IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
NOSSITER, of Lyndon End, near Birmingham,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Tenth day of October, in the ninth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles
Nossiter, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Charles Nossiter, my exors, adiñors;
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Nossiter, my exors, admiors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF LEATHER;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the
said Charles Nossiter, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Nossiter, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say-
My Invention consists,-
First, of an improvement in the manufacture of enamelled leather, when
sheep or lamb skins are used.
Secondly, my Invention consists of a mode of shaving tanned or dressed
hides and skins by applying knives set tangentially to a rotatory axis in place
of performing such operation by hand.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of causing the grease or oil of sheep, lamb,
and other skins requiring such process, to be expressed out by means of
rollers. And,
Fourthly, my Invention consists of employing a rotatory axis with knives or
blades, in place of performing the process by hand of unhairing, fleshing, and
removing grease and filth from hides and skins.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, I will
proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
In manufacturing enamelled leather, when sheep or lamb skins are used, it
has been usual to enamel the "grain" surface, but I have found that a better
effect may be obtained by enamelling a surface produced as hereafter
explained, when the "grain" has been removed by splitting or by buffing, or,
in place thereof, a suitable surface may, according to my Invention, be pro-
duced on the flesh sides of sheep and lamb skins to be enamelled.
In carrying
out this part of my Invention, in place of proceeding to enamel the "grain"
surface of the leather, as heretofore, I cause the grain surface to be removed,
as is well understood, by splitting or buffing, and then I produce what is tech-
nically called "a finish" on the surface thus obtained, as is well understood,
by means of an instrument called a finishing roller, or by a glass instrument
used for like purposes, or by any convenient means, and then I cause such
prepared or finished surface to be enamelled in the ordinary manner of
enamelling and when the flesh side of a sheep or lamb skin is to be enamelled
then I proceed in like manner by producing "a finished" surface, and then
enamel the same. By this mode of manufacturing enamelled leather when
sheep or lamb skins are used, I obtain an enamelled leather more soft and
flexible and less liable to crack, and further, the enamel is less liable to be
cloudy or have a bloom thereon than when enamelling the grain surface of
such descriptions of skins. I will now proceed to describe the second part of
my Invention.

page_text: Figure 1 shows a section of so much of a machine as will enable me to
describe this part of my Invention. a is a roller on which a fixed series of
knives b, fixed tangentially, and although they will act very well when in a
line with the axis, yet I prefer them to incline across the axis to a small
extent, so that each blade may come into action progressively, and not all parts
at the same moment. c is a bed or surface covered with copper to prevent
the iron staining the leather, or other suitable bed may be used. d, d, are two
rollers which draw forward the skins or hides; and e is a presser which presses
against the skins or hides, so that the skins or hides may be held tightly over
the bed c, and in introducing the hides or skins the revolving cutter is raised
off the bed. The speeds at which the parts move are written thereon, but the
same may be varied. By this arrangement of machinery the knives will shave
or cut the hides and skins submitted to its operation, so as to reduce the thick-
ness to the degree desired, and this in a more uniform manner than when
performing the same process by hand labour with suitable knives, as heretofore
usually practised.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which has for its object
the employment of rollers to press out the grease or oil from sheep, lamb, and
other skins requiring that process. Figure 2 shows the section of so much of
a machine as will enable me to describe this part of my Invention. f, g, are
two smooth. rollers, between which the skins are passed, the surface of the
upper roller being pressed closely down, so as to offer a sufficient pressure to
remove the grease and oil from the skins when in the "pelt" state, and this
means of performing this process will be found more useful than the means of
pressure now resorted to.
I will now describe the fourth part of my Invention. Figure 3 is a section
of so much of a machine as will enable me to describe this part of my
Invention. h is a roller having a series of blades of steel or other suitable
material set radially from the axis; each blade should be as long as the roller
on which it is fixed, so that each blade may be as wide as the skin submitted
to its action. This mode of working is to be substituted for the hand working
with knives now resorted to for unbairing and fleshing, and also puring or
graining hides and skins; and I use a cylindrical rotatory brush, Figure 4, for
removing the surface grease and filth from the hides and skins.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means
I am acquainted with for performing the same, I would have it understood
that I make no claim to the parts of the machinery herein described, nor do

page_text: I confine myself to the precise details herein described, so long as the peculiar
character of either part of my Invention be retained.
But what I claim is,-
First, the mode of manufacturing enamelled leather when sheep or lamb
skins are used, by causing surfaces thereof other than the grain surfaces to be..
"finished," as herein explained, and then enamelled.
Secondly, I claim the shaving hides and skins by means of a rotatory axis
affixed in an inclined or tangential direction to the circumference, as herein.
described.
Thirdly, I claim the causing of grease or oil to be pressed out of sheep,
lamb, and other skins by means of rollers.
Fourthly, I claim the mode of unhairing, fleshing, and removing surface
grease and filth of hides and skins, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Nossiter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.