IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING OR SETTING OUT SKINS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Armand Jules Le Blanc, of 2, Rue Sainte Apolline, Paris,
France, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
OPENING OR SETTING OUT SKINS."
Sealed the 10th April 1879, and dated the 12th October 1878.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Armand Jules Le Blanc at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th October 1878.
ARMAND JULES LE BLANC, of 2, Rue Sainte Apoline, Paris, France, Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING OR SETTING OUT SKINS."
Tawed skins during the necessary operations to which they are submitted become
contracted, which contraction disappears by opening and setting them out; it is a
difficult and laborious work, and necessitates the employment of special workmen.
With the view of suppressing this hand-work machines have been proposed, but
not with much success. I have for a long time studied the operation of these
machines, and have succeeded in producing a machine which well opens the skins
without altering them, and enables them to be opened cheaply and without much
Jabour.
The machine constructed according to this Invention is provided with double
blade, opening the skin by drawing it in an angular direction, which the hands of
a man has only up to the present time been able to do; for this purpose I employ
two blades of unequal height regulating the angle at which the skin is drawn,
which is taken at one part between a blade and a soft roller, the pressure of which
can be increased at pleasure, and the other part passes while being lengthened on
another blade in contact higher up. The time of opening the pincers and the
limiting the opening at any point of its travel gives to the workman the facility of
accomplishing on the same machine and without stopping its motion short and long
draughts which are essential conditions for working the skins well and for improving
the weak and bad parts.
These machines may be made double or single.

page_text: The machine is driven by pulleys from any suitable prime mover; one pulley is
fixed on shaft which transmits motion by pinion to a toothed wheel keyed on the
crank shaft; there is a fly wheel and connecting rods driving the shaft of the slides
in which small shafts turn, and each carry two eccentrics which are keyed there as
well as two tappets; the upper branch of the oscillating grippers are in the shafts
of the slides by the play of the eccentrics which impart an up-and-down movement
at the tail of the branch. The other ends of the branches are forked, aud carry
small yielding rollers which are supported by springs caused to stretch by means
of small cranks; the lower branches of the grippers also oscillate in the shaft of the
slides by the play of the other eccentrics which impart also an up-and-down move-
ment to the tails of the branches, the other ends of which are of T form and carry,
secured by screws or bolts, two kinds of blades or knives of rounded form;
projections or guides are fixed in the slides which come in contact with the tappets
in their course before operating the eccentrics, and by the motion open or close the
branches of the grippers. The whole is mounted in a frame with supports, and it
is provided with tables of wood cut away to allow free movement to the grippers
which have an alternate borizontal motion.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The workmen stand in front of the tables, they take the skins by both hands
and place them between the edges of the tables and their chest in order to hold
them;
then they engage them between the rollers and the blades when the branches
are spread open. The machine being put in motion the skins are drawn between
these branches which form the grippers during their course on the skins, which are
kept fixed, changing at each stroke the position of the skins between the grippers,
all the parts become in their turn pulled out. To facilitate the opening and
preparation in the weak or bad parts or even holes I apply to the above-described
machine a brake motion, whereby I can vary the duration of the opening of the
grippers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Armand Jules Le Blanc in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th
April 1879.
ARMAND JULES LE BLANC, of 2, Rue Sainte Appoline, Paris, France, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING OR SETTING OUT SKINS."
Tawed skins during the necessary operations to which they are submitted
become contracted, which contraction disappears by opening and setting them out;
it is a difficult and laborious work and necessitates the employment of special
workmen. With the view of suppressing this hand-work machines have been
proposed, but not with much success. I have for some time studied the action and
operation of these machines, and have succeeded in producing a machine which well
opens the skins without altering them, and enables them to be opened cheaply and
without much labor.
The machine constructed according to this Invention is provided with double
blade, opening the skin by drawing it in an angular direction, which the hands of
a man has only up to the present time, I believe, been able to do; for this purpose I
employ two blades of unequal height regulating the angle at which the skin is
drawn, which is taken at one part between a blade and a roller, the pressure of
which can be increased at pleasure, and the other part passes while being length-
ened on another blade in contact higher up.
The time of opening the pincers and the limiting the opening at any point of its
travel gives to the workinan the facility of accomplishing on the same machine and
without stopping its motion short and long draughts, which are essential conditions
for working the skins well and improving the weak and bad parts.
The accompanying Drawings illustrate the manner of carrying my Invention
into effect. Figure 1 is a partial external and sectional elevation; and Figure 2 is
a partial external plan and partial horizontal section of a machine constructed
according to my Invention.
a, a, are the driving pulleys, one of which is fixed on the shaft a¹ and which
transmits motion by pinion b to the toothed wheel c keyed on the crank shaft d;
vis the fly wheel; e, chief connecting rods driving the shaft of the slides f; g,
double slide guides between which the slides move; h, small shafts held and
turning in the slides f, and each carry two eccentrics i which are keyed there as
well as two tappets j;, the upper branch of the grippers oscillating in the shafts
of the slides by the play of the eccentrics i, which impart an up-and-down move-
ment at the tail of the branch c. The other ends of the branches are forked and
carry small yielding rollers which are supported by springs l, caused to stretch
by means of small cranks 12; m, the lower branches of the grippers, also oscillating
in the shafts of the slides f by the play of the other eccentrics, which impart also
an up-and-down movement to the tails of these branches m, the outer ends of
which are of T form, and carry secured by screws and bolts two kinds of blades or
knives of rounded form n, n'; o, o, are projections or guides fixed in the slides o'
which come in contact with the tappets ; in their course before operating the
eccentrics, and by the motion open or close the branches of the grippers; p is the
frame of the machine; q, leg supports of the frame; r, tables made of wood cut
away to allow free movement to the grippers which have an alternate horizontal
motion.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The workmen stand in front of the tables ; they take the skins by both hands
and place them between the edges of the table and their chest in order to hold
them, then they engage them between the rollers and the blades n and n' when
the branches and m are spread open. The machine being put in motion the
skins which are drawn between these branches which form the grippers during
their course on the skins which are kept fixed, changing at each stroke the position

page_text: of the skins between the grippers, all the parts become in their turn pulled out.
To facilitate the opening and preparation in the weak or bad parts or even holes I
apply to the above-described machine a brake appliance s, whereby I can vary the
duration of the opening of the grippers.
.
The Drawings shew a double-acting machine, but it is to be understood that
they may be made single or double as required.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,
First. The employment in machines for opening or setting out skins of two
blades of unequal height regulating the angle at which the skin is drawn, which is
taken at one part between a blade and supple roller, the pressure of which can be
regulated at pleasure, and on the other hand, in being extended also passes on
another blade situated higher, all substantially as herein-before described, and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The varying of the time at which the branches of the grippers open, and
the limiting of the opening to any desired point of the travel of the gripper, thereby
giving to the workman the facility of accomplishing on the same machine and
without stopping the motion short and long pulls, essential conditions for well
working the skins and repairing the weak and injured parts thereof, all sub-
stantially in manner herein-before described, and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Armand Jules Le Blanc, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
A. J. LE BLANC. (L.S.)