A New or Improved Process of and Apparatus for Liming, Bateing, or Tanning Hides and Skins:
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Process of and Apparatus for Liming, Bateing,
or Tanning Hides and Skins:
I, CLEMENS HEITEMEYER, Manufacturer, corner Ferry and Willow Streets,
Hoboken, in the State of New Jersey, United States of America, 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 has reference to a new or improved process of and apparatus for
liming bateing or tanning hides or skius in such a manner that the saturation of the
hides or skins with the liming bateing or tanning liquor takes place in a quick and
uniform, manner and without any manipulation of the hides or skins while in the
vats so that a considerable saving.in.the time and labour required for tanning hides
and skins is obtained; and the invention consists of a process of treating hides or
skins with a liming bateing or tanning liquor by immersing them at stated intervals
of time into said liquor agitating the liquor and drawing off the same. so. as, to
subject the hides or skins to the action. of the atmospheric air.
The invention consists further of an apparatus for treating hides and skins which
apparatus comprises a reservoir for the liquor, one or more vats provided with hooks
from which the hides or skins are suspended, a valved supply-pipe extending above
the vats and connected with a distributing spout a valved return-pipe connected. with
the bottom of each vat and a circulating-pump by which the connection of the
reservoir and vat or vats with the supply and return-pipes is established as will be
fully described hereinafter with reference to the drawings hereunto annexed and
finally pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings:-
-
Fig. 1 represents a plan-view of one form of my improved apparatus for treating
hides or skins with a liming bateing or tanning liquor.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, and
Figs. 3 and 4 are a vertical transverse section and a vertical: longitudinal section
respectively on lines 3-3 and 4-4 Fig. 1.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
Referring to the drawings: -A represents a reservoir in which the liming bateing
or tanning liquor is placed. This liquor is strengthened: from time to time by adding
a concentrated solution of lime bate or tanning extract. Adjacent to the reservoir. A
are arranged one or more vats B in which. the hides or skins are suspended from.
suitable hooks & said hooks being arranged along the longitudinal sides of the vats:
so that the hides or skins are suspended. transversely to the same. The hides or
skins are so attached to the books on the side-walls of the vats B that they are
suspended in their natural position in the liquor supplied to the vat or vats.
Along the rear end of the vat or vats and above the level of the same is arranged
a longitudinal supply-pipe C which is connected by a short pipe provided with. a
gate-valve C with an auxiliary supply-pipe C2 that is provided with perforations
in its bottom so as to act as a distributing spout for supplying the liquor to the vat.
A return-pipe D is arranged at the bottom of the vat or vats and connected thereto
by short pipes D' which are provided with gate-valves D said.supply and return-
pipes C and D being connected with a circulating-pump P which is operated either

page_text: by a small steam-engine or by a suitable transmitting mechanism from a power
shaft. A platform Ex is arranged around the reservoir and vat or vats and the
gate-valves of the supply-pipe are connected by suitable lever-rods e with a pivoted
lever E that extends over each vat to the front part of the platform. The gate-
valves of the return-pipe D are likewise connected by lever-rods e¹ with handle-
rods E2 so that the gate-valves of each vat can be operated from the front-part of
the platform without moving around the vats for this purpose.
By opening the gate-valves of the supply-pipe or return pipe of any one of
the vats and the gate-valves of the reservoir the liquor in the reservoir can be
pumped into any one of the vats or returned from either one to the reservoir.
The opening or closing of the gate-valves of the supply or return pipes is accom-
plished by the levers and handle rods respectively so that the communication
between the reservoir and the vats can be quickly established or interrupted at
will from the front-platform. The liquor in the reservoir is supplied from time
to time as already stated with a proportionate quantity of lime bate or tanning
extract solution so as to make up for the lime bate or tannin which is absorbed
from the solution by the hides or skins.
In carrying out my process of treating hides or skins they are first suspended
from the hooks in the vat or vats so as to be located close to each other
transversely to the vat. The liquor is then pumped from the reservoir into said
vat by opening the bottom gate-valve of the reservoir and the supply gate-valve
of the vat and starting the pump. The hides or skins suspended in the vat are
kept immersed in the liquor until they are thoroughly saturated by the same.
The next step in treating the hides or skins, is to agitate the liquor in the vat
which is accomplished by opening the gate-valve of the supply-pipe and the
bottom valve of the return-pipe and then starting the pump so that the liquor
is drawn off at the bottom front end of the vat and supplied at the upper return
end of the same and thus the liquor in the vat kept in circulation so as to
compel the liquor to act uniformly on all the hides or skins suspended in the
rat. By agitating the liquor in the vat in this manner the uniform saturation
of the hides or skins with the liquor is attained. After the hides or skins have
been subjected for some time to the action of the agitated liquor the latter is
pumped back into the reservoir which is accomplished by opening the bottom
valve of the vat and supply-valve of the reservoir and working the pump until
all the liquor is returned from the vat to the reservoir. The hides or skins
suspended in the vat are then drained off for some time and subjected for a
stated. period of time to the action of the atmospheric air. The liquor in the
reservoir is then strengthened and pumped back to the vat until the hides or
skins in the same are again entirely immersed in the liquor; at stated intervals
of time the liquor is returned to the reservoir strengthened again and pumped
back into the vat until the hides and skins are thoroughly saturated and ready
to be taken out. of the vat for further treatment.
While the hides or skins are subjected to the action of the liquor in one vat the
liquor in the next vat is drawn off strengthened and returned to the vat while the
liquor in the third vat is agitated and so on alternately in all of the vats whereby
the hides or skins are treated successively by immersion in the liquor then
acted upon by the liquor kept in motion by the pump and finally subjected to the
action of the air after the liquor is drawn off.
All these operations are accomplished without manipulating the hides or skius or
removing them from the vats so that the liming bateing and tanning processes can
be accomplished within one-third of the time heretofore required and at a con-
siderable saving of labour and the material used such as lime, bate or tanning
extract for the reason that the same liquor is used over and over again there being
only such quantities of water and lime bate or tanning extract added as is required
for re-placing the quantities absorbed by the hides or skins and keeping up the
strength of the liquor.

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. The process herein described of treating hides or skins which consists in
immersing the same while in a suspended state in a liming bateing or tanning
liquor agitating the liquor after the hides or skins are acted upon for a stated
interval of time by said liquor and lastly drawing off the liquor so as to subject the
hides or skins to the action of the air substantially as set forth.
2. The process herein described of treating hides or skins which consists in
immersing the hides or skins while in a suspended state for a stated period of time
in said liquor agitating the liquor for a stated period of time drawing off the liquor
from the said hides or skins so as to subject them to the action of the air and then
subjecting the suspended hides or skins at stated intervals of time alternately to the
action of a strengthened liquor agitation and the air until the liming bateing or
tanning operation is completed substantially as set forth.
3. An apparatus for treating hides or skins with liming bateing or tanning liquor
which consists of a reservoir for said liquor one or more vats arranged near said
reservoir each being provided with hooks for suspending the hides or skins in said
vat or vats a supply-pipe above the level of the vat or vats an auxiliary distributing-
spout connected with said supply-pipe gate-valves located in the pipes connecting
the supply-pipe with each distributing spout a return-pipe located on a level with
the bottom of the vat or vats a gate-valve in the connections between said return
pipe and the vats means for operating the gate-valves of the supply and return
pipes and a circulating pump connected with the supply and return-pipes substan-
tially as set forth.
Dated this 20th day of May 1895
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chaucery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.