IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTUre of Leather
Year: 1884

page_text: I, AMBROSE MYALL, of 21 Cockspur Street, London, S.W. in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTUre of Leather, which Invention
has been communicated to me from abroad by Etienne Martin and Alexander
Fugier, both of Paris, in the Republic of France, to be as follows:-
The subject of my invention is a machine, by means of which the different
manipulations in tanning, leather dressing, currying and leather manufacturing,
such as whitening, evening, fleshing, paring, unhairing, grinding, polishing and
removing the lime can be performed.
I construct the machine for the purpose of my invention in the following
manner-A horizontal shaft, supported by the frame of the machine, carries &
cylinder, having its exterior circumferential surface covered with cutting blades, or
a cylinder covered with emery paper, or pumice cloth, or a cylinder covered only
with cloth, according to the kind of work that is to be executed, Means are
provided for easily changing the different cylinders on the shaft.
Under this cylinder a block, with flat or rounded surface is provided, capable of
vertical motion in suitable guides; it can be moved towards the revolving cylinder
by pressing on a treadle. I make the block hard or elastic, of wood, metal, or any
other suitable substance, and cover it with a soft and flexible material such as
leather, cloth &c. The front edge of the block is provided with a roller of small
diameter, to facilitate the entering of the hides between the block and the revolving
cylinders. The hides, before entering are spread upon a table, provided for that
purpose in front of the machine, and forming part of it. Behind the revolving
cylinder a blade is fixed to the frame in order to prevent the hides from sticking to
the cylinder, and following it in its revolution.
The motion of the block towards the cylinder is regulated by screws in the
treadle, so that only a distance equal to the thickness of the skin under operation,
remains between the surface of the block, and the circumference of the cylinder.
The skins are spread on the table and pass slowly into the machine, while the
operator keeps his foot on the treadle.

page_text: It is obvious that I can if preferred, arrange the shaft and cylinders in suitable
guides, and make them move down towards a fixed block, by means of a treadle or
any other suitable means.
The dust generated by the work, being very disagreeable for the attendant, is
taken away by any suitable blowing apparatus or exhausting machinery.
For the work of fleshing out, paring, and unhairing I use a cylinder, covered with
cutting blades, like the shearing roller in a shearing machine. For the dry work
of the whitening, and evening, I prefer a cylinder provided with blades, the edges
of which are serrated or cut with teeth like a file. This form of cylinder will do
well also for fleshing and unbairing. For grinding the leather, a cylinder covered
with pumice stone answers best, but a covering of emery-cloth or any other.
similar substance, such as sand, glass powder etc, may be used for grinding, and
also for whitening.
For polishing, I give the preference to a smooth cylinder covered with cloth or
any other suitable tissue.

page_text: ฐ
I, AMBROSE MYALL, of 21 Cockspur Street, London, S.W.. in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER (which
invention has been communicated to me from abroad by Etienne Martin and'
Alexander Fugier, both of Paris, in the Republic of France) and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :—
The subject of my invention is a machine, by means of which the different
manipulations in tanning, leather dressing, currying, and leather manufacturing,
such as whitening, evening, fleshing, paring unhairing, grinding, polishing and
removing the lime can be performed.
In order more clearly to explain the nature of my said invention, I will now
proceed to describe it by reference to the accompanying drawings..
Fig. 1 represents & front elevation and Fig. 2 a side elevation of the machine..
A horizontal shaft a supported in the frame b of the machine carries a cylinder A
having its exterior circumferential surface covered with cutting blades, or a cylinder
covered with emery paper, or pumice cloth, or a cylinder covered only with cloth,
according to the kind of work, that is to be executed-Means are provided for
easily changing the different cylinders on the shaft a.
Under this cylinder a block B with flat or rounded surface is arranged in slides,
and can be moved towards the revolving cylinder A by pressing on a treadle c
I make the block B hard or elastic, of wood, metal or any other suitable substance
and cover it with a soft and flexible material, such as leather, cloth etc. The front
edge of the block B, is provided with a roller of small diameter w, to facilitate
the entrance of the hides between the block and the revolving cylinders―The hides,
before entering, are spread upon a table I, provided for that purpose in front of the
machine, and forming part of it-Below the cylinder A and behind the block B,.
a blade K, is fixed to the frame b, in order to prevent the hides from sticking to
the cylinder A, and following it, in its revolution.
The motion of the block B towards the cylinder A, is previously regulated by
means of screws G, H, in the treadle-The screw H, works in a nut H¹, fixed to
the frame; and screw G, in a nut on the end of a moveable arm, which moves
up and down with the treadle, when the operator presses on it with bis foot-The
treadle lever c, fixed at D, turns about the fulcrum C..
The arm E, connected with the block B by rod F, moves up, when the treadle is
forced down.
It is obvious, that by means of the screws G and H, the play of the block B can
be regulated, so that the distance remaining between the surface of block B and
the circumference of cylinder A, shall be equal to the thickness to which the skin
under operation is to be reduced-The skins, spread on table L pass slowly into
the machine, while the operator keeps his foot on the treadle.
I can, if preferred, arrange the shaft and cylinder A in slides, and move them
down, towards a fixed block B, by means of a treadle or any other suitable device,
instead of lifting the block as described.
The dust, developed during the work, being very unhealthy and disagreeable for
the attendant, is led away by a blowing apparatus of any suitable description, or
by aspirating machinery.
For the work of fleshing, pairing and unhairing I use a cylinder, covered with
cutting blades, like the shearing roller in a shearing machine; for the dry work of

page_text: the whitening and evening, I prefer to employ a cylinder provided with blades,
having their edges serrated or cut with teeth like a file-This form of cylinder will
also do well for fleshing and unhairing-For grinding the leather a cylinder
covered with pumice stone answers best, but a covering of emery-cloth or any other
similar substance, such as sand, or glass powder, may be used for grinding and also
for whitening leather-For polishing, I employ, by preference, a smooth cylinder,
covered with cloth or any other.suitable tissue.
Figs. 3 and 4, represent in front and side elevation, a modified form of my
machine.
The cylinder A, of cast iron, carries on its circumferential surface a number of
curved ribs a, to which special knife-blades c are attached by means of bolts and
nuts, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig 3, and in detail to an enlarged scale by
Fig. 5.
The knife-blades are provided on one side with teeth like a file, or the blades
are pressed into zig-zag form, and one edge is bevelled, so that small teeth are
obtained, all lying in the circumferential surface of a cylinder, concentric with the
rim of cylinder A-A moveable table B, connected to the main table I, by hinges,
is lifted up towards the revolving cylinder A, by means of the treadle D, the play
of which is limited by a knob d striking the floor-The spring flifts up the treadle,
as soon as the attendant withdraws his foot-The treadle lever is attached to
shaft E, carrying on both extremities the short arms F, which are connected to
table B, by the regulating rods G, G. These rods are made in two parts, one part
being provided with left hand thread, the other part with right hand thread, and
both being united by a nut H, with right and left hand threads-Thus, by turning
these nuts the ascent of table B can be exactly regulated with respect to the
thickness, to which the hides under operation should be reduced-The part of
table B, which is directly under the cylinder A, has inserted therein a projecting
convex piece of hard wood, covered with a flexible soft material, like leather,
cloth &c, carrying also in front the small entrance roller w, as before described.
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,
1. In the machine hereinbefore described, the application of a hard or elastic
block B, having a flat or rounded surface, and covered with a soft material like
leather or cloth, in combination with a revolving cylinder A, having different
coverings on its surface, according to the desired work to be accomplished; the
block or the cylinder being guided in slides, and moved by a treadle, substantially
in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shewn.
2. The application of a blade K, in order to prevent the hides sticking to the
revolving cylinder A, substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn.
3. The application of serrated knife-blades for the covering of cylinder A,
provided with curved ribs a, substantially as hereinbefore described & shewn.
4. The arrangement of hinged table B connected to the treadle by rods G, G,
and nuts H, H, with left hand and right hand threads, substantially as and for the
purpose berein before described and shewn.
5. The application of the entrace roller w, in front of block B, or on the hinged
table B, substantially as herein before described and shewn.
1 - 700A