IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, APPLICABLE FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Royall Minns, of 5, Southampton Buildings, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, APPLICABLE FOR VARIOUS USEFUL
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 7th February 1879, and dated the 8th August 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Royall Minns at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th August 1878.
HENRY ROYALL MINNS, of 5, Southampton, Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL LEATHER, APPLICABLE for
VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES."
This Invention consists of certain improvements on a former Invention, for which
Letters Patent were granted to Thomas Edmund Hardy, dated the 21st February
1875, numbered 687, and communicated by me from abroad.
According to the first part of this Inventlon I combine with the ingredients,
matters, and substances mentioned in the Specification of the aforesaid Letters
Patent of 1875 buffalo hide, or the scraps of same, and after having treated the
ingredients, matters, and substances as described in the aforesaid former Speci-
fication of 1875, and manufactured the artificial leather and leather board, I charge
the same with a mixture composed of about two parts of rosin and about the same
quantity of bees wax (or other suitable wax or unctious matter, such as tar of
beechwood for example) and one part of paraffin oil. I also add a small proportion
of camphor, to take away the smell of the oil and make the mixture more drying.
I propose to charge the artificial leather or leather board with the above mixture
by first heating the paraffin oil by steam in a jacketed pan or otherwise, and adding
thereto the other ingredients in such quantities, according to the hardness required
for the artificial leather and leather board. I do not intend to limit myself to the
above mixture entirely, as good results may be obtained by charging the artificial
leather with a mixture composed of any two or three of the said ingredients, but

page_text: the best artificial leather will be produced by charging with the first-named
mixture.
Artificial leather manufactured as above will be far superior in quality to that
manufactured according to the Specification of the former Letters Patent of 1875,
and will also be waterproof.
The second part of this Invention consists of an improved method and apparatus
for preparing the hard leather scraps to be used in the manufacture of artificial
leather, whereby the said scraps are reduced to thin shavings, and subsequently to
a pulp. The apparatus I propose to employ for reducing the hard leather scraps
to thin shavings consists of an oblong or other suitably-shaped receptacle or case,
the bottom whereof is made loose, so as to slide up and down; and at or near the
top (which is made open or partially so) I fit a plane or other suitable cutting tool
or tools capable of cutting the hard leather scraps into shavings. The hard leather
scraps are placed in the said receptacle, and are continually kept up to the cutting
tool or tools by the movable bottoin being forced up by means of a weighted lever or
otherwise;
the plane or cutting tool or tools may be worked by a crank or eccentric.
The leather shavings are then put in a vessel containing a solution of common soda
and water for a short space of time, this vessel I propose to make with a smaller
perforated inner casing, so that the leather shavings may be drained from the
solution when taken out. The leather shavings thus treated are next placed in a
machine (containing water) having a cylinder, which is perforated in order to drain
the water through with floats on its exterior; this machine has an inner perforated
bottom to drain the leather when taken out. The said cylinder is caused to revolve
by any suitable means for about two hours in order to wash the solution of soda
and water from the leather; this process will also partially pulp the leather shavings,
which are taken out and taken to the ordinary grinding or heating engines; and
in the course of about two hours (instead of about fifty hours, as hitherto) the
leather will be entirely pulped and ready to be mixed with the other matters, as.
described in the Specification of the aforesaid Letters Patent of 1875 for the manu-
facture of artificial leather and leather board.
By treating the hard leather scraps as above the long process of soaking the same,
as hitherto necessary, is dispensed with.
Artificial leather manufactured as described is applicable for various useful
purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Royall Minns in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
February 1879.
"
HENRY ROYALL MINNS, of 5, Southampton Buildings, in the County of
Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL LEATHER,
APPLICABLE FOR VARIOUS USEFUL PURPOSES."
This Invention consists of certain improvements on a former Invention, for which
Letters Patent were granted to Thomas Edmund Hardy, dated the 21st February
1875, numbered 687, and communicated by me from abroad.
According to the first part of this Invention I combine with the ingredients,
matters, and substances mentioned in the Specification of the aforesaid Letters
Patent of 1875, buffalo hide, or the scraps of same, and after having treated the
ingredients, matters, and substances as described in the aforesaid former Speci-
fication of 1875, and manufactured the artificial leather and leather board, I charge
the same with a mixture composed of about two parts of rosin and about the
same quantity of beeswax (or other suitable wax or unctious matter, such as tar
of beechwood for example) and one part of paraffin oil. I also add a small pro-
portion of camphor to take away the smell of the oil and make the mixture more
drying. I propose to charge the artificial leather or leather board with the above
mixture by first heating the paraffin oil by steam in a jacketed pan, or otherwise,
and adding thereto the other ingredients in such quantities, according to the hardness
required for the artificial leather and leather board. I do not intend to limit
myself to the above mixture entirely, as good results may be obtained by charging
the artificial leather with a mixture composed of any two or three of the said
ingredients; but the best artificial leather will be produced by charging with the
first-named mixture.
Artificial leather manufactured as above will be far superior in quality to that
manufactured according to the Specification of the former Letters Patent of 1875,
and will also be waterproof.
I will now proceed to describe an apparatus which will be found effective in
carrying out my said Invention.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of an apparatus for shaving the hard
leather scraps; Figure 2 represents a plan of same.
Figures 3 and 4 represents respectively a section and plan of an apparatus in
which the leather shavings are put after coming from the planing machine, as
hereafter described.
Figures 5 and 6 represent respectively a section and plan of an apparatus for
washing and partially pulping the said shavings, as hereafter described.
At Figures 1 and 2 a shews the receptical in which the hard leather scraps are
placed, having a moveable bottom b actuated by a weighted lever c; d is a plane
working on the top of the said receptical, and receiving motion by means of a
crank or excentric.
At Figures 3 and 4, a shews a perforated vessel; this vessel rests at the four
corners of the case c by pins, so that it can be turned up either way.
At Figures 5 and 6, a shews a perforated drum, open at both ends, having floats b
fixed thereon; c shews a piece of perforated zinc or wire gauze, fixed at the two
corners x, x, of the apparatus; one side of the said apparatus is made to open
about half way down by means of a hinge d; this side, to which the other end of the
perforated zinc or wire gauze is fixed being kept shut by a catch e.
I will now proceed to describe the operation of apparatus constructed as above:-
The hard leather scraps being put in the receptical shewn at a, Figure 1, are kept
up to the plane (which is set in motion) by the weighted lever; and when they
are reduced to shavings they are placed in the apparatus shown at Figures 3 and 4,
together with a solution of common soda and water for a short space of time; the

page_text: perforated vessel a is then turned up, so as to drain the solution from the leather
shavings, which latter are then placed in the machine, shewn at Figures 5 and 6,
together with clean water; and the drum a is rotated by any suitable means for
about two hours, in order to wash the aforesaid solution from the shavings, and this
process will partially pulp the leather shavings. The leather is then taken out of
this apparatus by raising the catch e and letting down the side, as shewn by dotted
lines, which will have the effect of drawing up the perforated zinc or wire gauze,
and thus draining off the water. The partially pulped leather is then taken to the
ordinary grinding or beating engines, and in the course of about two hours the
leather will be entirely pulped and ready to be mixed with the other matters (in
order to manufacture artificial leather), as already described.
By treating hard leather scraps as above the long process of soaking the same, as
hitherto necessary, is despensed with.
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention, and the
means by which the same may be carried into practical effect, I would remark in 1
conclusion that I do not intend to limit myself to the precise description of
apparatus described and represented for operating upon the hard leather scraps, as
the same may be varied without departing from the principle of my Invention;
but what I claim as my Invention is, manufacturing artificial leather substantially
as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Royall Minns, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-nine.
i
2
HENRY ROYALL MINNS. (L.S.)