IMPROVEMENTS IN PLUCKING BEAVER SEAL OR LIKE SKINS AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1884

page_text: I EDWARD GARDNER COLTON of the firm of Popplewell Colton & Co of Victoria
Chambers Southampton Buildings in the county of Middlesex Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PLUCKING BEAVER SEAL OR LIKE SKINS AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR," (a communication to me from abroad by Frank Peterhansl of Staats
Zeitung Building Tryon Row in the City of New York) to be as follows:-
The skins of beavers seals and other amphibious animals have long glossy hair
or bristles the so called water-hair which covers the soft fine hair or wool that
forms after dressing the main attraction of the same.
All these skins have to be freed of the water hair before they can be dyed and
finished for use.
Different machines have heretofore been devised for the purpose of clipping the
water hair of beaver seal or other skins in which a bellows or other air forcing
apparatus is used in connection with means for stretching and feeding the skin,
means to retain the fine hair or wool and means for cutting off the stiff projecting
bristles.
The object of this invention is to furnish an improved method and machine by
which the thick bristles or water hair of the skins are removed in a rapid uniform
and reliable manner by plucking without the use of an air forcing apparatus and
the invention consists of a fixed knife edged bar over which the skin is tightly.
stretched and intermittently fed by suitable means. A slotted vertically recipro-
cating guard frame extends across the stretching bar the bristles of the skin being
passed through the slots of the transverse comb by the action of an oscillating
comb the tines of which pass through the slots of the transverse frame and raise
the bristles so as to pass through and extend above the transverse guard-frame.
The bristles are then taken hold of by vertically reciprocating plucking jawa
and pulled out of the skins by a quick oscillating motion imparted to the jaws.
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page_text: I EDWARD GARDNER COLTON of the firm of Popplewell Colton & Co of Victoria
Chambers Southampton Buildings in the county of Middlesex Fellow of the
Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN PLUCKING BEAVER SEAL OR LIKE SKINS AND IN APPARATUS
THEREFOR (a communication to me from abroad by Frank Peterhansl of Staats
Zeitung Building Tryon Row in the City of New York) and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The skins of beavers, seals and other amphibious animals have long glossy hair
or bristles, the so-called "water-bair which covers the soft fine hair or wool that
forms after dressing the main attraction of the same.
All these skins have to be freed from the "water-hair" before they can be dyed
and finished for use.
Different machines have heretofore been devised for the purpose of clipping the
"water-hair" of beaver seal or other skins in which a bellows or other air-forcing
apparatus is used in connection with means for stretching and feeding the skin
means to retain the fine hair or wool and means for cutting off the stiff projecting
bristles.
The object of this invention is to furnish an improved method and machine by
which the thick bristles or "water-hair" of the skins are removed in a rapid
uniform and reliable manner by plucking without the use of an air-forcing apparatus
and the invention consists of a fixed knife-edged bar over which the skin is tightly
stretched and intermittently fed by suitable means.
A slotted vertically reciprocating guard frame extends across the stretching bar,
the bristles of the skin being passed through the slots of the transverse comb by
the action of an oscillating comb the tines of which pass through the slots of the
transverse frame and raise the bristles so as to pass through and extend above the
transverse guard frame. The bristles are then taken hold of by vertically recipro-
cating plucking jaws and pulled out of the skins by a quick oscillating motion
imparted to the jaws.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig 1 represents a side elevation of my improved machine for plucking beaver
and other skins.
Fig 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same on line c. x. of Fig 1.
Figs 3, 4, and 5 are detail vertical transverse sections of the working parts drawn
on a larger scale and shewn in different positions so as to illustrate the method of
plucking the bristles.
Fig 6 is a detail vertical transverse section on line y y Fig 4.
Figs 7 and 8 are details of a spring clamp for stretching the skin, shewing it
respectively in open and closed position and Fig 9 is a detail side view of the clamp
shewn in Figs 7 and 8.

page_text: Referring to the drawings A represents the supporting frame of my improved
machine for plucking beaver and other skins.
A knife edged bar B extends transversely from one end of the frame to the other
and is rigidly secured thereto.
Over the knife-edged bar B the skin to be plucked is tightly stretched by
suitable means, those shewn in the drawings consisting of straps aa that are
attached to a roller C and provided at their free ends with spring clamps 6 the
fulcrummed and serrated jaws b¹ 6' which are closed by links b' that are connected
to the straps a a as shewn in Figs 7, 8, and 9. The opposite end of the skin is
also attached to spring clamps b which are attached by short straps a¹ to a fixed
transverse bar a' as shewn clearly in Fig 2.
b
The links 6 of the clamps 6 open or close the jaws b¹ b¹ by means of an anti-
friction roller 6s that acts on the smooth levers of the jaws 61 61 as shewn in Figs 7
and 8.
The proper tension of the skin is imparted by a weighted transverse roller D,
the weight D¹ of which is hung by pivot links d d below the roller as shewn in
Figs 1 and 2.
The skin is intermittently wound upon the roller C by means of a pawl e and
ratchet wheel e¹, the pawle being pivotted to the upper end of a fulcrummed
lever e², the lower cam shaped end of which is held by a spiral spring e³ in contact
with an anti friction roller e' of a treadle E.
The pawl e is held in engagement with the ratchet wheel e¹ by a spring e³.
A check pawle holds the ratchet wheel e' in position during the receding motion
of the pawl e.
The depression of the treadle E causes the disengagement of the pawl e from the
teeth of the ratchet wheel while the release of the treadle produces the forward
motion of the fulcrummed lever e³ so that the pawl e re-engages the teeth of the
ratchet wheel e¹ and turns the roller C the required distance.
By the action of the treadle E on the pawl and ratchet mechanism the gradual
winding up of the skin on the roller C is produced and the skin drawn gradually
over the knife-edged bar B the skin being kept in tightly stretched condition by
the weighted rollers D. The treadle E is further connected by rods E¹ with slide
plates E³ which are guided by oblong slots falong the fixed bar B, and by narrower
slots f¹ at the upper end along fixed guide pins f' as shown clearly in Figs 3, 4
and 5.
The upper ends of the slide plates E' are connected to straps 9° which are passed
over rollers go at the upper part of the supporting frame A and connected by
springs g to fixed points of the frame A.
The downward motion of the treadle E lowers the slide plates E' against the
tension of the springs while the release of the treadle causes the raising of the same
and of the slide plates E by the tension of the action of the spiral springs g¹¹. On
each slide plate E³ is supported a second auxiliary slide plate E³ which is connected
to the opposite slide plate E³ by transverse pieces E' one at each side of the fixed
knife edged bar B.
The auxiliary slide plates Es are guided on raised flanges f³ extending around
the sides of the slots of the main slide plates E2, as shewn in Figs 3, 4, 5.
On the transverse connecting pieces E' is supported a horizontal guard frame F
that extends across the knife edged bar B and which is provided with transverse
slots through which the stiff bristles or "water-hair" of the skin are projected
when the guard frame is lowered.
The bristles or "water-hair" are passed through the slots of the guard frame F
by the action of an oscillating comb F¹ the tines of which pass close to that part of
the skin above the knife edged bar so that the bristles are combed up and carried
along in upward direction through the slots of the guard frame F.
Simultaneously therewith the guard frame F is lowered by the action of the
treadle until it arrives close to the knife edged bar B as shewn in Fig 4. The

page_text: motion of the auxiliary slide plate E³ is next arrested by the raised flange or
rim while the downward motion of the main slide plates E' is continued.
The tines of the auxiliary comb F¹ are moved upward above the guard frame F
with the bristles the comb F being then moved sideways as shewn in Fig 5 so as
to be out of the way of the plucking jaws G which are pivotted to the main slide
plates E vertically above the bar B.
The lateral motion of the comb F¹ is accomplished by a fulcrummed lever g the
pivotted end of which engages a tapering recess g₁ of the fixed bar B.
The outer end of the lever g is connected by a pivot rod g³ to a short backwardly
extending crank arm g³ of the auxiliary comb F¹. The comb F¹ is pivotted at both
ends to the slots g' of the auxiliary slide plates E³ and engaged by the slotted upper
ends of the pivotted and spring actuated pieces g³.
A fixed anti friction roller g is arranged on the end standards of the frame A
sideways of the slotted piece 9 which latter is pressed by its spring g' against said
anti friction roller g*.
Each main slide plate E' is guided by a vertical slot g³ on the roller g³ the slot
controlling the downward motion of the slide plate E³.
The cam-shaped edge of the oscillating piece g³ moves along the roller go by the
downward motion of the main slide plate E' and serves in connection with
the knife edged bar B and the lever g and links g³ first to raise the tines of the
auxiliary comb through the slots of the guard frame F and then to move the
auxiliary comb F¹ sideways in the slots g of the auxiliary side plates E³ as shewn
respectively in Figs 3 4 and 5.
"
The oscillating and lateral motions of the auxiliary guard comb F¹ take place
during the downward motion of the treadle E which also lowers the main and
auxiliary slide plates E³ and the guard frame F until the latter arrives above the
edge of the fixed bar B. While the guard frame F is retained in this position the
main slide plates E' continue to move downward further so as to stretch the spiral
springs fand keep thereby the auxiliary plates E3 and the guard frame F in position
until the main slide plates E' and the guard comb F¹ have completed their motion.
The plucking jaws G G are lowered with the main slide plates E' until they
arrive above the guard frame F. The jaws G G are held apart by means of spiral
springs h h interposed between the same.
One of the jaws G is provided with an upwardly extending arm or arms G¹ which
are connected at their upper ends by spiral springs m to the main slide plates E²
said arms abutting when in normal position by the action of the spiral springs m
against fixed stops m³. The other jaw G is provided with a central forward extending
lever G which is taken hold by the workman for the purpose of operating the jaws.
Both levers are provided at their lower edges with serrated steel faces h¹ h¹ which
firmly clamp the stiff bristles projecting above the guard frame F when the plucking
jaws are closed by pressure on the lever G.
The pressure exerted by the lever G' upon one jaw G closes the serrated steel
faces of both jaws after which a quick jerky motion is imparted to the lever G³
which in connection with the weight of the jaws and the tension exerted by the
springs causes the sudden plucking of the bristles from the skin. The jaws are
then released and returned into vertical position, the treadle E being released at
the same time so that the main slide plates E' and the auxiliary slide plates E³ are
returned by the springs f' into their normal positions The auxiliary guard comb F¹
is also returned into its first position shewn in Fig 3.
The upward motion of the treadle causes the turning of the winding-up roller by
the pawl and ratchet mechanism described so that the skin is fed forward over the
knife edged bar and the next adjoining portion and ready to be exposed to the
action of the plucking devices. The treadle is again lowered and the guard frame
placed above the next adjoining narrow strip of skin on the knife-edged bar, the
auxiliary guard comb is moved upward and sideways of the same and the plucking
jaws are lowered so as to take hold of the bristles and pull the same out of the skin.
The operation described is repeated until the entire skin is completely plucked.

page_text: The operation of pulling or plucking the "water hair" from the skins is thus
accomplished in a quick and reliable manner without the use of an air-draft from
a bellows or other air forcing apparatus
The machine is specially adapted for plucking the "water hair" of beaver and
seal skins and in all such other cases in which the plucking of the bristles is
preferable to the mere clipping or cutting of the same close to the skin itself.
By plucking the bristles the skins are rendered softer and smoother as they are
pulled out at their roots and no short portions of the said bristles are left standing
in the fine hair or wool of the skins as is the case when clipping knives have been
used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
"
Firstly. The method hereinbefore described of plucking the "water-hair" or
bristles from beaver, seal, or like skins consisting (a) in stretching and inter-
mittently feeding the skin over a knife-edged bar, (b) placing the "water-hair"
bristles in erect or standing position by passing a comb through the same, and
(c) plucking or pulling the "water-hair or bristles out of the skin.
or
Secondly. In a machine for plucking beaver seal or like skins, the combination of
a knife-edged bar, means for stretching and intermittently feeding the skin over the
said bar, and oscillating and vertically reciprocating plucking jaws substantially as
described.
Thirdly. In combination with the apparatus referred to in the preceeding claim,
the slotted vertically reciprocating guard frame F extending transversely across the
knife edged bar B, substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fourthly. In combination with the guard frame F the oscillating guard comb F¹
the tines of which are arranged to pass through the slots of the guard frame F
substantially as and for the purposes described.
Fifthly. The arrangement of mechanism for operating the guard comb upwardly
and sideways, substantially as described.
Sixthly. The general arrangement and combination of mechanism for plucking
beaver seal or like skins, substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
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