AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR GLAZING MOROCCO LEATHER
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ange Capello, of No. 4, Rue du Repentir,
Marseilles, in the Empire of France, Currier, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR GLAZING MOROCCO LEATHER."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ange Capello at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
August 1863.
I, ANGE CAPELLO, of No. 4, Rue du Repentir, Marseilles, in the Empire of
France, Currier, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN.
IMPROVED METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR GLAZING MOROCCO LEATHER," to be
as follows:-
The machine by which I effect the object of my Invention is composed of
the glazer and the sleeker, differing from each other only in their lower part..
A piece of wood placed horizontally pivots on two pins, and the main balance
beam is fixed to this piece by two bolts, it is composed of a triangle V, and of
a piece of wood placed perpendicularly, which may rise and fall according to
the requirements of the work between the sides of the triangle which support
and guide it in grooves. A piece of iron fixed to the lower part of the balance
beam fills in some measure the office of a connecting rod producing the
swinging motion.
I will now describe the glazer. The end of the main balance beam
is furnished at the bottom with two sheet-iron plates carrying two bearings.

page_text: on which rolls a pin carrying a glass, crystal, wooden, or other roller,
according to the leather and the nature of the work. This roller is
between two iron plates, which fix it to the pin by a nut, and outside the
plate which is fixed to the end of the main balanco a toothed wheel is fastened
on the same pin. When the balance beam is pushed on one side a catch
prevents the toothed wheel and the roller from turning, this latter dragging
along the board. On this board is placed the leather which is being glazed,
and while travelling this distance (about a yard) the roller glazes one strip.
When the main bean has arrived at the end of this journey, and that by the
motion of another small beam it is brought to the other end of the board, the
catch flies on to the teeth of the wheel, and the ruller then runs on the leather
without glazing it, when it has again arrived at the other end it glazes another
strip, and so on continuously, and when the entire skin is glazed the apparatus
is arrested while another is substituted. The board, as well as the piece of
wood which pivots, must be flexible; this board, rests on two small boards
which are on two wooden screws, serving to raise or lower the board at will.
The main beam should be about three yards long, as there is advantage in
placing the balance as high as possible, and consequently giving it greater
length. The lower part of the main balance is cut and hell near the other by
a pivot. This section is set in two cheeks; a bolt with nut holds a plate, or
rather a slide bolt, which facilitates the changing of the roller.
I will now describe the sleeker or smoother. I have said that the upper
part is the same as that of the glazer, namely, a piece of wood on two pins or
spindles, a triangle attached to this piece, and another piece of wood, which
may rise and fall sliding in the triangle. The lower part finishes differently
to that of the glazer, it is set in groove pivots on a bolt, and by its arrange-
ment when the balance moves forward one part remains stiff, and causes the
roller to rub and press on the leather in smoothing it. When the balance
moves in the contrary direction this part opens by the aid of a spring, so that
the glass roller remains lifted and no longer touches the leather. The roller
in the glazer rolls on a pivot, whereas this one is set in cheeks, between which
it is pressed by a spring. The main balance of the sleeker or smoother may
come and go with great speed, but for the glazer an average speed is required,
The motion is communicated to the small balance, which gives it to the con-
necting rod, and this latter to the main balance. Any motive power may be
used. With the means hitherto used the workman is obliged to regulate or
guide the leather beneath the roller, and to put the beam in motion, which
leaves an interval between each operation, but by my method the workman
places the leather on the board or carrier, and the balance beam works con-

page_text: tinuously without his co-operation; and further, instead of smoothing only
very narrow strips, I smooth them twice as wide, and much sleeker, glossier,
and with better face.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ange Capello in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd February 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANGE
CAPELLO, of Number 4, Rue du Repentir, Marseilles, in the Empire of
France, Currier, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her-Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Ange Capello, Her special license that I, the said Ange Capello,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Ange
Capello, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, 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 METHOD OF AND
APPARATUS FOR GLAZING MOROCCO LEATHER," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Ange Capello, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Ange Capello, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement,
reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing hereunto annexed and forming.
part of this my Specification, and to the figures and letters of reference.
marked thereon:-
The description of the Figures 1 and 2 from the top to R will serve for.
Figures 3 and 4. Figure 1, front view of glazer; Figure 2, side view;
Figure 3, front view of sleeker; Figure 4, side view. B, and A, B, piece of

page_text: annexed to the main balance beam by
This beam is composed of a triangle
wood, which pivots on two pins; it is
means of two bolts with nuts a, a.
C, D, E, and of two pieces of wood F, R, and G (Figures 1 and two). The
triangle is fixed by two bolts with nuts and b¹ to the piece of wood F, R.,
This latter being susceptible of more or less elevation, according to the
requirement of the work the two grooves c, c¹, are made; in each of these
grooves passes the nut bolt above mentioned, which fixes at will the piece F, R,
to the triangle C, D, E.
I will now describe the glazer, Figures 1, 2, and 5. H, I, iron piece,
acting in some measure as a connecting rod. The main balance beam is
provided at the bottom with two sheet iron plates i, ¹, which carry two
bearings k, l, in which rolls a pin m carrying a roller L of glass, crystal,
wood, or other suitable material, according to the leather and the work. This
roller is between two sheet-iron. platės j and j'; they fix the roller to the pin
by means of the nut outside the plate i, , which is fixed at the end of the
main beam; to the same pin m is fixed a toothed wheel o by means of a small
pin p, Figure 5. When the beam is pushed towards the point 0 of the table,
the catch n keeps the toothed wheel and the cristal roller from turning, this
latter dragging along the board M, M'. On this board is placed the leather
to be glazed, and during this journey, which is about a yard, the roller glazes
one strip. When the main beam has arrived at the end of its journey, and
that by the motion of the small balance beam P (Figure 7), it is brought
back towards the point V of the table,. the catch n takes, jumps over the teeth
of the wheel o, and the roller then runs over the leather without glazing it.
When it has reached its journey towards the point O it glazes another strip,
and so on, finally when the skin is entirely glazed the apparatus is stopped
while another is substituted. The board M, M', and the piece of wood A, B,
should be flexible. This board is carried by two small boards s, s¹, which are
carried by two wooden screws 7, 1, which serve to raise and lower the
board M, M', in the two grooves u, u, made in two pieces of wood N, N.
These two pieces of wood are fixed to the table by two bolts with- nuts q, q.
The wheel o has its teeth so cut that when the beam starts towards the
point the catch n enters about half an inch before resting against the
bottom of the tooth, during which slight course the roller L runs on the
board; this short distance traversed in rolling serves to make it rise on to
the skin before the action of glazing, which can only take place with a fixed
roller. It is advantageous to have the main beam. as high as possible; it is
cut at f, g, and held by the pivot h. The section f, g, is covered on one side
and the other by the wood of the piece F, R, that is to say, that at Figure 2.

page_text: I have said
as far as R.
is seen the piece g, G. This piece is set in the two cheeks J and K of the
main beam. The two plates i, i, are cut at T, G. The nut bolt & holds a
plate or slide bolt f, which serves to facilitate changing the roller when the
working is to be varied. For which purpose it is only necessary to push the
slide bolt on one side or the other, and the lower part of the main beam
being no longer fixed, but by the pivot h may be pushed towards the point V,
when the roller L no longer touching the board may be changed at will.
I will now describe the sleeker or smoother, Figures 3 and 4.
that the description of the glazer and of the sleeker was the same
The part 2, x, of the main balance beam is cut, and pivots on the bolt f, the
effect of the cut z, x, is, that when the beam goes from L to K of the square
slab, the part z, x, remains rigid, and the roller J rubs and presses the leather,
giving it the necessary smoothing. When the beam goes from K to L, the
part z, a, has a tendency to open under the influence of the spring e, y, fixed
at e, and entering into the groove 2. This spring in pushing causes the
part 2, a, to open until the roller J remains raised an inch or so. d, z, is a
spring much weaker than the other, which passes in a ring bolt V in such wise.
that it cannot become detached; this spring prevents the lower part of the
beam opening too much when it goes from K to L; arrived at the end of its
journey, the beam meets the spring, Figure 6, the end t of which butts against
the point, and causes the pivoting part z, x, to close, in order that the
extremity of the beam may effect the smoothing. This last spring is fixed
against the wall of the building, or to a piece of wood, but so as not to impede
the workman. The springs t and e, y, are furnished at their extremity with a
small roller. The roller J is set in the cheeks n and a, between which it is
pressed by the nut bolt g. In order that this roller may wear equally, the
workman will take care to change its position from time to time. Hero
instead of operating on a large table, I operate on the bench which carries
the slab L, K, and this piece has its extremities placed on the wedges h, h¹,
which, by means of the four screws m, m³, cause the slab to rise or fall..
These four screws have the head resting against two pieces of wood M, M³,.
fixed at the ends of the bench; these four screws pass into two pieces of wood
7 and 1. The slab has two mortices O, O', in which enter the tenons q, q',
which are forced into the two grooves N, N¹, this prevents the slab moving to
one side or the other. When the slab is raised the said tenons will also be
raised, small pins i, i, fixed to the bench enter the grooves j, j³, and prevent
the wedges moving on one side or the other. The main balance beam of the
sleeker may come and go at a great speed, whereas for the glazer a moderate
speed is required. The small balance beam, Figure 7, sets in motion. the

page_text: connecting rod H, I, by the power which it obtains from an engine band,
toothed or other gearing, no matter from what motor the power is obtained, I
may apply to it the spring t, which is fixed to the floor by two nuts, and the
extremities of which are attached to the two chain ends s, s¹, these two chain
ends unite at the cord U, which is fixed at the upper angle of the sector Qin
a groove. The sector is fixed to the small balance beam P, or to the same
shaft, so that when this small beam pushes the connecting rod H, I, towards
the point V of. the table of the glazer, the roller L rolls and exerts scarcely
any force. This strength is replaced by means of the spring t, and when the
small beam P brings back the connecting rod towards the point O, then the
springt, gives it a very rapid beginning of action which serves to overcome
the stationary inertia of the main balance beam from V to O, the movement
must be accelerated in order to obtain a handsome glazing. The spring t¹,
may serve equally for the glazer and the sleeker as they operate.in the same
direction. For greater simplicity a small horizontal or vertical machine may
be used, the introduction of the steam will be so proportioned that on one side
it enters fully and on the other only in the quantity necessary to effect the
purpose in view; the connecting rod u, z¹, Figure 7, of the machine V, E,
F, G, would be applied at the point u of the small balance beam; the spring t¹
would be suppressed.
Figures 8 and 9 shew other arrangements in front and side view. The
balance beam is here indicated by A, B, it is composed of two pieces of wood,
the piece A has two rollers C, D, at its upper end, between these rollers passes
a piece of wood E, F. This piece is annexed to two others G, H, by two
bolts with nuts i, j, the pieces G, H, are carried on the pins a, b, and the
three together are flexible. The balance beam in its march must traverse a
great portion of the piece E, F, which upholds it; this same beam slides at
will in the grooves K, L, these two grooves are in two pieces of wood M, N,
and O, P, which cause the beam to come and go, and which by this means no
longer balances. Under these conditions the beam A, B, marches equally at
ats two extremities and effects a still more even glazing or sleeking than the
beam, Figures 1, 2, 3, 4. Two cross pieces Q, R, unite the two pieces M, N,
and O, P; the cross piece R receives the connecting rod which gives-the
come-and-go motion; the pieces M, N, and O, P, pass between eight rollers
U, V, which are placed in the interior of the two pillars a, y; the pillar X
is so made as to permit manoeuvering the skin under operation; the sleeking
bench may be used and the two tenons q, q', and the two wedges h, h', be
suppressed.. The slab may be stronger and should slightly incline towards the
pillar to permit the lower part of the beam to rise as it goes in the direction

page_text: for sleeking. There is nothing changed in the lower part of the balance beam
of the sleeker, it will only be unprovided with the connecting rod and there'
will only be the pivot. This mechanism may equally be applied to the glazer.
If it were constructed of iron the eight rollers might be replaced by four
bearings. It will be understood that the proportions may vary as well as the
materials of construction. In case the point J of the lower piece of the balance
beam, Figures 3 and 4, should lift before having finished its journey the spring
d, z, Figures 3 and 4, may be replaced by a slide bolt A, B, C, Figure 10, and'
C, Figure 11. This slide bolt instead of closing and opening like the other
pivots so that its two extremities B, C, serve to cause the opening and shutting
when the beam has begun its journey, the roller D (Figures 10 and 11) which
is at the end B of the slide bolt, finds a wooden lintel E (Figures 10 and 11)'
which causes it to rise and makes the other end C come on the plate F; which
replaces the ring bolt V of Figures 3 and 4. When the beam. nears the end
of its journey, the roller D (Figures 10 and 11) meets a second wooden
lintel G, which like the other E is fixed to a piece of wood H, and causes the
roller D to incline so that before arriving at the end of its course the plate F
finds itself free, and the roller J (Figures 3 and 4) rises and goes again
towards the point L of the slab, Figure 3, and again recommences and so on.
The letter i indicates the part of the beam where the slide bolt may be applied.
These two last Figures may be applied to the piece of wood A, B, Figure 8,
and the inclination will be given to the slab, Figure 8, on the side of the pillar
Y, as on the side of the pillar ✗. The said lintels may be made of iron, and
they may be fixed in a piece of iron made to suit the locality in which the
apparatus is placed. If it were desired to give great speed to the balance
beam, Figures 3 and 4, and prevent its becoming too heated, a ventilator or
fan would be placed so as to introduce air into a coutchouc tube K", Figures
3 and 4. This tube extends.as far as J, and is attached to the beam by ring-
bolts or hooks. The roller J is pierced with a hole extending from a to n,
and the caoutchouc tube will have its end Z", furnished with a short joint of
metal tubing, which will be adjusted in the hole on the side a, by this means
the air will enter the hole of the roller J, then into another tube X', which in
bending over will spread the air on the said roller and cool it. To keep the
ruller still cooler the ventilator may be replaced by a water pump, the tube a¹
would be extended and be made to rise again by the same means used to lower
the other instead of causing air to pass, water would thus be made to circulate.
Two pieces of sheet iron a¹, 61, Figure 3, are placed to prevent the lower
part of the balance beam from rising when it has finished its journey. The
fulcrum P, Figure 7, may be placed about of its length from below.

page_text: The advantages of my improvements are, the workman employed to glaze
or sleek the skin is no longer obliged to make the main balance beam work,
which fatigues him greatly and causes. him to lose much time; further the
workman who is obliged to set the main beam in motion being able to do it
but with one hand cannot communicate to the beam all the requisite power;
whereas, by my system any desired power is imparted to it. At present glazing
is effected in strips of not more than half an inch, and further each two strips
can make but the width of one if the glazing is to be even; whereas, by my
apparatus strips of more than an inch and a half in breadth may be glazed and
the work be better done.
The result of my Invention is, therefore, that skins may.be glazed much
quicker, much better, and with less fatigue to the workman.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ange Capello, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
ANGE CAFELLO. (L.B.)