IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RULING OR MARKING LEATHER
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ralph Eaton, of Stockport, in the County of
Lancaster, Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR RULING OR MARKING LEATHER."
Sealed the 22nd April 1864, and dated the 3rd November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ralph Eaton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd November 1863.
I, RALPH EATON, of Stockport, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR RULING OR MARKING LEATHER," to be as follows:-
My improved machinery consists of a roller or rollers on which the leather
is stretched and secured, and of a bed plate, slide rest, and marking tools
made, by preference, of discs of hard wood, to which a rapid rotary motion is
given by straps, or bands and pulleys. A slow traversing motion is given to
the slide rest by a screw, and a rotary motion is given to the roller or rollers
by suitable gearing; the two motions together with the pressure and rotary
motion given to the tools impresses the requisite lines or marks on the leather.
When lines or marks in one direction have been given, the skins or leathers
are removed from the roller or rollers and secured to them again, so that in
the next operation lines or marks at right angles or diagonally to the first are
produced.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Ralph Eaton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2ud
May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RALPH
EATON, of Stockport, in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Ralph Eaton, Her special license that I, the
said Ralph Eaton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Ralph Eaton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR RULING OR MARKING LEATHER," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Ralph Eaton, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that the said Ralph Eaton, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
My improved machinery consists of a roller or rollers on which the leather
is stretched and secured as usual, and of a bed plate, slide rest, and marking
tools made of discs of hard wood or other suitable material to which a rapid
rotary motion is given by straps or bands and pulleys. A slow traversing
motion is given to the slide rest by a screw, and a rotary motion is given to
the roller or rollers by suitable gearing, the two motions together with the
pressure and rotary motion given to the tools impresses the requisite lines or
marks on the leather. When lines or marks in one direction have been
given, the skins or leathers are removed from the roller or rollers, and secured

page_text: to them again, so that at the next operation lines or marks at right angles or
diagonal to the first are produced.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood, I will proceed
to describe, the means pursued by me, reference being had to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, which are made to a scale of one and a-half inch
to one foot, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a view taken from the driving end of my improved machinery
for marking leather; Figure 2 is a side elevation; Figure 3, an end elevation ;
and Figures 4 and 5 are detached views, in plan and section, of part of the
same.
a, a, are the upright framings of the machine secured together by the
stays b; at the top of the uprights a are the adjustable bearings c, in which
the driving shaft d revolves. On this shaft is fixed the driving pulley e, with
two loose pullies f and ƒ³, one on each side of it, so that an open strap and
a crossed one can be alternately traversed on to the fast pulley e, as required.
Fixed on the driving shaft d is also the drum g, extending inside the upright
frames a, a, for the purpose of allowing a strap h to be traversed to and fro on
it the whole length of the machine. This strap h is passed round, and com-
municates motion to the flanged pulley i, which is mounted in bearings in the
carriage j; from the centre of this carriage j, and swivelling on it project
arms k, which are bolted and stayed together. Through these arms pass set
screws, the pointed ends of which support the axles of the discs or marking
tools l, as shewn plainly in Figures 4 and 5. These tools / have annular pro-
jections turned on their faces of the width and distance apart corresponding
with the pattern required to be marked on the leather.
The marking tools are made to revolve at a high velocity by means of
cords passing around the small V-grooved pulleys m, and round the flanges of
the pulley i, which have V-grooves turned in them for that purpose.
As B
certain amount of pressure is required to be exerted on the tools to effect
the marking of the leather, a spring s is secured to the inside of the bottom
of the carriage j, and connected by means of rods t, screwed at both ends to
the stays u between the arms k, which hold the tools l. This pressure from
the spring s is capable of adjustment so as to be adapted to different qualities
of work and material; the stays u are flattened, and have holes in them
through which the rods t, which are furnished with thumb nuts v at the top
pass; between the nuts and the stays u are placed a number of india-rubber
washers w, which act as counter springs to the spring s. When the tools
are required to act with more force on the leather to be marked, the thumb
nuts v are tightened or screwed down, causing the spring s to exert more

page_text: force, and when less pressure is required, the thumb nuts are slackened,
thus partially relieving the spring s. The discs or marking tools may be
made either of wood or iron, wood making the brighter marks and iron the
more durable. The carriage is mounted on a horizontal bed n bolted to
the upright frames a, a, along which bed it is traversed either in one direc-
tion or the other by means of a screw o, taking into a nut o¹ fixed to its
under side. The screw o, which extends the whole length of the machine,
is mounted in suitable bearings, and it is actuated by change wheels p, see
Figure 1.
By varying the relative diameters of the wheels p, a corresponding
variation in the speed of the carriage ; is obtained, adapted to the various
patterns required to be marked on the leather. These change wheels p are put
in motion from the driving shaft d by means of the pulleys d¹ and d³, and
shaft d³, as shewn plainly in the Drawings, see Figure 2.
To the projecting arms k of the carriage ; are hinged two latches q, see
Fig. 4, furnished with shoulders which rest on the bed n, when the machine
is not at work, for the purpose of preventing the tools from touching the
leather which is stretched on the rollers r; these rollers rare mounted in con-
venient bearings bolted to the upright frames a, a, and revolve at an
uniform velocity, being driven from the shaft d by the pulleys d' and d³,
pinion d, intermediate wheel d³, and wheels do, see Figure 3. When the
machine is about to be worked, the latches 9 are withdrawn from the bed n,
so that the tools are pressed against the surface of the leather on the rollers r,
as shewn in Figure 3. One of the driving straps, either the open or the crossed
one, according to the position of the carriage j, is then traversed on to the
fast pulley e, which communicates motion to the different parts of the machine,
as already described, so that the rollers r, on which the leather to be marked
is fixed, revolve slowly, while the carriage j, which carries the marking tools 1,
driven at a high velocity, is being traversed at a speed determined by the
change wheels p in the direction of the length of the rollers r; by these
means the markings on the leather are made at determined intervals parallel
to each other. After one series of markings has been made, the leather may
be detached from the rollers r, and again placed on them with the markings
parallel or diagonal to the axis of the said rollers r. When the leather has been
again operated upon by the tools 1, rectangular or diagonal markings will be
made to those produced by the first operation of the tools 1. Provision is
made to prevent the machine overrunning itself through the negligence of tho
attendant, or from other causes, by means of two fingers x and x¹ fixed on
rods y and z, connected with the strap forks of the driving pulley e, see

page_text: Figure 2. When either of the straps are used, a corresponding finger x
or a will be moved a little towards the centre of the machine. Should the
carriage j, by neglect or otherwise, be allowed to move too far along its
bed n in either direction, its side coming in contact with either of the fingers o
or x¹, will traverse the corresponding strap on to one of the loose pulleys f
or f', thus stopping the machine.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim,-
First, the general combination and arrangement of the machinery shewn
and described for marking leather.
And, secondly, the revolving discs or marking tools to which rapid rotary
motion is given, as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ralph Eaton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
RALPH EATON.
L.S.)