Improvements in Machines for Removing Stiff Water or Master Hairs from Pelts.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Removing Stiff Water or Master
Hairs from Pelts.
I, LOUIS WERNER, of 15 Wall Street, in the City, County and State of New
York, United States of America, Treasurer, 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 improvements in machines for removing the stiff water
or master hairs from pelts, without injury to the soft fur. Various machines for
this purpose have heretofore been made, a notable instance being a machine in
which a blowing or blast apparatus is employed for the purpose of separating the
soft fur from the water hairs, so that the shearing mechanism can remove the latter.
My invention differs from this machine and other machines in this art, in that the
soft fur and water hairs are positively separated, and the latter are removed by
means of a metallic conductor, heated to incandescence by an electric current.
This metallic conductor is arranged to be moved automatically to and from the pelt,
and is so adjusted that it cannot come in contact with the soft fur, but only comes
in contact with the stiff water hairs. My invention also differs from prior machines
in this art in the details of construction and arrangement, by which I am enabled
to obtain a machine of simple and practical construction, and by means of which
the entire operation of removing the stiff water hairs from the pelt can be
accomplished automatically.
In the drawings, illustrating my invention,
Fig. 1, is a side view of the machine with some of the parts shown in section;
Fig. 2, is a plan view of the pelt feeding mechanism;
Fig. 3, illustrates a modification in the arrangement and construction of the
metallic conductor.
The frame-work of the machine is designated by the letter A, and this may be
of the desired construction and weight to properly support the operating parts. I
arrange between the frame-work extending laterally from side to side, a plate B,
set on edge, and having its upper edge bevelled, so that the top of its upper edge
presents a substantially sharp surface. Forwardly of this plate I arrange between
the sides of the machine a loosely journalled roller C, having a strip of fabric, such
as canvas secured thereto and adapted to be wound thereon. To the front end of this
strip of fabric, one end of the pelt is suitably secured, and the other end is passed
over plate B, down between two feed rolls, D, D', which latter are operated by
means of the arm E, gears F, G, connecting rod H, cam I, and driving shaft J, to
move intermittently as the driving shaft rotates, so that the pelt is moved inter-
mittently over the plate B. On one side of the plate B, I arrange between the sides of
the frame of the machine, a plate K, the edge of which next to plate B, is provided
with a series of fine teeth; on the other side of the plate B, and between the sides of
the frame of the machine, I arrange a brush L, which has its bearings in the frame,
and is driven by a pulley M, from the driving shaft J. As shown in Fig. 1, the
metallic conductor N, is arranged directly above the plate B, at the outer end of a
tilting frame O, the inner end of which is provided with anti-friction rollers P, in
contact with the cam I. The contact of the friction rollers and the cam are
normally maintained by means of a spring Q, extending from the extreme inner
end of the tilting frame to a point on one of the uprights on the frame-work of the
machine.
In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the metallic conductor N, is supported at
the outer end of rock armis R, which are centrally pivoted in the frame of the

page_text: machine, the inner ends R', of said arms. terminating in a roller S, which is in
bearing with a cam T, on the main driving shaft. It will be observed from this
construction that as the shaft rotates, the metallic conductor will be given a
reciprocating motion to and from plate B, over which the pelt is stretched.
The arrangement, combination and adjustment of the various parts of this
machine are such, that at each rotation of the driving shaft, a narrow section of
the pelt is fed over the sharp edge of the plate B, the brush L, and plate K,
operating to separate the fur from the stiff water hairs, which spring up and stand
erect on the sharp edge of the plate B, and are burned off or removed by the
metallic conductor N, which is heated to incandescence by a current of electricity
from a suitable dynamo. All the various parts of the machine operate automatically,
the metallic conductor having an intermittent or reciprocating motion, as stated,
and the brush may also be arranged to have an intermittent motion, if desired.
By this machine, I am enabled to remove the water hairs without injury to the
soft fur of the pelt, and I can accomplish this result expeditiously and
economically.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
In a machine for automatically removing the stiff water hairs or master hairs
from pelts, the combination of a metallic conductor adapted to be heated to
incandescence by a current of electricity, with mechanism for feeding the pelt
intermittently over the edge of a plate, and mechanism for separating the water
bairs and fur of the section of the pelt on top of said plate, and mechanism for
intermitting or reciprocating the movement of said metallic conductor, whereby the
several operations of intermittently feeding the pelt, separating the water hairs and
fur, and removing the water hairs are successively automatically performed
substantially as herein described.
Dated this 17th day of September 1894.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.