Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1887
Complete Left, 24th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th Mar., 1888
RESERVE
I, EMILE ISIDOR Lanvin-SchraeN of Lille, in the Republic of France, Tanner, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The present invention relates to improvements in tanning and apparatus therefor
and its object is to obtain in a comparatively very short time a thorough tanning
absolutely similar to that obtained by the older methods. This improved method
consists in subjecting the hides to be tanned alternately to the action of the vacuum
and that of tanning liquids in which latter they are moved about or not according to
their nature. Special care must be taken to avoid all contact with the air during the
process.
The hides to be tanned are placed in a preferably cylindrical vat made of timber or
other suitable material and provided with a door which can be closed hermetically.
In the upper part of this vat are placed two wooden frames rectangular to each
other to which a rocking motion may be given by means of a rod and an eccentric.
The employment of two frames crossing each other has for its object to avoid all
loss of room although the vat may be cylindrical so that when the lower frame is
entirely full of hides suspended therefrom the projecting ends of the upper frame may
also be used for suspending hides therefrom, and so the room at the sides of the lower
frame be utilized.
The hides are suspended from a series of wooden bars placed horizontally across
the said frames, and may be folded in two to avoid the necessity of giving the vat too
great a depth. These wooden bars are provided with fixed hooks and with sliding
brackets to which hooks are fixed and which can be held in position on the bar by
means of a set screw. From these hooks the hides are suspended and the bracket
with its book is adjusted on the bar according to the size of the bide.
Underneath this vat is a reservoir consisting of two vats communicating with each
other in their lower part. This reservoir has a capacity equal to that of the vat
containing the hides and a suitable valve arrangement permits the tanning liquid to
be transferred from the upper vat containing the hides to this reservoir.

page_text: From this reservoir the tanning liquid is pumped by a suitable pump into another
vat on a higher level than that containing the hides so that the tanning liquid can be
returned to the latter vat by means of a pipe provided with a suitable valve.
The vacuum in the vat containing the hides is produced by means of an air pump
communicating with the upper part of the vat and a gauge indicates the pressure in
the vat.
A series of other vats is arranged close by in which the tanning liquids are
prepared.
The skins or hides to be tanned, after having been soaked as usual, are suspended
from the frames in the vat which is then filled with the tanning liquid. The rocking
motion is then imparted to the frames with the hides which agitate the tanning
liquid and keep it at a uniform strength throughout.
At regular intervals, varying from 1 to 12 hours according to the nature of the
hides and the more or less advanced stage of the tanning, the tanning liquid is run off
into the reservoir underneath and the vacuum is produced in the vat containing the
hides. When the hides have been exposed sufficiently long to the action of the
vacuum, the vat is filled again with the tanning liquid and the rocking motion again
imparted to the frames from which the hides are suspended and so on until the hides
are properly tanned.
Dated this 19th day of Danmhan 1007

page_text: Improvements in Tanning and Apparatus therefor.
1, EMILE ISIDOR LANVIN-SCHRAEN, of Lille in the Republic of France, Tanner,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The present invention relates to improvements in tanning and apparatus therefor
and its object is to obtain in a comparatively very short time a thorough tanning
absolutely similar to that obtained by the older methods.
This improved method consists in subjecting the hides to be tanned alternately to
the action of the vacuum and that of any suitable tanning liquids in which latter they
are moved about or not according to their nature. Special care must be taken to avoid
all contact with the air during the process.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a vertical section of the entire
apparatus. Fig. 2 a plan of the same, Fig. 3 a detail of the hooks by which the hides
are suspended.
The hides to be tanned are placed in a preferably cylindrical vat A made of
timber or other suitable material and provided with a door which can be closed
hermetically.
In the upper part of this vat are placed two wooden frames K K³ rectangular to
each other to which a rocking motion may be given by means of a rod Land an
eccentric.
The employment of two frames crossing each other has for its object to avoid all
loss of room although the vat may be cylindrical so that when the lower frame is
entirely full of hides suspended therefrom the projecting ends of the upper frame may
also be used for suspending hides and so the room at the sides of the lower frame
be utilized.
The hides are suspended from a series of wooden bars M (see figure 3) placed
horizontally across the said frames and may be folded in two to avoid the necessity
of giving the vat too great a depth. These wooden bars are provided with fixed
hooks and with sliding brackets N to which hooks are fixed and which can be held in
position on the bar by means of set screws, O. From these hooks the hides are
suspended and the sliding bracket with its hook is adjusted on the bar according to
the size of the hide.
Underneath this vat A is a reservoir consisting of two vats B communicating with
each other in their lower part. This reservoir has a capacity equal to that of the
vat A containing the hides and a suitable valve arrangement permits the tanning
liquid to be transferred from the upper vat containing the hides to this reservoir.
From this reservoir the tanning liquid is pumped by a suitable pump E into another
vat D on a higher level than that containing the hides so that the tanning liquid
can he returned to the latter vat by means of a pipe provided with a suitable
valve F.

page_text: The vacuum in the vat containing the hides is produced by means of an air pump G
communicating with the upper part of the rat and a guage H indicates the amount of
vacuum in the vat A.
A series of other vats I is arranged close by in which the tanning liquids are
prepared.
The skins or hides to be tanned, after having been soaked as usual are suspended
from the frames in the vat which is then filled with the tanning liquid. The rocking
motion is then imparted to the frames with the hides which agitate the tanning
liquid and keep it at a uniform strength throughout.
At regular intervals varying from 1 to 12 hours according to the nature of the
hidos and the more or less advanced stage of the tanning, the tanning liquid is run
off into the reservoir underneath and the vacuum is produced in the vat containing
the hides. When the hides have been exposed sufficiently long to the action of the
vacuum the vat is filled again with the tanning liquid and the rocking motion again
imparted to the frames from which the hides are suspended, and so on until the hides
are properly tanned.
It is evident that the form and size of the different vats may vary according to
circumstances without deviating from the principle of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The above described tanning process consisting substantially in keeping the
hides in a vacuum when not immersed in the tanning liquid and completely immersed
in the tanning liquid when not exposed to the influence of the vacuum, thus avoiding
contact with steam or air which would redden the hides and render them dry and
brittle besides occasioning a considerable loss of tanning.
2. The above described apparatus for tanning consisting of a vat such as A in
which the hides are suspended as described above on rocking frames or otherwise if
the rocking motion is not desired; the vat A being constructed of timber or any
other suitable material and used with or without the reservoirs and other above
described parts which are all of great simplicity but not essential.
3. In an apparatus such as described the method of suspending the hides by two
hooks one being fixed and the other movable and adjustable substantially as described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 24th day of February 1888
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.