MACHINES FOR STAKING LEATHER
Year: 1888

page_text: 1, JAMES FREDERICK INGRAHAM, of West Peabody, in the County of Essex and
State of Massachusetts, in the United States of America, gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for MACHINES FOR STAKING LEATHER, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object to provide an improved machine for staking, stretching
and softening hides, whereby the amount of hand labor usually required for said
operation is reduced to a minimum.
I will first describe my improved machine and will then point out what I deem
its particular points of novelty in the claims at the close of this specification.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a machine einbodying my improvements.
Figure 2 is a detail view of one of the operating knives or blades detached.
Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.
The frame of the machine is represented by the letter A. It is provided with
bearings B B for a cross shaft C and with other bearings D D for a driving shaft E.
Upon the shaft is mounted a beam G and also a gear rim H and with the latter
meshes a pinion I on the driving shaft E. Motion is given the driving shaft through
a pulley K and a belt L driven from any suitable source of power.
The beam G may consist of an open framework as shown, or it may be of any
suitable construction, its only function being to support and carry the two operating
knives or blades M M, at its opposite ends, as shown. Said knives or blades are
preferably made slightly convex at their edges as shown but are not sharp enough to
cut or injure the hide when brought in contact with them.

page_text: On the right hand end of the machine is located a fixed bearing or grasping plate N
formed with a flangen so that the operator can conveniently grasp it and clamp the
hide to it as will be presently explained.
In using my improved machine the hide or skin to be treated is hung by its
middle over the grasping plate N and is held fast to said plate by the right hand of
the operator.
The beam is then given a slow rotation from right to left by means of the appliances
before described and the operator, still grasping the middle of the hide with his right
hand, draws with his left hand the upper half of the hide over and against the first
ascending knife or blade M M and continues to press the hide against said knife by
keeping his left hand slightly in advance of the latter till the end of the hide is
reached. As the next knife comes up into working position the operation is repeated
and so on till the entire hide has been treated, the hide being shifted from time to
time and reclamped to the grasping plate N by the operators right hand as often as
occasion requires. The upper part of the framework a a serves to assist in supporting
the hide while being operated upon, and it will be observed that the blades sweep above
the level of this part of the frame and raise the portion of the hide being operated
upon greatly reducing the labor of the operator who simply keeps the hide depressed
in front of the knife as it advances.
The effect of the operation of the machine upon the hide is to dress, stretch and
soften it with the expenditure of but a small fraction of the labor involved when the
work is done by hand.
It is not of course essential that two or more rotating knives or blades be used as a
single knife or blade on an arm connected to a revolving shaft would answer. I prefer,
however, to employ two knives or blades on opposite ends of a beam, as shown.
My machine is capable of treating any kind of alum leather, glove, calf or sheep,
goat, kid, dongola or any other kind of skin whether wet or partially wet or in that
sammied state known to Morrocco manufacturers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. In a machine for staking and stretching leather, the combination as herein
described, with the fixed bearing to which the hide is clamped, of an operating blade
mounted on a swinging arm and adapted to support the portion of the hide being
operated upon; whereby the hide may be pressed against said blade at any desired
point by the operators hand; substantially as described.
2nd. In a machine for staking and stretching leather, the combination, as herein
described, with the fixed bearing to which the hide is clamped, of an operating blade
moving continuously in one direction and adapted to support the portion of the hide
being operated upon; whereby the hide may be pressed against said blade at any
desired point by the operators hand; substantially as described.
3rd. In a machine for staking and stretching leather, the combination as herein
described, with the fixed bearing to which the hide is clamped by one of the
operators hands, of a blade mounted on a rotary beam and adapted to support
the portion of the hide being operated upon; whereby the hide may be pressed
against said blade at any desired point by the operators other hand; substantially as
described.
4th. The combination as herein described with the frame of a leather staking and
stretching machine adapted to serve as a table or support for the hide, of a swinging
blade or knife moving above the level of said frame; whereby the hide is supported
by said blade when the latter is swung above the frame; substantially as described.
5th. In a machine, substantially such as described, for treating hides, the com-
bination of the frame the fixed bearing or hand hold, the beam and the knives or

page_text: blades carried thereby, and the driving shaft, pinion and gear rim for rotating said
beam, as set forth.
6th. The combination as herein described with the frame of a leather staking and
stretching machine adapted to serve as a table or support for the hide, and a bearing
at one end of said frame to which the hide is clamped, of an operating blade mounted
on a rotary beam and adapted to swing above the level of said frame, as and for the
purpose set forth.