IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BLACKING COLORING OR DRESSING LEATHER HIDES OR SKINS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, Patent Agent of 38, Southampton
Buildings London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
BLACKING COLORING OR DRESSING LEATHER HIDES OR SKINS" A com-
munication from abroad by Fred Blaney Batchelder of East Boston
Massachusetts United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th December 1881.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN Patent Agent of 38 Southampton Buildings London
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BLACKING COLOURING OR DRESSING LEATHER
HIDES OR SKINS" [A communication from abroad by Fred Blaney Batchelder
of East Boston Massachusetts United States of America.]
This Invention in machines for blacking coloring or dressing leather hides or
skins is an improvement on Patent No. 1846 May 5 1880 to which reference
may be had, and has for its object the simplification of the machine shown in that
Patent to render the same more efficient.
The Invention consists chiefly in a small rotating supporting surface for the
leather, a receptacle for blacking or dressing, receptacle roller therein, and a
blacking or dressing applying brush or roller located between the receptacle roller
and the said supporting surface and a spatter brush or roller back of the blacking
applying brush or roller combined with a wiper or cleaner when all are arranged
with relation to each other to operate, substantially as hereinafter described.
Also, in a blacking or dressing applying brush or roller and rotating supporting
surface, combined with a spatter roller or brush below it, and with a wiper for the
supporting surface, as will be hereinafter described.
Also in a blacking or dressing applying brush or roller and rotating supporting
surface, combined with a roller and holding bar to act upon and hold the leather
as will be hereinafter described.
Also, in a blacking or dressing applying brush or roller, and rotating supporting
surface for the leather, combined with a moveable or travelling surface to receive

page_text: the blacked or dressed hide or skin from the said supporting surface as will be
hereinafter described. Also, in the said parts with the shafting and gearing to
operate them as will be hereinafter described.
The frame work will be of suitable shape to sustain the working parts. The
power shaft having thereon a belt wheel, driven in any proper way, has also a
worm which engages a worm gear secured to one of the journals of the hide or
skin supporting cylindrical surface which by its rotation or movement acts to feed
the hide or skin through the machine at the desired speed. This surface is much
smaller than in the Patent referred to.
The journal of this supporting surface is also provided with a toothed wheel.
This toothed wheel engages a pinion connected with a toothed gear that meshes
with an idle gear and through it drives the pinion on the spatter roller, located at
the rear of the blacking or dressing applying brush or roller immediately below
the edge of the spatter guard.
The spatter roller or brush rotating in the same direction as the brush or roller
and just in contact with it serves to convey from the spatter guard to the brush
or roller the material thrown therefrom upon the spatter guard during the rotation
of the said brush or roller. The roller also serves to arrest the liquid dressing
thrown tangentially from the brush or roller and by its rotation keeps the blacking
or dressing thrown from the brush or roller from dropping upon the leather at the
rear of the supporting surface.
The blacking or dressing applying brush or roller will preferably be clothed with
bristles but it might be covered with a sponge, felt, or other surface capable of
receiving blacking or dressing and applying it to the hide or skin.
One of the journals of this blacking or dressing applying brush_has_upon-it-a-
belt pulley by which the said brush or roller_may-be-driven independently of the
supporting surface.at-any desired speed.
The blacking, or liquid dressing, or material to be applied to the upper surface
of the hide or skin is placed in the receptacle or an open box the sides of which,
at its lower end, are concaved to fit the periphery of the receptacle roller, which
latter may be made to travel inore or less near the adjustable straight lower edge
of the bottom piece of the said receptacle, by means of adjusting screws the
amount of space between the edge of the bottom piece of the receptacle and the
roller determining the amount of blacking or dressing to be delivered to the brush
or roller.
This roller may be driven more or less rapidly to carry or deliver more or less
blacking or dressing to the brush. This may be done by changing the size of the
gear on the journal of the roller a toothed speed wheel which engages the said gear
and drives the said roller being mounted on a stud of an adjustable carrier
provided with a locking device to engage an arch and hold the said carrier in
proper position.
In practice I prefer to slightly groove, flute or pit the roller to enable it to take
up a greater quantity of blacking or dressing,
The hide or skin as it leaves the supporting surface is delivered upon an endless
belt or moving bed composed of cords or tapes extended about rollers the one being
driven positively from a toothed wheel by an intermediate which engages the
pinion at the end of the said shaft.
The tanned hide or skin to be dressed is introduced between the supporting
surface and roller or brush under a roller which has its journals mounted on levers
or arms and pivoted the arms being acted upon by springs to keep the said roller
depressed upon and to properly hold the hide or skin.
The front ends of the levers or arms are joined to a holding bar which is of a
shape to fit the space between the brush the support and roller.
The underside of this holding bar is so shaped curved and located with relation
to the surfaces of the roller and the supporting as not to bear upon the hide or
skin until after the passage of the edges of the same beyond the nip of the roller
the said holding bar being devised to act upon and hold the end of the hide or skin

page_text: after passing beyond the nip of roller (the latter then dropping) and prevent the
hide or skin being drawn in too rapidly.
In front of the apparatus I have placed a table.
In some instances, and for some classes of work, I modify the machine so far
described where the roller is elevated cousiderably and in such position there will
be left sufficient space to permit the operator to retain hold of and control the
position and movement of the hide or skin being acted upon by the brush or roller
and in such case also the holding bar would be omitted.
To prevent the blacking or dressing being thrown from the brush or roller
toward the front of the machine I have provided an auxiliary spatter guard.
The roller and the holder when used also serve to prevent the blacking or liquid
dressing from being thrown out at the front of the machine.
The supporting surface and brush are as long as the maximum width of the
hide or skin to be blacked or dressed, but as the hides or skins being finished or
dressed are always different both as to width and outline at their edges, it results
that the brush always applies blacking or dressing to more or less of the surface.
The blacking or dressing applied to the surface must all be removed and the
surface be left clean so as not to apply blacking or dressing to the underside of the
hide or skin as it comes in contact with it.
To do this I have provided a wiper or cleaner a strip of flexible material held by
a suitable adjustable bar so that the edge of the wiper or cleaner may be pressed
with more or less force against the surface the degree of its pressure being
preferably regulated by adjusting screws.
The material wiped or scraped from the surface drops into a trough and passes
therefrom into a suitable pail or bucket to be removed if desired.
By driving the brush roller and the supporting surface independently I am
enabled to rotate either at any desired speed, and thus rub the blacking, coloring
or dressing matter more or less into the surface of the hide or skin.
The bearings for the brush and roller will preferably be made adjustable to
accommodate for the thickness of the leather, and compensate for wear.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th June 1882.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN Patent Agent of 38 Southampton Buildings London
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BLACKING COLORING OR DRESSING LEATHER
HIDES, OR SKINS" A communication from abroad by Fred Blaney Batchelder of
East Boston Massachusetts United States of America.
This Invention in machine for blacking coloring or dressing leather hides or
skins is an improvement on Patent No. 1846 May 5, 1880 to which reference
may be had and has for its object the simplification of the machine shown in that
Patent to render the same more efficient.
The Invention consists chiefly in a small rotating supporting surface for the leather,
a receptacle for blacking or dressing, receptacle roller therein, and a blacking or
dressing applying brush or roller located between the receptacle roller and the said
supporting surface and a spatter brush or roller back of the blacking applying
brush or roller combined with a wiper or cleaner when all are arranged with
relation to each other to operate substantially as hereinafter described.
Also, in a blacking or dressing applying brush or roller, and rotating supporting-
surface, combined with a spatter roller or brush-below-it, and with a wiper for the
supporting surface-as-will-be hereinafter described.
Also in a blacking or dressing applying brush or roller, and rotating supporting
surface, combined with a roller and holding bar to act upon and hold the leather as
will be herein after described.
Also in a blacking or dressing applying brush or roller, and rotating supporting
surface for the leather, combined with a moveable or travelling surface to receive
the black or dressed hide or skin from the said supporting surface as will be herein-
after described. Also in the said parts with the shafting and gearing to operato
them as will be hereinafter described.
Figure 1 is a left hand side elevation of a machine embodying my Invention.
Figure 2 a front view thereof with the table n omitted. Figure 3 a longitudinal
vertical section of Figure 2 Figure 4 an enlarged detail to be referred to. Figure 5
a detail in top view of Figure 4 with the brush c, omitted and Figure 6 is a
modification to be referred to.
.
The frame work A will be of suitable shape to sustain the working parts The
power shaft a, having thereon a belt wheel a', driven in any proper way, has also a
worm a, which engages the worm gear a³, secured to one of the journals of the bide
or skin supporting surface a*, hercin shewn as a cylindrical surface which by its
rotation or movement acts to feed the hide or skin B through the machine at the
desired speed. This surface is much smaller than in the Patent referred to.
The journal of this supporting surface a', is also provided with a toothed wheel b
which is shewn in Figure 2.
This toothed wheel b engages a pinion 6', connected with a toothed gear b², that
ineshes with an idle gear 63 and through it drives the pinion b, on the spatter
roller b³, (see Figure 3), located at the rear of the blacking or dressing applying
brush or roller c, immediately below the edge of the spatter guard d.
The spatter roller or brush b³ rotating in the same direction as the brush or
roller c and just in contact with it serves to convey from the spatter guard to the
brush or roller c, the material thrown therefrom upon thes patter guard during the
rotation of the said brush or roller. The roller 65, also serves to arrest the liquid
dressing thrown tangentially from the brush or roller c. and by its rotation keeps

page_text: the blacking or dressing thrown from the brush or roller c. from dropping upon the
leather at the rear of the supporting surface a*.
The blacking or dressing applying brush or roller will preferably be clothed with
bristles, but it might be covered with a sponge felt, or other surface capable of
receiving blacking or dressing and applying it to the hide or skin.
One of the journals of this blacking or dressing applying brush c. has upon it a
belt pulley c. by which the said brush or roller may be driven independently of
the supporting surface a. at any desired speed.
The blacking, or liquid dressing or material to be applied to the upper surface of
the hide or skin B, is placed in the receptacle e, herein shewn as an open box the
sides of which, at its lower end, are concaved to fit the periphery of the receptacle
roller which latter may be made to travel more or less near the adjustable
straight lower edge 2 of the bottom piece of the said receptacle, by means of the
adjusting screws e², tho amount of space between the edge of the bottom piece of
the receptacle e, and the roller e¹, determining the amount of blacking or dressing
to be delivered to the brush or roller c.
This roller e' may be driven more or less rapidly to carry or more or less blacking
or dressing to the brush c. This I may do by changing the size of the gear e³, on
the journal of the roller e', the toothed speed wheel f which engages the said
gear, and drives the said roller e¹ being mounted on a stud of an adjustable
carrier provided with a locking device f³, to engage an arch f³ and hold the
said carrier in proper position.
In practice I prefer to slightly groove, flute or pit the roller e¹ to enable it to
take up a greater quantity of blacking or dressing.
The hide or skin as it leaves the supporting surface a is delivered upon an
endless belt or moving bed g herein shewn as composed of cords or tapes extended
about rollers g₁ g* the one g¹ being driven positively from the toothed wheel b
by the intermediate h, which engages the pinion h¹ at the end of the said
shaft g¹.
The tanned hide or skin to be dressed is introduced between the supporting
surface a and roller or brush c, under a roller 1, which as clearly shewn in
Figures 3 and 4, has its journals mounted on levers or arms 1, and pivoted at /*
the arms being acted upon by springs 1, to keep the said roller depressed upon and
to properly hold the hide or skin.
The front ends of the levers or arms 1, are joined to a holding bar m,
which is of a shape to fit the space between the brush c the support a' and
roller l.
The underside of this holding bar see Figure 4 is so shaped curved and located
with relation to the surface of the roller and the supporting surface a* as not to
bear upon the hide or skin until after the passage of the edges of the same beyond
the nip of the roller 7, the said holding bar being devised to act upon and hold the
end of the hide or skin after passing beyond the nip of roller (the latter theṇ
dropping) and prevent the hide or skin being drawn in too rapidly.
In front of the apparatus I have placed a table n.
In some instances and for some classes of work, I modify the machine so far
described, as represented in Figure 6, where I have shewn the roller l, as elevated
considerably above the position shewn for it in Figures 3 and 4 and in such
position there will be left sufficient space to permit the operator to retain hold of
and control the position and novement of the hide or skin being acted upon by
the brush or roller c. and in such case also the holding bar m. would bo
omitted.
To prevent the blacking or dressing being thrown from the brush or roller c.
toward the front of the machine, I have provided the auxiliary spatter guard o.
The roller and the holder m when used also serve to prevent the blacking or
liquid dressing from being thrown out at the front of the machine.
The supporting surface a¹ and brush c. are as long as the maximum width of the
hide or skin to be blacked or dressed, but as the hides or skins being finished or

page_text: dressed are always different both as to width and outline at their edges, it results,
that the brush c, always applies the blacking or dressing to more or less of the
surface a*.
The blacking or dressing applied to the surface a must all be removed, and the
surface be left clean so as not to apply blacking or dressing to the under side of
the hide or skin as it comes in contact with it.
To do this I have provided a wiper or cleaner p shewn clearly in Figures 2
and 3 as a strip of flexible material held by a suitable adjustable bar p³ so that
the edge of the wiper or cleaner may be pressed with more or less force against
the surface a', the degree of its pressure being preferably regulated by adjusting
screws p³.
The material wiped or scraped from the surface a drops in to the trough q and
passes therefrom into a suitable pail or bucket to be removed if desired.
By driving the brush roller c, and the supporting surface a', independently I am
enabled to rotate either at any desired speed, and thus rub the blacking coloring or
dressing matter more or less into the surface of the hide or skin.
The bearings for the brush c and roller e¹ will preferably be made adjustable to
accommodate for the thickness of the leather, and compensate for wear.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention
and the manner of carrying the same into effect I would have it understood that
what I claim is:-
1st In a machine for blacking or dressing leather hides or skins, the rotating
supporting surface for the leather, the receptacle for blacking or dressing the
receptacle roller c', the blacking or dressing applying brush or roller c located
between the receptacle roller and the said supporting surface, and a spatter brush.or
roller b³ combined with the wiper or cleaner p,.all-arranged with relation to each
other, to operate, substantially as described.
2nd In a machine for blacking or dressing leather hides or skins, the brush or
roller c, and rotating supporting surface, combined with the spatter roller or
brush b³, back of it, and with a wiper or cleaner to operate substantially as
described.
3rd The brush or roller c, and rotating supporting surface, combined with the
roller L, and holding bar, substantially as and for the purpose described.
4th In a machine for blacking or dressing hides or skins, the blacking or
dressing applying brush or roller c, and rotating supporting surface, and cleaner p
to clean the supporting surface, combined with the moveable or travelling surface
to receive the blacked or dressed hide or skin from the said supporting surface,
substantially as described.
5th The rotating supporting surface, the cleaner p the brush or roller c, the
spatter roller b³, the receptacle e, and receptacle roller e', the table n and travelling
surface at g for the leather at the rear of the supporting surface a*, combined with
shafts and gearing substantially as shewn to operate the said parts arranged as set
forth and indicated.
In witness whereof I the said William Morgan-Brown have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twentyseventh day of June in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
W. MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)