AN EXPE- DITIOUS MODE OF TANNING
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Joseph Repelin, of St. Marcellin, Department
of the Isère, in the Empire of France, for the Invention of "AN EXPE-
DITIOUS MODE OF TANNING."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Joseph Repelin at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th April 1860.
I, LOUIS JOSEPH REPELIN, of St. Marcellin, Department of the Isère, in
the Empire of France, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN EXPEDITIOUS MODE OF TANNING," to be as follows:-
I place in two parallel lines (between which I leave sufficient space for the
passage of the workmen) say, twenty-four tubs or vats, twelve in each row,
each of which vats is set in beton cement, has a half circular bottom, and is
furnished with a fly wheel with wooden arms or paddles, for accelerating the
tanning of the skins. Running half the length of one of the above-mentioned
rows of vats are five cylindrical vats destined to the same use, and adjoining
these two tubs which revolve and are intended to wash the flock, hair, or wool,
by the aid of arms or floats within them; there is also another fulling vat
intended firstly to full the dry leather of country or foreign skins, which after
soaking for two or three days are placed in this vat, where they turn, heat,
and soften during several hours according to their quality, an operation
generally requiring several processes, and as many days. When the falling of

page_text: the skins is nearly effected, a little water is introduced, and they are then
removed to the basins or pits in the small building hereafter mentioned.
Secondly, to purge the hides after fleshing, in which case they are fulled like
the dry hides, but with a greater quantity of water. The lime and the dirt
come off the hides and disappear in the dirty water let off from the vat through
an orifice at the bottom, and which is replaced by clear water from an upper
conduit. After this operation the skins are remarkably clean, more so than by
the usual river work. The whole of the apparatus above mentioned is set in
motion by an bydraulic wheel or other motor in connection with bands, pullies,
and other gearing. A small contiguous building holds two pits or basins for
the river work, one of them working in the ordinary manner, the other fed by
a current of water turning with the force of an upper level upon a rounded
bottom, and which keeps the mass of water circling in a continual state of
agitation. These two basins or pits serve to effect the usual operation of
soaking and peeling the skins by the aid of slack lime, and by moving a small
lever the workman may, without difficulty, introduce the quantity of water
required to carry off the dirt and preserve a constant state of cleanliness.
The most important part of my improved mode of tanning is the accelerated
tanning in the vats or tubs above mentioned, the hydraulic wheel or other
motor keeping the whole apparatus in constant motion night and day, and that
without supervision, and the water, tan, and skins, in each vat are kept in
continual agitation by the fly wheels; and the principal advantages of my
methed are, that I effect in three months what has hitherto required eight,
twelve, or even more, and obtain better products with a great economy of time
and labor.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Louis Joseph Repelin in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LOUIS
JOSEPH REPELIN, of St. Marcellip, Department of the Isère, in the Empire of 3
France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Louis 3
Joseph Repelin, Her special licence that I, the said Louis Joseph Repelin, my

page_text: executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Louis
Joseph Repelin, my executors, administrators, and 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
EXPEDITIOUS MODE OF TANNING," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Louis Joseph Repelin, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their bands 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 Louis Joseph Repelin, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto aunexed, and forming
part of this my Specification.
In Figure 1, I have shewn in plan the apparatus used in my new system of
tanning. No. 1 indicates an hydraulic wheel which by means of a cast-iron
wheel within it gives motion to shafts carrying pullies or toothed gearing and
bands, by which a regular movement is communicated to the whole system
from one main motor. This hydraulic wheel may be calculated at about twelve-
horse power, but its power may be increased, or other power may be used; 2 indi-
cates twenty-four vats or troughs with half circular bottoms set in beton cement,
each one being provided with a fly wheel or wooden tourniquet, for the
accelerated tanning of the skins; 3, passage between the twenty-four vats for
the use of the workmen. This passage should be paved and kept clean by
turning on a jet of water when required; 4, five cylindrical vats for the same
purpose as the twenty-four first mentioned; 5, two revolving tubs or falling
vats intended to wash the cow-hair, flock, size, and wools, by means of the
apparatus within them, shewn at Figures 5 and 5; 6, fulling vat, forming a
new process and intended for several uses,-firstly, to full the dry skins or
hides (country or foreign). After steeping the hides for two or three days, I
place them in this fulling vat, where they turn, heat, and soften, during several
hours, according to their strength and quality, an operation requiring hitherto
several days' work and many processes. When the fulling of the hides is
nearly complete, I introduce a little water, which restores them to their
primitive suppleness. Secondly, to purge and thoroughly cleanse the hides

page_text: when they have been subjected to the preliminary preparations, fleshing, and
removal of hair or wool. In this case the hides are fulled in the same manner
as the dry skins above mentioned, but with the addition of a larger quantity of
water. The lime and dirt leave the hides and disappear with the dirty water
through an opening at the bottom, while clear water is introduced from above.
This operation renders the skins remarkable clean, more so than by the
numerous operations of ordinary river work. 7, small adjacent building con-
taining the basins relating to the river work.
Figure 2 shews in elevation the fly wheels or tourniquets of twelve of the
twenty-four vats in the basement, the cast-iron wheel, shaft, and the pullies
and bands which give the movement, and in section the flooring of the tanning
workshops, and warehouse for the tanned hides. No. 1 is a mill, which by its
new combination crushes two tons of bark a day (or even more), which falls
quite prepared into a drum placed commodiously above and near the troughs;
2, a fulling vat (similar to existing ones) in which the skins already scraped
are put in oil and receive a preparation which dispenses with the usual working
in grain and exposure to wind. A second stage in the form of a garret serves
to spread the hides.
Figure 3 is a cross section, reproducing, 1, the hydraulic wheel and feeder;
2, the basement, where are seen in section, two vats or troughs, their tourniquet,
the passage for the workmen, and the shafts with their gearing; 3, an exterior
cylindrical vat or tub with its paddles; 4, the floor of the workshop; 5, the
garret for spreading the skins; 6, the channel by which the water from the
hydraulic wheel passes to the small building to be used for the river work.
Figure 4 shews on a larger scale and in plan, one of the vats No. 2, Fig. 1,
and half of the two adjoining vats, they are entirely set in cement, the separa-
tions being of unequal thickness, the smaller serving only for bearing to the
axle of the tourniquets, the larger containing also the pulley and its box, the
cover being upon it.
Figure 4*, section on a larger scale of one of the same vats, shewing its
concave bottom, the position of the fly wheel or tourniquet, and the arrange-
ment of its paddles, the movement of which keeps the water and other matters
in the vat in a constant state of agitation. The vat has a projection in cement
on one of its sides containing two conduits, the one to feed the vat with clear
fresh water, the other to introduce the sour water or bark juice prepared outside
the building. The flyers or tourniquets keep floating in each vat, the water,
the tan, and the hides; and this simple combination of apparatus permits the
entire system to be kept working night and day without supervision, and thus
offers great economy of time and labour. The bark thus unceasingly kept in

page_text: motion by the water, and the hides gives forth its product with great rapidity
and must be replaced by fresh bark every week, which may be done in a very
simple manner, by the aid of two workmen in the basement, and the little
staging above the vats lends itself to effecting this purpose in a prompt, com-
modious, and economical manner; thus the tannic acid is constantly disengaging
itself and penetrates quickly and by degrees into the hides to be tanned. The
matters used in this new system are precisely the same as for the old method.
As in the old method, nothing more is required than water, hides, and tan, but
if the materials are the same, the results are very different, namely, that a
considerably greater number of hides may be tanned in the same time, that
the quality of the product will be superior, and, that from the economy of
manufacture, the leather will give double or treble the usual profit according
to the quality of the skins. Sixty days will suffice for the complete tannage of
calf and small foreign skins; eighty days for horse's hides for strong leather,
for oil, and small leathers for polishing; and one hundred and twenty days for
strong polishing leathers. Portions of many processes are suppressed by my
new system, and the skins no longer require raising in the vats (which costs
much time and trouble) before being laid out in the ditch or pit. Once placed
in the vats they do not issue from them, except ready for the currier.
Figure 5, plan on a large scale of one of the cylindrical wooden vats
enveloping a truncated cone, which carries the pivot of a revolving apparatus,
consisting of four arms furnished with paddles.
Figure 5, section on a large scale of the same cylindrical vat. As in the
before-mentioned vats or troughs, the water, the leather, and the tan are
constantly kept in motion by the rotation of the apparatus, and the same
economy and advantages are obtained, namely, a very fine grain and perfect
colour in the leather, and the preservation of the hair side from those little
indentations which are so annoying to the currier, and cost him so much time
and labour.
Figure 6, plan of small building containing four basins or pits, the use of
which I will presently explain.
Figure 6*, longitudinal section of same through the line C, D; and Figure 6º,
cross section through the line A, B, Figure 6. The two contiguous basins are
intended for the river work. The one is of the usual description, the other is
fed by a stream of water from an upper level which turns with rapidity on
meeting a rounded bottom and keeping the water in constant agitation presents
advantages over the old system. The other two basins serve as in the old
method for steeping and peeling the hides by the aid of slack lime. The
workman may with a small lever and without trouble, direct upon these a

page_text: greater or lesser stream of water carrying off all dirt and keeping up a constant
cleanliness, which is the basis of good tanning and currying.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the means by
which I carry it into practical effect, I would observe that the construction
and arrangement of the basin or pit, with water constantly turning within it,―
the method of washing the wools, hair, and size,-the construction and arrange-
ment of the vat for fulling the dry hides with hair upon them,--the cleansing
vat, that for putting in oil and the tan mill are new and constitute part of my
system of tanning; but the principal and most important part of my Invention
is the accelerated tanning of the skins or hides in the vats, in which turn the
fly wheels or tourniquets. My system will be found very simple and econo-
mical, and will give to the hides in three or four months the preparation that
required up to this time from eight months to one year or more.
And I claim, together with the several parts above mentioned, as new, the
entire arrangement herein described and shewn in the accompanying Drawing,
forming in its combination "An Expeditious Mode of Tanning."
In witness whereof, I, the said Louis Joseph Repelin, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
L. J. REPELIN. (L.S.)