Improvements in Apparatus for Use in Rolling and Finishing Leather, and for analogous Operations.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Aug., 1895
•
Complete Specification Left. 27th May, 1896-Accepted, 27th June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in Rolling and Finishing
Leather, and for analogous Operations.
I, ERNEST DERING EVANS, of The Western Tanning Company, Bedmi ister,
in the City and County of Bristol, Tanuer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows
My invention has for its object to provide apparatus especially intended for
rolling and finishing leather but applicable also to other operations wherein
substances are to be subjected to the action of rollers.
Hitherto the rollers by which leather has been rolled have been carried by
carriers to which reciprocating motion has been imparted this necessitating con-
siderable power and being generally unsatisfactory. According to my invention
I mount the rollers so that they revolve or travel continuously in a circular path,
and in their travel act upon any number of butts or other material placed upon
the bed over which the rollers travel. The rollers are arranged radially and
should be conical with their smaller ends towards the centre around which they
revolve. The apparatus may be provided with one or any number of rollers
carried by corresponding arms projecting from the centre of motion which may
be a shaft driven by any convenient prime mover. A convenient forin will be to
provide three arms projecting radially from the centre of motion and each carrying
a roller or rollers bearing upon a circular table or track upon which the butts or
other materials to be rolled and finished are placed. The said arms may be
provided with trays or supports above the rollers for carrying variable weights.
There may be combined with the rollers any other additional devices for acting
on the leather or other material for assisting in finishing it such for instance as
brushes which may be carried by the arms in proximity to each roller and be
actuated so as to rotate with the rollers to brush the leather or other material as
it is being rolled. The table or tables upon which the leather or other material is
placed may be arranged in such manner that it is, or they are, moved inwards and
outwards so as to present successively the various parts of the leather or other
material to the action of the rollers or finishing devices.
Dated this 27th day of August 1895
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Use in Rolling and Finishing
Leather, and for analogous Operations.
I ERNEST DERING EVANS of The Western Tanning Company Bedminster
in the City and County of Bristol Tanner 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 has for its object to provide apparatus especially intended for

page_text: rolling and finishing leather, but applicable also to other operations wherein
substances are to be subjected to the action of rollers.
In machines wherein the carriers of the rollers by which leather has been
rolled have reciprocating motion imparted to them, this necessitates considerable
power and is generally unsatisfactory. In machines constructed according to my
invention the rollers are mounted so that they revolve, or travel continuously in a
circular path, and in their travel act upon the leather or other material, placed
upon the bed over which the rollers travel. The rollers are arranged radially and
are conical with their smaller ends towards the centre around which they revolve
and their bearings correspondingly arranged so that the said rollers travel and
rotate without drag over the surfaces on which they bear. The apparatus may be
provided with one roller, or with any number of rollers, carried by a wheel or
wheels, or by an arm, or arms, projecting from the centre of motion which may be
a shaft driven by any convenient prime mover. An apparatus constructed in
accordance with my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 being a plan and Figure 2 a transverse section. Figures 3 and 4 shew in
elevation and plan the way in which a brush, or other finishing device, may be
combined with the roller or rollers. The machine illustrated is provided with
three arms projecting radially from the centre of motion and each carrying a
roller, or rollers, bearing upon a circular table, or track, upon which the leather,
or other material to be rolled or finished, is placed. The said arms are marked A
and their inner ends are secured in a boss a keyed or otherwise secured, to a
driving shaft B, so that the said arms turn with the said shaft.
To the outer ends of the said arms are fixed carriages C having bearings for
carrying the axes of the rollers d. The rollers are made conical as aforesaid to
suit the circular path on which they run and the bearings are arranged to
correspond. To moderate the oscillating motion of the carriage it may be made as
shewn with pins f passing through pieces D which form part of carriages C and on
these pins springs are fitted as shewn. The carriages can be so made as to
support weights if necessary.
Underneath the rollers, and supporting the said rollers is a, circular track G
made and supported in any suitable way, but shewn in the drawing as being made
up of straight pieces constituting in effect a circular track the actual working path
of the rollers being indicated by the dot and pick lines g. The shaft B may be
supported in any convenient way from above, or below, or both. It is shewn as
passing through a bearing h carried by a central standard, or support H from
which tie bars i extend, to assist in supporting and strengthening the circular
track G which is further supported by standards or supports J. a are tie rods to
strengthen and support the arms A. The tables L are for supporting the leather
or other material. Of these tables there may be one, or any suitable number.
I have shown three in the drawing. The upper surfaces thereof are level with the
circular track G and form part thereof. These tables may be stationary, and the
leather or other material, be moved over them, or they may be mounted on rollers,
as shewn at m, carried by the standards, or supports M, so that the tables, with the
leather, or material thereon can be moved radially to present the various portions
of the leather, or other material, to the action of the rollers. The tables in the
arrangement shewn, are supposed to be moved inwards and outwards by hand, but
they can be moved inwards and outwards by mechanical means if desired, such as,
for instance, by a "mangle wheel" gear driven from the central shaft.
I do not limit myself to the precise details shewn in the drawings as it will be
evident that they can be varied, without departing from the nature of my invention.
There may be combined with the rollers any other additional devices for acting on
the leather, or other material, for assisting in finishing it, such, for instance, as
brushes, which may be carried in proximity to each roller and be actuated so as to
rotate with the rollers to brush the leather, or other material as it is being
rolled.
In Figures 3 and 4 I have shewn arms at n projecting from the roller carriage,

page_text: the said arms having bearings for the axis of a brush P which rotates with the
roller by being geared therewith in any suitable way for example by the pulley
and band aty. This brush or other device may be conical and its bearings be
correspondingly arranged as described with regard to the rollers to suit the circular
path on which they run.
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. A machine, or apparatus, for use in rolling, or finishing, leather, or for
analogous operations, the said machine, or apparatus, having in combination with
a table, or support, or tables, or supports forming part of a circular track as
described, a conical roller, or conical rollers, which revolves, or revolve, and
travels, or travel, in a circular path; all being arranged to operate substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2. A machine, or apparatus, for use in rolling, or finishing, leather, or for
analogous operations, the said machine, or apparatus, having, in combination with
a table, or support, or tables, or supports, forming part of a circular track as
described, a conical roller, or conical rollers, and a brush, or brushes, or other
additional finishing device, the said roller, or rollers, and brush, or brushes, or
other device revolving, and travelling in a circular path; and all being arranged
to operate substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. A machine, or apparatus for use in rolling, or finishing, leather, or for
analogous operations, the said machine, or apparatus, being provided with a
circular track and forming part, or parts thereof, a table, or tables, or support,
or supports, capable of being moved radially and a conical roller, or conical
rollers, (with, or without, a brush, or brushes, or other additional finishing device,
or devices, combined therewith) and means for driving the said roller, or rollers,
around the said circular track, and over the said table, or tables, which form part
thereof; substantially as herein before described.
4. The arrangement and combination of parts constituting a machine, or
apparatus, for rolling, or finishing, leather, or for analogous operations,
substantially as herein before described, and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 27th day of May 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.