A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR UNHAIRING SKINS BY MEANS OF A WATER STOVE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Beck, of 139 Canuon Street, in the City of
London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent for an Invention of “A NEW
OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR UNHAIRING SKINS BY MEANS OF A WATER STOVE
"
communicated to him from abroad by Aimé Laure, of 2 Boulevard de
Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic of Franco.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Beck at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th February 1883.
"
WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 139 Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, "A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR
UNHAIRING SKINS BY MEANS OF A WATER STOVE [A communication to him
from abroad by Aimé Laure, of 2 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic
of France.]
This invention relates to a new process for unhairing skins of all kinds and
qualities, such as those of sheep, lambs, goats, rabbits, hares, calves, oxen, cows,
and so forth, by means of a water stove, whether the water be cold, tepid, or hot,
or whether it has added to it any material which may serve to bleach or scour, or
to hasten the unhairing of the skins.
It is, and always has been, the constant object of those engaged in unhairing
skins to preserve the greatest possible value both to the leather and to the wool.
In order to arrive at this result some employ active means, others much slower
means.
Those who employ active means seek principally to preserve the full value to the
leather, but they know beforehand that it is to the prejudice of the wool.
The active means known (they are nearly the same in all countries) are the
following: the dry skins in the rough state are steeped in water in order to soften
the leather and when the latter is soft enough a depilatory ingredient, such as
lime, orpiment, sulphurous hydrate, sulphide of sodium, etcetera, is passed over
the fleshy side.
-
For fresh skins these ingredients are passed immediately over the fleshy side.

page_text: Some unhair as above, without any cleaning of the wool, others on the contrary
wash before unhairing, but both by the employment of violent and active means
greatly reduce the value of the wool, and can never dry the leather treated in this
way; it must be worked immediately or salted, for if it is dried it has compara-
tively no value. Those who employ the slow means of unhairing use what is
called stove fermentation. The greater part of the sheep and lamb skins coming
from abroad are treated by means of the stove, which operation consists as
follows;-
1. All the skins being dry, and in the rough, are steeped for from about 6 to 12
hours in water in order to soften the leather.
2. They are then beaten either by hand or by machinery, sometimes they are
washed while being beaten and sometimes afterwards.
3. If after beating, the skins are not softened enough they are steeped again in
water
4. When the leather is softened enough the skins are placed in the stoves for
the natural fermentation to take place and for the wool to become detached from
them. This operation occupies from 8 to 12 days in winter and from 3 to 4 days
in summer after it the skin is taken out and peeled.
5. This process which is called stoving produces a wool which is reduced in
value by its long stay in this hermetically closed place and as regards the leather it
loses 25 per cent.
In spite of the objections to this system of fermentation stoves it is the one
most used at present for all those skins called foreign,
In order to appreciate these objections and the losses which result from them-it.
is necessary to understand that the fermenting stove is a hermetically closed
chamber where the skins are placed side by side without touching but near
enough for them to heat one another as they ferment; when' the fermentation has
reached the desired degree the wool detaches itself and is peeled off.
The avoidance of the grave objections to what is called the active system of
unhairing and the suppression of those still graver objections belonging to the slow
system that is to say of the peeling by fermentation in the stove is a problem
which has occupied the attention for a long time past of all seekers after rational and
economical solutions. By the present invention I am enabled to obviate these
objections by the simplest, most natural, and most economical means possible.
The fermenting stove being acquired that is to say a hermetically closed
chamber where the skins are suspended by the feet side by side ranged
symetrically so as to be as close together as possible, it has been a question of
obtaining a means of peeling the skins without causing them to ferment in order
to preserve the entire value of both the wool and the leather.
The means I employ are the following:-
I make a water stove instead of a fermenting stove but with this difference that
instead of having a hermetically closed chamber I simply establish a large or small
basin or pan capable of being left uncovered. I arrange hooks exactly the same
as in a fermenting stove and I hang the skins thereon by the feet side by side
taking care to keep them perpendicular.
The skins being hung up and descending nearly to the bottom of the basin or
pan I fill up the latter until all the skins are entirely submerged. I can put into
this water stove; Fresh or beaten skins; Skins steeped or not steeped; Skins
beaten or not beaten; Skins washed or not washed; Skins scalded or not scalded;
and Skins scoured or not scoured.
The prolonged stay of the skins in the water naturally causes the peeling and
when this peeling takes place the skin has not suffered at all in the water on the
contrary it has gained in value and the wool is completely preserved.
When the moment for peeling has arrived it is only necessary to empty the
basin or pan, the skins drain separately, and they can be peeled easily
By this water system I am also enabled while preserving the leather and the
wool, to accelerate more or less the operation of peeling. If it is preferred to let

page_text: the skins follow their natural course, cold water may be used both in winter and
summer. It will be understood that the skins take longer to peel in winter than
in summer but no harm is occasioned by that. If on the contrary it is desired to
accelerate the operation of peeling I use tepid or hot water and I add to the bath
any material capable of hastening this operation such as soap, soda crystals,
strained bran, water, etcetera, provided always that the materials employed are not
such as would injure either the leather or the wool
I may observe that if care has been taken to put the skins into the water stove
perfectly scoured and washed (by means of what is known as the Puech process
for example) wool can be obtained of a value hitherto unknown.
By my process of peeling the leather obtained is not only worth more but it can
be manipulated immediately by the tawer or it may be salted and more especially
it may be dried without losing any of its quality.
These water stoves can be employed for peeling the skins of lambs and sheep as
well as those of goats, rabbits, hares, oxen, cows, calves, and so forth.
As will have been seen in the foregoing description I replace violent and
dangerous means by a most natural practical and economical method.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Beck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th August 1883.
"
WILLIAM HENRY BECK of 139 Cannon Street in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent ." A NEW OR IMPROVED PROCESS FOR
UNHAIRING SKINS BY MEANS OF A WATER STOVE [A communication to him
from abroad by Aimé Laure, of 2 Boulevard de Strasbourg, Paris, in the Republic
of France.]
This invention relates to a new process for unhairing skins of all kinds and
qualities, such as those of sheep, lambs, goats, rabbits, bares, calves, oxen, cows and
80 forth without fermentation by means of a water stove, whether the water be
cold, tepid or hot or whether it has added to it any material which may serve to
bleach or scour, or to hasten the unhairing of the skins.
It is and always has been the constant object of those engaged in unhairing
-skins to preserve the greatest possible value both to the leather and to the wool.
In order to arrive at this result some employ active means, others much slower
means.
Those who employ active means seek principally to preserve the full value to the
leather, but they know beforehand that it is to the prejudico of the wool.
The active means known (they are nearly the same in all countries) are the
following the dry skins, in the rough state, are steeped in water in order to soften
the leather, and when the latter is soft enough a depilatory ingredient such as
lime, orpiment, sulphurous hydrate, sulphide of sodium etcetera is passed over
the fleshy side.
For fresh skins these ingredients are passed immediately over the fleshy side.
Some unhair as above, without any cleaning of the wool, others on the contrary
wash before unhairing, but both by the employment of violent and active means
greatly reduce the value of the wool and can never dry the leather treated in this
way, it must be worked immediately or salted, for if it is dried, it has compara-
tively no value. Those who emply the slow means of unbairing use what is
called stove fermentation. The greater part of the sheep and lamb skins coming
from abroad are treated by means of the stove which operation consists as
follows:-
1. All the skins being dry and in the rough are steeped for from about six to
twelve hours in water in order to soften the leather.
2. They are then beaten, either by hand or by machinery, sometimes they are
washed while being beaten and sometimes afterwards.
3 If, after beating, the skins are not softened enough, they are steeped again in
water.
4. When the leather is softened enough the skins are placed in the stoves for
the natural fermentation to take place, and for the wool to become detached from
them. This operation occupies from eight to twelve days in winter and from
three to four days in summer, after it the skin is taken out and peeled.
5. This process which is called stoving produces a wool which is reduced in
value by its long stay in this hermetically closed place, and as regards the leather,
it loses twenty-five per cent.
In spite of the objections to this system of fermentation stoves it is the one
most used at present for all those skins called "foreign."

page_text: In order to appreciate these objections and the losses which result from them it.
is necessary to understand that the fermenting stove is a hermetically closed
chamber where the skins are placed side by side without touching but near
enough for them to heat one another as they ferment; when the fermentation has
reached the desired degree the wool detaches itself and is peeled off.
The avoidance of the grave objections to what is called the active system of
unhairing and the suppression of those still graver objections belonging to the slow
system, that is to say of the peeling by fermentation in the stove, is a problem
which has occupied the attention for a long time past of all seekers after rational
and economical solutions.
By the present invention these objections are obviated by the simplest, most
natural, and most economical means possible.
The fermenting stove being acquired, that is to say a hermetically closed
chamber where the skins are suspended by the feet, side by side, ranged
symetrically so as to be as close together as possible, it has been a question of
obtaining a means of peeling the skins without causing them to ferment, in order
to preserve the entire value of both the wool and the leather.
The means employed are the following:
Instead of a fermenting stove a water stove is used, but with this difference,
that instead of having a hermetically closed chamber it has simply a large or small
basin or pan capable of being left uncovered. Hooks are arranged exactly the
same as in a fermenting stove, and the skins are hung thereon by the feet, side by
side, care being taken to keep them perpendicular. The skins being hung up and
descending nearly to the bottom of the basin or pan, the latter is filled up until all
the skins are entirely submerged. Into this water stove can be put fresh or dry
skins, skins steeped or not steeped, skins beaten or not beaten, skins washed or not
washed, skins scalded or not scalded and skins scoured or not scoured.
The prolonged stay of the skins in the water naturally causes the peeling, and
when this peeling takes place the skin has not suffered at all in the water, on the
contrary it has gained in value, and the wool is completely preserved.
When the moment for peeling has arrived it is only necessary to empty the
basin or pan, the skins drain separately, and they can be peeled easily.
By this water system, while preserving the leather and the wool, the operation
of peeling can be more or less accelerated. If it is preferred to let the skins
follow their natural course, cold water may be used both in winter and summer.
It will be understood that the skins take longer to peel in winter than in summer,
but no harm is occasioned by that. If on the contrary it is desired to accelerate
the operation of peeling, tepid or hot water is used, and there is added to the bath
any material capable of hastening this operation, such as soap, soda crystals,
strained bran-water etcetera, provided always that the materials employed are not
such as would injure either the leather or the wool. Electricity may also be
employed in this operation of unhairing skins.
It may be observed that if care has been taken to put the skins into the water
stove perfectly scoured and washed (by means of what is known as the Puech
process for example) wool can be obtained of a value bitherto unknown.
By this process of peeling, the leather obtained is not only worth more, but it
can be manipulated immediately by the tawer or it may be salted but more
especially it may be dried without losing any of its quality.
These water stoves can be employed for peeling the skins of lambs and sheep
as well as those of goats, rabbits, bares, oxen, cows, calves and so forth.
As will have been seen in the foregoing description violent and dangerous means
are replaced by a most natural, practical and economical method.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the manner in which
the same is to or may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that what

page_text: I claim as the invention to be secured by the within in part recited letters
patent is:-
The process of unhairing skins of all kinds and of all qualities by means of a
water stove without fermentation, with cold, tepid, or hot water, and with
or without the use of a depilatory material, or of electricity, for hastening
the operation as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Beck have hereunto set my
hand and seal this eighth day of August in the Year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty-three.