Patent GB-190822440-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Machines for Fleshing Hides or Skins.
Inventor: WILSON EDWARD
Filed: 1908-10-22
Granted: 1909-07-15
Abstract: 22,440. Wilson, E. Oct. 22. Hides and skins, r a w, treating. - Consists in a fleshing-machine in which the hide is drawn over a fixed working-bed beneath a series of knives carried by an endless band. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively end and sectional elevations, the fixed table 5, Fig. 3, and the race 15 being omitted in Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is a section viewed in the opposite direction to Fig. 4 and showing an alternative form of working-bed 1. The hide to be treated is placed on the table 5 and the arms 2, Fig. 4, are swung about the pivots 13 to bring the bed 1, the clamping-plate 6, and the gripper 7 to the edge of the table. The lever 12 is then turned so as to advance the gripper 7 and seize the edge of the hide between the points 11 and the underside of the plate 6, and the bed is swung back again to bring the front of the hide under the knives 3. Depression of a treadle 14, Fig. 5, raises the bed towards the knives and, by suitable gearing, simultaneously sets the knife belt in motion and causes the grippers 7 to ascend the race 15, Fig. 3, by means of the chains 15<a> and endless bands 15<b>, whereby the hide is drawn under the knives. When the whole hide has been treated, the treadle is released and the grips are allowed to fall to the bottom of the race for removal of the hide. To vary the thickness of the cut automatically as the belly, ribs, and back are treated, the bed 1 is moved with regard to the knives by a cam-block 19, Fig. 4, which traverses a slide 20 synchronously with the passage of the hide through the machine. The cam is moved by levers 21, 22 from a shaft 24, which carries a toothed quadrant 23, Fig. 3. This quadrant is actuated from a worm-shaft 27 by gearing 23<a> which is meshed with the worm when a rod 25 is raised by the depression of the treadle 14. With the curved bed shown in Fig. 4, the distance between the bed and the knives is regulated by stops 28 which determine the innermost position of the bed and are carried by a movable shaft 19<a> mounted on linkages 16, 17, and having fulcra 17<a> on fixed blocks. 17<b>. The linkages have rollers 13 bearing on the cams 19, the varying heigbt of which thus thrusts the stops 28 and the bed 1 forwards or backwards and so controls the thickness of the cut. With a flat bed having a curved extension 13<a>, Fig. 5, the bed is pivotally mounted in its support 1<a> and the movement of the levers 16, 17 causes it to rock with regard to the knives. It may also be rocked by hand-gear comprising a notched handlever and linkage 29, screw-stops 30 being provided to limit the angular adjustment, and an index 31 showing the setting. A hand adjustment may also be used in conjunction with the curved bed shown Fig. 4 in order to allow the cut to be varied to suit the soft neck portions of the hides. The height of the cam as a whole may be altered by a hand-wheel 55, Fig. 4, controlling the lifting- rod 54 and actuating an index 56. The flat cam 19 may be replaced by a circular one, the actuating mechanism being correspondingly modified. To cause the travel of the cam to synchronized with that of hides of different lengths, it is governed by a gauge 33, Fig. 3, on the table 5, which is linked by levers 34<a>, 34<b> to a sliding- block A<3>, Fig. 4, carrying one end of the lever 22. The block slides on a rod A' formed integrally with the through-bearing B<2> which contains the rod B<1> to which the cam levers 21, 22 are pivoted. When the head of the hide is in the working position, the gauge is set to the tail extremity, and the distance between the centres A, 24 is thereupon adjusted by the linkages so as tocause the hide and the cam to complete their travel simultaneously. Figs. 7 and 8 show the details of the knife-mounting. The knives 3 have their cutting-edges slightly oblique to the line to line of travel of the belt 4, to which they are secured by means of guided plates 45 carrying the sockets 3<a> of the universally-jointed carriers 42. The knives pass through loops 46, and on to which they are pressed by springs 47, and on their upper surfaces they have flanges 49 for deflecting the fleshings under a plate 50. The sides 38 of the knives are bevelled off to prevent the corners from digging into the hides, which pass under a holding-down plate 51 and a plate 36 which prevents humps from forming and prevents the knife-holders from touching the hides. The belt 4 passes around a driving-wheel at each end of the machine, guides being provided around the wheels to prevent the plates 45 from leaving the run-ways. To hold the knives accurately in position as they pass beneath the sharpening-wheels 39, Fig 3, they are provided with flanges 40, Fig. 7, which engage guide-rails mounted under the sharpeners. The bent arms 2 in an alternative form are made hollow and straight, the bed being carried by rods which protrude through the arms at the bottom so as to rest on the overhung ends of the pedal 14, by which they are raised.