Improvements in Machines for Shaving Hides and Skins.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr.,
1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Shaving Hides and Skins.
I, JOHN ROOD, of 275, Derby Street, Salem, Massachusetts, United States of
America, Manufacturer, 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 machines for shaving hides and skins of that class,
in which the skin is subjected to the shaving action of a rapidly revolving roll
provided with a series of blades arranged spirally thereon.
Shaving machines of the class referred to require that the blades of the shaving
roll or tool should be kept sharp, which requires frequent grinding of the same.
In practice the blades of the shaving roll are ground while the machine is in
operation, and, as a result, fine particles of steel and emery dust are thrown
upward by the grinding wheel which revolves in a direction opposite to the
shaving roll. The fine particles of steel and emery dust settle or drop drown upon
the shaving roll between the blades thereon, and in the revolution of the said
shaving roll are thrown outward against the hide or skin, which results in the
said hide or skin being discolored by the fine particles of steel and the emery
dust.
This discoloration of the skin is especially noticeable upon what is known as
light colored skins, such as used in the manufacture of russet and tan colored
shoes, and the value of the skins is greatly lessened by the discoloration, which
appears in streaks or spots, and which was not so noticeable or objectionable when
the skin was finished with a black color.
My present invention has for its object to avoid this defect in machines of the
class described, especially prominent when light colored skins are shaved, and
I accomplish my object by maintaining a current or draft of air above the point
of contact of the grinding wheel with the blades of the shaving roll, by which the
fine particles of steel and emery dust are rapidly carried away from over the shaving
roll, and are prevented from being deposited upon the roll and then thrown off
by the same onto the surface of the skin which has been shaved, thereby
avoiding discoloration of the skins, especially light colored ones, and consequent loss
in value of the same, and at the same time rendering the shaving machine
available for this class of work.
I prefer to maintain the air current above the shaving roll and substantially
parallel therewith, so that the liability of the skin being drawn up against the
shaving roll by the current of air, which would also result in discoloring the skin,
may be avoided.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shaving machine embodying this invention.
Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, a section of the machine on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4, a sectional detail on an enlarged scale and taken on the line 4-4,
Fig. 3, and
1*1 datail on en enlarged scale taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

page_text: In the machine hereinshown as embodying this invention, the shaving roll a
is journaled in the side frames a¹ a² at one end thereof, and is driven in the
direction indicated by arrow 20, by belts a³ a³ passed about pulleys a³ a on
the main shaft a supported in bearings at the opposite end of the side frames a¹ a².
The shaving roll a may and preferably will be made of the construction herein-
shown, and is provided with two sets of blades 2, 3, arranged spirally on the roll,
with each blade of one set as 2, making contact with two blades of the other set 3,
and vice versa, whereby the abutting ends of the blades of the set 2 and the abutting
ends of the blades of the set 3 are on opposite sides of a line transversely through
the roll.
The shaving roll a has co-operating with it an emery or other grinding wheel alo
which is loose on a shaft a12, having bearings in movable boxes a3 supported
by the side frames a¹ a² and movable toward and from the shaving roll by a hand
operated worm shaft a¹.
The emery wheel a¹ is driven by a cross belt a17 from a drum a¹8 having its
shaft mounted in movable boxes a supported by the side frames of the machine,
and adjusted toward and from the grinding wheel by a worm shaft 20 provided
with a hand wheel at and with worms, not shown, which engage worm gears a
on shafts or screws a23 attached to the said boxes.
The drum a¹ is rotated by the belts a³ a¹ which engage pulleys a² on the drum
shaft. The grinding wheel a is moved longitudinally on its shaft a¹² by a
forked arm bloosely mounted on a guide rod 6 and attached to a lever 61 joined
by a crank arm or link 62 to a crank pin 63 on a disk 64 fast on a shaft 65 provided
with a worm gear 66 in mesh with a worm 6' on a shaft 68 driven from the main
shaft by a belt 6. Below the shaving roll a is a substantially U-shaped metal
plate or apron 610 to support the hide or skin off from the floor, one end of said
plate being attached to a cross bar 612 secured to side levers 613 which carry
the skin supporting or bed roll 6, against which the skin rests while under the
action of the shaving roll.
The position of the roll 614 is controlled by the foot lever or treadle 6 as
shown in Fig. 3, the said treadle having an opening 616 to permit it to pass by a
stationary support or rest 617 for the foot of the operator. The grinding whee! a¹0
is revolved in the direction opposite to the shaving roll, as indicated by the
arrow 40, and from an inspection of Fig. 3, it will be seen, that when the grinding
wheel is acting upon the blades of the shaving roll to sharpen the same, the fine
steel particles and the emery dust is thrown upward above the shaving roll, and
that if provision were not made, said particles of steel and dust would drop upon
the shaving roll between the blades thereon, and would be projected outward and
against the skin supported upon the bed roll 614; and that this dust and particles of
steel would be projected upon the portion of the skin which has been shaved by
the roll a.
The injurious action upon the skins and especially light colored skins, such as
now largely used, may be avoided in accordance with this invention, by providing
the machine with a conduit for the fine particles of steel and emery dust, located
above the shaving roll and through which a current of air is passed, so as to carry
the fine particles of steel and emery dust thrown upward, away from the vicinity
of the shaving roll, the said current of air being maintained while the emery
wheel is in engagement with the shaving roll and preferably while the machine
is in operation, so that the fine particles of steel and the emery dust are removed
from above the shaving roll substantially as fast as formed, and substantially
little opportunity is afforded for the gravitation of the said particles and dust down.
upon the shaving roll.
The conduit referred to may and preferably will be made as hereinshown and
consists of a substantially cylindrical casting d, provided with front and rear curved
flanges d² and made of a length substantially equal to the distance between the
side frames a¹ a², the casting & being open at its under side for substantially the
length of the shaving roll (see Fig. 4).

page_text: The conduit d is provided at one end with a flange d³, which is bolted to a like
flange d on the end of a pipe d connected to the eduction pipe d³ of a
blower do, and at its opposite end said conduit is provided as shown with a tapering
nozzle d bolted thereto and to a cylindrical pipe ds, which is bent or curved
toward the rear end of the machine, (see Fig. 2) and through which the particles
of steel and dust may be blown away from the vicinity of the skin on the
roll 614.
The opening in the under side of the conduit d may and preferably will be
partially closed above the shaving roll a, by a deflector or shield do, extended
substantially the length of the conduit and adjustably secured to the front wall of
the conduit as by screws d¹² and nuts d¹³, the said shield extending from the front
wall of the conduit back over the shaving roll, so that any particles of steel or
emery dust which might drop by gravity toward the shaving roll, may be deflected
toward and into the path of the upwardly moving particles thrown upward by the
emery wheel, and be again carried upward into the current of air flowing
at a high velocity through the conduit d in the direction indicated by the
arrow 60, Fig. 4.
The conduit dat its outlet end and beyond the roll a is provided as shown, with
a shelf or lip 20, preferably forming a part of the deflector or shield do, and
which acts to catch any particles carried by the air current against the side piece d³¹
of the conduit. The conduit d, the curved flanges d¹, da and the side pieces dad
may and preferably will be made in one casting, and the side pieces d²¹ d²² may
rest upon the bearings d23 24 for the shaft of the shaving roll. The blower de
is located between the side frames as shown, and has its fan shaft d30 provided with
a small pulley driven by a belt from a large pulley d³3 on the main shaft,
and the air drawn into the blower at its side is forced at high velocity through
the pipe 40 and conduit d out through the discharge pipe ds.
In operation, the hide or skin f is placed over the bed roll 14 with its lower end
resting on the support or metal apron 610, the said roll at such time being thrown
back from the shaving roll by a spring f¹ and the weight of said roll.
In the drawing, the bed roll 6 is shown in its operative position, and the skin
is drawn up by the operator against the action of the shaving roll a, which is
revolved in the direction of arrow 20. When the grinding wheel a¹0 is in engage-
ment with the blades of the shaving roll, the fine particles of steel and emery dust
are carried upward into the conduit d, the open lower part of which is located in
a substantially vertical plane through the point of contact of the grinding wheel
with the blades of the shaving roll, and the particles of steel and emery dust thus
carried into the conduit, meet the current of air forced through said conduit
at a high velocity and are carried by said current away from the shaving roll and
are discharged into the air toward the rear of the machine. Any particles which
might gravitate down on the roll, are arrested by the shield 10 and deflected back
toward the upwardly moving current caused by the rapidly revolving grinding
wheel and shaving roll, which again carries the said particles into the conduit d,
where they again meet the current of air.
From the above description, it will be seen, that the fine particles of steel and
emery dust are removed from the vicinity of the shaving roll substantially as
fast as formed, and that discoloration of the skins is prevented or reduced to a
minimum, thereby increasing the commercial value of the machine, as it enables
light colored skins which are now very largely used in the manufacture of boots
and shoes, to be shaved without danger of spoiling the skin for the purpose specified.
I have hereinshown one construction of conduit, which I prefer, but I do not
desire to limit my invention to the particular construction shown as good results
may be obtained with other forms of conduit, providing it is located above the
shaving roll and grinding wheel in position to receive the current of fine particles
of steel and emery dust and convey them away from over the shaving roll, so as to
prevent their being deposited thereon, and thrown by said roll onto the skin after
it has been shaved by said roll.

page_text: It will be noticed, that the current of air is directed longitudinally of the shaving
roll, which has the advantage of reducing to a minimum, liability of spotting or
streaking the skin, by the air current drawing light weight skins up against the
under side of the rapidly revolving shaving roll.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A machine for shaving hides and skins provided with a rotatable shaving
tool and with a rotatable grinder co-operating therewith, and a conduit located
above said shaving tool and into which the fine particles of steel and dust are
thrown by the said grinder, and means to create a current of air through said
conduit above and away from said shaving tool, for the purpose specified.
2. A machine for shaving hides and skins provided with a rotatable shaving roll
and with a rotatable grinder co-operating therewith, and a conduit located above
said shaving roll and extended substantially the length of the same and provided
with an opening in its bottom for the entrance of fine particles and dust thrown
upward by the said grinder, and having an outlet for said particles and dust above
the level of the shaving roll, and means to create a current of air through said
conduit above and away from said shaving roll, substantially as described.
3. A machine for shaving hides and skins provided with a rotatable shaving
tool and with a rotatable grinder co-operating therewith, and a conduit located
above said shaving tool and provided with an opening in its bottom substantially
in a vertical line with the point of contact of the grinder with said shaving tool,
a shield extended from one wall of said conduit over the said shaving tool and
toward the said plane of contact, and means to create a current of air through said
conduit, substantially as described.
4. A machine for shaving hides and skins provided with a rotatable shaving
tool and with a rotatable grinder co-operating therewith, and a conduit located
above said shaving tool and provided with an opening in its bottom substantially
in a vertical line with the point of contact of the grinder with said shaving tool,
an adjustable shield extended from one wall of said conduit over the said shaving
tool and toward the said plane of contact, and means to create a current of air
through. said conduit, substantially as described.
5. A machine for shaving hides and skins provided with a rotatable shaving
tool and with a rotatable grinder co-operating therewith, and a conduit located
above the shaving tool and provided with an opening in its bottom, a blower driven
from a shaft of said machine and having its eduction pipe connected to the inlet
end of the said conduit on one side of the machine, and an outlet pipe connected to
the opposite end of the conduit, substantially as described.
6. A machine for shaving hides and skins provided with a rotatable shaving
tool and with a rotatable grinder co-operating therewith, and a conduit located
above the shaving tool and provided with an open bottom having a shield or
deflector covering said tool and extended toward the vertical plane of contact of
the grinder with said tool, a blower driven from a shaft of the machine, a pipe
connecting the eduction port of said blower with the air inlet end of said conduit,
and a discharge or outlet pipe attached to the opposite end of the conduit,
substantially as described.