Improvements in the Treatment of Hides for Belting, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Treatment of Hides for Belting, and in
Apparatus therefor.
'I, MARINUS NAEFF of Lochem, Holland, Inventor, 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 :-
My invention effects a sensible change in the process hitherto followed by
manufacturers of hides for driving belts and also in the process of currying.
It is well known that manufacturers of hides or butts for utilization in the
manufacture of driving belts have not been able to supply the belt manufacturer
with hides sufficiently stretched to the ends to avoid lengthening of the belt in.
operation.
Better success has been met with in England than elsewhere on account of the
employment of powerful stretching machinery.
In America the process is followed of cutting the hides in three pieces and
stretching these pieces separately by what are termed "clamps"; this method is
good enough in so far as it effects sufficient stretching of the pieces, but it involves
so much loss that in Europe it is impossible to adopt the system, as it would be too
expensive.
My new machine, which I call "The American Butt Stretching Machine "
replaces all the processes enumerated, and avoids all the loss and inconveniences
identified with them; and in carrying out my invention I obtain the following
advantages:-Absence of waste and consequently economy, a more perfect drying
of the hide and distribution of the dressing, and I secure straight stretched belts,
avoiding the occurrence of lengthening in use; and saving of time and labor.
The entire hide, (or a part thereof) is stretched in such manner as to allow of
cutting from it belts which will not become lengthened in use and which will travel
correctly. The machine stretches the hide to the extreme ends, thus avoiding the
loss of the ends, which would otherwise require to be cut off. The lengthening of
the hides effected by the machine is in the case of entire hides 4 per cent., and in
the case of half-hides 6 per cent. The appearance of the hides is improved and
they are rendered more solid by the operation of the machine.
The hides are submitted to the machine after being dried, and they are there not
only stretched but further dried to such an extent as to render comparison with the .
most perfect system of atmospheric drying impossible. The leather is then just in
the fit state to receive the dressing and every part of the hide (from the thickest to
the thinnest) is sufficiently dried to absorb the dressing.
The entire hide is passed through the press without any necessity of paring or
cutting away the edges, that is to say it is possible to use the hides without previous
cutting.
In order to carry out my invention I have designed a press which while depriving
the hide of its moisture effects its stretching and allows of its assuming the plane
surface necessary for its manufacture into belts.
This press is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an
elevation, Figure 2 a plan and Figure 3 à face view.
The machine as will be seen from the drawings is composed of a frame A on
which is mounted a large gear wheel B driven by a pinion C keyed on the extremity
of the driving shaft D. The shaft of the large wheel B serves for winding up
the hide which passes through the tension blocks E capable of regulation by a

page_text: hand-wheel F and endless screw G and a greater or less tension of the hide is
effected according to the adjustment of the tension blocks E.
The operation of the machine is as follows. The hide is passed between the two
tension blocks or jaws E, then attached along the whole of the width of its extremity
to the shaft of the large gear wheel B; the hand wheel F is then turned to adjust
the necessary tension. The hide being properly adjusted and well secured in the
machine, motion is imparted to the driving pulleys and consequently to the shaft of
the large gear wheei B which winds up the hide, drawing the whole surface of the
hide through the tension blocks. It will be readily understood that when treated
in this manner the hide will be deprived of all moisture and will come from the
machine in a manner rolled by the tension jaws or blocks. These blocks may be
made in metal or of wood covered with metal.
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 :-
-
1. The process of treating hides substantially as herein before described, by
causing them to pass between two blocks or jaws which grip them tightly for their
whole width with the object of extracting the moisture therefrom and rendering
them perfectly flat.
2. In a process for treating hides the construction and application of a special
press consisting essentially of two blocks wherein one block is fixed and the other
movable through which the hide passes and means for drawing the hide through
such blocks substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 24th day of January 1895.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.