IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SCOURING LEATHER AND FOR SETTING AND WORKING HIDES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN HALLGARTH of Exeter in the County of Devon, Accountant, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SCOURING
LEATHER AND FOR SETTING AND WORKING HIDES to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the class of machines known as the
Fitzhenry scouring machines in which the tool carriers are maintained in action
alternately by the operation of a handle acting on the tool carrier lifting rods and
moving with the tool carrier head as it reciprocates from end to end of the machine
above the table of the machine.
The reciprocation of the handle with the tool carrier head causes considerable
inconvenience to the attendant who has to be continually moving from side to side
to reach the handle which it is not always possible to do at the right moment in
order to effect the change in position of the tool carriers at the end of each
reciprocation of the head and it is the chief object of this invention to dispense
with this reciprocating handle and otherwise improve the construction of these
machines.
0
The tool carrier head is reciprocated on ways by means of a crank and con-
necting rod which is pivotted to the head in such a manner that the oscillating
movement it receives may be utilized to raise and lower the tools alternately from
and to the work.
The tool carriers are suitably.connected on opposite sides to the head and are
provided with lifting rods on which are mounted adjustably spring or other buffers
against which the connecting rod bears.
These rods at their upper ends are threaded and pass through threaded blocks or
sockets which are pivotted to a rocking lever or arm.
The tools are pressed down on the work by means of spiral springs, suitably
connected with the carriers or the head and the rocking lever or by an ordinary.
carriage spring which is carried by the head and bears on the tool carriers secured
on opposite sides thereof.
By this means a uniformn and steady pressure can be put upon the tools which
will thus give the best results.

page_text: In order to raise the tool carriers during the reciprocation of the head I employ
independent rods or bars which run the whole length of the machine and may be
carried by arms pivotted to the frame thereof.
These rods or bars are suitably connected with notched sliding cross bars or
wedges which reciprocate with the head and are intended to be pushed under the
rocking lever to hold the tool carrier out of work when desired.
The sliding cross bars or wedges may be provided with coiled springs which will
serve to return them to their normal position.
The swinging or rocking bars may be operated direct by the attendant but it is
preferred to adapt thereto a handle projecting somewhat in front of the machine
and within easy reach of the attendant!
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This handle is maintained in a horizontal position by connecting rods which
slide in brackets and are pivotted to levers or arms which are suitably connected
with the swinging bars.
•
When this handle is parallel with the guide ways both tools will be raised from
the work but to bring one or other of the tools onto the work the handle will be
'canted to one side or the other.

page_text: I JOHN HALLGARTH of Exeter in the County of Devon, Accountant do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SCOURING
LEATHER AND FOR SETTING AND WORKING HIDES " 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 improvements in the class of machines known as the
Fitzhervey scouring machines in which the tool carriers are thrown into action or
withdrawn from action by the operation of a handle acting on the tool carrier
lifting rods and moving with the tool carrier head as it reciprocates at the rate of
about 125 reciprocations a minute, above the table of the machine.
The seizure at the right moment of the handle as it reciprocates at such a speed
with the tool carrier head, it will be readily understood is somewhat difficult and
it is the chief object of this Invention to dispense with this reciprocating handle
and otherwise improve the construction of these Machines.
The tool carrier head is reciprocated on ways by means of a crank and connecting
rod which is pivotted to the head in such a manner that the oscillating movement
it receives may be utilized to raise and lower the tools alternately from and to the
work.
The tool carriers are suitably connected on opposite sides to the head and are
provided with lifting rods on which are mounted adjustably spring or other
buffers against which the connecting rod bears.
These rods at their upper ends are threaded and pass through threaded blocks or
sockets which are pivotted to a rocking lever or arm.
The tools are pressed down on the work by means of spiral springs suitably
connected to the tool carriers and the rocking lever.
By this means a uniform and steady pressure can be put upon the tools which
will thus give the best results.
In order to raise the tool carriers during the reciprocation of the head I employ
independent rods or bars which run the whole length of the machine and may be
carried by arms pivotted to the frame.
These rods or bars are suitably connected with notched sliding cross bars or
wedges which reciprocate with the head and are intended to be pushed under
the rocking lever to hold the tool carriers out of work when desired.
The sliding cross bars or wedges may be provided with coiled springs which will
serve to return them to their normal position.
The swinging bars, which may be termed handles, may be operated direct by
the attendant or I may adapt thereto a single handle which will project somewhat
in front of the machine and within easy reach of the attendant.
This handle is maintained in a horizontal position by connecting rods which
slide in brackets and are pivotted to levers or arms which are suitably connected
with the swinging bars.
When this handle is parallel with the guide ways both tools will be raised from
the work but to bring one or other of the tools onto the work the handle will be
canted to one side or the other.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig 1 is a side elevation of a scouring machine
with the above mentioned improvements adapted thereto Fig 2 is an end elevation
partly in section of the tool carrier and Fig 3 is a plan view of the same.
A is the frame of the machine preferably of C shape. Pendant from the upper
arm of this frame are brackets A¹ the lower ends of which are connected by

page_text: 1
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guide ways which support the reciprocating head B This head B is reciprocated
by means of a connecting rod B₁ which is pivotted near one end to the head
at b and at the other end is connected to a crank which is driven in any suitable
manner. A portion of this connecting rod extends beyond the pivot so that, as
the head is reciprocated the end 61 and the part 6 are alternately raised and
lowered and this oscillating movement of the connecting rod is utilized for the
purpose of alternately lifting the tools from the work and allowing them to bear
upon the work as is well understood in this class of machines. Cis the table on
which the skin is to be spread.
The tool-carriers DD' are pivotted or hinged at d to the head B and the tool
carrier lifting rods d² lay hold of the tool carriers and are provided with
buffers d³ d in the usual manner.
The rods d¹ d² are secured to nuts or blocks E E¹ which are pivotted at e¹ e² to
the long arm or lever e The lifting rods d¹ d² are each provided with a screw
thread so that their position in relation to the blocks E E' may be adjusted by the
nuts e³..
.
1
.
The tools are held down to their work by means of the coiled springs F F¹ the
lower ends of which are connected with the tool-carriers by means of curved
fingers ff the upper ends being hooked upon the rods f¹f which are adjustably
secured to the arm or lever e by the nuts f².
The fingers ff extend to the rear beyond the pivots d and the springs are secured
thereto at a point on a vertical line drawn through the pivots the tendency
therefore of the springs is to throw the tool carriers forward and thereby press
them down on to the table C.
This arrangement of springs permits of a uniform and equable pressure being
given upon the tool carriers and consequently upon the tools, at all points of their
reciprocation or stroke.
.
t
: For lifting one or both tool carriers from their work during the reciprocation of
the head I employ two pairs of rods G G¹ and G2 G³ arranged so that each pair is
'supported at both ends by independent swinging arms g g¹ which are pivotted at g²
to any convenient portion of the brackets A The swinging arms g are longer
than the pair g¹ in order that each pair of rods may be on a different level Upon
each of the inner rods G1 G3 slides a U piece g³ which by means of a connecting
rod g' connects with a slide-bar or wedge piece H or H the connecting rods work
in guides g³ conveniently placed for the purpose. Both the slide-bars H H are
arranged to be pushed under the lever e for the purpose of holding the tool carrier
from the work when desired. To operate these slide bars it is simply necessary at
the proper moment to pull out the pair of rods connected with the slide bar to be
operated to hold up the tool-carrier, and to let the tools down upon the work it is
simply necessary to push in the rods. Each pair of rods and their connecting
mechanism and slidė-bars are of course independent of each other but they are
exactly alike in construction with the exception, as above stated that one set is
lower than the other, and this arrangement is for the convenience of the operator'
in order that he may know which pair of rods to move for operating a given
slide and it also somewhat simplifies the connection of the slide-bars and the rods
Each of the U pieces g³ reciprocates on its respective rod G' or Gs until the machine
is stopped, but while it is often necessary to lift one or both the tools from the
work, it is not necessary and in fact it is not desirable, to stop the machine.
In lieu of the two pairs of bars G G and G³ G³ I may employ one pair which
I operate by means of single handle:
This arrangement is shewn in side elevation cross section and plan at Figures 4,
5 and 6 Sheet II.
Extending across the brackets A¹ are cross rods a¹ to which the independent
swinging arms g g carrying the rods G G¹ are pivotted.
Each of the rods G. G¹ enters between a pair of jaws h secured in any convenient
**manner on a rod 9 These rods g₁ which correspond to the connecting rods g' in
\the-former-arrangement slide in the guides g and are connected to an upward
i

page_text: projection h' at the back of the slide bars or wedge pieces HH' by means of the
nuts i. i. or in any other convenient manner.
I is a handle which is connected to the rods G. G¹. by connecting rods k.-These
rods k. are supported by the guide plate k which is secured in any convenient
manner to the guide ways or other suitable part of the machine.
In this arrangement the rods G. G. are in the same plane and the connecting
rods k. will be attached to lugs or arms ³ secured to the rods which will give the
required amount of clearance.
When the handle I is parallel with the guide ways both tools will be held out of
work but when it is desired to bring the tools into work the handle is canted to
one side or the other according to which tool it is desired to use. In both the
arrangements above described the action of the apparatus is practically the same.
In operation the hide is laid upon the table which is mounted upon rolls and
provided with universal movement on a horizontal plane beneath the head, and the
crank is set in motion. This causes the tools to be applied alternately according to
the direction of movement of the head to the skin with a slicking motion.
Having thus fully described my Invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent
1. The combination of the reciprocating tool carriers D D¹ the lifting rods d' d²
the connecting arm or levere the springs F F the buffers or stops d³ d and the
pivotted connecting rod B' substantially as described.
2. The combination of the tool carriers D D¹ and means for lifting them
alternately as described, with the springs FF substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
3. The combination of the reciprocating tool carriers the lifting rods d' and d²
the stops and d the pivotted connecting rod B¹ and the arm or levere connecting
the ends of the lifting rods all arranged to operate substantially as and for the
purposes described,
4. The combination of the slide bars or wedge pieces for holding the tool carriers
from the work and the means for operating the same but not reciprocating
therewith substantially as described.
5. The means substantially as herein shown and described for operating the
slide bars or wedge pieces for holding the reciprocating tools from the work but not
reciprocating with the tools as set forth.
6. In a hide-scouring and striking-out machine the combination of the alternately
operating reciprocating tools, means for lifting them alternately from the work, the
springs operating to hold each tool to its work and acting independently of each
other, and means for holding from the work one tool while the other is operating
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.