The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-08
4 new USE FOR
The x-RAYS
Use viii Greatly Reduce tho
Cost OF Tanning Hides.
GREAT SAVING IN LABOR.
Work Requiring -Four Months Under Present
System Con Be Done In Two Hours
Under the New.
GREAT SAVING IN LABOR.

Cincinnati. June s.-The discovery of a
process OF tanning by means OF which
hides can be transformed into leather in
a short time by the use of X-ray Is the
result of four months OF experimenting,
and will be the first application OF the
X-ray to an Industrial use. Heretofore
the ray has been valuable only to the
medical fraternity. but the invention OF
Cincinnati men opens the way for 1t TO
become an important factor in the COM
mercial world.
The hides will be soaked in lime .or
the separation OF the fibres and removal
Of the hair as is done now. When this
has been completed. which usually re-
quires about four days, the hides will be
soaked in a solution OF certain chemicals,
part OF the invention, for about two
hours, and will then be exposed 10 the
X-rays for about Is or 20 minutes, after
which they will be thoroughly tanned.
The finishing will then proceed In the
way employed at present
The value of the invention consists In
the exposition of the soaked hides to the
rays. The present process OF soaking
the leather in the watts requires about
four months, so that the chemicals may
penetrate every fibre OF the skin
Under the new system the chemicals
absorbed by the hides during the two
hours soaking are decomposed by the Y
rays In less than half an hour. Every
:nolecule is thoroughly penetrated, and
the leather is as perfect as any tanned
by the old process. Promin INT and large
tanning concerns and leather experts
have tested the product. and say that 1t
is the equal of any other leather
UNDER RAYS 20 MINUTES.
-. al Ia hn
:uiution they are put on highly polished
s.ecl plate and a series of three tubes d!f-
fuse the rays upon their entire surface.
They remain in this state for about 20
minutes. when they are ready to finish rs
usual into enamel, patent leather or any
desired article.
The great difficulty with which the in
ventors met was TO obtain a ray suiri-
ciently strong TO penetrate the entire
hide. The discovery OF Sheidels coll led
them to further experiment. and gave
them ray powerful enough to photo-
graph a hand after the ray had been
passed through a city directory. an oak
board and the hide intended TO be tanned.
be able to tan about 20 hides at one time,
lying one upon the other
Not only will this new process reduce
the time necessary for tanning from four
months to four days. but IL will also re-
duce the cost of manufacture fully rs per
cent. More than that, IL will be possible
to f1t up a plant necessary Tor the work
ing of the process at about one-fourth
the cost of erecting a plant under the
present system. and all skilled labor will
be dispensed with. not even an electrician
being necessary once the plant Is In oper-
alton.
The local inventors have now perfected
their process, and by the end of the week
they expect to have several hides COM
pleted for inspection
PATENTS APPLIED FOR.
The applica tions for patents and foreign
rights are now being made. and as soon
as they have been granted the plant and
the process will be put to commercial use.
what line they will follow. whether 10
form tanning company of their own or
to sell the chemicals and explain the sys-
tenn of operation to tanners throughout
the country under a special license and
royalty clause.
The idea principally favored, however,
is the organization Of a large company TO
establish tanneries not only In this city.
but throughout the country. entering into
facturers who employ the old more
lengthy and more expensive method
The inventors were led to make the ex-
periments which resulted in their val
liable discovery by the chemical effect
of the X rays in the process of photog
raphy. II their claims in the present dis
covery materialize--and from all en-
pearances they are thoroughly practical
and substantiated by the finished produSt
she use OF the X ray in commercial in
dustries. which will eventually lead to
it's employment In great degree in the
various manufacturing interests.