Improvements in Apparatus for Treating or Preparing Leather.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1891-Accepted, 1st Aug., 1891
COMILELE DI BUITIVATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Treating or Preparing Leather.
I ALFRED ARNOLD HUNTING of 26 Mason Street, Salem, in the State of
Massachusetts one of the United States of America, Mechanical Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is-to-be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to apparatus for treating leather, especially sides of leather
after having been partially tanned.
My invention has for its object to provide an apparatus or machine by which the
side of leather may be stretched without detriment to its strength, and be compressed
at the same time to compact and make denser the fibre of the leather so that, when
subsequently subjected to the action of a knife, a side of leather having a substan-
tially uniform thickness and density is obtained, whereby in the subsequent steps of
the process of tanning, the fibre of the leather may be substantially uniformly
affected, that is the leather may 'be" plumped" to a uniform thickness.
The particular features of my invention will be pointed out in the claims at the
end of this Specification.
'Fig. 1, is a side elevation of one form of a machine for treating leather-embodying
my invention.
Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the machine on line x-x Fig. 3, the
pressure cylinder or roller being omitted.
Fig. 3, a transverse section of the machine on line x',-¹, Fig. 4.
Fig. 4, a front elevation partially broken out and on a smaller scale of the machine
thewn in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5, a top or plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, on a smaller scale.
Fig. 6, a detail to be referred to.
Fig. 7a detail in elevation partially broken out of a pressure cylinder or
roller.
Fig. 8, a detail in side view of the main driving gear, the pressure cylinder gear,
and intermediate gears.
Fig. 9, a detail of the pressure cylinder, its gears the intermediate gears, and one
form of knife.
Fig. 10, a detail of the clamping device for holding the leather.
Fig. 11, a sectional detail on line y-y Fig. 10.
Fig. 12, a sectional detail on line y-y, Fig. 10.
Fig. 13, a sectional detail on line y-y, Fig. 11.
Figs. 14 and .15, modified forms of adjusting devices for the pressure cylinders,
and
Fig. 16, a side elevation of the modification shown in Fig. 15.
My invention is.herein shown as embodied in an apparatus in which the side of
leather is secured as will be described to a travelling bed or support, shewn as a
revolving drum or cylindrical frame a, having near its opposite sides or ends, webs a'
secured, as by bolts a², to disks, wheels, or spiders a³, only one of which is shewn in
Fig. 2, the said disk or wheels being mounted on a shaft a', 'having 'bearings in
suitable boxes a supported by frames as, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1.
Each frame a has secured to it, as herein shown, a substantially semi-circular
casting or frame a', provided with radially extended arms a, slotted at their upper
ends to receive the journal boxes a for a shaft or arbor a, see Fig. 7, of a pressure
cylinder or roller as, adapted to be brought in contact with the side of 'leather a¹³,
see Fig. 3, as will be described, there being five of such arms and pressure cylinders
on the machine herein shown.

page_text: a
Each pressure cylinder or roller a" is preferably loose on its shaft or arbor a
and is made fast thereon by a friction clutch or device at each end the said friction
device being shown' as composed of two rings or disks a", a see Fig. 7, having
washer a interposed between them, the ring a¹ being keyed on the shaft a¹ and
having a boss or hub a" extended into the end of the cylinder a¹ the ring a¹³ being
frictionally secured to the ring a¹ by check nuts a¹8.
Each friction ring a" at opposite ends of the pressure cylinder is provided, as
shown with gear teeth a20 which mesh with an intermediate gear or pinion a²1
driven by a gear or pinion a² in mesh with a large gear wheel a secured to the
drum a.
The pitch line of the gears a20 on the pressure cylinder is made different from the
pitch line of the gears a³ on the drum, so that the surface speed of the pressure
cylinder will be different from the surface speed of the drum.
As herein shewn, the diameter of the gear a³ is smaller than the diameter of the
drum, and the diameter of the gear a is larger than the diameter of the pressure
cylinder, and as a result the surface speed of the pressure cylinder is slower than
that of the drum, whereby the leather as it passes under the pressure cylinder is
stretched, the drum acting to carry the leather forward, while the pressure cylinder
acts to hold it back.
The pinions a", a²², are mounted on shafts supported by arms a, a, attached to
the radial arms a³.
The housings a of the pressure cylinders or rollers are connected as by links a²
to pressure adjusting devices, shown as levers a27 pivoted as at a28 to the radial arms,
and provided with an adjustable weight a", by means of which the cylinder a¹ may
be made to bear upon the leather with any desired pressure, and the pressure upon
he leather may be increased and decreased as desired, as for instance, the weight
of one pressure cylinder may be adjusted to compress the leather a certain amount,
and the weight of the next succeeding pressure cylinder may be adjusted to bear
upon the partially compressed leather with additional force, thereby compressing
the leather still more, and so on according to the number of pressure cylinders
employed.
The intermediate gears or pinions a", a, permit the pressure cylinders or rollers
to be adjusted with relation to the drum a, to allow thicker or thinner material to
pass under the pressure cylinders, and at the same time maintain constant the ratio
of speed between the said pressure cylinders and drum, until such time as the
friction between the pressure cylinders and the leather becomes greater than that
between the said gears, at which time the pressure cylinders are permitted to be
revolved with the leather, thereby obviating disintegration of the fibre of the
leather.
The machine is herein shown as provided on substantially diametrically opposite
sides with holding devices preferably of like construction, by which the leather is
held upon the travelling support or drum.
Each holding device referred to is herein shown as a substantially wedge-shaped
box b, see Fig. 10, fitted into a correspondingly shaped slot or opening in the outer
ring 2 of the drum.
The box b at its opposite ends has a guide bar 6', see Fig. 11, extended through
a slot or opening in the inner ring 3 of the drum, and the said bar is guided in its
movement, as herein shown, by means of a bolt 3 extended through a slot 6³ in a
bar 6 secured to the inner ring 3 of the drum, the said bolt having a nut 6° by
which the bar b' is loosely clamped to the bar b*.
The box b is also guided in its vertical movement as herein shown, by means of
bolts 60 one at each end, which are extended through slots 650 in the axial wall 4 of
the drum, see dotted lines Fig. 11.
The holding device or box 6 is moved radially as herein shown, by means of bars
or rods b' extended through the box at its opposite ends, only one of said rods being
shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and the upper end of each rod is herein shown extended
through a block 68 supported upon a spring or buffer 6º.

page_text: Each rod 6' at its lower end is provided with a stud 10 having secured to it as by
a screw 12, a roller 13, which is moved in engagement with an outer ring 614, see
Fig. 1, provided with a cam-shaped portion 615, and a portion of an inner ring 6,16
provided with a cam-shaped portion 617.
In operation, the holding box b is raised into its dotted line position Figs. 1 and 10
when the roller 13 is in engagement with the cam-shaped portions 6,15, 67, and at
such time one end of the side of leather is placed between the said box and the
drum, so that when in revolution of the drum the roller is brought in engagement
with the concentric portion of the ring 6", the said leather is firmly held to the
drum, as shewn in Fig. 3.
The drum is revolved, as herein shown, by means of gears or pinions c on a main
shaft c¹ having bearings in the frame and provided with pulleys c², see Fig. 6, the
said pinions meshing with the gears a23 on opposite sides of the drum.
The side of leather a¹³ held on the drum is caused to pass under the pressure
cylinders al in succession during a revolution of the drum, and as the leather is
carried under each pressure cylinder in succession, it is squeezed and stretched
between the drum and the pressure cylinders, which are revolved in opposite
directions, as indicated by arrows Fig. 8.
The pressure cylinders a¹ may be weighted differently, so that the leather
partially stretched and compressed by one cylinder, may be subjected to greater
pressure by a succeeding or next adjacent cylinder, and the leather still further
stretched and compressed.
By means of the intermediate gears, the ratio of surface speed between the
pressure cylinders and the drum is maintained constant, in order to obtain the
desired amount of stretch to the leather in one revolution of the drum, and this ratio
is not changed when the weighted levers are adjusted to increase or decrease the
pressure upon the leather.
In this manner the leather is stretched to its maximum extent without detriment
to its fibre, which is compacted and rendered denser, so that a solid side of leather
may be presented to the action of a knife or cutting tool e³, which in the present
instance is shown as a reciprocating knife but which may be rotary, stationary or
what is known as a belt knife, according to the class of work desired.
The knife 3 is secured as by bolts of to a knife carrier c, shown in Fig. 3, as a
triangular shaped bar provided, as shown with end pieces c having studs c³
supported by and adapted to slide in bearings, shown as hubs c connected by a
web co secured to or forming part of a plate or bar c, see Fig. 4, fastened as by
bolts c to a base plate, secured to the frame of the machine.
The knife carrier c has secured to it near its centre as herein shown, a post or
stud cs to which is pivoted as at c14, a link c¹ pivotally secured at its opposite end
to a crank c, see Fig. 1, on a shaft c" having bearings in the frame-work.
The shaft c¹ is rotated as herein shown by means of a bevel gear c" on the said
shaft, in mesh with a bevel gear 20 on a shaft c¹, see Fig. 4, having bearings in an
arm 22 attached to the frame-work of the machine, the shaft c2 having on its
opposite end a bevel gear 3 in mesh with a bevel gear 24 on a shaft c2, having
mounted on it a pinion 26 in mesh with a gear 27 on a shaft 28 provided with
a pinion e, see dotted lines Fig. 1 and full lives Fig. 4, in mesh with a gear
a shaft, the gear 30 being in mesh with a pinion 32, which meshes with and is
driven by the driving gear a³.
€30 on
The rotation of the shaft e" through the system of gears described, produces
the longitudinal movement of the link, c¹ and reciprocation of the knife carrier
and its knife.
The knife has co-operating with it, as shown, a guide roller d, see Fig. 3,
beneath which the side of leather is passed, and as the said side of leather issues
from under the roller, the said side is split or cut into two layers or parts d', d², the
upper part d, forming what is technically known as the "split" and the lower
part d what is known as the "hide."

page_text: The "split "portion or layer passes over the knife and when completely severed
from the hide, falls to the floor or into a suitable receptacle not shown, while the
hide remains firmly held upon the drum, until the roller 3 engages the cam-shaped
portions 615, 7 of the rings, at which time the holding device or box 6 is moved
radially outward, and the hide of leather is released and permitted to drop preferably
upon a carrier, shown as a travelling endless belt 20 located below the drum, or the
said hide may drop upon the floor.
The endless carrier f20 is passed over two rollers 40, 41 and is caused to travel
by a system of gears, 102, 103, 104 connecting a gear 12 on the shaft of the roller ƒ40.
with one of the main driving gears c, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 by dotted lines, and
in Fig. 6 by full lines.
The guide roller d shewn in Fig. 3 without its bearings or supports, is in practice
mounted in a frame consisting of two curved arms 106, pivoted at 107 between
ears 108, see Figs. 1, 4 and 5, erected on the extensions a nearest the knife c³, the
said arms being connected from side to side of the machine by bars h¹0.
The arms 106 near their fore ends have suitable bearings or holes for the journals
of the guide roll d, and the roll has an attached gear d³ partially shown in Fig. 9.
by full and by dotted lines.
Fig. 9. also by dotted lines shows one of the arms 106, referred to.
The arms 106, also have bearings near their ends for the shaft & having the
intermediate gears d, which are engaged and rotated by the gear a².
The knife carrier and its knife may be adjusted with relation to the drum as
herein shown, see Fig. 1, by means of check nuts f, f' on a threaded rod f², which is
extended through a transverse slot in one side of a link ³, pivoted in lugs or ears
on a base plate to which the bar 10 is secured, the said threaded rod being
supported at its opposite ends by lugs secured to the said base plate.
B
The bar e and the base plate are provided with slots, not shown, through
which the bolts c¹² are extended.
If it is desired to adjust the knife, the nuts on the bolts 2 are loosened, and one.
of the check nuts, ff turned to move the knife carrier toward or away from the
drum, so that the said knife may cut a "split" of any desired thickness.
To permit the knife carrier to be adjusted toward and from the drum, and at the
same time maintain the stud or post c¹³ and its connecting link in correct working
position, the said knife carrier is provided with a slot 30, see Fig. 3, the said post
or stud being held in its correct working position by guides, such as cross bars f*50
see Fig. 3, secured to the frame of the machine.
The knife carrier may be removed from the machine for purpose of sharpening
or otherwise treating the knife, by unscrewing the check nuts f, f' to unclamp the
link, and then turning the said link upon its pivot to disengage it from the
threaded rod and thereby from the frame of the machine.
By means of the weighted pressure cylinders, the leather is stretched to its
maximum limit, and at the same time the fibre of the leather is compacted and made
denser, so, that when acted upon by the knife, the leather is cut clean, and danger
of disintegrating or tearing apart of the fibre by the said knife is reduced to
a minimum.
Furthermore, waste of material is avoided and a stronger "split" and "hide"
obtained.
The pressure cylinders also reduce the sides to substantially a uniform thickness,
so that when cut, the "hide" taken from the machine may be of substantially
uniform thickness, thereby reducing the number of grades of leather.
The "hide" taken from the machine is so solidified by its treatment on passing
through the machine, that the fibre of the "hide" in subsequent processes of
tanning may be uniformly affected, that is, the "hide" may be "plumped" to a
uniform thickness.
The travelling support or bed is herein shown as a revolving drum, and while I
prefer to employ this form of bed or support, I do not desire to limit my invention

page_text: in this respect as other forms of travelling support or bed may be used. So also I
prefer to employ a reciprocating knife, but I do not desire to limit myself in this
respect, as other forms of knives may be used.
The pressure cylinders a" are preferably provided with a friction clutch or device,
so that the said roller is permitted to be revolved when the friction between it and
the leather is greater than that between the said roller and its friction clutch, thus
preventing the leather from being stretched to such extent as to disintegrate the
fibre, and at the same time the leather is prevented from being ironed and given a
glossy surface appearance.
The machine herein described enables the sides of leather to be. more quickly
treated, and consequently a much larger number of sides of leather to be treated in
a given time, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture of "splits" and "hides."
The main shaft c¹ is driven independently of the drum shaft a¹ to avoid
vibration or chattering of the said drum and thereby obtain a more uniform and
nicer "split." and "hide."
The journals of the drum shaft, and the journals of the pressure roller shafts are
preferably provided with annular flanges f", see Fig. 2, which extend into
corresponding grooves in their journal boxes, to prevent side play or end motion of
the drum and pressure cylinders.
To take up the wear upon the studs c' of the reciprocating knife carrier;
removable gibs or blocks f2, see Fig. 1, may be provided in the hubs c8 and secured
therein by a bolt fo in usual manner.
I have herein shown the pressure cylinders as provided with adjustably weighted
levers by which the pressure of the cylinders upon the leather may be varied, but
I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as other means may be
employed to obtain the desired pressure, such for instance as springs, only one m of
which is shown in Fig. 14, or it may be a wedge, m¹ see Figs. 15 and 16, to hold the
journal boxes in adjusted position.
I have herein shown one form of mechanism by which to reciprocate the knife,
but I do not desire to limit myself to the particular mechanism shown, as it is
evident other well known forms and combinations of parts may be used.
The frames a are preferably connected together by tie bars see Fig. 5, to
strengthen the machine.
Having now, particularly; described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare. that what. I
claim is :-
1: In a machine for treating leather, a travelling support or bed to which said
leather may be attached, a clamping device on said bed to hold the leading end of
the leather, and gearing secured to said bed or support, a plurality of adjustable
pressure cylinders co-operating with said support or bed to stretch the leather and
compact the fibre as it is carried thereunder, gearing on said cylinders, adjusting
devices, substantially as described to regulate the pressure of the said cylinders
whereby a constant or varying pressure may be obtained, and intermediate gearing
connecting the gearing on the pressure cylinders with the gearing on the travelling
bed or support, whereby the ratio of surface speed between the bed and pressure
cylinders is maintained constant, and a knife or cutting tool to act on the said
leather after it has passed from under the pressure cylinders, the lower part or hide
being firmly clamped on the bed substantially as described.
2-In a machine for treating leather, a travelling support or bed to which the
Baid leather may be attached, and gearing secured to said bed or support, plurality
of pressure cylinders co-operating with said support or bed to stretch the leather
and gradually compact the fibre, gearing on said cylinders, movable bearings for
said cylinders, and adjusting devices to vary the pressure of said cylinders, and
intermediate gearing connecting the gearing on the pressure cylinders with the
gearing on the travelling bed or support whereby the ratio of surface speed between
the bed and pressure cylinders is maintained constant, and a movable knife or

page_text: cutting tool to act on the said leather while stretched after it has passed from under
the pressure cylinders, substantially as described.
3: In a machine for treating leather, a travelling support or bed, a holding
device to secure the leather to said bed, and gearing secured to said bed or support,
a plurality of pressure cylinders co-operating with said support or bed to stretch
the leather and compact the fibre, movable bearings for said cylinders, gearing on
said cylinders, means to vary the pressure of said cylinders, and intermediate
gearing connecting the gearing on the pressure cylinders with the gearing on the
travelling bed or support, whereby the ratio of the surface speed between the bed
and pressure cylinders maintained constant substantially as described.
4-In a machine for treating leather, a travelling drum or support provided
with a gear of a different diameter from the drum, a plurality of pressure
cylinders, each provided with a gear of a different diameter from the cylinders,
movable bearings for said cylinders, means to vary the pressure of the cylinders,
and intermediate gears or pinions connecting said cylinder and drum gears, to
operate substantially as described.
5:-In a machine for treating leather, a travelling bed or support, provided with
gear teeth and to which the said leather may be attached, one or more pressure
cylinders co-operating with said support or bed to stretch the leather and compact
the fibre, and provided with gears out of mesh with the gear teeth on the bed or
support, intermediate gears to connect the gears on the cylinders with the gear
teeth on the bed or support, a knife or cutting tool to act on said leather, after it
has been compressed, a knife carrier, and a threaded rod and check nuts thereon
connected to the carrier, whereby the carrier may be adjusted toward and from the
bed or support, substantially as described.
6: In a machine for treating leather, a drum provided with gears, and a main
driving shaft having gears to rotate the gears on the drum; a plurality of
independent pressure cylinders having gears, movable bearings for said cylinders,
adjusting devices to vary the pressure of the said cylinders, intermediate gears
connecting the drum and cylinders gears, and a knife to act on the leather after it
has passed under the pressure cylinders, substantially as described.
7: In a machine for treating leather, a drum having an axial slot in its
periphery, a clamping device located in said slot, and consisting of a wedge-shaped
box, provided with guide bars extended through the drum, means to secure said
guide bars loosely to the said drum, rods or bars 7 connected to the bar and
provided with studs or rollers, and a cam-ring co-operating with said studs or rollers
to operate the clamping device, substantially as described.
8-In a machine for treating leather, a drum provided with gears and having
an axial slot in its periphery, a clamping device located in said slot and provided
with bars having studs or rollers, a cam-ring co-operating with said studs or rollers,
a main driving shaft provided with gears connected to the gears on the drum and
pressure cylinders provided with gears out of mesh with the gears on the drum, and
intermediate gears connecting the gears on the drum with the gears on the said
cylinders, substantially as described.
9: In a machine for treating leather, a drum provided with gears and having
an axial slot in its periphery, a clamping device located in said slot and provided
with bars having studs or rollers, a cam-ring co-operating with said studs or rollers,
a main driving shaft provided with gears connected to the gears on the drum, and
pressure cylinders provided with gears connected to and rotated by the gears on the
drum, a knife carrier, and its knife, and means to reciprocate said knife, substantially
as described.
10- In a machine for treating leather, a revolving drum, a clamping device to
secure the leather thereto, a pressure cylinder, co-operating with the drum to
compress the leather, a knife to split the leather after being compressed, and a
carrier located below the drum to receive one portion of the leather therefrom after
being treated and split, substantially as described.
11: In a machine for treating leather, a travelling support or bed to which said

page_text: leather may be attached, one or more loose pressure cylinders co-operating with
said support or bed, and a friction device to engage said cylinder and hold it fast
until the friction between the leather and cylinder exceeds the friction between the
said cylinder and friction device, substantially as described.
Dated the 4th day of May 1891.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.