AN IMPROVED LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE."-A. com-
munication from abroad by Theodore Ayrault Dodge, of Cambridge,
Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Sealed the 21st January 1873, and dated the 19th August 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th August 1872.
I, WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-
Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE," to be as
follows:-
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page_text: ==
In ordinary leather splitters (as is well known to persons skilled in
the manufacture of boot and shoc stock and other leather stock) tho
feed rolls push the leather straight forward against a stationary splitting
knife edge (the knife having no movement and the rolls only rotating),
and with many thin skins it is impossible to split accurately with such
machines, however sharp may be the cutting edge. To remedy this
difficulty machines have been to a limited extent made in which the
knife reciprocated, thereby imparting to its cutting edge a drawing
stroke. Now although such movement of the knife causes the leather
to be cut more readily, it prevents the employment of a knife which is
made rigid and unbending by reason of its firm attachment to a solid
bed piece, and the cutting edge is apt to spring or buckle. By the
present Invention a rigid stationary knife fastened to its bed is employed
as in ordinary leather splitters, and to the feed rolls is given in addition
to their feed or rotative movement a reciprocating movement, thereby
obtaining all the advantages possessed by a reciprocating knife without
the objections inherent thereto. The Invention consists therefore in a
leather splitting machine having in combination with a stationary knifo
or cutter feed rolls which reciprocate the leather as they present it to
the cutting edge of the knife.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 11th February 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers 2
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue
Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS. Her most Excellent: Majesty, Queen Victoria, by Her
-Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day-of August, in the-year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty- 3
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Morgan-Brown, Her special licenso
that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my
cxccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree witli, a
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page_text: and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE," a communication to me from abroad' by
Theodore Ayrault Dodge, of Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massa-
chusetts, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The Invention relates to an arrangement or organization of mechanism
for splitting leather.
In ordinary leather splitters (as is well known to persons skilled in
the manufacture of boot and shoe stock and other leather stock) the
feed rolls push the leather straight forward against a stationary splitting
knife edge (the knife having no movement and the rolls only rotating),
and with many thin skins it is impossible to split accurately with such
machines, however sharp may be the cutting edge. To remedy this
difficulty machines have been to a limited extent made in which the
knife reciprocated, thereby imparting to its cutting edge a drawing
stroke. Now although such movement of the knife causes-the leather
to be cut more readily it prevents the employment of a knife which is
made rigid and unbending by reason of its firm attachment to a solid
bed piece, and the cutting edge is apt to spring or buckle. By the
present Invention a rigid stationary knife fastened to its bed is employed
as in ordinary leather splitters, and to the feed rolls is given in addition
to their feed or rotative movement a reciprocating movement, thereby
obtaining all the advantages possessed by a reciprocating knife without
the objections inherent thereto. The Invention consists therefore in a
leather splitting machine having in combination with a stationary knife

page_text: a, a, denote the standards supporting a bed piece b, to the top of
which is bolted the knife cutter c, whose cutting edge d extends between
the feed rolls e, f, as seen at Figure 2, the cutter having suitable
provision for adjustment of its edge towards or from the rolls. The
journals of the lower feed roll turn in vertically sliding bearings ½ 1
forced upward by suitable springs, and the journals k of the upper
roll
turn in vertically sliding bearings forced upward by suitable springs,
the extent of upward movement of the bearings being adjustablý
determined by stop screws or other suitable devices.
The extent of upward movement of the lower roll is adjustably 1
determined by any suitable mechanism, that shewn being a hand
operated shaft i, having at its opposite ends right and left screws that
actuate levers 7, each pivoted as seen at m, and having toes n that
rest upon a bar o, connecting the rods p that support the bearing, the
roll being forced down by turning the shaft in one direction, and being 2
raised by the bearing springs when the shaft is turned in the opposite
direction.
20
The rolls are connected and driven by suitable gearing, a driving
shaft q carrying at its opposite ends pinions r, s, the pinion r meshing
-into-and-driving.a.gear_t on the shaft of the lower roll, and the pinion & 2
meshing into and driving an intermediate " that engages with and
drives a gear on the shaft of the upper roll. In one-of-the-journals.k-
of the upper roll is a peripheral cam groove wo into which extends a roll-y
"on-a-pin-s, extending-from-the-bearing, as seen in Figure 1, and the
journal at the opposite end of the lower roll has a corresponding 3
peripheral cam groove into which extends a roll similar to the roll y, tho
cams being so constructed and arranged that as the rolls turn a short
and coincident reciprocating axial movement is imparted to both, the
effect of which is to present..the leather to the cutting edge of the knife
with such a movement in connection with its feed or pressure movement g
against the edge as shall cause the knife to cut with the greatest caso
and accuracy.
с

page_text: Of course the specific organization or arrangement of parts may be
varied, the essential feature being the axial reciprocating movement of
cach roll, but the construction shewn in the, Drawing embraces a
practically working organization. The machine thus made is very.
strong and enduring, simple in construction, and effective in operation,
and the provision for reciprocation of the rolls adds but very little to
the cost of the machine over the cost of those in ordinary use, while the
improvement not only enables the splitting to be much more easily
effected, but causes the leather to be more accurately and evenly split
than in other machines.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would
have it understood that what I claim is, a leather splitting machine
having a stationary knife or cutter and reciprocating feed rolls, operating
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
threa
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)