mprovements in the Manufacture of a Substitute for Leather and the like, and in Apparatus for Use therein.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May,
1899
Complete Specification Left, 8th Feb., 1900-Accepted, 14th Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
mprovements in the Manufacture of a Substitute for Leather and the
like, and in Apparatus for Use therein.
I, JEAN FÉLIX ROULLEAU, of 6, Rue de la Victoire, Paris, France, Engineer,
lo hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of an improved substitute for leather
and the like and to apparatus for use therein. The improved leather substitute
s composed chiefly of an intimate mixture of skin waste or leather waste and a
rubber or caoutchouc solution. I prefer to use benzine as the solvent for the
caoutchouc in the proportions of for instance 1,500 kg. of unvulcanized caout-
chouc to 25 to 30 kg. of benzine. Other solvents may be employed, such as
toluene spirit or oil of turpentine, sulphide of carbon &c.
In order to render the benzine solution less viscid I may add to the benzine
about 5 per cent. of its weight of alcohol.
I now add to this solution a suitable quantity of the leather waste preferably
in the form of the fine fluff or fine fibres resulting from scraping or treatment
of skins in the glove manufacture.
The pastes obtained by this method may be dyed, if desired, with soluble
colours or with colour earths.
The paste prepared in this manner is then spread or rolled into sheets. For
this purpose the paste is charged into a vessel or box in which works a piston
This web which is
which forces the paste around a web constituting a core.
thereby coated on both sides with the paste, is then drawn between adjustable
rolls together with upper and lower supporting and enveloping webs by suitable
a roller driven by suitable
means such as by a metal cord which winds on
mechanism.
I shall now proceed to described more particularly the apparatus which I pre-
fer to employ for spreading or rolling the paste into sheets. In this apparatus
the paste vessel into which is placed the paste of caoutchouc solution and fibrous
leather is made of steel, and is closed at its upper end by a sliding cover; it ends
in front in a kind of spout or nozzle which is made to conform to the shape of
the spreading rolls.
In the interior of the paste vessel there is arranged a tube containing a roll
of the web which is intended to serve as the core for the leather substitute to
be manufactured. This tube is firmly but removably fixed in the paste vessel
by means of two cheeks or side supports that are formed in one with the tube
and that fit the interior of the paste vessel. The core-web on issuing from the
tube passes between guide plates which are fixed to said tube and which serve
to guide the core-web to the spreading rolls.
As these guide plates do not occupy the whole length of the tube, the places
which remain free at the ends of the tube are closed by sheet metal strips The
ends of the tube are closed by two covers one of which is made movable to allow
of the insertion of the core-web. The plates which guide the core project within
the spout of the paste vessel. The edges of this spout should be spaced a sufficient
distance apart to form between them and the outer surface of the plates an
aperture which should not be less than the minimum thickness of the sheets of

page_text: leather substitute to be produced by this spreading machine. This thickness
can however be reduced by the subsequent operations of drying, embossing,
beating, stamping, &c.
In the interior of the paste vessel there is arranged a wooden piston provided
with cheeks or side-pieces of leather and connected to a screw spindle whose
rotation is effected by means of a pulley which receives its motion by means
of a belt from a pulley fixed on the driving shaft. The screw-driving
pulley is lined inside its hub with a gun-nietal sleeve, which allows of a
certain amount of play between its internal diameter and the external diameter
of the piston screw. This sleeve is adapted to rotate in a fixed support which
may form part of the framing of the apparatus. Flanges provided on the sleeve
which bear against the said support and against the hub of the screw-driving
pulley, serve to keep this pulley in a fixed position. A pin which extends
through the hub of this pulley and the thickness of the sleeve engages with its
end in a slot formed in the piston-screw. The arrangement is that the rotation
of the screw-driving pulley produces rotation of the screw through the medium
of the pin and the slot.
As the result of this rotation, the screw moves forward in a nut and thus pushes
the piston which forces the material around the core web.
The regulation of the distance between the spreading rolls is effected by means
of main and small slides or carriages which contain adjusting screws.
The main
slides are operated by means of a hand wheel which drives bevel gear wheels that
rotate the adjusting screws.
The small slides which are movable on the main slides are actuated separately
by hand by means of an adjusting screw, which allows of taking up the slackness
in the screws and in the gear wheels, and of effecting the adjustment of the rolls
with great accuracy.
The supporting and enveloping webs are wound on rollers before the commence-
ment of the operation. This winding is effected mechanically by means of the
following mechanism. The driving shaft carries a pinion gearing with a wheel
keyed on an intermediate shaft. Upon this shaft is fixed a bevel minion which
gears in its turn with another pinion that is fixed to a vertical shaft along which
a clutch can be made to move up and down by means of a lever.
...
To wind up the webs, the clutch pinion is placed in gear with a pinion which
rotates the lower roller through the medium of pinions. The lower roller in its
turn drives the upper roller by means of a crossed belt. By this means these
rollers wind up the webs which are presented to them.
On issuing from the spreading rolls the supporting webs, enclosing between
them the core-web and the paste which covers both surfaces of the core-web are
gripped by iron tongs attached to a metal cord which winds on a drum.
The rotation of this drum is produced by a toothed wheel gearing with a clutch
pinion when these two wheels are caused to engage together by moving a lever.
This clutch pinion slides on a shaft which is caused to move by means of toothed
wheels and bevel pinions. The first toothed wheel is keyed on the driving shaft.
When the rolling process is ended, the tongs are removed, and the rolled sheet
retained between the upper and lower webs is placed on a frame and carried to
a suitable drying place or apparatus.
When the drying is completed, the upper and lower webs are removed without
difficulty and the dried sheet of leather substitute is now ready to be put to the
most varied uses; it may for example be engraved, stamped or embossed to form
decorative panels; it may also be employed as a substitute for leather in furniture
upholstering, morocco leather covering, sheath or case making. hat manufacture,
boot and shoe manufacture &c., &c.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of a Substitute for Leather and the
like, and in Apparatus for Use therein.
I, JEAN FÉLIX ROULLEAU, of 6, Rue de la Victoire, Paris, France, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
-
This invention relates to the manufacture of an improved substitute for leather
and the like and to apparatus for use therein. The improved leather substitute
to which the present invention relates is composed chiefly of an intimate mixture
of skin waste or leather waste and a rubber or caoutchouc solution and comprises
an internal web constituting a core as hereinafter described. I prefer to use
benzine as the solvent for the caoutchouc in the proportions of for instance
1.500 kg. of unvulcanised caoutchouc to 25 to 35 kg. of benzine. Other solvents
may however be employed, such for example as toluene, spirit or oil of turpentine
and carbon bisulphide. In order to render the benzine solution less viscid I may
add to the benzine about 5 per cent. of its weight of alcohol.
I now add to this solution a suitable quantity of the leather waste preferably
in the form of the fine fluff or fine fibres resulting from scraping or treatment of
skins in the glove manufacture. The proportion of the leather waste will vary
according to the quality of product desired; the best quality is obtained by em-
ploying about 1 kg. leather waster per kg. of caoutchouc, but the proportion of
leather waste may be increased to 6 kg. per kg. of caoutchouc for the inferior
qualities.
The pastes thus obtained may be dyed or colored, if desired, with soluble
colours or with colour earths.
The paste prepared as above described is then spread or rolled into sheets.
For this purpose the paste is charged into a vessel or box in which works a piston
which forces the paste around a web of textile or other suitable material con-
stituting a core. This web which is thereby coated on both sides with the paste,
is then drawn between adjustable rolls together with upper and lower supporting
and enveloping webs by suitable means such as by a metal cord which winds on
a roller driven by suitable mechanism.
I. shall now proceed with reference to the accompanying drawings to describe
more particularly the apparatus which I prefer to employ for spreading or roll-
ing the paste into sheets.
In these drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine or apparatus
and Figure 2 a plan of same.
Figure is a front elevation illustrating the mechanism for regulating the
distance between the spreading rolls C C.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the paste box and the spreading
rolls.
Figures 6 and 7 are respectively a vertical section and a plan of the casing or
tube containing the web or core of the leather substitute and showing the end
pieces which serve to keep the same in proper position.
A is the paste box or container into which is filled the paste of caoutchouc
solution and fibrous leather. This container is preferably made of steel, and is
closed at top by a sliding cover B; it ends in front in a kind of spout or nozzle
a which is male to conform to the shape of the spreading rolls C C.
In the interior of the paste box A there is arranged a tube or casing D con-

page_text: taining a roll of the web of textile material or the like which is intended to
serve as the core for the sheet of leather substitute to be manufactured. This
tube D is firmly but removably fixed in the box A by means of two cheeks or
side supports c c one at each side of the tube I) and which are formed in one with
the tube and fit the interior of the paste vessel. The web on issuing from the
tube D passes between guide plates d d which are fixed to said tube (see
Figures 6 and 7) and which serve to guide the web b into and between the spread-
ing rolls C C.
As the guide plates d do not extend the whole length of the tube D, the places
which remain free at the ends of the tube are closed by sheet metal strips e e.
The ends of the tube D are closed by two covers one of which is made movable
to allow of the insertion of the web b. The guide plates d d project into the
spout of the paste box A. The edges of the delivery orifice of the spout a
should be spaced a sufficient distance apart to form between them and the outer
surface of the guide plates d d an aperture which should not be less than the
minimum thickness of the sheets of leather substitute to be produced by the
machine. This thickness can however be reduced by the subsequent operations
of drying, embossing, beating, stamping &c.
In the interior of the box A there is arranged a wooden piston E provided with
cheeks.or side-pieces of leather and connected to a screw spindle f whose rotation
is effected by means of a pulley g which receives its motion by means of a belt
from a pulley g¹ fixed on the driving shaft G. The pulley g is lined inside its
hub with a gun-metal sleeve as shown in Figure 5 and on a larger scale in
Figure 8 and which allows of a certain amount of play between its internal
diameter and the external diameter of the screw f. The sleeve 2 rotates in a
fixed support which may form part of the framing of the apparatus. Flanges
g and g provided on the sleeve and which bear respectively against the support g³
and the hub of the pulley g, serve to keep pulley 9 in position. A pin k¹ ex-
tending through the hub of pulley g and through the sleeves g² engages with
its end in a slot k² formed in the screw f. By this arrangement the rotation of
pulley produces rotation of the screw through the medium of the pin k¹ and
slot As the result of this rotation, the screw f moves forward in a nut h and
thus pushes forward the piston E and forces the material through the spout a
upon each side of the web b.
The regulation of the distance between the spreading rolls C is effected by
means of slides or carriages i, j, i being the large or main slides and the smaller
or supplementary slides, one pair of slides ij is provided at each end of each
roll C, the slides working over the slides as shown. The slides are adapted
to be operated by adjusting screws ¹ and the slides by adjusting screws j¹ (see
Figure 4). The four slides or carriages are operated, by means of a hand
wheel which drives bevel gear. wheels that rotate the adjusting screws 2¹.
The small slides which are movable on the main slides i carry the journals
of the rolls C. They are actuated separately by hand by means of the adjusting
screws which allow of taking up the slackness in the screws and in the gear
wheels, and of effecting the adjustment of the rolls C C with great accuracy..
The supporting and enveloping webs m m of textile or other material are wound
on rollers F F before the commencement of the operation. This winding is
effected mechanically by means of the following mechanism,―The driving shaft G
carries a pinion gearing with a wheel o keyed on an intermediate shaft p.
Upon this shaft p is fixed a bevel pinion g which gears in its turn with another
pinion that is fixed to a vertical shaft s along which a clutch pinion t can be
made to move up and down by means of a lever u.
To wind up the webs, the clutch pinion is placed in gear with a pinion »
which rotates the lower roller F through the medium of pinions ar¹ The lower
roller F in its turn drives the upper roller F1 by means of a crossed belt w. By
this means these rollers wind up the webs m m which are presented to them.
The supporting webs m m pass from the rollers F F round and between the

page_text: preading rolls C C and on issuing from the spreading rolls C C the supporting
ebs, enclosing between them the web b and the paste which covers both surfaces
hereof are gripped by iron tongs y attached to a metal cord which winds on a
rum H. The webs m m enclosing the paste covered web bare thus drawn out
bove a removable frame of wire web (not shown) laid along the frame of the
machine.
The rotation of the drum H is produced by a toothed wheel c¹ gearing with a
clutch pinion 6' when these two wheels are caused to engage together by moving
a lever a. The clutch pinion 61 slides on a shaft d' which is set in motion by
means of toothed wheels f f and bevel pinions f f f and f. The first toothed
wheel (f) is keyed on the driving shaft G.
When the rolling process is ended, the tongs y are removed, and the rolled
sheet retained between the upper and lower webs m m is removed on the wire
web frame before referred to and carried to a suitable drying place or apparatus.
When the drying is completed, the upper and lower webs are removed without
difficulty and the dried sheet of leather substitute is now ready to be put to the
most varied uses; it may for example be engraved, stamped or embossed to form
decorative panels; it may also be employed as a substitute for leather in furniture
upholstering, morocco leather covering, sheath or case making, hat manufacture.
boot and shoe manufacture &c. &c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
1. The manufacture of a material suitable for use as a substitute for leather
and the like, by spreading a paste or composition of the kind herein described
upon both faces of a a web of textile or other material and between two parallel
supporting webs substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In and for the manufacture specified in Claim 1 apparatus comprising the
combination of a paste box or container provided with an outlet nozzle, a piston
working in said paste box and delivering the paste through said outlet nozzle to
spreading rolls over which pass the parallel supporting webs referred to in Claim 1,
and a tube or casing in said paste box for containing the inner or core web, all
constructed and operating substantially as and for the
purpose described.
3. The mechanism for adjusting the relative distance of the spreading rolls in
apparatus for carrying out the manufacture specified in Claim 1, said mechanism
comprising double slides or carriages, namely a set of main slides adapted to
be operated mechanically and a set of supplementary slides, adapted to be operated
by hand, the supplementary slides carrying the journals of the spreading rolls,
herein before described with
all constructed. and operating substantially as
reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. The apparatus for use in the manufacture of a substitute for leather and the
like constructed and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and re-
presented in the accompanying drawings.
1000
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.