IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING LEATHER, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Keil Tullis, of Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRESSING LEATHER, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
Sealed the 19th August 1873, and dated the 19th March 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Keil Tullis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th March 1873.
I, JOHN KEIL TULLIS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN DRESSING LEATHER, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APParatus
EMPLOYED THEREFOR," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to improvements in dressing leather,
has for its object to perform the operations of taking the grease off hides
or butts, of setting or resetting and levelling hides or butts, and for
skiving leather, or for effecting other generally similar leather dressing
operations.

page_text: The mechanism by which these operations are effected consists of a
framing, in which a revolving cylinder is situated, the surface of the
cylinder being provided with spiral scrapers, cutters, or knives. Above
the revolving cylinder a series of springs are situated, upon which
any required degree of pressure is produced by means of weights, levers, b
or screws.
At the front part of the machine a feeding table is situated, and in
front of the table the operator stands and feeds the hide or butt in
between the springs and the revolving cylinder, the effect of the
scrapers, knives, or cutters thereon being to remove the grease, set, 1
reset, level, or skive the hide or butt, as the case may be, that is to say,
according to the state of preparation that the hide or butt is in.
Between the springs and the hide or butt a cushion of india-rubber or
other elastic material is preferably introduced; and it is also preferred
to arrange the spiral scrapers, cutters, or knives on the revolving 1
cylinders with the spirals diverging in opposite directions from the
central part.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Keil Tullis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th September 1878.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
KEIL TULLIS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the 36th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said John Keil Tullis, Her special license that I, the
said John Keil Tullis, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Keil Tullis, my executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter 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

page_text: 39
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING LEATHER, AND IN
THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR,"
upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Keil Tullis, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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 calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Keil Tullis, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
-
My said Invention, which relates to improvements in dressing leather,
has for its object to perform the operations of taking the grease off hides
or butts, of setting or resetting and bevelling hides or butts, and for
skiving leather, or for effecting other generally similar leather dressing
operations.
The mechanism by which these operations are effected consists of a
framing, in which a revolving cylinder is situated, the surface of the
cylinder being provided with spiral scrapers, cutters, or knives. Above
or below the revolving cylinder a series of springs are situated, upon
which any required degree of pressure is produced by means of weights,
levers, or screws.
At the front part of the machine a feeding table is situated, and in
front of the table the operator stands and feeds the hide or butt in
between the springs and the revolving cylinder, the effect of the
scrapers, knives, or cutters thereon being to remove the grease, set,
reset, level, or skive the hide or butt, as the case may be, that is to say,
according to the state of preparation that the hide or butt is in.
Between the springs and the hide or butt a cushion of india-rubber or
other elastic material is preferably introduced; and it is also preferred
to arrange the spiral scrapers, cutters, or knives on the revolving
cylinders with the spirals diverging in opposite directions from its
central part.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner

page_text: in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say:-
On the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended, Figure 1 is a front
elevation of my improved machine employed in the dressing of leather;
Figure 2 is a plan thereof; and Figure 3 is a side clevation of the same.
As shewn by these Figures the framing of the machine consists of two
vertical standards A, which are connected together by stays B. A
revolving cylinder C is carried on a shaft a, which is supported in
bearings b, formed on or attached to the side of the standards A.
The surface of the revolving cylinder C is provided with spiral
scrapers, cutters, or knives c, which are shewn more particularly at
Figures 4 and 5, which are respectively a detailed plan and end elevation
of the revolving cylinder C. The spiral scrapers, cutters, or knives c are
secured to the surface of the revolving cylinder C by means of jaws d
and bolts e, or their equivalent, and they are by preference arranged
on the surface of the revolving cylinder C, with the spirals diverging
in opposite directions from the central part. Above the revolving
cylinder C a series of springs D are situated, which may be either spiral,
vertical, or of the form shewn more particularly at the side clevation,
Figure 3 of the Drawings. The springs D are attached at one end to a
rail E, which is supported at cach end by lovers F. The lovers Fare
attached to and carried on a rocking shaft f, which is supported in
bearings formed in the standards A. The other end of the springs D
rest on a second rail G, but are not attached thereto. The rail G is
supported in brackets g, formed on or attached to the standards A.
Attached to each end of the rocking shaft f are levers H. On the
levers H weights I are carried, by means of which the required degree
of pressure is produced upon the springs D. Fast and loose pulleys J,
round which passes a belt for giving motion to or stopping the revolving
cylinder C, are situated at one end of the shaft a. Under one of the
levers G is placed the short arm of a lever K, which is supported on a
fulcrum, the long arm of the lever K being provided with a step or
treadle L. At the front part of the machine and resting on the
standards A is a feeding table M, in front of which the operator stands
and feeds the hide or butt k in between the springs D and the revolving
cylinder C. Between the springs D and the hide or butt a cushion m
of india-rubber or other elastic material is preferably introduced.

page_text: The effect of the scrapers, knives, or cutters con the hide or butt
when passed between the springs D and revolving cylinder C is to
remove the grease, set, reset, level, or skive the hide or butt, as the caso
may be, that is to say, according to the state of preparation that the
hide or butt is in.
In order to allow of the hide or butt / being removed or drawn back
from between the springs D and revolving cylinder C, it is necessary
that the pressure of the springs D should be removed. This is effected
by the operator placing his foot on the treadle L, which, on being
depressed, causes the short arm of the lever K to be moved upwards,
thereby lifting the levers H and weights I and partly rotating the
rocking shaft f, also causing the springs D to be lifted up into the
position indicated by dotted lines at Figure 3 of the Drawings. For
skiving a hide or butt it is however preferred to arrange the machinc
as shewn in the diagram at Figure 6, the revolving cylinder C and
spiral knives or cutters being in this case situated over or above the
springs D, which are caused by means of the levers F and H and the
weight or weights I to press upwards. The springs D are attached at
one end to a rail, supported by links p, which are connected to the end
of the lever F and move in vertical guides, so that a parallel upward
pressure of the springs D is obtained. Situated below the revolving
cylinder C are two guide bars n, which are so arranged as to allow
of only a small portion of the hide or butt % (which passes below them
and between the cylinder C and spring D in the direction shown by the
3 arrows) being acted upon or skived by the knives or cutters at one time,
and thereby obtaining an uniform depth of cut; any part of the hide or
butt %, which may be thicker than the rest by being caused to pass
beneath the guide bars » depresses the springs D in place of having tho
extra thickness of leather removed by the kuives or cutters. The hide
or butt after passing between the cylinder C and springs D is con-
ducted between drawing rollers N, by means of which an uniform travel
or drag of the hide or butt is obtained.
In applying the arrangement of the machine herein last described and
shewn by the diagram at Figure 6 of the Drawings to the lovelling of
hides or butts, a bar O is provided and placed below that part of the
springs D situated underneath the revolving cylinder C. The bar O is
constructed so that it can be raised or lowered by means of an eccentric
or eccentrics P, or other suitable mechanical appliance; and when the

page_text: bar O is in its upraised position it is situated close against the under
part of that portion of the springs D situated beneath the cylinder C,
thereby preventing the springs D being depressed. The hide or butt k
is then passed between the springs D and cylinder C, and levelled by the
action of the knives or cutters thereon.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe
in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore
claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The general arrangement and construction of machine for
dressing and otherwise treating leather, as herein-before described and
illustrated on the annexed Sheet of Drawings.
Second. The construction of the revolving cylinder C, with knives
thereon diverging in opposite directions, as herein-before described and
shewn on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Third. The springs D and cushion m for pressing the hide or butt on
to the cylinder C, substantially as herein-before described and shewn on
the Sheet of Drawings hereunto appended.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Keil Tullis, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this [Seventeenth day of September, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.