Patent GB-191418431-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Ornamental Leather, and to Processes of, and Machines for, Ornamenting Leather.
IPC: C14B1/56
Filed: 1914-08-07
Granted: 1915-08-05
Abstract: 18,431. British United Shoe Machinery Co., [United Shoe Machinery Co.]. Aug. 7. Stretching by tension; wrinkling; ornamenting. -An ornamental surface is produced on leather by shrinking one face of the sheet and thereby causing the other side to become wrinkled, as shown in Fig. 6. The shrinking - agency may be heat, for example a gas flame applied by hand while the leather is held in tension, as shown in Fig. 3. The leather is secured, as by means of pins C', to bars B<1>, B<2>, B<3>, B<4> which are weighted at D, D<2> so as to keep the leather in tension, while allowing it to shrink freely as the heating process is effected across one face of the sheet. By altering the magnitude or disposition of the weights, the resulting pattern may be altered. A machine for carrying out the operation automatically is shown in side view in Fig. 7 and in plan in Fig. 9, the construction of the corners of the framing being shown in Fig. 10. The base 1 carries integrally a rectangular frame consisting of bars 3 carrying rollers 5 separated by springs 7. The leather is gripped between the rollers and those of a similar upper frame, comprising rods 30, rollers 50, and springs 70, Fig. 9, which is hinged to the base at 9 and is pulled down on to the lower frame by springs 29 as shown in Fig. 10. The upper frame has lugs 17 passing over pins 13 attached to the pivots 9, and hooks 21 in which a bar 23 rests. The bar is linked at 25 to levers 27 which are pivoted to the base and pulled downwards by springs 29 anchored to the base at 31, Fig. 7. The other end of the upper frame is similarly pulled downwards by springs 129 and a bar 123. For inserting the leather, the bar 123 is lifted out of its hooks 121, the latches 39, Fig. 7, are turned down, and the upper frame is swung upwards about the pivots 9. The springs and rollers allow the leather to shrink freely in any direction during the wrinkling operation. The mechanism for traversing the gas burner 45 is shown in Fig. 12. This comprises a traverser 47 running on rods 49 and a belt pulley 75 driving in opposite directions a pair of similarly threaded screws 65, 67. The screws run in smooth bearings 61, 63 on the traverser 47 and engage with one or the other of two half-nuts 161, 163, which are normally pressed away from the screws by springs and are respectively raised to engage the screws by front and back fingers 83, 81. These fingers are coupled through a link 91 and a lever 93 on the operating-shaft 77. When the half-nut 161 engages the screw 65, the burner is moved inwards until a pin 111 on the machine framing releases a catch which holds the halfnut up, and the burner is thereby brought to rest. Depression of the handle 79 will then engage the half-nut 163 with the screw 67 and the burner will move outwards until a pin 109 releases the half-nut 163. The gas is supplied through a flexible tube to a cock 53, Figs. 7 and 9, the handle of which, in the extreme positions of the traverser, is held by pins 57 on the framing so as to allow only sufficient gas to pass to keep the burner alight. As soon as the traverser and burner start moving across the machine, balanced springs 59 turn the gas cock full on.