Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus for Extending and Softening, "Perching," or "Staking" Hides and Skins.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1899-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1899
CUMPLEIE
Improvements in or relating to Means or Apparatus for Extending
and Softening, "Perching," or "Staking" Hides and Skins.
I, RICHARD BIRDSALL, of 13, Alfred Place, Camp Road, Leeds, in the County
of York, Leather Dresser, 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:-
66
This invention relates to improvements in means or apparatus for extending
'staking'
"hides and skins; and its object is to
and softening, "perching," or
provide means whereby these operations may be performed in one and the same
machine.
Hitherto these processes of treating the hides and skins have each been done
in separate machines, which therefore adds greatly to the cost in the treatment
of leather, whilst at the same time the hides and skins are frequently torn in
the machines and thereby rendered of much less value.
In the drawings hereunto annexed:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 a front elevation; Fig. 3 a longitudinal
sectional elevation on line a Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 a plan looking at the top of a
machine constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 5 a side elevation showing means for keeping the hide or skin taut.
Like parts in all the views are marked with similar letters of reference.
On suitable or ordinary framework A I provide what is hereafter called the
extending roller B,--which is mounted in suitable bearings b,--and is the full
width of the machine, and of any desired diameter.
The roller B is driven by means of belting, or suitable gearing—a belt C and
pulley Care shown in the drawings-from any convenient source of power,
The roller B is provided with a suitable
such as say the main driving shaft.
5 number of spiral or other blades or knives D, of such a construction that when
operating upon the hide or skin they will treat the same in a "kindly" manner.
The roller 1 rotates in a circumferential direction so as to have a tendency of
drawing the material operated upon away from the operator of the machine.
A second roller, hereafter termed the softening roller E is mounted in suit-
30 able bearings e nearer the operator of the machine, and is provided with a suit-
able number of spiral or other blades or knives F, which are, say, sharper than
those of the extending roller B, and are, for, say, setting, softening, "perching,"
or staking" the hide or skin.
66
The softening roller E is driven from, say, the main shaft, or from the extend
35 ing roller B by means of belts or bands G, working over a pulley or pulleys G
connected with the end or ends of one or both of the rollers.
When the softening roller is driven from the extending roller the belt. or ban
which drives the softening roller will require to be crossed, so that the softening
roller may, if desired, rotate in the opposite direction to the extending rolle
40 that is to say, it may rotate towards the operator of the machine.
But in th
drawings the softening roller is shown driven from the main driving shaft an

page_text: arranged to rotate in the same circumferential direction as the extending
roller B.
Beneath the extending and softening rollers B and E, are adjustably fixed two
cushion rollers H and I which are employed for supporting the table L. The
cushion rollers are carried in adjustable bearings in the sliding piece J which
works in the guides J₁ forming part of or fixed on each side of the framework A
as shown.
The said cushion rollers H and I are employed for pressing the
hide or skin, which is upon the table L, against the two first named rollers B
and E. The cushion rollers may be brought into action by means of a hand or
other lever or levers, or by a cam or cams, a treadle K is shown in the draw-
ings which may be operated by the foot of the attendant through links J and
weighted levers J3 mounted and fixed upon the same shaft J as the treadle
levers J5.
L is the table of the machine which is mounted in or upon suitable guides
so as to be capable of being pushed by the attendant between the extending
rollers B and E and cushion rollers H and I and of being automatically returned
to its normal position shown in the drawings by rack and pinion as hereafter
described.
The upper surface of the table L is covered with a piece of sheet india rubber
or other equivalent elastic or flexible material to form a cushion 12 suitably
fixed thereto in order to provide for any inequalities in the hides or skins being
operated upon and thereby preventing the spiral blades D and F from damaging
the same.
In suitable bearings at the front end of the table L is mounted eccentrically
a gripping or clamping roller M for holding the hide or skin taut during the
time it passing under and being operated upon by the extending and softening
rollers Band E. The gripping or clamping roller M is preferably operated
by the hand lever N, but it may also be operated from any suitable moving
part of the machine. When the gripping or clamping roller M is opened to
receive the hide or skin the handle N is moved to the position shown in dotted
lines at Fig. 3.
Under the table L is fixed a rack O into which gears a spur pinion P' mounted
and fixed upon shaft Q. On the opposite end of shaft Q is mounted a spur
wheel Rarranged to gear with a pinion S mounted and fixed on the shaft T
upon which the fast and loose pulleys U U₁ are mounted. Motion is imparted
to the shaft T from a pulley V on the shaft e¹ of the softening roller E, thence
by belting W to pulley X on counter shaft Y and pulley Z (mounted on the
opposite end of counter shaft Y) by belting 1 to the fast and loose pulleys U U
on shaft T.
On the shaft Q is also mounted a clutch 2 arranged to slide upon a key or
spline 3 (fixed to said shaft) and to mesh with the boss of spur wheel R when-
ever a rotary motion is required to be imparted to the said shaft and pinion P
for returning the table L to its normal position. The clutch 2 is thrown in
and out of gear by means of lever 4, pivoted to the framework A as shown.
In order that the clutch may be thrown automatically out of gear as soon as
the hide or skin has passed a suitable distance away from the action of the spiral
blades F of the softening roller E, an adjustable cam piece 5 is provided and
fixed to or on the table L so as to operate the lever 4 for throwing the clutch 2
out of gear with the boss of spur wheel R. Thus preventing the table from
being traversed too far, and causing the pinion P to work out of gear with the
rack O.
When the hide or skin is required to be held additionally taut, a stake or
roller 6 may be inserted in front of the softening roller E between the under
surface of the hide or skin and the upper surface of the table L. The stake or
voller 6 may be held in position in a variety of ways, such as for example by its
ends being dropped into U shaped bearings provided for its reception on the
framework A; or the ends of the said stake or roller 6 may be, as at Fig. 5,

page_text: mounted in the upper ends of the levers 7 which are jointed to the framework A
at each side thereof. Each lever is provided with a slot 8 through which a
bolt or set screw 9 passes for fixing the lever and stake or roller in the required
position. When the said roller 6 is not required it may be moved (in the
direction of arrow) say midway between the softening roller E and top of
table L so that the latter with a hide or skin thereon may pass readily under the
roller.
Other parts of the machine not herein described may be of ordinary and well
known construction.
The action of the machine is as follows:-
The hide or skin,-which is in the dyed state,-after being laid upon the
The
table L, is fixed in position by the gripping or clamping roller M.
table L with the hide or skin thereon is then passed under the softening and
extending rollers B and E. The cushion rollers H and I are then brought to
The machine is then
bear upon the table L by the action of the treadle K.
set in motion, and the extending roller B will have the tendency to drag or
extend the hide in a "kindly" manner away from the operator.
When the table L has travelled a sufficient distance to bring the hide or
skin under the softening roller E it will also work the hide or skin away from
the operator. The blades F of the softening roller E being sharper than those
on the extending roller B, soften, "perch or stake" the hide, and cut the
fleshes therefrom. By this means the action of the blades of roller B extends
and holds the hide or skin, whilst the blades of roller E soften, "perch" or
"stake
وو
it.
"
It will thus be readily understood that the hide is being softened, "perched,"
or "staked" at the same time that it is being extended, and it is impossible for
the blades of the softening roller to tear the hide, and the hide cannot pleat,
fold, or bag. The hide is extended and, softened, in a wet state, and further
extended and softened when in a "weather dry" state, if so desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare I am
aware that rollers with spiral blades arranged on their peripheries have been
used in the treatment of hides and skins prior to the date of this invention; I
make no claim to such except when used and arranged in the manner herein-
before described, and what I claim is:-
:―
The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the means or
apparatus for extending and softening, "perching," or "staking" hides and
skins substantially as herein described and illustrated.
Dated this Twenty-eighth day of June 1899.