Improvements in Machines for Colouring Leather.
Year: 1891

page_text: ate of Application, 3rd Apr., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Colouring Leather.
We, STANISLAV SKUČEK of Lieben, near Prague, Bookkeeper, and FRANZ
JELEN of 7 Hybernergasse, Prague, Merchant, both in Bohemia, in the Austro-
Hungarian Empire, 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 :-
This invention relates to an improved leather colouring machine the construction
of which will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing
in which
Fig. 1 is a side elevation and
Fig. 2 a front view of the machine.
Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are detail views which will be more particularly referred to
further on.
The machine consists of a hollow cylinder or roller A of wood or any other
material suitable for leather colouring purposes, mounted upon a shaft Ċ which
rests in bearings L in the machine frame B. To protect the wood from dampness
it is covered with a liberal coating of a suitable varnish and the exteral cylindrical
surface of the roller is provided with a casing of zinc brass or copper.
2
Within the hollow cylinder are provided two diagonal longitudinal grooves v v₁
(Figs. 1, 5 and 6) in which are fitted two metal rods t t' and ' of cylindrical
section a free space being left. between them. The space unoccupied by the rod
within each groove is filled with zinc z which serves to retain the rods in position.
These clamping rods and are also grooved longitudinally at 1 for the
reception of the selvage or wire 2 (if preferred) forming the edge or end of the
cloth w.
To clamp in the cloth each clamping rod is turned groove upwards by
means of a key (Figs. 5 and 1) and the wire 2 inserted into the groove as aforesaid
the said rods being at one end provided with a square 3 for the reception of the
key 4. By turning the key at an angle of about 90° the clamping rod is brought
to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 6 (in section) that is to say that the edge
of the cloth is gripped between it and the wall of the groove. Figs. 5 and 6
are cross sections of the grooves v (v¹) extending throughout the length of
the cylinder.
The machine is also provided with two cylindrical rotary brushes f and fl one
above and one below the roller A. Both brushes are fitted with means for pressing
them against the rotary roller A and receiving rotary motion from the same while at
the same time they are capable of a longitudinal reciprocating motion in a direction
parallel to the axis of the roller A under the action of a guide roller. The device for
accomplishing this purpose is constructed as follows:-The square bar 5 journalled
at s in the frame B passes through a plate h at each end, forming the bearing of the
brush spindle 6 (see also Fig. 3 being a horizontal section of the brush). To these
side-plates is also secured a channel or casing m. Upon the spindle 6 is mounted
a guide roller 7 provided with a curved or cam groove 8 with which engages the
pin 9 secured to the side plate h. As the brush f¹ turns, this roller 7 thus
receives lateral motion from the said pin and correspondingly displaces the brush
endwise.
į
To raise the side plate or the brush the lever comes into operation which
lever is connected through a rod with the said side plate. A spring catch 10
serves for arresting the lever in its raised position when the brush is pressed
against the roller A and spreads the ink or colour it receives from the channel m upon
the surface of the leather wound upon the roller A. Ink or colour is supplied to the

page_text: roller A and the machine is set in operation. Ink or colour contained in the sheet-
metal trough is now spread by the brush upon the cloth moving past it
along with the rotary roller A and reaches the leather through the meshes of
the cloth.
After a short space of time the small india-rubber roller a is brought to bear
against the roller A so as to exert a wringing action upon the leather to remove the
superfluous colour. When the roller A has completed one or two revolutions the
small roller a is moved away from it and the leather which has just been wrung
sucks up again a fresh supply of colour. Where colours are used which require
fixing or darkening the upper brush is used after colouring, while the lower brush f¹
is moved away from the roller A by depressing the lever i. For, lowering the
upper brush the crank 16 is operated.
By opening the cock near the reservoir Z the mordant is allowed to flow through
a flexible tube 19 into the tube g¹ and hence through suitable perforations or out-
lets down upon the brush which in turning transmits it to the roller A. This
roller is then allowed to complete a few revolutions, whereupon the cock is closed
and the brush fraised out of contact with the roller. A cock establishing con-
nection with the water supply pipe n is then opened, so that the roller and cloth
and if required the leather (coloured or treated with mordant) are washed.
After this the water supply is cut off again and the leather which is under the
cloth is wrung by means of the small indiarubber roller a in the well-known
manner.
The leather has now assumed the desired colour and may be taken off the roller.
For this purpose the key 4 is applied to one of the clamping rods which is so turned
as to release the wire 2 forming the edge of the cloth, and the cloth is placed
upon the roller 21 and wound upon it by means of the crank o. In the meantime
the roller A has brought up the opposite groove from which the other edge
of the cloth is released in a similar manner. The leather being thus free is taken
off one half of the roller and the process is exactly the same in the case of the leather
covering the other half.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. A leather colouring machine characterized by a rotary roller A upon which
the leather to be coloured is stretched and covered with a sheet of cloth
suitably clamped or gripped, the colouring being accomplished by means of two
brushes one below and the other above the roller which brushes are adapted
to be pressed against or moved out of contact with the roller and to receive
reciprocating horizontal motion from cams such as 7 and 11 while they are
rotated by contact with the main roller A substantially as described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a leather colouring machine the arrangement of channels or troughs g
and m connected with the brushes and into which troughs the colour is con
veyed directly to supply the lower brush while the upper brush takes up the
mordant conducted into the tubular edge g of the channel y whence it is allowed
to drip down upon the said brush substantially as described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In a leather colouring machine the clamping or gripping arrangement con-
sisting of grooves such as ee formed on opposite sides and diagonal to each other
and clamping rods t u and t'u' adapted to be located within the said grooves and
themselves provided with longitudinal grooves 1 for the reception of wires or
selvedges 2 provided at the edges of two cloths which are stretched by rotating the
rods and retain in position the leather or hide spread upon the roller A substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a leather colouring machine the arrangement of a roller a covered with

page_text: indiarubber and adapted to exercise a wringing action upon the leather during the
colouring process it being loosely mounted upon a shaft 26 on the bell-crank
levers e and capable of being operated by means of screw-cranks d so as to press
upon or move out of contact with the roller A. substantially as described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of April 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.