A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LEATHER PROM WASTE LEATHER SCRAPS, AND ALSO FOR PRODUCING FROM SUCH WASTE LEATHER SCRAPS IN COMBINATION WITH INDIA-RUBBER, GUTTA PERCHA, OR OTHER LIKE SUBSTANCE A NEW MATERIAL TO BE USED AS LEATHER, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James John Anderton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st October 1862.
I, JAMES JOHN ANDERTON, of St. James' Street, Northampton, in the County
of Northampton, Currier, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LEATHER
PROM WASTE LEATHER SCRAPS, AND ALSO FOR PRODUCING FROM SUCH WASTE LEATHER
SCRAPS IN COMBINATION WITH INDIA-RUBBER, GUTTA PERCHA, OR OTHER LIKE
SUBSTANCE A NEW MATERIAL TO BE USED AS LEATHER, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES,"
to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the production of sheets of leather of any required
thickness or size from leather scraps or waste scraps of leather, and also.in the
production of sheets consisting of a combination of leather scrap or waste with
india-rubber or gutta percha or other like substance or material, such leather
sheets and the sheets of the leather and india-rubber or gutta percha or other
like substance or material so produced being specially adapted for sole leather
for boots and shoes, mill bands, buckets, hose, covering for floors, and a variety
of other purposes to which leather or sheets of india-rubber or kamptulicon
are now applied.
My Invention consists, further, in the peculiar construction and arrange-

page_text: ment of the machinery by which I effect the production of the new or
improved materials before mentioned, which machinery is illustrated in the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, which I now proceed to describe.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine which I employ for the purpose
of cutting or reducing the waste or scrap leather into shreds, which operation
I may perform with the waste or scrap leather either in a dry or wet state.
Upon a framework or stand of iron or other material is mounted a box or
case b, b, above which I place a hopper or funnel c.
A vertical shaft e, e,
having at its lower end a bevil wheel, passes upwards centrically through the
box or case b, b, and to it is secured a ring, drum, or short cylinder of wood
or metal a, a, as indicated by the dotted lines, which is provided at its under
side with bars or straps of metal radiating from its centre, or arranged in any
manner by which spaces are left between each strip or bar, or as shown in the
separate view, Figure 2, of the revolving ring, drum, or short cylinder a, a, of
which it is a plan. To these bars or strips are secured points or cutters f,f,f,ƒ,
which may be pyramidal, with sharp edges, or of any form which may be
found most suitable for the purpose of cutting or shredding the leather scrap
The box 6, b, is also provided with points or cutters similar to those
upon the revolving ring, drum, or short cylinder a, a. The bevil wheel at the
lower end of the vertical shaft e, e, gears into another wheel on a horizontal
shaft, to which is attached also the driving pulley. The material to be operated
upon being fed into the hopper or funnel c, the machine being in motion, the
scrap or waste leather is brought into contact with and between the revolving
and fixed points or cutters, and is by such action reduced to shreds. When
sufficiently operated upon it may be removed at the outlet d.
or waste.
Figure 3 shows a vertical section of a cone-mill designed for cutting or
reducing leather scrap or waste into finer shreds or fibres than are produced
by the machine, Figure 1, where required for the subsequent production of
pulp by the addition of moisture. Keyed upon a vertical shaft b, b, and
revolved therewith by suitable gearing, is a conical drum A, provided throughout
its outer surface or circumference with vertical or inclined cutters. This
conical drum is so constructed and connected with the shaft that it may be
raised or lowered thereupon, or the shaft with the drum A may be raised or
lowered so as to regulate the space between the cutters upon its surface and
other cutters provided upon the inner surface of the conical box or case c, c, in
which it revolves.
Figure 4 is a sectional plan of the conical drum A, and of the conical box
or case; c,!e; showing the arrangement or disposition of the cutters.

page_text: The scrap. is introduced into this machine at the top, and by means of the
revolving action of the conical drum, is drawn between the moving and fixed
cutters, is by them reduced to a much finer fibre or pulp than can be produced
by the machine, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a plan of an apparatus as employed by me for corrugating or
perforating the sheets of leather or composition of leather and india-rubber or
gutta percha, or other like substance or material previously to the sheet being
operated upon by the glazing or finishing apparatus, to be herein-after
mentioned.
It will be seen that the apparatus consists of rollers fluted or ribbed so as to
form corrugations in the sheets of leather or sheets of combined materials,
thereby adding to their tenacity. I in some cases provide the rollers also with
points for perforating the sheets of leather or sheets of combined materials.
Figure 6 shows a side view of an apparatus employed by me for glazing and
finishing the sheets of leather, or combination of leather and india-rubber or
gutta percha, or other like substance or material, prepared according to my
process, as herein-before described, which apparatus consists of a pair of
rollers A, A, with gearing for driving and adjusting the same, supported in
suitable framework.
In some cases I employ for the purpose of cutting or shredding the waste
leather scrap a machine similar in construction to an ordinary tobacco cutting
machine.
.
I drive my various machinery by steam, hand, or other motive power.
In proceeding to carry out my Invention I take what I call leather fibre,
which is produced by the action upon scraps of leather or leather waste of the
machine shown in Figure 1, or of a machine similar to a tobacco cutting
machine, and placing it in a trough or vessel, add to it india-rubber or gutta
percha or other like substance or material in solution in the proportion of one-
third of the' solution to two-thirds of the leather fibre, or in other proportions,
according to the purpose for which the manufactured sheet is required.
The fibre having absorbed the solution (which process is assisted by stirring
and mixing the compound well together) the mass in a state sufficiently moist
to adapt it to the next process is spread evenly in a layer of any desired
thickness upon the surface of a tray or trough, having small perforations in its
bottom and sides, and then by the employment of an ordinary hydraulic or
mechanical press is submitted to a pressure sufficient to drive out the moisture
through these perforations, and to leave the contents of the tray or trough one
solid sheet of leather and india-rubber or gutta percha or other like substance

page_text: or material, which sheet is then passed through the pair of rollers, shown in
Figure 5, for the purpose of corrugating them, and in some cases perforating
them, and is then passed through the pair of rollers shown in Figure 6, for the
purpose of glazing and finishing.
For the manufacture of sheets of the leather scrap or waste alone a
similar process is adopted, omitting of course the gutta percha or other
similar solution.