); the deflecting block (20) being comb-shaped, and comprising a number of teeth (22) extending parallel to said given direction (6) ; and each pair of adjacent teeth (22) defining a fork (23) for a respective said transmission pulley (18a) . 7) An impregnating machine as claimed in Claim 6, characterized in that said teeth (22) present free ends (24) substantially at said passage (13). 8) An impregnating machine as claimed in Claim 6 or 7, characterized in that each said tooth (22) presents two surfaces (25, 26) forming an acute angle; a first (25) of said two surfaces (25, 26) being a flat surface facing said transportation branch (5) and defining, with the transportation branch (5) , the output portion (21) of said feed channel (19) ; and a second (26) of said two surfaces (25, 26) being a curved surface facing and substantially tangent to said outer surface (12) . 9) An impregnating machine as claimed in Claim 6, characterized in that said deflecting block (20) also comprises a plate (29) extending crosswise to said given direction (6) , facing said first portion (8) of said transportation branch (5) immediately upstream from said passage (13) , and substantially tangent to the outer surface (12) of said impregnating roller (11); said plate (29) being integral with said teeth (22) and located between said pulleys (18a) and said passage (13). 10) An impregnating machine as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, characterized in that said deflecting member is a transmission roller presenting a relatively small radius in relation to that of the impregnating roller, and such that said transportation branch is substantially in the form of an obtuse dihedron with a vertex at said passage.

Inventors: BELLUZZI LINO, BELLUZZI, LINO
Applicants: BELLUZZI LINO, ELITAS S N C DI BELLUZZI LINO, BELLUZZI, LINO, ELITAS S.N.C. DI BELLUZZI LINO & C.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: C14C15
IPC codes: C14C15