IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING ARTIFICIAL AND OTHER LEATHER, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR UTILISING WASTE PIECES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Hall; of Kirkstall, near Leeds, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR CUTTING ARTIFICIAL AND OTHER LEATHER, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR
UTILISING WASTE PIECES."
Sealed the 9th June 1871, and dated the 17th December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Hall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th December 1870.
1
I, JOSEPH HALL, of Kirkstall, near Leeds, in the County of York,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING ARTIFICIAL AND OTHER LEATHER, PARTICULARLY
APPLICABLE FOR UTILISING WASTE PIECES," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists in machinery for cutting into
suitable forms the waste leather preparatory to being put together to
form various articles of utility, such as the "lifts" forming the heels of
boots and shoes as hereafter described.
'

page_text: .
On suitable framework I mount a table, by preference circular, which
is made to revolve with an intermittent motion. On the bed plate
carrying the framework and in suitable bearings I mount a crank shaft
from which through suitable gearing the necessary intermittent motion
is given to the table. In the framework and passing through the centre
of the table there is a pillar carrying on the upper part any required
number of arms; on each arm I fix one or more cutters or dies of any
required form which may be carried on one plate, a vertical reciprocating
motion is given to the arms carrying the cutters by means of the crank
shaft working in a slot in the pillar. The leather to be cut is placed on
the table, which by revolving brings the pieces under the cutters, the table
then stops a sufficient time to allow the cutters to be brought down i
but in some cases instead of the cutters being fixed to the arms they
may be fixed on the table. The required forms being cut from the
pieces of leather pass within the hollow cutters. The cutters then rise
and the table again revolves a suitable extent preparatory to the cutters
coming again into operation.
The second part of my Invention consists in machinery for pressing
the leather together into any required form, and consists of a machine
similar in every way to the cutting machine before described,.except
that the table instead of being plain on its surface carries a number of
forms or moulds the same form as the article to be made. These forms
or moulds have fitted into them plungers, the shanks of which pass
through the table. The sections or picces of leather are placed to a
suitable thickness on the plunger, some adhesive material being placed
between the parts. The plungers are raised, near to the top of the form
(by means of a suitable incline which is fixed on the framework and
underneath the table) so that the material may be placed upon them.
The table is made to revolve (by means of the intermittent motion)
a suitable distance until the moulds or forms come underneath the
stampers or rams, the arms (which are of a similar construction to those
on the cutting machine) carrying the stampers then come down and
press the material into the forms or moulds, forcing at the same time the
plungers to the bottom. The forms or moulds are tapered, being wider
at the top than at the bottom, so as to press the parts together. The
'stampers may be made to slide vertically in the arms, being retained in
position by a spring or other means to prevent any undue strain on the
rammer or material operated upon. Instead of the arms having a
vertical movement they may be disconnected from the pillar and fixed
i.

page_text: in position, the rammers only. (guided by suitable brackets) being moved,
these being attached by suitable connecting rods to the vertical pillar or
crank shaft.
All the other arrangements not described in this second part of
my Invention are of similar construction to those described in the first
part,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions. of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Hall in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th June 1871..
'
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
HALL, of Kirkstall, near Leeds, in the. County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Seventeenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Joseph Hall, Her special licence that I, the
said Joseph Hall, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such'
others as I, the said Joseph Hall, my executors, administrators, and
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 Isle
of Man, an Invention for 'IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CUTTING"
ARTIFICIAL AND OTHER LEATHER, PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE FOR UTILISING
WASTE PIECES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Hall, my executors, or administrators, 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 calendar months.next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
66
•
: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Hall, 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

page_text: following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to say :-
The first part of my Invention consists in machinery for cutting into.
suitable forms the waste leather preparatory to being put together to
form various articles of utility such as the "lifts" forming the heels of
boots and shoes hereafter described, and the Invention will be best
understood by reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation; Fig. 2 a side elevation, and
Fig. 3 a plan of machinery constructed according to this part of my
Invention.
On suitable framework a I mount a table 6, by preference circular,
which is made to revolve with an intermittent motion transmitted from
the shaft through the crank d, connecting rod e, and lever f, thence
through the paul g which works in the continuous circular rack & fixed.
under the table b. The crank shaft c is mounted in bearings i on the
bed plate which is attached to the framework a. In the framework a
and passing through the centre of the table b, there is a pillar k supported
in bearings in the framework a. On the upper part any required
number of arms? may be carried, but in the Drawings I have shewn
only two, on each arm I fix one or more cutters m which may be
carried on one plate n and secured to it by the set screws o. A second
plate n¹ is placed between the arms and the cutter plate n as shewn in
section in Fig. 4 to resist the end pressure during the operation of
cutting the leather. A vertical reciprocating motion is given to the
arms carrying the cutters m by means of a crank p on the crank
shaft c which is made to work with its slide block q in the slot r: The
leather to be cut is placed on the table b which by revolving brings the
pieces under the cutters, the table & then ceases to revolve for a sufficient
time to allow the cutters m to be brought down to perform the operation
of cutting the required forms. The required forms being thus cut from the
pieces of leather they pass within the hollow cutters above which a con-
ductor of the construction shewn at s may be attached to lead off the cut
pieces into any suitable receptacle. After cutting, the arms carrying the
cutters rise, and the table again revolves a suitable extent preparatory to
the cutters coming again into operation. The table is covered on top with
a layer of leather or other suitable material to prevent the cutters being
injured after passing through the leather operated upon. The machine
is driven from the shaft t as shown through gearing u and v. The

page_text: shaft t may be prolonged to any required number of machines for the.
purpose of imparting to them the required motion. The waste leather
after the operation of cutting is conducted off the table by the scrapers w
which may be of any desired form.
.
The second part of my Invention consists of machinery for pressing
the leather together into any required form, and is illustrated at Sheet 2,
in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a side elevation, Fig. 3. a*
plan, and Fig. 4 a cross section shewing a form or mould, also the
arrangement of plungers and incline. This machine is similar to the
cutting machine shewn at Sheet 1,, except the table a instead of being.
plane on its surface carries on it a number of forms or moulds 6. These
forms or moulds have fitted into them plungers c, their shanks d pass
through the table a, as shewn in Fig. 4. The table a is made to revolve
with an intermittent motion which is transmitted from the shaft c
through the crank f, connecting rod g, and lever h, thence through the
paul which works in the continuous circular rack j under the table a.
The crank shaft e is mounted in bearings / in the bed plate which is
attached to the framework m. Instead of the arms having a vertical
motion as in Sheet 1 the pillar may be disconnected or dispensed with;
the arms n in this case being fixed in position on the rods o.
rods o are provided with the stretcher p, and above these stretchers p
are mounted on the rods o the boxes 1, which are filled with caoutchouc
spiral spring or other elastic substance, over which are placed the
washers 2; by the movement of the nuts 3, which are in close contact
with the washers 2, any required pressure may be put upon the caoutchouc
spiral spring or other elastic substance.
These
It will be readily understood by this arrangement that the stretcher p
may be arranged to rise or fall, whereby all unnecessary pressure upon.
the material operated upon is obviated, at the same time preventing
undue strain upon the machine. When arranged in this manner the
rammers q only (guided by the bracket or arms n) are made to move, to
which motion is conveyed from the crank shaft e through the rods r, bell
cranks 8, and links t connected, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. When
required the arms may have motion given to them and be constructed
as shewn on Sheet 1. The forms or moulds 6, as shewn at Fig. 4, are
made slightly tapered, being wider at the top than at the bottom so as
to press the parts together. The plungers c are raised to the top of the
mould by the incline u. The sections or pieces of leather are placed to

page_text: a suitable thickness. on them, some adhesive material being inserted.
between the parts. In this manner they pass under the rammers, which
immediately come down and force the material into. the moulds.. The,
springs are employed to keep the rammers up to their work during
the operation of pressing, and are secured to the frame as shewn..
It will be readily understood that when the material is being forced
into the moulds the plunger is carried to the bottom. When the.
rammer.c gets clear of the mould the. table revolves until the next mould
is brought under, and so. on for each consecutive mould. At a suitable
position the plunger-shank comes in contact with the incline u whereby 1
the compressed material is forced out of the mould as the table proceeds,,
which compressed form is. taken away by the attendant and replaced by
other pieces as before described.
Having now described the nature of my said. Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, I would remark in con-. ]
clusion that I do not limit myself to the exact details and configuration
of parts I have explained and shewn as the same may be varied or
modified without in any way departing from my Invention; but what I
do claim and desire to be secured to me by Letters Patent is, the com-
bination, arrangement, and application of the several parts, constituting a
each machine in the manner substantially as and for purposes herein set
forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Hall, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
E