Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1886.
Complete Left, 15th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Mar., 1887.
RESERV
[Communicated from abroad by JOSEPH BLOCK WEST, of Durant, in the County of
Holmes and State of Mississippi, United States of America, Gentleman.]
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents,
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:
This Invention is an improvement upon what is known as the Peter's process of
tanning and stuffing leather in which certain compounds are used, substantially as
follows:-
For bating to forty (40) gallons of water were added one (1) bushel of wheat
bran. These were mixed thoroughly and allowed to stand till fermentation took place
and they commenced to smell. There was then added two (2) pounds of sulphuric
acid and two (2) gallons of buttermilk. In this liquid the hides were immersed and
properly handled until they were free from lime which had been previously applied in
the usual way. This made the hides ready for the tanning compound and process
which was as follows; To eight (8) gallons of water were added ten (10) pounds of
gambia, three (3) pounds of salt, one-half (4) pound of saltpetre, and one (1) pound
of sulphuric acid. The hides were placed in this liquor and properly handled several
times a day for six or eight days till they were completely tanned. The acid was
then neutralized, and the leather finished by the following finishing compound. To
three (3) quarts of tanner's oil were added two (2) pounds of melted tallow and
one (1) quart of strong lye for the flesh side; and for the grain side to one (1) quart
of tanner's oil were added three (3) quarts of lye and the compound stirred till it
was cold. The flesh side of the hide was then covered by a brush with the finishing
compound one third the thickness of the leather, and the hides afterwards hung in the
shade to dry and when they were dry the stuffing was all thoroughly removed by a
steel sleek, and by a whitening kuite a shaving was taken from every part of the flesh
side. The compound for the grain side was applied with a sponge, all it would carry,
Γ

page_text: and the hides packed away flesh side to flesh side for four or five days before the
stuffing was applied to the flesh side.
The Invention which is the subject of the present specification differs from the
above process in the proportions of the ingredients up to the period when the leather
or hide is taken from the vats, and is essentially different in the finishing of the
leather, that is, in the whole treatment of it after removal of the leather or hide from
the vats.
The Invention is not only applicable to the tanning etc, of hides for making leather
of a superior quality for different purposes in less time etc, but it may also be used to
advantage by farmers and others in the tanning of hides, furs, and skins of many
kinds without having resort to expensive or special appliances, as it can be mainly
done in barrels or hogsheads. It will suffice here, however, to describe the Invention
as used for tanning and finishing or stuffing leather, and among the advantages
secured may be named the following; In the first place, by the improved process,
substantially as hereinafter described, the tanning can be successfully carried on in
all countries or places inasmuch as no bark is required, and in countries or places
where bark is not a natural product it is expensive to import said material besides
which, bark tanning requires more time. In the next place, less labor is required
to handle and work the same amount of hides or leather. Again, all grades or
kinds of leather can be made or tanned including firm and good sole leather, also
superior harness, shoe, glove, and belting leathers and lacing, or what is commonly
known as whang leather saddle skirtings, and in fact all kinds and qualities
whatever, as well as furs. The apparatus used is or may be the same as that used in
ordinary tanning and stuffing operations; consequently there is no necessity here
either to shew or describe them in detail.
The Invention consists in certain treatments of the hide or skin and in the use of
certain hot mixtures or compounds to the grain and flesh sides of the hide, essentially
as hereafter described.
The following description will explain in full how the Invention is carried into
practice. First soak the hide in clear water until it is soft enough to shave off
the glaze or flinty flesh with a light edged currying knife. This preliminary
treatment is important and results in a large saving of mechanical labor and quickens
the softening, liming, and tanning parts of the process. The hide after being thus
shaved is then thrown back into the pool or receptacle of clear water where it is
allowed to remain about ten (10) or twelve (12) hours, more or less, that is long
enough to perfectly soften the hide which result is expedited by the currying operation
above named. The hide is then taken out of the clear water a second time and
thrown on the ordinary or any suitable breaking beam, flesh side up, and run over
with a fleshing knife. This completes the hide ready for liming, as usual in
tanning the formula it is preferred to adopt being about one (1) bushel of slaked
lime to fifty (50) gallons of soft water, but other proportions may be used as the
strength of the preparation is recruited by the addition from time to time of more
lime. After this the hide is rinsed, by throwing it a third time into the pool or
receptacle of clear water, and then taken to a smooth flat table and with a steel sleck
the hair worked off which is much more expeditiously done than on a fleshing beam.
The hide thus prepared is again rinsed off in any suitable vessel and again thrown
into a pool or body of clean soft water, and raised once a day or thereabouts until
bated low enough to work the lime out. This can be ascertained by pinching up the
grain between the thumb and forefinger. After this, the hide is taken back to the
scouring table and sleeked off on the flesh side and turned over and stoned until
the lime is thoroughly expressed, and subsequently rinsed in clear water when it is
ready for immersion in the tanning liquor.
The tanning liquor is prepared as follows: To eight (8) gallons of water is added
about three (3) pounds of salt, half (½) of a pound of saltpetre, ten (10) pounds of
gambia, after which is added, by agitation, sulphuric acid one (1) pound. The hides
are placed in this liquor which is strengthened, as it becomes weak, by adding the
above named ingredients in their respective proportions or thereabouts, and are

page_text: handled two or three times a day for the first two or three days and afterwards once a
day. After the tan has been struck about half through then the hides are thrown up
in pile to drain, and afterwards beamed or, in lieu thereof, pass through the press
rollers well on flesh side which hastens the tanning. They are then thrown back into
the tanning liquor, and the process of beaming if necessary repeated to hasten the
tanning. After the tan has thoroughly struck through the hides are removed from
the tanning liquor.
The next proceeding is to immerse the hides in lye, instead of brushing them with
lye as in Peter's process herein before referred to, and to use a lye of the following
strength; viz:—the contents of one box, equal to about one (1) pound of concen-
trated lye dissolved in twenty (20) gallons more or less of soft clean water, allowing
the hides to remain from thirty to sixty minutes. This serves to thoroughly neutralize
the acids. Each hide is then thrown into clean soft water and permitted to remain
from twenty to forty hours, according to the thickness of the hides. This soaks out
the remaining particles of the tanning chemicals which, if not removed would attack
and injure the leather and impair its durability. Upon removing the hide from the
clear water it is placed on a table with its flesh side up and sleeked and brushed, to
remove all remaining ooze. The grain side of the hide is treated by stoning and
brushing frequently, pouring on clean water during this operation to prevent the
leather from staining. The hide is then hung in the shade until it ceases to drip,
after which tanning oil boiling hot is poured on the grain side and brushed in
thoroughly. This method of applying the oil preserves the leather, causes it to
penetrate more perfectly, and makes the leather more pliant.
After ten or twelve hours of the above treatment, there is applied to the flesh side
of the hide a boiling hot mixture composed of one (1) part tar, one (1) part tallow
and two (2) parts of tanner's oil, brushing the same in thoroughly after which the
hide is hung up in the shade to dry. This treatment causes the tar and tallow to fill
up the pores, rendering the leather waterproof.
In these last two steps it should be observed that the mixtures applied to the grain
and flesh sides are used hot, instead of applying the oil and dubbing, as heretofore, in
a cold state. By applying the mixtures hot, they are driven into the pores of the
leather, thus solidifying the leather and rendering it impervious to water. By
applying the mixture to the grain side hot too, it is only necessary to wait ten or
twelve hours before applying the mixture to the flesh side, instead of having to wait
four or five days, as when the treatment is a cold one, and no lye which rots the
leather is used in these two treatments with the hot mixtures.
After the leather has been thus prepared all surface grease is washed off with
common bar soap and the surface blackened with ink as in what is known as oak-
tanning leather, that is, is thus treated on the grain side when the leather is to be
used for harness purposes, or is required to be blackened on the grain side. Other
leather to be blackened on the flesh side is differently treated.
A. M. CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Tanning and Stuffing Leather.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of 53,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents,
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me from abroad
by JOSEPH BLOCK WEST of Durant in the County of Holmes and State of
Mississippi, United States of America, Gentleman, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This Invention is an improvement upon what is known as the Peter's process of
tanning and stuffing leather, in which certain compounds are used, substantially as
follows;
For bating To forty (40) gallons of water were added one (1) bushel of wheat
bran. These were mixed thoroughly, and allowed to stand till fermentation took
place and they commenced to smell." There was then added two (2) pounds of
sulphuric acid and two (2) gallons of buttermilk. In this liquid the hides were
immersed and properly handled until they were free from lime which had been
previously applied in the usual way. This made the hides ready for the tanning
compound and process which was as follows; To eight (8) gallons of water were
added ten (10) pounds of gambia, three (3) pounds of salt, one-half (4) pound of
saltpetre, and one (1) pound of sulphuric acid. The hides were placed in this
liquor and properly handled several times a day for six or eight days till they were
completely tanned. The acid was then neutralized, and the leather finished by the
following finishing compound. To three (3) quarts of tanner's oil were added
two (2) pounds of melted tallow and one (1) quart of strong lye for the flesh side;
and for the grain side to one (1) quart of tanner's oil were added three (3) quarts of lye
and the compound stirred till it was cold. The flesh side of the hide was then covered
by a brush with the finishing compound one third the thickness of the leather, and
the hides afterwards hung in the shade to dry and when they were dry the stuffing
was all thoroughly removed by a steel sleek, and by a whitening knife a shaving was
taken from every part of the flesh side. The compound for the grain side was applied
with a sponge, all it would carry, and the hides packed away flesh side to flesh side
for four or five days before the stuffing was applied to the flesh side.
The Invention which is the subject of the present specification differs from the
above process in the proportions of the ingredients up to the period when the leather
or hide is taken from the vats, and is essentially different in the finishing of the
leather, that is, in the whole treatment of it after removal of the leather or hide from
the vats.
The invention is not only applicable to the tanning etc, of hides for making leather
of a superior quality for different purposes in less time etc, but it may also be used to
advantage by farmers and others in the tanning of hides, furs, and skins of many
kinds without having resort to expensive or special appliances, as it can be mainly
done in barrels or hogsheads. It will suffice here, however, to describe the Invention
as used for tanning and finishing or stuffing leather, and among the advantages
secured may be named the following; In the first place, by the improved process,
substantially as hereinafter described, the tanning can be successfully carried on in all

page_text: countries or places inasmuch as no bark is required, and in countries or places where
bark is not a natural product it is expensive to import said material besides which,
bark tanning requires more time. In the next place, less labor is required to handle
and work the same amount of hides or leather. Again, all grades or kinds of leather
can be made or tanned including firm and good sole leather, also superior harness,
shoe, glove, and belting leathers and lacing, or what is commonly known as whang
leather saddle skirtings, and in fact all kinds. and qualities whatever, as well as furs.
The apparatus used is or may be the same as that used in ordinary tanning and
stuffing operations; consequently there is no necessity here either to shew or describe
them in detail.
The Invention consists in certain treatments of the hide or skin and in the use of
certain hot mixtures or compounds to the grain and flesh sides of the hide, essentially
as hereinafter described.
The following description will explain in full how the Invention is carried into
practice. First soak the hide in clear water until it is soft enough to shave off the
glaze or flinty flesh with a light edged currying knife. This preliminary treatment
is important and results in a large saving of mechanical labor and quickens the
softening, liming, and tanning parts of the process. The hide after being thus shaved
is then thrown back into the pool or receptacle of clear water where it is allowed to
remain about ten (10) or twelve (12) hours, more or less, that is, long enough to
perfectly soften the hide which result is expedited by the currying operation above
named. The hide is then taken out of the clear water a second time and thrown on
the ordinary or any suitable breaking beam, flesh side up, and run over with a
fleshing knife. This completes the hide ready for liming, as usual in tanning, the
formula it is preferred to adopt being about one (1) bushel of slaked lime to fifty (50)
gallons of soft water, but other proportions may be used as the strength of the
preparation is recruited by the addition from time to time of more lime. After this
the hide is rinsed, by throwing it a third time into the pool or receptacle of clear
water, and then taken to a smooth flat table and with a steel sleek the hair worked
off which is much more expeditiously done than on a fleshing beam. The hide thus
prepared is again rinsed off in any suitable vessel and again thrown into a pool or
body of clean soft water, and raised once a day or thereabouts until bated low
enough to work the lime out. This can be ascertained by pinching up the grain
between the thumb and forefinger. After this, the hide is taken back to the
scouring table and sleeked off on the flesh side and turned over and stoned until
the lime is thoroughly expressed, and subsequently rinsed in clear water, when it is
ready for immersion in the tanning liquor.
The tanning liquor is prepared as follows To eight (8) gallons of water is added
about three (3) pounds of salt, half (2) of a pound of saltpetre, ten (10) pounds of
gambia, after which is added, by agitation, sulphuric acid one (1) pound. The
hides are placed in this liquor which is strengthened, as it becomes weak, by adding
the above named ingredients in their respective proportions or thereabouts, and are
handled two or three times a day for the first two or three days and afterwards
once a day. After the tan has been struck about half through then the hides are
thrown up in pile to drain, and afterwards beamed or, in lieu thereof, pass through
the press rollers well on flesh side which hastens the tanning. They are then thrown
back into the tanning liquor, and the process of beaming if necessary repeated to hasten
the tanning. After the tan has thoroughly struck through the hides are removed from
the tanning liquor.
The next proceeding is to immerse the hides in lye, instead of brushing them with
lye as in Peters's process hereinbefore referred to, and to use a lye of the following
strength; viz-the contents of one box, equal to about one (1) pound of concen-
trated lye dissolved in twenty (20) gallons inore or less of soft clean water, allowing
the hides to remain from thirty to sixty minutes. This serves to thoroughly
neutralize the acids. Each hide is then thrown into clean soft water and permitted to
remain from twenty to forty hours, according to the thickness of the hide. This
soaks out the remaining particles of the tanning chemicals which, if not removed,

page_text: would attack and injure the leather and impair its durability. Upon removing the
hide from the clear water it is placed on a table with its flesh side up and sleeked and
brushed, to remove all remaining ooze. The grain side of the hide is treated by
stoning and brushing frequently, pouring on clean water during this operation to
prevent the leather from staining. The hide is then hung in the shade until it ceases
to drip, after which tanning oil boiling hot is poured on the grain side and brushed
in thoroughly. This method of applying the oil preserves the leather, causes it to
penetrate more perfectly, and makes the leather more pliant.
After ten or twelve hours of the above treatment, there is applied to the flesh side
of the hide a boiling hot mixture composed of one (1) part tar, one (1) part tallow and
two (2) parts of tanner's oil, brushing the same in thoroughly after which the hide is
hung up in the shade to dry. This treatment causes the tar and tallow to fill up the
pores, rendering the leather waterproof.
In these last two steps it should be observed that the mixtures applied to the grain
and flesh sides are used hot, instead of applying the oil and dubbing, as heretofore, in
a cold state. By applying the mixtures hot, they are driven into the pores of the
leather, thus solidifying the leather and rendering it impervious to water. By the
applying the mixture to the grain side hot too, it is only necessary to wait ten or
twelve hours before applying the mixture to the flesh side, instead of having to wait
four or five days, as when the treatment is a cold one, and no lye, which rots the
leather, is used in these two treatments with the hot mixtures.
After the leather has been thus prepared, all surface grease is washed off with
common bar soap and the surface blackened with ink, as in what is known as oak-
tanning leather-that is-is thus treated on the grain side when the leather is to be used
for harness purposes, or is required to be blackened on the grain side. Other leather,
to be blackened on the flesh side, is differently treated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The improvement in tanning and finishing hides which consists in the following
steps-to wit-
1. Soaking the hide in clear water.
2. Removing all gristly or flinty flesh.
3. Again soaking the hide in fresh water.
4. Beaming and liming.
5. Again soaking in fresh water.
6. Unhairing on a smooth flat table with a steel sleek.
7. Removing lime, by thoroughly soaking in water and stoning.
8. Tanning with a mixture composed of water, gambia salt, sulphuric acid and
saltpetre.
9. Beaming by hand, or passing through pressure rollers.
10. Immersing thoroughly in lye water and using a light edge currying knife on
flesh side and again placing in fresh water.
ย
4
11. Taking out the hides and hanging in the shade until dry, and treating to boiling
hot tanner's oil (fish oil and beeswax) on grain side, and applying to the flesh side a 4
boiling mixture of tar, tallow, and tanner's oil (fish oil and beeswax) and, finally,
coloring in the usual maner, substantially as above stated.
A. MELVILLE CLARK.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.