Improved Process of and Apparatus for Treating Hides, Skins, or Scraps in Liquids.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Apr., 1889
Specification Accepted, 18th May, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process of and Apparatus for Treating Hides, Skins, or
Scraps in Liquids.
CHARLES WILLIAM COOPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn,
in the County of Kings, and State of New York, United States of America, Manu-
facturer, 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 :-
In the manufacture of leather from hides, or of glue from skins or scraps, it is
frequently necessary to tread said hides, skins or scraps in a bath of water, or other
liquid, either for the purpose of removing dirt and impurities therefrom, or for the
purpose of chemically treating the said articles. In the washing operations referred
to, or in the chemical treatment of the said. hides, skins, or scraps, it is generally
desirable to constantly or occasionally agitate the water, or other liquid, in which they
are contained, and stir the mass, so as to occasion the presentation of every part of
the hide, and of every piece of the skins or scraps treated, to the action of the bath
or to the chemicals therein contained or to the action of a gas forced into the said
bath, and it is also desirable, in processes for the washing of, or the removal of
impurities from, hides, skins, or scraps, to cause every part of the surface of each of
said articles to come into contact with other pieces of the mass in order that the
impurities on their surfaces may be mechanically removed thereby. Heretofore in
the washing and chemical operations incident to the treatment of hides, skins or
scraps, various mechanical devices have been employed to agitate the mass, but most
of these devices have been open to the objection that they have involved the use of
complicated, heavy and expensive apparatus, and the use of costly machinery for the
transmission of the necessary power.
The object of my invention is to provide a process and apparatus by which hides,
skins or scraps, in a bath of water or other liquid, may, for the purposes above
described, be thoroughly, conveniently and cheaply treated.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of my apparatus.
Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of apparatus.
2
10
P

page_text: igure 4 is a central sectional elevation of still another modified form of
apparatus.
Figure 5 is a detailed elevation of devices adapted to feed air or gas to a number
of containing tanks or vessels.
Figure 6 is a detail view of a system of air or gas pipes suitable for employment
in connection with the apparatus shown in the drawings.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
In the apparatus shown in figure 1, A is a containing vessel or the inner vessel of
the apparatus, shown as a cylindrical tank, provided with a slatted or perforated
bottom B, and with liquid escape openings a at or near its top. The liquid escape
openings, as well as the openings in the slatted bottom, are of such size as to prevent
the escape of the hides. skins or scraps treated and to only permit of the escape of
the liquid in which they are contained. A is a second tank, termed herein the
enclosing tank, which as to its sides and bottom surrounds and encloses the inner
tank. The relative size of each of the tanks is such that an annular space C of a
given area is formed between the walls, and a space D between the bottoms of the
tanks. The tank A is supported within the tank A* in any preferred manner, con-
veniently by being superimposed upon trusses or supporting bars E extending
across the interior of the tank Ax near the bottom thereof. Q is a pipe leading from
any desired source of liquid supply and discharging into the tank A.
X is a cock by which the liquid contents of the tanks may be drawn off. F is an
air or gas pipe entering the tank A* at or near the bottom thereof, extending nearly
across the same, and provided with a system of transverse or other branch pipes f
which lie beneath and within a space co-extensive and coincident with the perforated
bottom of the tank A, and are provided with a number of escape orifices . G is
an air or gas force pump from which the pipe F leads. H is a valve, with the stem
of which is engaged a lever arm H* provided with a counter weight h*. I is a
driven toothed wheel and 1× is a driving toothed wheel, both supported in any
suitable manner and in engagement with each other. i is a pin or stud projecting
from the side of the wheel I and of sufficient length to, in the rotation of said wheel,
encounter the valve lever H* and by clevating the same open the valve H. When
the pin travels away from the lover H the weight * causes it to descend and close
the valve H. Many other devices for automatically opening and closing the valve at
stated intervals might be resorted to without departing from my invention.
K is a reservoir suitably supported in any convenient manner, and in communica-
tion with the pump F at a point between the pump G and the valve H. The
operation of the apparatus and the carrying on of the process will be readily under-
stood. The tank A is about half filled with the hides, skins or scraps to be treated
and the tank A* is filled to the proper level with water or other selected liquid. The
valve H being open and the pump G being put into operation, air or gas as the case
may be is forced through the pipe F and its branches and escapes at the outlets or
orifices, rises through the slatted bottom of the tank A, mingles with the liquid and
articles undergoing treatment, and lessens the specific gravity of the whole, with the
result that the contents of the tank rise and as one part after another of the mass
reaches the surface the air or gas is freed therefrom, and the liquid, which thereupon
resumes its normal specific gravity escapes through the outlets a into the space Ų,
gravitates to the bottom of the tank, rises through the slatted bottom B and again
enters the tank A. The valve operating wheel I is so timed as to after such a time
has elapsed as is necessary to allow of all of the material undergoing treatment to
rise towards the upper part of the tank A, allow said valve to close. The air or gas
from the pump will thereupon be forced into and accumulate in the reservoir K.
cessation of the supply of air or gas to the tank permits the hides or scraps to sink
through the liquid contained therein, and, after the lapse of a period of time necessary
for such operation, the wheel I again opens the valve H, and air or gas from the
pump G and also from the reservoir K, will be again forced into the tank A, under
the mass; the operation described will be repeated as often as the nature of tho
material operated upon may require.
The

page_text: It is obvious that many constructions of apparatus, characterized by diversity of
form but unity of principle, might be devised to carry on the operation of which the
specific apparatus described is capable. Thus, for instance, in figures 2 I have shown
the inner tank A as rectangular and so constructed within the tank A that the side
and end of the latter serve as the side and end of the former, the liquid escape outlets
being therefore formed in but one side of the vessel A, they may however if desired
be formed in the end of said vessel.
"
Figure 3 of the drawings illustrates a square exterior tank A* within which the
interior tank A is shown as mounted upon pedestals a*, and as provided with the
usual slatted bottom B, and also with a slatted roof or lid L in lieu of the escape
outlets a of figure 1.
In figure 4 of the drawings is shown a form of apparatus embodying a conical
exterior tank and a conical interior tank, the upper end of which fits within and is
secured to the upper end of the outer tank. The bottom and sides of the inner tank
are slatted, so that the liquid escape outlets extend from its top to its bottom. In the
apparatus shown in figure 4, the hides or skins to be treated, and liquid having been
placed therein, and gas or air being forced into the bottom of the tank through the
perforated pipes, which, it is to be borne in mind cover only an area co-extensive and
coincident with the slatted bottom of said tank, rises vertically within that portion of
the tank included between the dotted lines a- -b and c-d shown in said figure, and
causes the ascent of the mass undergoing treatment, the air or gas is freed on
reaching the surface of the tank, whereupon the liquid resumes its normal gravity and
flows to that part of the tank exterior to the part contained between said dotted lines,
passes through the slatted side of the tank by gravity and re-enters the tank at a point
below the material undergoing treatment.
In figure 5 is shown a series of pipes and valves, three in number, intended to
direct air or gas from the pump successively to three independent tanks, so that after
the mass in one tank has been clevated by the entrance of air or gas from the engine
and while it is subsiding, the air or gas can in the interim be forced into another tank
or vessel. The valves are operated by the band wheels M.
It is to be understood that while in the claims I refer to the introduction of air to
the mass contained in a tank and of air pipes through which the same is conducted,―
the word is not to be understood in a literal sense but is to be taken as signifying not
only air but gases of any character.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The method of agitating or treating hides in liquids, which consists in treating
said hides in a receptacle through the sides and bottom of which the liquid has
egress and ingress respectively, by alternately elevating said hides therein by the
introduction of gaseous fluid beneath them and permitting them to sink by the action
of gravity, as specified.
2. The method herein described of agitating hides and liquids contained in a vat,
which consists in alternately causing said hides to rise therein by means of a current
of air entering the bottom of said vat beneath them, and by the cessation of such
current of air permitting them to descend by gravity, substantially as set forth.
3. The method herein described of agitating hides and liquids contained in a vat,
which consists in inducing an upward current of said hides and liquid by means of a
gaseous fluid introduced into said tank beneath them, permitting part of said liquid to
escape from above said hides and to re-enter the vat at a lower point and beneath the
hides, and by interrupting the flow of said gaseous fluid and permitting said hides to
sink by gravity through the liquid, as specified.
4. In an apparatus for treating hides in water or other liquid, in combination, a
tank adapted to contain the hides, having liquid outlet orifices formed therein at or
near the top thereof, and provided with a slatted bottom, an exterior tank enclosing
said hide containing tank, means for supporting said inner tank within said enclosing

page_text: tank and clear of the walls thereof, and air pipes discharging into said hide containing
tank at or near the base thereof, substantially as set forth.
5. In an apparatus for treating hides in water or other liquid, a tank adapted to
contain the hides, liquid inlet and outlet orifices formed therein at or near the bottom
and top thereof respectively, an exterior tank enclosing said hide containing tank,
and an air pipe furnished with outlet provided branches, situated at the base of the
hide containing tank, all said outlets discharging within a space co-extensive and
coincident with the slatted or perforated bottom of said hide containing tank, sub-
stantially as set forth.
6. In an apparatus for treating hides in water or other liquid, a tank adapted to
contain the hides, liquid inlet and outlet orifices formed therein at or near the bottom
and top thereof respectively, an exterior containing tank, between the walls of which
and the perforated walls of the inner tank are liquid spaces, an air pipe discharging
into the base of said hide containing tank, a liquid supply pipe, and a drawing off
cock, as specified.
7. In an apparatus for treating hides in water or other liquid, a tank adapted to
contain the hides, liquid inlet and outlet orifices therein at or near the bottom and
top thereof respectively and which open exteriorly into a common reservoir, an air
pump, an air pipe leading from said air pump to and discharging into the base of the
hide containing tank, a valve applied to the air pipe, and a reservoir in communica-.
tion with the air pipe at a point between the engine and the air pipe valve, as
specified.
8. In an apparatus for treating hides in water or other liquid, a tank adapted to
contain the hides, liquid inlet and outlet orifices formed therein at or near the bottom
and top thereof respectively and which open exteriorly into a common-reservoir, an
air pump, an air pipe leading from said air pump, to and discharging into the base
of the hide containing tank, a valve applied to said air pipe, a lever arm.. attached
to said valve by the raising and lowering of which the valve is operated, a wheel
having a pin projecting from its face adapted in the rotation of the wheel to operate
said lever, and means for rotating said wheel, as specified.
9. In an apparatus for treating hides in liquor, in combination, a tank adapted to
contain the hides, having liquid outlet orifices formed therein at or near the top
thereof, and provided with a slatted bottom, an exterior tank enclosing said hide
containing tank, means for enclosing said inner tank within said enclosing tank so as
to leave spaces between the opposing walls thereof, an air pipe discharging into said
hide containing tank at or near the base thereof, a valve adapted to open and close
said pipe, means for automatically operating said valve, an air pump, and a reservoir
in communication with said air pump, as specified.
Datad this 4th day of February 1889
.