CERTAIN MACHINERY FOR GLAZING AND GRAINING LEATHER, NOW USUALLY PERFORMED BY HAND
Year: 1806

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
WILLCOX, of the Parish of Saint Mary, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Eighth day of March,
in the forty-sixth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said Richard
Willcox, my executors, adiñiors, and assigns, His especial licence that I, the
said Richard Willcox, my executors, administrators, and assigns, during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN MACHINERY FOR GLAZING AND GRAINING
LEATHER, NOW USUALLY PERFORMED BY HAND;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Richard Willcox, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to le
performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Willcox, do hereby declare that my Improvement or Invention for
glazing and graining of leather, and glazing and imbossing leather, is as
follows, viz

page_text: First, by so disposing or placing a number or series of small rollers,
forming a circle, round a large roller, cylinder, drum, or shaft, which are placed
in such a manner that only one, two, or three of the said rollers shall be on
the skin at one time, whereby a pressure commensurate to finish the glazing
and graining the leather superior to hand is effected without breaking, tearing,.t
or injuring the skin.
Secondly, I do hereby further declare, that I arrange and place the said
small rollers (as hereafter described) so that at every rotation of the larger
roller, drum, or cylinder, the small rollers commence their operations in or
on the middle part of the skin, and work outwards from the center of the skin
to its edges, which having a tendency to smooth the skin whilst working
from the center outwards, it is provented from being creased, which otherwise
would injure the leather.
Thirdly, furthermore, I declare that. I place three, five, six, or more rollers
(according to the sizes of the skins to be finished), turned true, but made of
the end grain of the wood, turning outwards from tlie centre of the skin
towards each edge side of the skin; for instance, when I use six rollers, three
of them turns outwards to the right, and the other three rollers in a contrary
direction to the left; which said rollers are placed, in a frame or other
convenient apparatus, and are driven or turned by a shaft, band, chain, or other
simple and well-known ways for driving machinery; the said rollers are also
placed close as is convenient to the small rollers that glaze and grain as
before described, for the purpose of stretching, holding, smoothing, or keeping
steady and smooth the skin previous to its passing under the rollers that glazo
and grain the leather.
Fourthly, I do furthermore declare that I produce the same grain or make
a similar impression on skins as is now produced by muscular power, but
more accurately, in the following simple and novel manner:-
First, I place a skin, in a seasoned or damp state, between the rollers, as
described (which in this case are turned smooth), and after glazing the skin
without any grain or impression whatever, I place the glazed part of the skin
in contact with a copper plate or other plate made of a composition of metals,
such as is used for printing, and which is previously engraved or etched, so as
to produce an impression similar to that wrought on the skins by hand, or any
other device, ornament, or embelishment, and then pass the skin and plate
between a pair of rollers similar to those used for copper-plate printing, and
next finish the skin by passing through or under the glazing rollers as at first,
which compleat the gloss or polish; or, in other cases, where leather is to be
used for hatters, bookbinders, or for covering furniture, &c., instead of passing it
through or under the rollers for glazing it after the impression is given by the

page_text: plate, I use elastic varnish to unish the skin, whereby a most beautiful impres-
sion and polish is given to the leather. Also a further advantage is derived
from the above improvement, namely, that of impressing landscapes, flowers, or
any other ornament on the skin at the option of the manufacturer, which
cannot be performed in the usual way of glazing and graining skins by muscular
power.
The following is a more particular description of the drum and graining and
glazing rollers, and the manner of placing them, to which I have alluded in the
first and second head.
First, I place in a simple convenient framing (which every millwright
or mechanic may construct according to the situation of the premises
and the scale of business intended to be performed, therefore it is unne-
'cessary for me to describe it, because it forms no part of my Patent), an
iron cylindrice roller or wooden roller, or stout shaft working on a bearing,
'on each end of the said framing, with a wheel or rigger attached to the shaft
for turning the said roller. The most convenient size for the said roller I find
is about four feet six inches long, and one foot diameter, which is to be
divided longitudinally into fifty equal parts or divisions, and likewise divided
into fifty parts in circumference; when I place the small roller for graining
and glazing the leather, which in this case I use about two and a half inches
diameter, and one inch three quarters thick or deep, fixed into a spring about
ten inches long, and equal to carry two hundred weight, bent to so as to form
a portion of circle of about fourteen inches diameter, which said springs and
glazing rollers I fix or place on the aforesaid iron roller or cylinder divided
as above described; the first spring I fix on the center line or division,
marked or drawn on the iron roller, whilst the second spring is fixed on the
third line, and the third spring is fixed on the fifth line, drawn longitudinally
on the iron roller, thus missing every other line; on each side of the first
spring, fixed to the lines drawn longitudinally on the iron roller, but on the
contrary, each roller is to be placed or fixed to each and every line succes-
sively drawn round the circumference of the said iron roller or cylinder,
whereby it will be found, when the first sets or series of rollers are fixed to the
iron roller or cylinder, that the roller or cylinder will be lowered longitudinally,
and but half way in circumference. I then place or fix the second series or
rollers, beginning on the second longitudinal line, missed by the first series
of rollers, and so on successively, but in a direct line where the first series of
rollers terminated, so that as soon as the first series of rollers, when turned,
shall have passed the skin, the second series of rollers shall then commence.
Thus as the rollers are nearly twice the width of the spaces marked on the iron
"

page_text: roller or cylinder, and cross or work in each other's wake or track, they lap or
'cover cach other during every revolution about three quarters of. an inch,
*whereby the whole of the skin is compleatly grained and glazed; and in order
to adjust or bring the said small rollers for graining and glazing. into a regular
line, so that. they may press on the bed, which may be either a roller or
smooth surface, on which the skin is held and shifted, or moved forward
whilst glazing by the said small rollers) I place an adjusting screw tap'd or
>screwed into the springs for holding the small glazing rollers, which springs are
previously described above, one third of an inch from that part of the spring
-which is fixed on the iron roller or cylinder, and as the end of the adjusting
-screw-comes in_contact_with_the_iron cylinder, the said springs and small
rollers attached thereto are readily and speedily adjusted. The said small
rollers are groved or fluted, and the skin is prepared or seasoned and worked
by the machine in a similar manner to those skins worked by the hand
(except as in the fourth case), and the rollers are turned and the skin moved
forward by any of the simple and well-known methods of driving rollers for
machinery.
Lastly, I do hereby furthermore declare that the best speed that I have
found in practice is, that the skin should be moved forward about threo
eighths of an inch every revolution the glazing rollers makes. And that,
although I have particularly given the dimensions of the drum or iron
cylinder, and glazing and graining rollers, as I have found most convenient
in practice, nevertheless, I do not confine myself to such proportions, for
the drum may be increased or decreased in diameter, and a greater number
or larger rollers placed thereon, or vico versa, the effects to be produced being
simply fourfold.
First, that not more than two or three graining and glazing rollers bo on
'the skin at one time.
'Secondly, that they tend to smooth the skin.
Thirdly, that the second teir or series of rollers cover the spaces left by the
first; and,
--
Fourthly, that the rollers follow each other in succession, so close as not
to come upon the skin suddenly, or with a blow, but to glide or slide casily on
the skin; all of which propertics are combined in the said machine, and which
constitutes my improvements.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Willcox, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, the Eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and six.
RICH WILLCOX. (L.S.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Eighth day of September,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Richard Willcox came before
our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Eighth day of September, in the year above written.