Improved Means to be Used in the Tanning of Hides and Skins.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means to be Used in the Tanning of Hides and Skins.
I, EUGENE JOSEPH THIBAUT, of Church Street, Chelsea, Tanner, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to improved means to be used in tanning hides and skins
in the manufacture of leather: the objects of the Invention being to effect a more
equal and homogeneous treatment of the hides and skins by the tanning agent,
to avoid the constant handlings of the hides and skins at present required to
equalize and quicken the combination of the tanning agent with the gelatinous
fibres or matter of the hides and skins, and to expedite the treatment without
detriment to the quality of the leather produced.
To this end, the Invention consists essentially in suspending and stretching the
hides or skins separately from each other and maintaining them separated from
each other within a drum adapted to contain the tanning agent and which is slowly
rotated, whereby, each and every part of the hides and skins is caused to be equally
subjected to the action of the tanning agent which is kept in constant motion in
relation to the hides or skins.
The drum may be made of a square, cylindrical or other shape suitable to the
convenient placement, suspension and removal of the hides or skins. The drum is
provided with any convenient number of liquid-tight doors, either in its periphery
or at its ends as may be preferred or found most suitable or convenient for the
placement and removal of the hides or skins intended to be treated therein. The
drum is mounted in end standards, one of its journals being hollow and communi-
cating with a pipe having a stopcock by which the tanning agent is admitted to
the drum, and its other journal being fitted with a gear wheel driven from a
countershaft so as to convey a relatively slow motion to the drum. The drum is
also provided with a closable outlet serving to run off the tanning agent when the
hides or skins have been sufficiently treated.
In the treatment of hides or skins with such improved means, all parts thereof
are caused to be equally subjected to the action of the tanning agent, owing to the
separate suspension of the hides or skin's and to the consequent ability of the
tanning agent to freely circulate between the hides or skins, and to the constant
change of the tanning agent in relation to the hides or skins, resulting in the
production of leather combining density with closeness of grain and thoroughly
homogeneous tanning, equal to that produced by the old pit treatment of long
duration.

page_text: Improved Means to be Used in the Tanning of Hides and Skins.
I, EUGENE JOSEPHI THIBAUT, of Church Street, Chelsea, Tanner, do hereby
declare the nature of this. Invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained' in and by the following
statement:
This Invention relates to improved means to be used in tanning hides and skins
(hereinafter referred to as "hides") in the manufacture of leather; the objects of
the Invention being to effect a more equal and homogeneous treatment of the hides
by the tanning agent, to avoid the constant handlings thereof at present required
to equalize and quicken the combination of the tanning agent with the gelatinous
fibres or matter of the hides and to expedite the treatment without detriment to
the quality of the leather produced.
To this end, the Invention consists essentially in suspending and stretching the
hides separately from each other within a drum adapted to be slowly rotated, the
hides being suspended in parallel relation to each other and to the axis of rotation
of the drum, so that, during such rotation, they will be continuously dipped into,
carried around within and withdrawn from out of the tanning liquid, whereby the
tanning liquid will be kept in constant agitation and will be caused to wash over,
under, between and across the hides, whereby each and every part thereof will
be caused to be equally subjected to the action of the tanning agent and the tanning
action will be considerably expedited.
On the accompanying drawings:-Figs. 1 and 2, represent sectional elevations,
at right-angles to each other, of the means employed in carrying out the Invention.
a, represents the drum, which is preferably made of a square form in cross-
section, though not necessarily so. It is also provided with liquid-tight doors (not
shown) at b, at one or opposite sides, or, it may be at its ends, as may be preferred
or found most convenient for the placement and removal of the hides intended to
be treated in the drum.'
The drum is mounted in end-standards c, d, its journal e, being hollow and com-
municating with a pipe f, having a stop-cock g, by which the tanning agent is
admitted to the drum, and its other journal h, being fitted with a gear wheel i,
driven from a counter-shaft j, as represented, so as to convey a relatively slow
motion to the drum.
The drum is also provided with a closable outlet or outlets k, serving to run off
the tanning agent when the hides have been sufficiently treated.
The inner periphery of the drum is provided at opposite sides with eyes, staples
or the like 1, serving as convenient means of suspending and stretching the hides m,
from the opposite sides of the drum by hooks, chains or other convenient means n,
in parallel relation to each other and to the axis of rotation of the drum, as afore-
said, vide Fig 2.
In the treatment of hides with such improved means and in such improved
manner, all parts thereof are caused to be equally subjected to the action of the
tanning agent, owing to the separate suspension and stretching of the hides and
to the ability of the tanning agent to freely circulate between and to wash across
the hides, and to the constant change of the tanning agent in relation to all parts
of the hides, resulting in the speedy and economical production of leather of con-
siderable density and closeness of grain and homogeneously tanned, equal to that
produced by the old pit treatment of long duration.

page_text: 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. In the tanning of hides and skins, suspending and stretching the latter,
separately from each other, within a drum adapted to contain the tanning agent
and to be slowly rotated, in parallel relation to each other and to the axis of rota-
tion of the drum, as set forth.
2. In the tanning of hides and skins, the use of a drum adapted to contain the
tanning agent and to be slowly rotated, and provided with means by which the
hides or skins can be suspended and stretched, separately from each other, within
the drum and in the tanning agent, in parallel relation to each other and to the
axis of rotation of the drum, as set forth.
3. The improved combination of parts constituting the arrangement of tanning
apparatus hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th day of August 1897.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
Chartered Patent Agents, 321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.