An Improved Machine for Stretching Leather.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1890-Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Machine for Stretching Leather.
I, ALEXANDER EDWARD PETERSON, of 307 East Sixty Ninth Street, in the City
and County of New York, State of New York United States of America, Engineer
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 relates to a machine of simple construction used for stretching
leather and more particularly designed for use in the manufacture of belting.
It consists in the various features of improvement more fully pointed out in the
claim.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a top view of my improved machine with bar ƒ partly broken away.
Fig 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line x-x Fig. 1.
The letters a a, represent two longitudinal rails supported upon feet a¹, and con-
nected by cross pieces, the whole constituting the frame of the machine.
b, is a right and left screw, the shafts of which loosely passes through
bearings 6, that slide in slots formed in rails a, the screw may be revolved by crank
handle b². cc are a pair of nuts surrounding screw b, at opposite sides and connected
by the links cc, to a fixed cross piece d, and by the links c³, c², to a slide d². This
slide moves in the rails a, by which it is guided. It will be seen that on turning the
handle 62, the screw is by links c', moved away from cross piece d, while the slide d',
is by links c², moved in the same direction, but more rapidly than the screw.
Upon the stationary portion of the machine thus far described, there are adapted to
be placed two clamps, one fixed and the other movable.
Each clamp consists of two uprights e, connected by a fixed lower jaw e¹, and a
pivoted upper jaw e². An offset e is preferably formed on the lower jaw to constitute
a biting or clamping edge against which the upper jaw works. The lower jaws are
provided, moreover, with a central opening through which a stretcher bar, passes.
Upon one end of this bar is formed a rack fi, engaged by a click f², pivoted to the
lower jaw of the fixed clam as shown. The other end of the bar is rigidly connected
to the movable clamps.
In use, the fixed clamp is placed upon the rails a, between any one pair of
notches a², thereof, that holds the clamp in place.
The stretched bar f, is passed through the fixed clamp and the movable clamp is
also placedtupon the rails. A nose f³ on the bar f. enters one of a set of slots d²,
in slide d', and thus links one end of the bar to the slide. The opposite end of the
bar is by rack f¹, and click f³, so connected to the fixed clamp, that it permits the
bar to be moved in a direction away from the clamp.
The leather A to be stretched is next passed through the clamps and the grip is
effected by forcing the upper jaw e³ down upon the fixed jaw by a suitable pin e³, that
may be introduced through an opening e, of the upper jaw.
Between the leather and the bar f, a central cross block g should be placed.
As the crank handle 62 is now revolved, the slide d' is moved toward the right, as
already described.
But the slide will by engaging the nose f³ of bar f, draw the bar and consequently
the movable clamp along with it, thus stretching the leather in the desired
manner.
During this motion, the click f' will travel over the teeth of the rack f¹, that is
drawn through the fixed clamp.
When the stretching operation ceases, the engagement of the click and rack will
hold the clamps, at any distance to which they have been drawn apart.
The clamp, together with bar f, block g, and the leather A, are now lifted off the

page_text: stretching frame and placed aside, for any length of time, during which the leather is
to be kept under tension. A second pair of clamps are now put upon the machine, to
receive a second piece of leather as is usual in leather stretching machines.
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:
1st. The combination of a frame, with a slide, a bar adapted to be locked to the
slide, a movable and a fixed clamp, the movable clamp being secured to the bar and
the fixed clamp being locked to the frame and with a pawl and rack for connecting
the bar to the fixed clamp, substantially as described.
2nd. The combination of a stretching frame with a pair of clamps, consisting of two
uprights, a fixed lower jaw and a pivoted upper jaw, substantially as described.
3rd. The combination of a frame with a right and left screw, a slotted slide
connected thereto by links, a bar f, having nose f³ that engages the slotted slide, and
with a fixed and a movable clamp, the fixed clamp being locked to the machine frame
and the movable clamp being locked to the bar f, substantially as described.
4th. In a leather stretching machine, the combination of the following elements; a
pair of rails, a right and left screw, sliding bearings for said screw, a fixed cross piece
and a slide, nuts surrounding the screw, links for connecting the nuts to the cross
piece and slide and a pair of clamps, adapted to be locked respectively to the machine
frame and to the slide, substantially as described.
Dated the 1st July 1800
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.