Improvements in Machines for Softening and otherwise · Treating Leather.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by ALBERT MILTON BOWERS, of 95, Lafayette Street,
Newark, New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Machines for Softening and otherwise ·
Treating Leather.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex 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 :-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the process of softening and staking
leather or removing the loose, fibrous or ragged particles found on the side of the
hide opposite that of the grain, and is particularly adapted for use in finishing sheep
or goat skins.
The invention consists in a staking machine having therein the arrangement and
combination of parts, substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embodied
in the clauses of the claim.
In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine
in one of its forms and Figures 2 and 3 are detail views showing a staking blade or
blades in operative relation to a certain bed, and Figs. 4 to 8 are detail views of
certain parts which will be duly described.
In said drawing, a and b b, illustrate respectively foundation or base and standard
pieces of a frame, which are preferably of wood and are arranged in pairs with the
greater portion of the working mechanism between. Of said working mechanism, c is
a rocker held upon an incline bed, e, by means of a bolt, link or coupling, d, and
prevented from moving longitudinally thereon by means of a stay,, fastened at one
end to the said bed and at the other to the said rocker. An oscillating beam, h,
depends from the said rocker, and its lower end is provided with a roller-carrying-
beam j, which is pivotally secured to said beam, h, at i.
At the lower end of the beam, j, the same is provided with a head or carriage, h,
which provides bearings for a roller or resisting body or cushion, I, the latter

page_text: being adapted to engage the upper side of the leather or hide in the staking process
and holds said leather so that the staking blade may properly act thereon.
The beams hand j, are given a reciprocating movement by means of a connecting
bar, p, and crank-wheel, t, the former being connected to the latter by a suitable
crank-pin, indicated at p', and the latter being rigidly secured to the beain, j, so that
said beam is given a vibrating movement, on the pivot i, independent of, or in
addition to its movement with the beam, h, as the wheel t, causes the rear end of
said connecting bar, p, to rise and fall, as will be understood upon reference to the
drawing herein, and to the specification and drawing of U.S. patent 339,134, issued
to the communicator on the 6th day of April 1856, where these parts are more
particularly described in connection with another leather working machine. The
simultaneous oscillating and vibrating movements of the beams h and j, cause the
stroke of the roller or resisting body to be parallel or approximately parallel with
the inclined leather supports, m m.
Upon the pitman or connecting rod, or bar, p, is arranged and secured a
system of levers by means of which a staking blade, u, is given a backward and
forward movement with said connecting rod, and also a movement to and from the
roller or resisting body or from an incline plane, parallel with the support, m, m, the
said blade and roller or body approaching one another and engaging the leather lying
there between at the forward end of the stroke, together moving rearward and thus
making an operative stroke, and at the end of said rearward stroke separating from
the leather and from one another and moving forward in a separated relation,
allowing this operator during this last movement to readjust the leather preparatory to
a repetition of the movements.
The blade when employed with a roller which is preferred as a resisting body,
preferably strikes the leather in a direction tangential to the roller, as indicated in
Figure 2, to secure a more effective operation in softening the leather and removing
the loose particles found on the underside thereof.
The rollers is made of rubber or other material adapted to present a soft or
elastic surface or cushion to the " grain" by means of which the latter is not
flattened.
7
The construction of a blade operating-mechanism preferred is shown in the
drawing, being a fulcrumal beam or bar disposed at or approximately at right
angles to the connecting bar, p, crossing the same and being permanently and
rigidly fastened thereto, its opposite extremities providing fulcrumal bearings for a
lever, s, and a blade-carrying bar, v. The said lever, s is linked or coupled to the
blade-carrying bar by a coupling rod or rods, r, so that, as the said lever s is raised by a
lever, w, which engages the free end thereof, the said blade-carrying bar is also
raised and the blade brought into contact with the roller or the leather lying
there between. The lever, w, for actuating the lever, s, is also fulcrumed on the
connecting rod or bar, p, as at a, moving backward and forward and vertically
therewith, the rear extremity extending beneath the free end of the lever, s, and the
opposite end extending into close proximity to the bearing, y, formed or arranged on
the oscillating beam, h.
As the connecting or pitman rod moves forward, under the influence of the
wheel, t, as it arrives near the forward end of its stroke, it is raised by said wheel
bringing the end, w, of the lever, w, into engagement with the bearing, y, so that
said end is depressed and the opposite end raised. By this action the free end of
the lever, s, is raised, and with it the blade-carrying bar and the blade, the last
engaging the leather in unison with the roller, preparatory to making an operative
stroke thereon, at the opposite side of said leather.
The bearings, w, y, continue in engagement until the rod, p, arrives near the end
of its stroke when the descent of the crank-end of the said rod causes a disengagement
of said bearings and a separation of the parts, u and l.
The blade employed is similar to an ordinary staking blade, except that it is
provided with a bent shank as shown, adapted to be secured to the horizontally
dienosed har

page_text: In operating upon certain peculiar kinds of work I add other blades, as in Figure 3,
which bear on the wheel in various points of its periphery operating together on the
leather at each alternate stroke of the rod or bar, e.
The bed upon which the leather is supported, and manipulated consists particularly
of two inclined bars, m m, arranged apart to allow the blade and roller to work
between, these bars being supported by uprights, nn, which also support a cross
piece, o, against which the operator may lean while working, holding the leather
between his body and said cross piece while the draft of the roller and blade or
blades are exerted thereon, and also holding said parts, m, m and n n together, as will
be understood.
The cross piece may be provided at its upper edge with a rubber or similar
friction-piece, o, to enable the workman to hold the leather more securely.
While I prefer the construction and arrangement of parts shown, because of their
simplicity, cheapness and efficiency, I am aware that many modifications and
changes of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the
invention. For example, the roller may be dispensed with and some other form of
resisting body be substituted, whether in the movable form shown or not.
In lieu of a roller, I, for cooperating with the staking blade, by engaging with the
leather on the side, thereof opposite that upon which the said blade is operated,
to hold the leather into proper relation to said blade that the latter may have effect
thereon, I may employ any other resisting body of matter, preferably of an elastic or
cushion-like nature such for example as layers of felt as illustrated in Figs. 4
and 5 where said layers are held between clamping plates a², ad, and for that reason I
do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to a revolving body, such as the said
roller, though the latter is ordinarily more efficient.
In lieu of the straight or flat blade having a hent shank or one without such shank
as in Figure 7, I may employ a bent blade as in Figure 6 at u¹ adjustably secured to
a Y shaped head or shank u at the front face thereof, the use of which bent blade is to
" work out" or "draw out" the grain.
The lever to may be of one integral piece though it may be made in adjustable
parts a slot w being provided in one of said parts which allows the same to be
changed in its relation to the other of said parts as will be understood upon reference
to Fig. 8.
The coupling mechanism for holding the rocker to the incline bed, e, is of
peculiar and improved construction, and is equally applicable to other leather working
machines.
Upon the incline bed, e, is arranged a pair of spiral springs, g, upon which a
movable beam,, is seated, and between which the bolt or coupling piece d, which
holds the rocker to said beam is arranged.
By this construction a more even tension on the rocker is secured at a reduced cost
of construction, while at the same time an excessive tension is not brought upon the
springs in securing the proper or desired effect, as by constructions heretofore
in use.
The operation of the machine having already been set forth in describing the
construction employed, further description is deemed unnecessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
1st. The improved leather staking machine, substantially such as described,
provided with a reciprocating staking blade, a roller having a corresponding
movement to engage the leather on the side thereof opposite that on which the said
blade is operating, and means substantially such as described for actuating said
blade and roller, said parts being combined and adapted to operate substantially as
set forth.
2nd. In a staking machine, a staking blade and an elastic roller to engage the
leather on the side thereof opposite that being operated on by the said blade, said

page_text: blade and roller moving reciprocally and in unison, and means substantially such as
described for actuating said blade and roller, said parts being arranged, combined and
adapted to operate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3rd. In a machine for staking leather, the combination of a staking blade and an
elastic body or cushion 1, to engage the leather on the side opposite that on which the
said blade is operated, said blade and body or cushion moving reciprocally and in
unison, and means substantially such as described for actuating said blade and body or
cushion, substantially as set forth.
4th. In combination in a staking machine, an oscillating beam, h, vibrating beam, j,
carriage, resisting body or bed, 1, beam or rod, p, and wheel, and a staking
blade carried by said beam or rod, p, and given a vertical movement by a system of
levers, substantially such as described for the purposes set forth.
5th. In combination in a staking machine, a reciprocating and resisting body or
bed, 1, actuated by a wheel, and connecting or pitman rod, and a blade-carrying
bar, , carried by said rod, all said parts being arranged and adapted to operate,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6th. In a staking machine, the combination with a reciprocating resisting body or
bed, 7, and a rod, p, moving therewith, of a blade-carrying bar, a fulcrumal beam, g,
levers and wr, bearing y, and a coupling bar or rod, r, all arranged and adapted to
operate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
7th. In a leather working machine, the combination with a rocker, c, and an
inclined bed, e, of a movable beam, a, a pair of springs, g, a link or stay, 8, and a
coupling disposed between said springs, and uniting said beam and bed, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.