Improvements in Machinery for Treating Skins, Leather, and other analogous Substances.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Sept., 1895-Accepted. 23rd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Treating Skins, Leather, and other
analogous Substances.
I, JOSEPH HALL, of Burley Engine Works, Leeds, in the County of York,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, to be as follows:-
My invention consists in machinery for shaving, slicking, whitening, buffing,
Scouring, setting, flatting, slating, fleshing, and scudding skins, leather, and
analogous substances.
I employ a rotary cutter or cutters mounted upon suitable bearings, such cutter
or cutters are arranged to be sharpened either by coming in contact with an emery
wheel, or wheels, revolving at higher speed but in the same direction, so as to give
a turned up edge, or by strickle or strickles travelling backwards and forwards, in
which case the cylinder revolves in an opp site direction when a turned edge is
required.
The aforesaid cutter is provided with a fence (to prevent damage to the material)
to cover it, except at the cutting point, in some cases where a square edge is
required the aforesaid fences are used for sharpening purposes. The said cutters
or shielding plates are applicable to all suitable cutting tools or cylinders.
The bed upon which the hides are placed consists of either a pad, quadrant, or
an endless bed with suitable mechanism for allowing it to yield to suit the material
being operated upon, also suitable mechanism is provided for drawing the material
being operated upon through the machine; also suitable mechanism for regulating
and controlling its operation; by one arrangement the skin is finished at one
operation and in another at two operations, in the latter case two cutters are
employed.
Or by the employment of a radial arm carrying an endless belt, band, chain, or
the equivalents, with slickers or cutters, working upon a flat bed, the material can
be finished at one operation.
I also can make the nipping or drawing rollers act simultaneously with the support
carrying the material to be operated upon, or they may act independently of each
other by two separate movements.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Royal Exchange Chambers, Boar Lane, Leeds,
Patent Agent to the Applicant.
Improvements in Machinery for Treating Skins, Leather, and other
analogous Substances.
1, JOSEPH HALL, of Burley Engine Works, Leeds, in the County of York.
Engineer, 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 :-
My invention consists in machinery for shaving, slicking, whitening, buffing,

page_text: scouring, setting, flatting, slating, fleshing and scudding skins, leather, and
analogous substances.
The object of one part of my invention is to provide improved machinery for the
purposes aforesaid which can be carried out, by simply changing the cutters or
cylinders and which is specially applicable for shaving and levelling skins so that
a skin can be shaved and levelled at one continuous operation, or half of the skin
can be so treated, and the skin and machine then reversed. An important feature
of such invention being that the action of the machine can be reversed auto-
matically or by hand.
According to my invention 1 employ a rotary cutter, or cutters mounted upon
suitable bearings, such cutter or cutters are arranged to be sharpened either by
coming in contact with an emery wheel or wheels revolving at higher speed but in
the same direction so as to give a turned up edge or by strickle or strickles travel-
ling backwards and forwards in which case the cylinder revolves in an opposite
direction when a turned up edge is required.
The aforesaid entter is provided with a fence (to prevent damage to the material)
to cover it except at the cutting point; in some cases where a square edge is
required the aforesaid fences are used for sharpening purposes. The said cutters
or shielding plates are applicable to all suitable cutting tools or cylinders.
The bed upon which the hides are placed consists of either a pad, quadrant or
an endless bed or cylinder with suitable mechanism for allowing it to yield to suit
the material being operated upon also suitable mechanism consisting of rollers is
provided for drawing the material being operated upon through the machine also
suitable mechanism for regulating and controlling its operation. By one arrange-
ment the skin is finished at one operation and in another at two operations, in the
latter case two cutters are employed, or by the employment of a radial arm
carrying an endless belt, band chain or the equivalents with slickers or cutters,
working upon a flat bed, the material can be finished at one operation.
I also can make the nipping or drawing rollers act simultaneously with the
support carrying the material to be operated upon, or they may act independently
of each other by two separate movements. Covers are provided at the ends of the
feed roller for keeping the material from falling or catching.
I also provide means for adjusting the emery rollers relatively to the cutters, and
to take up any slackness in the belt for driving such.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of machine.
Fig. 1, is a plan of Fig. 1.
Fig. 1A, is a plan and Fig. 1B an elevation of feed roller, showing covers upon
the ends of same.
Fig. 2, is a side elevation of machine with bed (for feeding the material) in the
form of a pad.
Fig. 24, is a front elevation of Fig. 2.
Fig. 3, is a sectional elevation of machine constructed with the bed (for feeding
the material) in the form of an endless apron.
Fig. 34, is a view of strickle arrangement for sharpening cutters, in lieu of
emery rollers.
Fig. 4, is a plan of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5, is a side elevation of machine with radial arm carrying an endless belt
with slickers or cutters thereon.
Fig. 6, is a plan of same.
Fig. 7, is a modification of Figs. 5 and 6.
Fig. 7, is a plan of Fig. 7.
Fig. 7, is a detail view of special cutter for this machine.
Fig. 7B, is a detail view of modification of Fig. 7ª.
Fig. 8. is a frout elevation of head carried upon a fixed centre and capable of

page_text: Fig. 14 is a part side elevation of modification of Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 15 is a front view of Fig. 14.
Fig. 16 is a modification of side elevation of Figs. 1 and 1º.
Fig. 16A is an enlarged view.
Fig. 17 is a front elevation of Fig. 16.
Fig. 1. A is a rotary cutter mounted upon bearing B upon
the machine
frame C; D is an emery wheel adapted to revolve in the same direction and at
a high speed in contact with the said cutter for sharpening purposes and so as to
give a turned up edge upon such cutter. Or instead of emery wheels a strickle
arrangement may be employed for sharpening the said cutter; this is shown in
Fig. 34 in which A is the cutter A' the strickle secured or held in position by
bolt A2 and plate A³ upon the gantry A. In this case when a turned up edge is
required upon the cutter the said cutter is caused to revolve in an opposite
direction. E is a fence for preventing damage to the material and covering the
cutter except at the part F which forms the cutting point. The said fences are
adjustable and where a square edge is required they can be used for sharpening
purposes by revolving the cutter in contact therewith." In some cases a fence such
as E may be arranged at the back of the cutter A near to the emery roller D.
G is a cylinder forming the bed of the machine over which the hides are passed
from the feed board G H and Hare the nipping or drawing rollers. They are
carried by a support H' centred upon the axis H³ connected by link work. The
said support H2 is connected at its lower end to a foot treadle H and has centres H
and H carrying wheels H' and H. The wheel H' gears with a pinion H*
upon the axis H and with a wheel H10 upon the axis of the nipping or drawing
roller H. The wheel H³ is upon the centre H there is also a wheel H upon the
axis of the nipping or feeding roller H which gears with the wheel H as required,
the wheel H gearing with the wheel H. By this means on the driving of the
shaft H³ the rollers H and H' are rotated. J is a link or arm one end of which
joins on to the axis of the nipping or drawing roller H', the other end carries a
pin or stud which engages into a slot J2 in the free end of link J³ centred at J+
upon the machine frame. Jis link work for connecting or joining up the link .J
to a red or lever K pivotted to the treadle H and having right and left hand
threads with an union or coupling piece K' for adjusting or regulating the move-
ments of the parts. By moving the treadle through the mechanism aforesaid the
nipping rollers are caused to act simaltaneously with or independently of each other.
The emery roller D is driven from the shaft D' by pulleys and belts as ordinary,
and is adjusted relatively to cutter A so as to allow for wear by means of screw D
operated when required by worm D³ and hand wheel D through the agency of
which the adjustment is effected, the worms causing the said screws to move the
roller D to its work or vice versa.
The said axis D' is also movable or adjustable in two directions, namely, in a
horizontal one and in a vertical one.
For the horizontal movement or adjustment the screw D³ is carried by the pillar
or upright D at its head and takes into a similar pillar D7 forming part of the
bearing of the axis D' which is adapted to slide on the machine frame.
If after the movement of the emery wheel D and axis D¹ there is any slackness
in the driving belt Ds this is taken up by means of a screw D by which the position
of the axis D can be raised so as to stretch or tighten the belt. In connection with
the feed rollers see Figs. 14 and 1B I provide covers L at their ends to keep the
material from falling or catching.
:
Figs. 2 and 24. A is a rotary cutter driven by the pulleys N upon cutter
shalt N'. Upon a shaft N' is a cam N* in the groove N of which works a pin N**

page_text: in the end of a rocking lever No on rocking shaft N joined to a link N' connected
to the bed №8; the said bed is centred on the axis N°. Upon the axis N' is a
spur wheel N which gears with a pinion N" on axis N which derives its motion
from the shaft N by wheel N13 gearing with a wheel N upon the shaft N".
The axis N is carried in a loose bearing N1 under which is a tappet or cam N
connected to the foot treadle N18 by the action of which the said bearing can be
raised or lowered and so correspondingly move the other parts. The cam N2 is
provided with a quadrant slot N into which engages a pin which is fixed at any
required distance on the slot, at the wish of the operative so that when the said pin
comes in contact with the stop upon the strap guide N the machine is reversed
and the skin taken away from the cutter. N and N are the nipping or drawing
rollers. Upon the nipping roller shafts are pinions N23 and N24 gearing into
pinions N25 and N28. Pinion N 25 gears into wheel N27 on shaft N° from which the
nipping rollers derive their motion.
Figs. 3 and 4. A, A, are rotary cutters revolving in opposite directions. D is
the emery disc. O is a fixed axis with roller O' thereon and an endless band or
apron O2 of india-rubber or other suitable material passing between the rollers O'
and over rollers 03 and 0. This machine is adapted for an operative to work at
each end, and is provided with a double tread 05 fulcrummed at 0° and connected
by uprights O7 to an arm carrying the rollers and endless band or apron 02. O'are
feed rollers.
The action of the machine is that the operative can by means of the treadle O³
lower the rollers and endless apron from the cutter so as to regulate the treatment
of the skin, and also can be returned to their normal positions by the springs 08.
Figs. 5 and 6. Q' is a radial arm pivotted or centred upon the pillar Q. Pisan
extension of radial arm pivotted or centred on the internal shaft or stud P and is
capable of being swung to and fro at the will of the operative through handle P
The said shaft or stud P carries at its top end à pulley P³ driven by belt P4
from the pulley P, which derives its motion in the well known manner.
The lower end of the shaft or stud P¹ carries a bevel wheel P which gears with
a bevel wheel P on the cross shaft P. There is also fixed upon the cross shaft P8
a spur wheel P gearing into a wheel P on shaft carrying cylinder P thus
imparting motion to the endless band or apron P upon the cylinders P1, P1;
slickers or cutters 110 being fixed to the endless band or apron P³. P is a plate
by which through the agency of the tappets or cams P2 and hand lever Pia
pressure can be put upon the lower part of the band or apron at will so as to
regulate the distance between the bed P and the cutters or slickers P.
Fig. 7. A is a special construction of rotary cutter. In Fig. 7 the cutting
edges are arranged diagonally from each side and meet at the centre. Fig. 7B
shows a modification of this, the modification consisting in the additional cutting
edges A. The cutter A is carried by the axis A' which derives its motion by
belt R from the pulley R2 which is driven by belt from the pulley R³, the belt R¹
passing over the pulley R2 under the pulley R, over the pulley R, and under the
pulley Re which is upon the axis A¹. The rest of the machine is as ordinary and
forms no part of my invention.
Figs. 8, and 13 and 9 and 10. S is a head free to be turned at will on the stud
or bolt S which is carried in the radial arm. By taking out the pin S* the head
can be turned on the said bolt or stud S' and another tool brought into use. The
pin is again inserted and the head fixed.
Figs. 11 and 12, show a modification of this for carrying several tools in one
holder.
Figs. 14 and 15. A is a rotary cutter, S a cylinder which is capable of being
raised or lowered to and from the cutter A through foot treadle S' slide S² and
sliding bearings S³. S is a roller which can be adjusted relatively to the cylinder S
by screw S.
Figs. 16 and 17. A is a rotary cutter mounted upon bearings B upon the
machine frame C. D is an emery wheel adapted to revolve in the same direction,
:..

page_text: and at a high speed in contact with the said cutter for sharpening purposes so as to
give a turned up edge upon such cutter. Or instead of emery wheel a strickle
arrangement as aforesaid and shown in Fig. 34 may be used. E is a fence or guide
for preventing damage to the material and covering the cutter except at the part F
which forms the cutting point.
The said fences or guides are adjustable and where a square edge is required they
can be used for sharpening purposes by revolving the cutter in contact therewith.
In some cases a fence such as E may be arranged at the back of the cutter A near
to the emery roller D.
G is a cylinder of india-rubber forming the elastic bed of the machine with feed
rollers G and G* abutting thereon and over which the hides are passed from feed
board G³. G is a feed roller abutting against feed roller G instead of a cylinder
an endless apron may be used.
These feed rollers are carried by a support or cheek H upon the axis H' (of the
cylinder G) connected by link work H2 to rock shaft H³ upon which is a hand
lever H. Jis an arm oscillating on cutter shaft A' and joined up to connecting
rod joined to lever J2 centred on rock shaft J3 worked by treadle J.
By moving the treadle J the fence or guide can be lowered upon the goods so
as to nip them upon roller G³. The emery wheel D is driven from a shaft D' by
pulleys and belts as usual and is adjusted relatively to cutter A so as to allow for
wear by means of screw D2 operated when required by worm D³ and hand
wheel D. The said axis D' is aiso movable or adjustable in two directions
namely in a horizontal and a vertical direction as aforesaid and described under
Fig. and 19.
The rotary cutter A is driven by pulleys N upon cutter shaft A', upon the other
end of the cutter shaft A' are pulleys for reversing the action of the machine.
N' and N are loose pulleys and N2 and N+ are fast pulleys. Over the said pulleys
pass belts to similar pulleys upon second driving shaft N. Belt guide No is
connected to bar N so as to be worked by hand to start machine.
Belt N is carried from the pulleys on to fast pulleys N2 by belt fork No when
operated as aforesaid, the machine is then in motion and the material can be
operated upon by passing from the feed board G³ to the feed rollers G¹ and G* and
over the roller G so that the cutter A. can act upon it. To reverse the machine
or to feed the material backwards, or the opposite way the cross belt No is moved
automatically by belt fork No which is actuated by a tappet or projection Non
disc N upon 3rd driving shaft N or by hand, through hand bar N" by which
means the belt N° is carried on to the fast pulleys N', and belt N³ moved back
again to loose pulleys N¹.
O is a bar connected to lever O' upon upright shaft O2 which carries a lever O*
attached to belt bar Oʻ.
When the bar O is moved by hand or automatically it causes levers O¹ and 0³
to oscillate by which movement bars 0 are carried backwards and forwards
causing tappet O³ to engage with arm O and lift it when feeding the material.
P is a pinion upon second driving shaft N gearing into spur wheel P which
transmits motion to pinion P upon 3rd driving shaft N13, which drives spur
wheel P³ upon shaft P4 driving pinion P10 which gives motion to gear wheels P
and P. The wheel P gives motion to the disc N. The wheel P³ gears into
wheel P on shaft H' driving cylinder G. The wheel P7 gears into wheel P³
driving wheel P' upon feed roller G.
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 the what I
claim is:
1. In machinery of the kind referred to the combination with rotary cutters and
emery rollers of means for adjusting the said emery rollers relatively to the rotary
cutters and taking up any slackness in the belts caused by the movement of the

page_text: emery rollers and the axes through which such emery rollers are driven substantially
as set forth with reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings annexed.
2. In machinery of the kind referred to the combination with feed rollers of
covers as and for the purposes, substantially as set forth with reference to
Figs. 1 and 1 of the drawings annexed.
3. In machinery of the kind referred to, the combination and arrangement of
nipping or drawing rollers, operating in the manner, and for the purposes
substantially as set forth.
4. In machinery of the kind referred to, the use of adjustable fences for
sharpening the rotary cutters in the manner set forth.
5. The combination of parts forming the improved machine, operating in the
manner and for the purposes such as shown and described with reference to
Figs. 2 and 2 of the drawings annexed.
6. In machinery of the kind referred to the construction and arrangement of bed
centred on an axis and the ends of which are capable of being lowered and raised
in the manner and for the purposes substantially as shown and described with
reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings annexed.
7. In machinery of the kind referred to, the construction and arrangement of
swivelling radial arm and endless apron operating in the manner and for the purposes
set forth with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings annexed.
8. The combination with the machine shown and described in Fig. 7 of the
construction of rotary cutter shown and described with reference to Fig. 74 and 7B
of the drawings annexed.
9. In machinery of the kind referred to the construction and arrangement of
revolvable head carrying tools which can be changed at will by turning the head,
substantially as shown and described.
10. In machinery of the kind referred to, the combination of the elastic bed with
a self acting feed and means for opening and closing the feed or nipping rollers,
substantially as set forth.
11. In machinery of the kind referred to, the combination of the rotary cutter A,
feed rollers GGG, and cylinder G, operating as and for the purposes shown and
described as in Figs. 16, 16 and 17.
12. In machinery of the kind referred to, the arrangement of parts whereby the
action of the machine can be reversed either automatically or by hand, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated thin 5th co
1005
JOHN E. WALSH,
Royal Exchange Chambers, Boar Lane, Leeds,
Patent Agent to the Applicant.
JOHN E. WALSH,
Royal Exchange Chambers, Boar Lane, Leeds,
Patent Agent to the Applicant.