A MACHINE OR MACHINES FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINISHING, GLAZING, AND GLOSSING OF LEATHER
Year: 1808

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
JEFFERSON, of the Parish of Saint Saviour, Southwark, in the County of
Surrey, Tanner and Leather Dresser, JOSEPH ELLIS, of the Parish of Saint
Saviour, Southwark, aforesaid, Tanner and Leather Dresser, and ALEXANDER
GALLOWAY, of the Parish of Saint Andrew, Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, Mechanist and Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventh day of March,
in the forty-eighth year of His reign, give and grant unto us, the said Thomas
Jefferson, Joseph Ellis, and Alexander Galloway, our exors, admors, and assigns,
His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said
Thomas Jefferson, Joseph Ellis, and Alexander Galloway, our exors, adñiors,
and assigns, during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "A MACHINE OR MACHINES FOR THE
PURPOSE OF FINISHING, GLAZING, AND GLOSSING OF LEATHER;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging us, the said Thomas
Jefferson, Joseph Ellis, and Alexander Galloway, or one of us, by an instru-
ment in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and scal of ouo
of us, to cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His

page_text: Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month after the date
of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, relation being there-
unto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander Galloway, do hereby declare that our said Invention is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawings and description thereof
hereunto annexed.
In witness whercof, I, the said Alexander Galloway, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eight.
Independent of the combination of the several parts of our machine, as
represented in the perspective view of it as given in Fig. 1, the peculiar
principles and properties of our Invention consist,-
First, in placing any convenient number of glazing or graining cylindrical
rollers (or of any other convenient form for a glazer or grainer) at the extreme
diameter of the wheels or circular plates to which they are connected, with the
ability of extending or contracting the distance of the extreme of each roller or
glazer from the center of the wheels or plates to which they are joined by any
suitable machinery capable of promoting an accurate adjustment of the rollers
or glazers over the whole extent of their length, which properties insure the
same correctness of adjustinent to any number of rollers or glazers, by which
they are rendered capable of traversing in one and the same circle, bearing
in all their parts upon any curve of the same radius which they describe.
A body of rollers or glazers so placed upon a revolving spindle, axle, or shaft,
act as so many burnishers, glazers, on grainers, or any docile surface with
which they come in contact; the degree of gloss which their friction will
necessarily create will depend entirely on the velocity, pressure, and the
quality of the material on which they may at any time operate.
Secondly, in the construction of the table which receives or supports the
leather while the glazing rollers, burnishers, or grainers act on it. At all times
it must be carefully observed that the extreme of the glazing rollers while
connected to the revolving shaft describe a circle suitable to the curve of the
table, and that most accurately. When the rollers or glazers thus adjusted
to the table, it is brought up into any required degree of contact with them,
having the leather to be glazed placed between them and the table, the
leather being therein subject to any degree of discretionary pressure which
the operator may determine on. The table coming up or approaching in a

page_text: discretionary manner, the revolving shaft not only enables the leather to
be passed across, but down the table in any required direction, while the
roller shaft is moving at any rate of velocity. The quantity of any skin of
leather to be glazed at a revolution of the roller shaft will depend on the
length of the glazing roller, the length of the skin lying on the table, and
the speed with which it is moved across the table to feed the operation of the
glazing rollers. The discretionary approach of the table to the roller shaft
secures also the whole surface of any skin of leather being perfectly glazed or
grained (whichever may be required), notwithstanding any inequality in its
substance, as the table accomodates such inequalities by advancing to and
retreating from the revolving shaft as often as the inequalities in the substance
of the leather may occur. Under all circumstances of inequality in the
thickness of the leather, it is still, however, by the discretionary power of the
table, at all times capable of creating an uniformity of pressure, if requisite,
which contributes largely to produce an uniformnity of gloss over the whole
surface of any skin of leather, notwithstanding the inequalities of substance
and the impediments of holes which many skins of leather possess.
Thirdly, in adopting a discretionary means which shall determine the exact
degree of contact to which the table shall approach the roller shaft, the
apparatus for securing this object we denominate the "table guide or stop."
By the application of this apparatus the table is prevented from running in
upon the rollers when the force to bring the table up to them is applied;
besides protecting the leather to be glazed from being injured by what we
term "the blows" of the rollers, which create those indentations on the leather
which can seldom or ever be eradicated completely by any subsequent degree
of exertion which may be devoted to the skin.
The principles of our Invention may be reduced under three general heads:―
First, the facility with which any number of glazing rollers are made to traverse
in one precise channel, and the readiness with which an adjustment of all their
parts is produced; secondly, the table which supports the leather' possessing
an amplitude of discretionary power to approach to and recede froin the roller
shaft at pleasure, with the full power of resisting the pressure of the rollers
in any given ratio between the impeller and the retarder; thirdly, the
application of an adjustable stop to the table, which determines how near
the table shall approach the rollers,' and which furnishes a complete protection
to the rollers and the leather against any effort of advance which may be
directed to the table. In whatever way these properties or principles can
be atchieved or obtained, we regard as our Invention. Among the various
ways which have presented themselves to our view during a period of consi-

page_text: derable experience, trouble, and expence, we have selected those modes of
combining our principles in the formation of a machine or machines which
we conceive the most advantageous, permanent, and..simple, and these are
contained and illustrated in the respective Drawings hereunto annexed, which
I shall hereafter particularly explain and describe. This machine may be
worked by manual force or by any known engine of power. A horse is equal
to the working of two machines combined as the one is as represented by the
perspective Drawing in Fig. 1, which, under the management of two men,
will glaze, grain, and finish a number of skins of leather equal to the most
steady, assiduous, and successful exertions of a dozen of men, and that too in
a style of workmanship not only equal but superior to what can be done in
the ordinary modes of finishing leather.
>
Fig. 2, a view of -the-rollers shaft with all its concomitant apparatus.
B3, B, the shaft made very strong of wrought iron, and about 5 feet long, with
harden'd steel hollow centers, which revolve upon the steel center screws C, C,
which pass through the uprights of the main frame A, A, and which adjust
the shaft to that degree of tightness where its rotation is freely allowed, yet
wherein no share of lateral motion is admitted between the screw's C, C, and
these are locked in the uprights of the main wood frame A, A, by the counter
puts D, D. Upon the middle of the shaft B, B, are fixed two cast-iron
plates E, E, of about thirty inches in diameter, and about one inch thick,
with square holes in their centres which fit upon and come up against the
flanch of the shaft; these plates are kept apart about four or five inches from
each other in a parallel direction by means of the square cast-iron box F,
which fits into the settings formed at the back of the plates. The plates thus
stationed are firmly connected to the shaft B, B, by means of a screw nut or
key coming up against them. To the external surfaces of the plates E, E,
are connected four, six, or more wrought-iron cocks, as at G, G, G, G,
extending about two inches and a half above the surface of each plate; in the
centres of these cocks pass or traverse the drawing and hushing screws H, H,
H, H, which draw in and throughout the chops I, I, I, I, at. discretion, the
chops having been previously connected to the plates by the two binding screws
K, K, to each chop. Upon each plate are placed a corresponding. number of
cocks, pushing and drawing screws, with bending screws and chops, all of
which are stationed directly opposite to each other on each plate, and at their
respective situations. Between each pair of opposite chops I, L, are placed
the fluted rollers N, N, N, N, of box wood or other suitable material, having.
square holes through them into which pass the roller bolts o, o, o, o; these
bults, altho' square on their shanks, are yet round about one inch from their

page_text: shoulders, and they are also round about the same length at the termination
of the shanks, immediately after which they are screw'd to the length of
about an inch, upon which the nuts p, p, p, p, fit. The roller bolts with the
fluted rollers upon them are enabled to turn in the chops I, L, which produce
the advantage of presenting the whole cylindrical surface of the rollers
n, n, n, n, to the action of glazing, by which means the whole of the surfaces
of the rollers are brought into use as fast as any particular part becomes too
much worn.
These rollers are fixed firmly between each pair of chops I, L,
by the screw nuts p, p, p, p, being screwed upon the roller bolts o, o, o, o, up
against the chops L, L, L, L.
Fig. 3 represents the roller, its bolt, nut, collett, and its two box-wood
blocks. The diameter of the roller may be of any convenient size. We have,
however, found that from six to three inches answers better than either larger
or smaller sizes, because a larger diameter would not only be difficult to
procure in box wood of proper quality, but a larger diameter would possess
too great a leverage, which would be liable to make the bolt turn in the
holes of the chops when any considerable pressure was applied to it, and a
smaller diameter than three inches would require not only too great a range
of adjustment in the chops, but would also approach too near to the extreme
of the ends of the chops, which circumstance would be liable to endanger the
leather while glazing by entangling it or by scratching and injuring its
surface. The roller N may be made of any length not exceeding six inches,
but we have found by repeated experience that two inches long answers
better than any length we have yet tried, altho' every length from six to two
inches we have submitted to the test of frequent trials. The distance between
the external surfaces of the plates is about six inches, full one third of which
distance is occupied by the glazing roller, and the other four inches, or two
thirds of the space, is filled with the two plain box-wood blocks q, q, to the
diameter of three inches when the glazing rollers are not more than threo
inches and a half; this is the least possible difference in the dia of the blocks
and rollers that can be admitted. The two blocks 9, 9, with the fluted roller N
form together a length equal to the whole distance between the chops I, L.
The blocks not only save a great expence in the rollers, but also possess the
advantage of ranging the rollers upon the plates so as to take six inches of tho
width of any skin of leather in one revolution of the roller shaft, as well as
being able thereby alternately to use any two inches of the width of the table
that are opposite to the distance which the roller plates E, E, occupy. When
the roller plates E, E, have six rollers mounted on them, three of them may
be used for the operation of "rolling on," and three of them for "rolling off,"

page_text: with; in that case, when the operation of "rolling on '
is performing, it will
be necessary to draw back the "rolling-off" rollers, and so vice versa when
the operation of "rolling off" is required; in that case it will be better to
make the "rolling-on" rollers travel in a different channel to the "rolling-
off" rollers, which is an advantage obtained by the introduction of the blocks
9, 9 besides, by shortening: the-rollers, N, N, N, N, amoro considerable
pressure, of course, can be applied against them than if they occupied a
greater length. In making the rollers it will be necessary to observe that
they must be rounded a little on each edge from the main diameter, to prevent
their cutting, creasing, or indenting the leather while the operation of glazing,
graining, or finishing is performing.
Fig. 4 is a section of the curved table A, or segment of a cylinder of about
90 deg, more or less,-made-either of hard wood, brass, iron, or any other
suitable material, and of any convenient radius adapted to that of the rollers
when they are attached to the main shaft B, B, as in Fig. 2. The width of
the table A may be ten inches, more or less, and altho' the table A is 90 degr
of a circle, yet we have found it to be of the first importance that about
five or ten degrees both at the top and bottoni of the table should be gradually
eased or tapered off, which-introduces the glazing rollers freely and gradually
upon the leather when it is placed on the table, which, with the assistance of
the "table guide or stop," completely prevent the glazing rollers creating
injurious indentations and marks by the violence which otherwise would be
occasioned by a sudden and abrupt contact with the table; by the rollers being
allowed to quit the table in an easy and gradual manner-all effort therefore to
reaction and spring is fully removed but what is occasioned by the inequalities
of the leather and the discretion of the operator, and these advantages are
attained by the "tapering off of the table to the extent of five or ten
degrees at the bottom of it. Altho' hard wood will do for a table, yet, by
experience, we have been fully persuaded that it is-impossible to retain that
truth and accuracy which is necessary to the complete performance of this
machine; this circumstance is alone sufficient to induce us to recommend iron
or brass tables instead of wood, which not only can be made to acquire a
degree of correctness, but to retain it beyond what it is possible to obtain
from any kind of wood. In addition to these properties which metal posesses
over wood, the labor of glazing is not near so much with metal as with wood
tables, besides the circumstance of metal tables not wearing the glazing rollers
near so fast as we found the wood tables invariably to do; for the "rolling-on
table" we recommend brass, and for the "rolling-off" table cast iron, both of
which must be a correct segment of a cylinder, with high polished surfaces

page_text: extending over the whole distance of their width two inches at least beyond
the latitudinal range of the glazing rollers. The table A is attached to the
strong iron stage B by means of screw bolts passing through the stage into the
ribs which are cast on the back of the table, and which are fitted into settings
in the stage B. The table may be cast to the stage if found more convenient.
The base of the stage is about three feet long, one foot wide, and two inches
thick, the sides of which are dovetailed and made perfectly parallel to each
other from off their base. The stage B has a horizontal motion in a
latitudinal direction, yet its longitudinal position regulated by the iron
dovetailed sides C, C, which adjust to any degree of tightness the base of the
stage B by means of cocks and screws, as at D, D. The sides C, C, are
screwed by a sufficient number of screw bolts to the main iron frame E, E,
upon which the base of the iron stage B rests, and moves when required in a
latitudinal course. The main iron frame E, E, is strongly connected to the
main wood framo by screw bolts, as at F, F, F, or by any other secure fasten-
ings. Upon two of the bottom rails of the iron stage B are screwed the
two iron eyes G and H; to the eye G is fasten'd a rope or chain to which
the stage weight I is suspended over the pulley J, which weight I is more
than equal to the whole weight of the stage B with the tablo A, &c., which
therefore compels the stage to retreat back as far as the advancing chain K
will permit it, which retreating motion is about 2 inches, which is fully
sufficient room to introduce the leather between the glazing rollers and the
table A. The tradle L is moved upon the two center screws M, M, passing
through the main iron frame E, E; the tradle on one end of its fulcrum forms
a segment of a circle of about sixty degress and a radius or lever of 4 inches,
which segment is cut into cog teeth, which operate on the cog wheel S fixed
to the chain shaft wheel N, and causes the shaft wheel (which moves.from the
center screws 0, 0,) to move one eighth of the distance which the long end of
the tradle L describes. The length of the tradle on the pressing end of its
fulcrum is about 3 feet, which gives the man acting on the footboard P (which
is about 16 in. by 10th), screw'd to the tradle, a power of eight. Upon
the tradle axle is fixed the counter-balance weight Q which brings up the
tradle L always to one position when the stage B has retreated as far back
as possible from the roller shaft; upon the axle N is fixed an iron grooved
chain wheel R of about 6 inches dia", which receives the chain K, which is
connected to the eye H by a pin, the eye having been previously screw'd
to the bottom of the stage B, when the chain K is brought to its greatest
degree of extension over the chain wheel R, which has a groove with a flat
bottom to allow the chain to move freely in it, and in the groove of the chain

page_text: wheel is key'd a standard with a mortice across it which receives the chain,
and which connects it to the chain wheel by a pin passing through the standard
and the end joint of chain. The stage B is thus connected by the chain K to
the chain wheel R, and the cog wheel S is fixed on the same axle N, and
pitched into the cogs of the tradle L; it will be obvious that the motion of the
tradle L must necessarily turn the chain wheel R, and thereby advance the
stage B at one eighth of the speed with which the tradle L at the end or
footboard P moves. The rise of the tradle, as before stated, is produced
by the counter-balance Q in the retreat of the stage B from the roller shaft
B, B, in Fig. 2, and the pressure of the operator on that part of the tradle
at P brings up the stage to the roller shaft with a power equal to eight times
his pressure, after deducting the stage weight I from it; on this principle the
power of the operator must at all times be estimated.
Fig. 5 is a view of the "table guide or stop," which consists of the plato
of iron A extending across the top of the end of the main iron frame E, E; by
the two screws B, B, the plate A is fixed, and upon the plate A the two wrought-
iron cocks C, C, through which the two drawing and pushing screws D, D,
to which are connected the bar E, which stands at right angles to the plate A;
this bar is moved backwards and forwards by means of the screws D, D, the
bar E resting at the same time upon the plate A; against the bar A, at the
end of the stage of the table B'in Fig. 4 strikes, and it is by the discretionary
use of this guide or stop, as-heretofore expressed, that entirely regulates tho
degree of contact which is proper for the table to receive for the various sorts
of leather that may be required to be glazed, grained, and finished. When
tho stop is thus properly adjusted to any particular kind of leather, the
Screws D, D, are locked by the counter nutt F, F, which prevent any
alteration of the stop or bar which determines the degree of contact the
table is to have at any time with the glazing rollers. Altho', as we have
before expressed, that one machine is adequate to all the purposes of graining,
glazing, and finishing any description of leather, by the changing of the rollers
as heretofore described, to answer the two operations of "rolling on'
" and
"rolling off" with; but as we have before expressed it as our opinion that a
table of brass is better adapted for the "rolling on" with, from the circum-
stance of the leather being necessary to be damper for that operation than
for the other, which might be liable to damage or discolor the leather was this
operation performed on an iron table by its being liable to rust, we there-
fore recommend, to prevent this probable inconvenience, and to save the
certain and repeated trouble of changing and adjusting the rollers, to use
what we denominate a double machine, a single one of which is represented

page_text: in the perspective Fig. 1. It may be further necessary to observe, that a
platform is required for the operator to stand upon to enable him to have
a proper command at the back of the table where he stands immediately in
front of the revolving roller shaft, and which enables him to move the tradle
with his foot, which brings up and keeps the table to its work, and which
also furnishes him with a complete view of the leather while it is operated
upon, which he in an instant can with the utmost ease disengage, and with
a corresponding facility again bring up the table to its work, while the roller
shaft is revolving at any rate of velocity.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventh day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1808, the aforesaid Alexander Galloway came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eight.