IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRESSING, SCOURING, AND PREPARING THE SURFACE OF LEATHER
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRESSING, SCOURING, AND PREPARING THE
SURFACE OF LEATHER."-A communication from abroad by Hector
Craig Havemeyer, of the City, County, and State of New York,
United States of America.
Sealed the 13th October 1871, and dated the 19th May 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 19th May 1871.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRESSING, SCOURING,
AND PREPARING THE SURFACE OF LEATHER," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to several improvements in apparatus for
dressing, scouring, and preparing the surface of leather, and also to

page_text: novel methods of applying the dressing or scouring implements to the
frames that hold them.
One object of the Invention is to facilitate the processes afore-named
by the application of adjustable machinery which can be operated by
steam or other power and used on thick as well as thin skins and hides
of all kinds.
The Invention consists, first, in the use of a rotating scouring and
rubbing cylinder which is hung in a stationary or pendulum frame over
a yielding or adjustable bed or support for the hides or skins or leather
to be dressed or treated to rest upon. If the cylinder is hung in a
pendulum frame the bed need only be self-adjusting by springs or
elastic material, the weight of the roller on the pendulum regulating
the distances for the various thicknesses of material to be treated. If,
however, the cylinder is not made adjustable in its supports the bed.
must be pivoted (or made adjustable towards and away from the cylinder
in order to admit the several thicknesses of leather.
The Invention consists therefore, secondly, in the arrangement of an
adjustable bed which can be set up or down by means of toggles or
other levers or devices. The bed can also be sustained on springs
which work on guide pins, and is in such form applicable either to a
pendulum or stationary frame of the cylinder.
The Invention consists also in a new method of securing the scouring
or rubbing stones in the rotating cylinder by dovetails formed on the
stones. The same are thereby firmly held and readily removed and
replaced.
Another mode of securing the rubbing stones or substances, and one
applicable to all grinding as well as scouring cylinders, consists in the
use of metal troughs bolted to the rim of the cylinder or wheel to
This is
receive the stones imbedded in sulphur or equivalent material.
a very simple mode of fastening and retaining the stones or scouring
substances, and one admitting of every kind of repair.
The Invention also consists in arranging the scouring surface by the
alternate use of stones and brushes on the cylinder so that the bloom
removed from the leather by the stones will be swept away by the
brushes, and the surface of the leather properly swept all at one process,
and also in securing the stones to the cylinder by means of the blocks
to which the brushes are fastened, whereby the alternate rows are
produced.

page_text: The pendulum dressing and scouring machine consists of a swinging
frame suspended from an overhead shaft hung in brackets from the
ceiling of the room in which the apparatus is set up or otherwise affixed
to the stationary supports and carrying at its lower end a horizontal
shaft. A belt passes round pulleys on both shafts for the purpose of
transmitting motion, the upper shaft receiving rotary motion by suitable
mechanism. A cylinder or drum carrying the rubbing or scouring
implements is hung upon the lower shaft, said implements consisting
of stones and brushes or their equivalents arranged alternately, or of
stones or of brushes only as may be desired. Each stone is made in
form of a three-sided prism or of other suitable form and is dovetailed
into a dovetail groove provided for its reception on the circumference of
the cylinder, being locked therein by a wedge or key or otherwise
secured. The stones or brushes work over a curved or flat bed of
suitable material. The bed rests upon and is supported by springs
of suitable kind placed under one end, both ends, or in the middle, and
the whole is secured to a suitable fixed frame.
For the purpose of increasing the elasticity of the bed it is advisable
to place a sheet of india-rubber or other suitable elastic fabric or
material stretched tight or laid loosely over the same. The hide or
skin to be dressed or scoured is placed upon the bed and then the
cylinder is drawn against it so that the the stones or brushes will rub
the surface of the leather and properly dress the same. By means of
the swinging frame the pressure against the leather can be regulated at
will, and suitable workmanship consequently produced. The pendulum
frame can be swung by the apparatus consisting of toggle levers con-
nected by a chain with a treadle or other suitable lever and weighted;
by swinging said treadle or lever the dressing cylinder can be moved
nearer to or farther from the bed. The swinging frame can be made
either rigid or flexible, and can be hung to the stationary apparatus at
the upper or lower end as may be desired.
In another arrangement a scouring cylinder hung also in a vibrating
or pendulum frame and provided with stones and brushes at its rim,
the stones being enlarged towards their bases and wedged in place by
wooden or other blocks to which the brushes are secured, said blocks
being fastened to the cylinder by means of bolts. The stones are thus
securely held without separate fastening devices. The rows of stones
and brushes may be straight laterally or somewhat spiral as may be

page_text: desired. Each row is either entirely of stone and brush or made of
alternating sections of either, the adjoining sections either way being
of the opposite material. The bed is arranged above a fixed frame or
table and is by springs underneath held against and in contact with
the scouring cylinder. These springs are disposed in suitable manner,
either under one or both ends or under the middle of the bed. The
motion of the adjustable bed is controlled by guide pins which project
from the under side of said bed into hollow sockets held by the table.
The guide pins, however, are or may be jointed to give greater freedom
of play to the bed. The upper face of the bed may be concave or flat
and over it is stretched, by being fastened to the ends, a sheet of rubber,
leather, or both, or other flexible or semi-elastic material. This sheet
constitutes an elastic cushion for the leather hides to be treated. The
scouring cylinder may also be hung in a stationary frame and connected
with suitable machinery whereby it receives rotary motion. It carries
also alternate stones and brushes or other suitable scouring implements
which are fastened in suitable manner. The scouring bed is at one
end or elsewhere hinged to or connected by guide pins as before with
a table which is secured at the lower end by a hinge to a fixed floor or
platform. A pitman and crank wheel or other suitable mechanism
applied against the under side of the table and connected with a treadle
or handle can be used to force table and bed with suitable power against
the cylinder. The table may, if desired, be hinged at the upper end.
A spring or springs interposed between the free end of the bed and
the table serves to hold the said bed against the cylinder. The upper
or contact face of the bed may be made slightly concave or perfectly
flat to receive a sheet of leather, rubber, or other suitable material
which is stretched over its ends to constitute a cushion surface upon
which the leather to be treated is placed.
I will now describe the manner of fastening scouring or grinding
stones to the vibrating cylinder:-I use a metal trough enlarged towards
its base and of such suitable length and width as to receive the stone
to about half its height. A bolt or bolts projecting through the
bottom of the trough serve to secure the same to the rim of the
cylinder. While the stone is being imbedded in the trough molten
sulphur, lead, plaster of Paris, or equivalent material is poured into the
latter to constitute a bed and binding substance around the imbedded
portion of the stone. The lower part of the stone may be grooved or

page_text: roughened to give a firm hold to the sulphur. In the place of sulphur
equivalent substance may be employed.
By the use of this improvement stones can be conveyed to order
properly imbedded in their troughs and are then readily applied by
means of the bolts, while heretofore they were usually directly
imbedded in the cylinders and difficult to put in.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th November 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR DRESSING, SCOURING, AND PRE-
PARING THE SURFACE OF LEATHER,' a communication to me from abroad
by Hector Craig Havemeyer, of the City, County, and State of New
York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of
the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
"

page_text: calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the two
Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to several improvements in apparatus for
dressing, scouring, and preparing the surface of leather, and also to
novel methods of applying the dressing or scouring implements to the
frames that hold them.
One object of the Invention is to facilitate the processes afore-named
by the application of adjustable machinery which can be operated by
steam or other power and used on thick as well as thin skins and hides
of all kinds.
The Invention consists, first, in the use of a rotating scouring and
rubbing cylinder which is hung in a stationary or pendulum frame
over a yielding or adjustable bed or support for the hides or skins or
leather to be dressed or treated to rest upon. If the cylinder is hung
in a pendulum frame the bed need only be self-adjusting by spring
or elastic material, the weight of the roller on the pendulum regulating
the distances for the various thicknesses of material to be treated. If,
however, the cylinder is not made adjustable in its supports the bed
must be pivoted or made adjustable towards and away from the cylinder
in order to admit the several thicknesses of leather.
The Invention consists therefore, secondly, in the arrangement of an
adjustable bed which can be set up or down by means of toggles or
other levers or devices. The bed can also be sustained on springs which
work on guide pins, and is in such form applicable either to a pendulum
or stationary frame of the cylinder,
The Invention consists also in a new method of securing the scouring
or rubbing stones in the rotating cylinder by dovetails formed on the
stones. The same are thereby firmly held and readily removed and
replaced.

page_text: into a dovetail groove provided for its reception on the circumference of
the cylinder, being locked therein by a wedge or key or otherwise secured.
The stones or brushes work over a curved or flat bed I of suitable
material. The bed rests upon and is supported by springs w of suitable
kind placed under one end, both ends, or in the middle, and the whole
is secured to a suitable fixed frame J.
For the purpose of increasing the elasticity of the bed it is advisable
to place a sheet d of india-rubber or other suitable elastic fabric or
material stretched tight or laid loosely over the same.
The hide or skin
to be dressed or scoured is placed upon the bed I, and then the cylinder F
is drawn against it so that the stones or brushes will rub the surface
of the leather and properly dress the same. By means of the swinging
frame the pressure against the leather can be regulated at will, and
suitable workmanship consequently produced. The frame C can be
swung by the apparatus shown in Figure 1, and consisting of the toggle
levers L, L, connected by a chain e with a treadle for other suitable
lever, and weighted as shown; by swinging said treadle or lever the
dressing cylinder can be moved nearer to or further from the bed. The
swinging frame can be made either rigid or flexible, and can be hung
to the stationary apparatus at the upper or lower end as may be
desired.
Figure 3 shows a scouring cylinder F hung also in a vibrating or
pendulum frame C and provided with stones G and brushes H at its
rim. The stones are represented enlarged towards their bases and are
wedged in place by the wooden or other blocks g to which the brushes
are secured, said blocks being fastened to the cylinder by means of
bolts h, h, as shown. The stones are thus securely held without separate
fastening devices. The rows of stones and brushes may be straight|
laterally or somewhat spiral, as may be desired. Each row is either
entirely of stone and brush or made of alternating sections of either,
the adjoining sections either way being of the opposite material. The
bed I in Figure 3 is shown to be arranged above a fixed frame or
table J, and is by springs i, i, underneath held against and. in contact
with the scouring cylinder. These springs i, i, are disposed in suitable
manner, either under one or both ends, or under the middle of the bed.
The motion of the adjustable bed is controlled by guide pins j, which
project from the under side of said bed into hollow sockets K, K, held

page_text: by the table J. The pins ; however are or may be jointed, as shown,
to give greater freedom of play to the bed. The upper face of the bed
may be concave or flat, and over it is stretched by being fastened to
the ends a sheet d² of rubber, leather, or both, or other flexible or
semi-elastic material. This sheet constitutes an elastic cushion for the
leather hides to be treated.
Figures 4 and 5 show the scouring cylinder F hung in a stationary
frame M and connected with suitable machinery, whereby it receives
rotary motion. It carries also alternate stones and brushes G, H, or
other suitable scouring implements, which are fastened in suitable
manner. The scouring bed I is at one end or elsewhere hinged to or
connected by guide pins, as in Figure 3, with a table N, which is by a
hinge secured to a fixed floor or platform J³. A pitman and crank
wheel O, O, or other suitable mechanism applied against the under side
of the table N and connected with a treadle or handle P can be used
to force table and bed with suitable power against the cylinder. The
table N may, if desired, be hinged at the upper end. A spring or
springs i interposed between the free end of the bed I and the table
serves to hold the said bed against the cylinder. The upper or contact
face of the bed may be made slightly concave, or perfectly flat as shown,
to receive a sheet & of leather, rubber, or other suitable material, which
is stretched over its ends to constitute a cushion surface upon which
the leather to be treated is placed.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrates a new manner of fastening scouring or
grinding stones to the rotating cylinder. G' is the stone to be secured
to the cylinder F. R is a metal trough, enlarged towards its base,
and of such suitable length and width as to receive the stone to about
half its height. A bolt or bolts & projecting through the bottom of
the trough serves to secure the same to the rim of the cylinder Fº.
While the stone is being imbedded in the trough molten sulphur,
lead, plaster of Paris, or equivalent material is poured into the latter
to constitute a bed and binding substance m around the imbedded
portion of the stone, as shown. The lower part of the stone may be
grooved or roughened to give a firm hold to the sulphur. In the place of
sulphur equivalent equivalent substance may be employed. By the use
of this improvement stones can be conveyed to order properly imbedded
in their troughs and are then readily applied by means of the bolts, while

page_text: heretofore they were usually directly imbedded in the cylinders and
difficult to put in.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The rotating scouring cylinder applied to machinery for the
treatment of leather, hides, and skins resting on a yielding or adjustable
bed, substantially as herein shown and described.
2ndly. The pendulum frame C provided with the scouring cylinder
which swings against or clear of the bed, as set forth.
3rdly. The toggle levers L, L, combined with the pendulum frame C
to adjust the position of the scouring cylinder, substantially as herein
shown and described.
4thly. The bed I of a scouring apparatus made adjustable towards and
away from the scouring cylinder, substantially as herein shown and
described.
5thly. The arrangement of the levers O, O, under the scouring bed
for adjusting the same at will, as set forth.
6thly. The bed I combined with the hinged table N to swing on and
with the same, as specified.
7thly. The springs i, i, and jointed or plain guide pins ; applied to
the scouring bed, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and
described.
8thly. The elastic sheet d stretched over the scouring bed, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described for the purpose specified.
9thly. The scouring stones dovetailed into the retaining cylinder, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described.
10thly. The trough R constructed to receive the imbedded stone and
provided with the bolt or bolts whereby it is secured to a cylindrical or
other surface, as specified.
11thly. The scouring cylinder consisting of alternate stones and
brushes or hard and soft substances, as set forth.

page_text: 12thly. The scouring stones held in place by the blocks g that hold
the brushes, as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-one.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)