IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF CERTAIN HAIRS FROM SEAL AND OTHER FUR SKINS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sir Curtis Miranda Lampson, of 64, Queen Street, in
the City of London, Baronet, for an Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS AND
APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF CERTAIN HAIRS FROM SEAL AND OTHER
FUR SKINS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sir Curtis Miranda
Lampson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th June
1881.
Sir Curtis MIRANDA LAMPSON, of 64, Queen Street, in the City of London,
Baronet. "IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF CERTAIN
HAIRS FROM SEAL AND OTHER FUR SKINS."
This Invention relates to that class of machinery for removing the long "water
hairs"
or bristles from seal and other fur skins, for which Letters Patent were
granted to Lorentz Albert Groth as a communication from abroad by Ferdinand
Florian Cimiotti and Gustav Cimiotti, of Now York, United States of America,
bearing date the 6th day of August, 1880, No. 3226, in which the skin to be
operated upon is stretched tightly and fed intermittently over a knife edged bar,
the narrow portion or strip of skin directly over the said knife edged bar being
exposed to a blast of air from a bellows, which separates the soft hairs of the fur,
placing them on either side, so as to leave tho "water hairs" or bristles standing
upright, the said soft hairs being retained in a depressed position at both sides of
the knife edged bar by moveable guard combs.
The stiff bristles thus exposed and separated from the soft hairs are then clipped
off by knives or shears arranged above the guard combs.
This Invention consists in the employment of heat for burning, dividing, or
separating the above mentioned water hairs or stiff bristles from the skin in place
of the above mentioned knives or shears.
On one or both of the guard combs, or on any other suitable portion of the
machine, is mounted a carriage adapted to travel backwards and forwards along
the exposed part of the skin to be operated upon and carrying a wire connected in

page_text: the manner well understood to a battery or electric machine capable of raising the
said wire to incandescence.
This wire is stretched transversely over the knife edged bar, so as to meet the
bristles at a convenient angle as the carriage travels along, and when the electric
current passes through the aforesaid wire so as to raise it to incandescence the
said wire burns through or separates the bristles as they come in contact therewith.
The carriage may be moved backwards and forwards in or on guides either by
hand or by any suitable arrangements of levers or gearing, endless chain, cord,
wire, or band of any material.
If preferred a gas or other flame or heat centre may be used in place of the
incandescent wire, and any desired number of such flames or wires may also be
used arranged in any desired number of carriages.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Sir Curtis Miranda Lampson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th December 1881.
Sir CURTIS MIRANDA LAMPSON, of 64, Queen Street, in the City of London,
Baronet. 'IMPROVED MEANS AND APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF CERTAIN
HAIRS FROM SEAL AND OTHER FUR SKINS."
This Invention relates to that class of machinery for removing the long "water
hairs" or bristles from seal and other fur skins, for which Letters Patent were
granted to Lorentz Albert Groth as a communication from abroad by Ferdinand
Florian Cimiotti and Gustav Cimiotti, of New York, United States of America,
bearing date the 6th day of August 1880, No. 3226, in which the skin to be
operated upon is stretched tightly and fed intermittently over a knife edged bar,
the narrow portion or strip of skin directly over the said knife edged bar being
exposed to a blast of air from a bellows, which separates the soft hairs of the fur,
placing them on either side, so as to leave the "water hairs" or bristles standing
upright, the said soft hairs being retained in a depressed position at both sides of
the knife edged bar by moveable guard combs. The stiff bristles thus exposed and
seperated from the soft hairs are then clipped off by knives or shears arranged
above the guard combs.
This Invention consists in the employment of beat for burning, dividing, or
separating the above mentioned "water hairs" or stiff bristles from the skin in place
of the above mentioned knives or shears. On one or both of the guard combs, or
on any other suitable portion of the machine, is mounted a carriage adapted to
travel backwards and forwards horizontally or transversely, and if necessary
vertically, along the exposed part of the skin to be operated upon, and carrying a
wire connected in the manner well understood to a battery or electric machine
capable of raising the said wire to incandescence. This wire is stretched
transversely over the knife edged bar so as to moet the bristles at a convenient
angle as the carriage travels along, and when the electric current passes through
the aforesaid wire so as to raise it to incandescence the said wire burns through or
separates the bristles as they come in contact therewith. The carriage may be
moved backwards and forwards in or on guides either by hand or by any suitable
arrangement of levers or gearing, such as endless chains, cords, wires, or bands of
any material.
If preferred a gas or other flame or heat centre may be used in place of the
incandescent wire, and any desired number of such flames or wires may also be
used arranged in any desired number of carriages.
In the Drawings Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of so much of the
before mentioned machines as is necessary to illustrate that part of my Invention
which has reference to the use of an incandescent wire, Figure 2 being a plan of
same; Figures 3 and 4 represent respectively sectional elevation and plan of similar
parts of the machine fitted with a gas burner. Similar letters refer to like parts in
all the Figures. B is the fixed knife edged bar, over which the skin S is tightly
stretched; F, F, are the guard combs, which operate as already described; G is a
bracket or carriage mounted on the fixed bar H and capable of being easily
traversed along the same either by means of the handle H' or by any suitable
arrangement of levers or gearing; I, I, are two binding or connecting screws fitted
into the carriage G, but insulated therefrom, as shewn, by insulating material
J, J, and carrying at their lower portions the incandescent wire K, which is
stretched between them and may be raised or lowered and stretched more or less
tightly as required. It will be readily understood that when a sufficiently

page_text: powerful current is passed through the wire K by means of the conducting
wires L, M, and the carriage G is caused to travel along on the bar H, tho" water
hairs or stiff bristles will be burnt through or separated from the skin S as the
wire K comes in contact with them.
"
In Figures 3 and 4 instead of the incandescent wire K a gas burner K' is shewn
fitted to the carriage G, which in these Figures is shewn arranged to slide in a
dove tail grove H" formed on the back part of one of the guard combs F; N is a
thin metal guard to prevent the flame from being diverted as the carriage is
being drawn rapidly along and to shield the same from the action of the air
blast.
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
I claim as my Invention is,-
In connection with machinery of the kind herein before referred to for removing
bairs from skins the employment of heat derived from an electric current, gas, or
other heat centre, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the
Drawings hereto annexed and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sir Curtis Miranda Lampson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witnesses,
CHARLES WILSON,
LORENTZ ALBERT GROTH, K.G.V.,
Proprietor of the Scandinavian Patent Office,
97, Finsbury Pavement,
London, E.C.
C. M. LAMPSON. (L.S.)