An Improved Leather Staking and Stretching Machine.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 10th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 16th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Leather Staking and Stretching Machine.
I WILLIAM WILSON HORN of the firm of Horn and Son of 151 Strand in the
County of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention
(a communication from George W. Baker of Wilmington County of Newcastle and
State of Delaware United States of America Inventor) to be as follows :-
:-
This invention relates to machines especially adapted for stretching and staking
very soft and pliable leather and it consists in the novel construction and combina-
tion of parts hereinafter described.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide a supporting frame carrying a
rotary wheel or disc in suitable bearings. Said wheel or disc has a broad circum-
ferential bearing surface on which are secured the staking knives at regular
intervals. Each knife is secured to a holder which also carries an inclined
deflector plate.
At the sides of the upper portion of the wheel are placed arc-shaped wings or
plates which are secured to covered bearings upon the frame and serve with the
broad upper portion of the wheel or disc to which they are adjunct to form the beds
for the skins or leather.
Journalled on the shaft of the said wheel are arms which support a transom-rod
shaft to which is adjustably attached the staking and stretching tool. The said
arms are respectively connected to crank arms of the driving shaft which is sup-
ported in bearings at a suitable distance from the shaft of the wheel or disc before-
mentioned. By this arrangement an intermittent reciprocation of the staking tool
is provided for and the said wheel or disc is caused to have a corresponding inter-
mittent rotation in one direction. For this purpose the shaft of the said wheel is
provided with a ratchet collar secured thereto which is engaged by a pawl upon one
of the said arms. The number of teeth upon the ratchet of the collar determines
the number of intermittent movements of the wheel or disc to a complete revolution
as well as the number of reciprocatory movements of the staking-tool it being
designed that the staking-tool shall move forward with the disc or wheel at each
movement of the latter and move backwards to its initial position during the
stoppages of said wheel or disc.
This construction is especially designed for very soft or pliable skins unable to be
stretched upon a table.
When the staking tool moves backward to its first position it is raised clear of
the leather in the following manner: The rod-shaft of the tool has a crank-arm
which is in turn connected by links to one of the actuating arms before mentioned.
At about its middle portion the connecting link has a stud or roller engaging in an
arc slot of a cam-lever provided with a journal pin at its lower end; said pin having
a vertical bearing-slide which is connected to the frame. A spring connects the
slide to the frame and the cam-lever is connected by a pitman to an adjustable stud
on the crank of the driving shaft.
A treadle pivoted to the frame engages the bearing-slide in order that the latter
may be moved upward to actuate the cam-lever and the connected mechanism
whereby the tool is brought down upon the knife plate or holder between the knife
and the deflecting plate. The pressure is in this way governed by the operator
through the treadle."
Light pressure which may however be graduated by adjusting the staking or
stretching tool may be applied automatically as the curved cam-slot of the lever is
inclined upward and forward a little in order to depress the staking tool just before

page_text: the commencement of its forward movement and to raise said tool just before the
backward movement is commenced.
The operaton of the machine is as follows: The skin is manipulated by the
operator standing by the clamp. The skin being spread upon the disc and the
arched wings or plates is held by automatic clamps at its edge or a portion of its
edge (the said clamps being adapted to automatically grip and release the skin
during the movement of the tool) and the skin is stretched and worked by the action
of the knives and tools as the disc rotates the action being always in one direction―
viz. from the station of the operator. As the clamp moves intermittently the
skin may be readily adjusted by the operator in different positions according to
requirement.
Dated this 10th day of June 1891
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Leather Staking and Stretching Machine.
I, WILLIAM WILSON HORN of the firm of Horn & Son of 151 Strand in the
County of Middlesex Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention.
a communication to me from George Walton Baker of Wilmington in the County
of Newcastle in the State of Delaware United States of America Inventor and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The invention relates to machines especially adapted for stretching and staking
very soft or pliable leather and it consists in the novel construction and combina-
tion of parts all as hereinafter set forth.
Figure 1 is a side elevation,
Fig. 2 is a top plan view,
Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section,
Fig. 4 is a sectional detail and
Figs. 5 & 6 are detail views.
In the embodiment of my invention I provide a supporting frame A and rotary
wheel or disk B, having its shaft b mounted in suitable bearings. This wheel or
disk has a broad circumferential bearing-surface B', on which are secured at regular
intervals the staking knives a five being usually employed. Each knife is secured
to a bearing plate or holder a³, which also carries the inclined deflector-plate a".
At the sides of the upper portion of the wheel or disk are placed the arc-shaped
wings or plates V V, which are secured to cover bearings of the frame and serve,
with the broad upper fan portion of the wheel or disk to which they are adjunct to
form the beds for the skins or leather.
C,
CC represent arms journaled on the shaft and supporting a transom rodshaft.
to which is attached the staking and stretching tool D in an adjustable manner.
These arms C C¹ are connected to pitmen ala, which are respectively connected
to crank arms of the driving shaft E which is journaled in bearings of the frame A
at a sufficient horizontal distance from the shaft of the wheel disk B. By this
arrangement an intermittent reciprocation of the staking-tool is provided for and
the wheel or disk B is designed to have a corresponding intermittent rotation in
one direction. To this end the shaft is provided with a ratchet collar e, which is
secured to said shaft, while the arm C¹ has a pawl e' adapted to engage said ratchet
collar. The number of teeth upon the ratchet of the collar determines the number
of intermittent movements of the wheel or disk B to a complete revolution, as well
as the number of reciprocatory movements of the staking tool, it being designed
that the staking tool shall move forward with the disk or wheel at each of the
movements of the latter and move backward to its starting point during the

page_text: stoppages of said disk or wheel, or while it is stationary between its successive
movements.
This construction is especially designed for very soft or pliable skins or leather
which would be difficult, if not impossible, to hook on a reciprocating bed or table.
When the staking tool moves backward to its first position, it is raised clear of
the leather in the following inanner: The rod-shaft c of the tool has a crank-arm ell
which is in turn connected by a link to an arm which is pivoted to the arm C¹.
At about its middle portion the arm has a stud or roller g, engaging the arc-slot v
of the cam lever F which is provided with a journal pin g at its lower end, said pin
having a vertical bearing slide G which is connected to the frame A by suitable
guides and g". A suitable retracting spring 9 connects the slide G to the
frame, and the slotted cam-lever F is connected by the pitman G to an adjustable
stud of the crank wheel or arm of the driving shaft E.
H is a treadle pivoted to the frame A and adapted to engage the bearing slide G
in order that the latter may be moved upward to actuate the cam-lever F, the
arm the link el, the crank arm c", and the rod shafte whereby the tool D is
brought down upon the knife plate or holder between the knife and the deflector
flange or plate a". The pressure is in this way governed by the operator through
the treadle. Light pressure which may however, be graduated by adjusting the
staking or stretching tool may be applied automatically, as the curved cam slot of
the lever F is inclined upward and forward a little in order to depress the staking-
tool just before the commencement of its forward movement, and to raise said tool
from the knife holder at the end of said movement and just before the tool
commences to move backward to its first position near the gripping or clamping
device.
I represents a transom rod or shaft supported in bearings I of the frame and
carrying the adjustable clamp J, which consists of the grip block k and its arm k³,
and serves when pressed forward against the transom bearing strip K of the frame to
hold the end of the skin or piece of leather during the staking and stretching
operation. This gripping is automatically effected when the tool D is returned to
its first position near the strip k by means of a came on the driving shaft E and a
pitman e, detachably engaging a crank arm of the rod I. A spring extending
from an attachment on the frame A is connected to said pitman to move it in the
reverse direction when the cam in its revolution has ceased acting in order that the
pitman may be moved backward to open the clamp or grip to release the stem.
In order that the movement of this pitman may not be controlled by the driving
shaft the end of the pitman is slotted as at e for the passage of said shaft.
J' represents a reciprocating bar extending longitudinally alongside the disk B
from the driving shaft E, and supported upon said shaft and the shaft of said
disk B by means of the slotted bearings 11. This bar is moved forward by means
of the cams on the driving shaft which engages a shoulder m of said bar and
rearward by means of a springs' connecting said bar to the frame. The bar is
notched on the side adjacent to the disk B, as indicated at n, and is provided with a
stop-plate or projection p at the rear end of this notch as indicated. This disk B
has a number of pins t, in number corresponding to the number of knives carried by
said disk and located at equal distances apart in such position that said disk will be
positively stopped by the engagement of one of these-pins with the stop plate p of
the bar when it reaches the limit of the forward movement given to it by the
engagement of the pawl and ratchet hereinbefore described. After the stoppage how-
ever of the bar J and as the staking tool moves backward to its first position the
arm releases the bar J'and its actuating spring removes it to the rear A carrying its
stop plate out of engagement with the pin of the disk B and allowing said disk to
take on the movement given to its shaft by the action of the ratchet and pawl. In
this manner the disk is prevented from over rotation and the movement of the
staking tool is made to correspond accurately with that of the disk so as to operate
in proper relation to its knives.

page_text: The operation of the machine is as follows: The skin is manipulated by the
operator standing at the clamp. The skin being spread upon the disk and the
arched wings is held by the clamp at its edge or a portion of its edge and is stretched
and worked by the action of the knives and tools as the disk rotates, the action
being always in the one direction-that of the rotation of the disk or from the
operator. As the clamp moves intermittently the skin can be readily adjusted by
the operator in different positions according to its requirement.
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. In a leather stretching machine the combination, with an intermittent rotating
disk carrying upon its broad periphery the series of knives and deflectors, of the
clamp and reciprocating staking tool together with mechanism for actuating the
same substantially as specified.
2. In a leather stretching machine the broad rotating disk having upon its
periphery the knives and deflectors, the adjacent arched wings or tables and
mechanism for rotating said disk in an intermittent manner between said arched
wings or table substantially as specified.
3. In a leather stretching machine the combination, with an intermittently-
rotating disk its knives and deflectors, and the lateral arched wings or tables
adjacent to the upper part of the said disk, of the reciprocating tool and the
actuating mechanism thereto, substantially as specified.
4. In a leather stretching machine the combination, with an intermittently-rotating
disk, its knives and deflectors and the lateral arched wings or tables adjacent to the
upper part of said disk, of the adjustable reciprocating staking-tool and the stop
movement for said disk substantially as specified.
5. In a leather stretching machine, the combination, with the adjustable recipro-
cating tool and its carrying rod, of the pawl carrying arms, the driving shaft and
pitmen, the treadles, slide bearings, cam-lever, and connections to said carrying rod
substantially as specified.
6. In a leather stretching machine the combination, with the disk shaft and the
tool-shaft, of the arms C C and pitmen a¹ a¹ the drive shaft, the ratchet collar e,
and the pawl el substantially as specified.
7. In a leather stretching machine the combination, with the driving shaft, the
disk shaft, and the tool shaft, of the vibrating arms C C¹ and the arc-slot lever, the
pitmen ala and G¹, the crank arm of the tool shaft its link connection, and
the pivoted arm f, substantially as specified.
Dated this 10th day of March 1892
HORN & SON,
Applicant's Agents.