Year: 1888

page_text: CLECT
I, JOHN WASHBURN SUTTON, of No. 280, Broadway, in the City, County, and State
of New York, United States of America, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of
this invontion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved machine for plucking seal-skins and other
furs, so as to remove the stiff water hair therefrom without injuring the soft hair or
wool of the same. The machine more especially designed with a view to overcome
some of the defects and insufficiencies of the plucking machines heretofore in use,
and to effect the plucking of the skins at the lower parts of the neck and shoulders
where the hairs pointing outwardly and backwardly are the most difficult to pluck,
as they lie down close to the skin when the same is drawn over the stretcher-bar.
My invention is further designed to dispense with a blast-fan or other air-forcing
devices, and to effect the removing of the water-hairs entirely by mechanical means
which are operated by power, so that a quick and uniform plucking of the skin takes
place.
The invention consists of a machine for plucking seal and other skins, which
comprises a fixed stretcher-bar, means for stretching and intermittently feeding the
skin over the said stretcher-bar, a fixed card above the stretcher-bar near the edge of
the same, a rotary separating brush that is intermittently moved up in front of the
stretcher-bar, an oscillating guard below the stretcher-bar, a rotary cutting knife and
a vertically-reciprocating cutting knife working in conjunction with the rotary knife
for cutting off the stiff projecting hairs the said rotary cutting knife being provided
with a card supported at the back of the knife, all of which parts are operated from a
common driving shaft, so as to effect, for each rotation of the same, the cutting off or
plucking of the hairs projecting from that part of the skin in front of the stretcher-bar.
The invention consists further, of the combination, with the elements described, of
laterally-reciprocating rubbers which are guided on an oscillating supporting bar,
said rubbers being quickly moved inwards over the skin in front of the stretcher-bar,
and then lifted and returned to their normal position, so as to raise the hairs that lie

page_text: down close to the skin, and present them for the cutting action of the knives. The
invention consists further of the mechanisms by which the motion is imparted from
the driving shaft to the different parts constituting the machine, as will appear more
fully hereinafter, and finally be pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of
my improved machine for plucking seal-skins and other furs, the machine being
shown in the act of cutting the stiff hairs projecting in front of the stretcher-bar.
Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical longitudinal sections of the operative parts of the
machine, drawn on a larger scale, and showing them, respectively, in the act of
running over the edge of the skin and brushing the stiff hairs forward, said figures
representing different stages in the treatment of the skin preparatory to the cutting
off of the hairs.
Fig. 4 is a plan of my improved machine.
Figs. 5 and 6 are detail front views of the devices for rubbing over the edge of the
skin, the figures shewing the rubbers respectively in position before and during the
rubbing action..
Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the machine, with a part of the supporting frame broken
away, and
Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are details of the different cams by which motion is imparted to
the working parts of the machine.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Referring to the drawings, A represents the supporting frame of my improved
machine for plucking seal and other skins.
On the frame A is supported a fixed transverse stretcher-bar B, which is tapered to
a narrow edge over which the skin to be plucked is stretched. The skin is applied by
tapes to the rollers B1, B1, which are intermittently actuated by gear-wheels, operated
by a pawl and ratchet-wheel mechanism from the driving shaft S, as customary in
plucking machines of this class. By the gear-wheels and the pawl and ratchet-
mechanism, the skin is fed intermittently for a small portion of its length over the
front-edge of the stretcher-bar, it being unwound from the upper and wound up on
the lower feed-roller.
Below the edge of the stretcher-bar is arranged a vertically-reciprocating knife, C,
which moves in slots or ways of fixed guide-plates C³, and which is operated by
fulcrummed levers, (, the rear ends of which are engaged by cams, C³, on a cam
shaft, S, that is supported above the driving shaft, S, in suitable bearings of the
frame, A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 10. In front of and at some distance from the
stretcher-bar, B, is supported a shaft, D¹, in bearings on the frame, A; said shaft
being provided with radial arms d, d, to which the rotary knife, D, is attached, which
in conjunction with the vertically-reciprocating knife, C, serves to cut off the water-
hairs projecting from that part of the skin in front of the edge of the stretcher-bar, B.
To the arms of the rotary knife, D, and at some distance to the back of the latter is
fixed a carding brush, D, which acts on that part of the skin that is fed forward over
the edge of the stretcher-bar immediately after the hairs of the next preceding section
of the skin have been cut off. The shaft, D', of the cutting knife, 1), is rotated from
the cam-shaft, S1, by means of an intermediate longitudinal shaft, S, and two sets of
mitre wheels 1³, D, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. Immediately above the stretcher-bar, B,
is arranged a stationary card, E, which is attached to the ends of the stretcher-bar, B,
by means of thumb-screws, (not shown in the drawings). The points of the teeth
of the card, E, are close to, but do not touch, the surface of the skin, so that the hair
and fur are both straightened as the skin is fed forward. The teeth of the card, E,
hold down the fine fur, but permit the stiff hairs to stand up between the teeth owing
to the slow forward movement of the skin, which gives the hairs sufficient time to so
adjust themselves. Below the stretcher-bar, B, is arranged a rotary separating
brush, F, which is supported in oscillating arms, F, that are guided by pins, f, in
arc-shaped slots, f, of fixed guide-plates,, as shown clearly in Figs. 1, 2, and 3,
the oscillating arms, F', being pivotted to horizontally-reciprocating connecting
rods, F, which are provided with yokes, f³, having antifriction rollers at their rear

page_text: ends, and acted upon by cams, F³, on the cam-shaft, S', the cams being so shaped
and timed that the forward and upward motion of the brush, F, takes place at the
proper time. The brush, F, receives rotary motion from two belts, 4, which pass
over pulleys, f, on the shaft, S, and the brush-shaft, and which are kept taut by
weighted idlers, f6, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The brush, F, is made of soft
bristles, and is rotated at a speed of 150 revolutions per minute. The soft bristles
allow the stiff hairs to stand, while the quick motion of the brush bends the soft hair
in a downward direction and brushes it below the stretcher-bar, so that it can be
taken up and held in position by the soft rubber wipers, g, of an oscillating guard-
bar, G, which moves in are-shaped slots, g¹, of the guide-plates, C. The guard, G,
receives oscillating motion by pivot links, g, from the connecting rods, F³, of the
separating brush, F, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. A guide-bar, H, is supported on
arms, H, at some distance above the stretcher-bar, said arms being applied to a
transverse shaft, H2, which shaft is oscillated by means of an arm, H³, that is engaged
by a cam, H, on the longitudinal shaft, S2, shown in Figs. 4 and 8. A second
downwardly-extending arm, H³, on the shaft, H2, is connected by a spring, H, to
the supporting frame, said spring returning the guide-bar, H, to its normal raised
position as soon as the action of the cam, H, on the arm, H, has been completed.
On the guide-bar, H, are supported two pairs of laterally reciprocating rubbers, h, h³,
which are guided on said har and quickly moved over the same by means of oscillating
levers, that are fulcrummed to a transverse bar, 3, of the supporting frame,
and connected by a link, ', that is pivotted to one lever, ², in front of its fulcrum
and back of the fulcrum of the other lever, 2, as shown in Fig. 4. The front ends of
the levers, 2, engage slotted and slightly inclined keepers, 75, of each pair of
rubbers, h. The rear-end of one of the levers, ², is connected by a pivot rod, 6,
with a laterally-guided rod, 7, that is actuated intermittently by a cam, h, on the
longitudinal shaft, S2, shown in detail in Fig. 9, said cam producing the motion of
the levers, 2, and rubbers h, h', towards each other into the positions shown in
dotted lines in Fig. 4; while a spiral spring, h, that connects the rear ends of the
levers, ², quickly returns the levers, ², and rubbers h, h', to their normal positions,
as soon as the cam, 7, has completed its work. By the combined oscillating motion
of the guide-bar, H, as produced by the cam, H, shown in Fig. 8, and the laterally-
reciprocating motion of the rubbers h, ¹, produced by the cam, 78, shown in Fig. 9,
the rubbers, ¹, are quickly passed over that part of the skin in front of the
stretcher-bar, so that the stiff hirs that lay down close to the skin at the portion
around the neck and shoulders of the same are raised and presented to the action of
the cutting knives. When the rubbers h, h', arrive at their innermost positions, as
shown in Fig. 6, the guide-bar, H, is raised, and simultaneously the rubbers h,,
returned to their former positions by the levers, 2, and spring, h³.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The skin is placed in the machine by being attached to the feed-rollers and drawn
tightly over the edge of the stretcher-bar, so as to lie close to the upper and lower
surface of the same. The skin is put in in such a manner that the head-end is
foremost. The stiff hairs in seal-skins point towards the tail except at the lower part
of the neck and shoulders. These parts are at the sides of the head-end of the skin,
as the skin is split at the under side. At these parts of the skin, the hairs point
outwardly and backwardly, and are the most troublesome to cut or pluck, as they lay
down close to the skin when it is drawn over the stretcher-bar. A sharp and quick
rub over these parts of the skin, from the edge towards, the centre of the skin, is
therefore necessary, so as to straighten up the hairs, and present them to the action of
the cutting knives. When the skin is in place, the stationary card, E, is drawn
backward a few times over that part of the skin that is upon the stretcher-bar, B, so
as to card back the fur and hair, and produce thereby a parting of the fur at that part
of the skin then covering the edge of the stretcher-bar. One half of the fur upon
that section of the skin will, by the parting, be kept above, and the other half, below
the edge of the stretcher-bar. This permits the hair upon that section of the skin in
front of the edge of the stretcher-bar to rise through the fur and keep its place with

page_text: When the fur and hair have been
carded back by the card, E, the same is fastened to the stretcher-bar by thumb-screws.
The card is set back from the edge of the stretcher-bar to a distance a little more than
one half of the length of the fur, for the purpose of holding the fur and preventing it
from moving forward until the forward motion of the skin takes place. The card at 5
the back of the rotary knife then passes over the skin in front of the edge of the
streicher-bar, and draws out all the fur and hair on that section, so that the fur and
hairs so drawn out assume their natural positions, that is, the positions which they
would have if the skin were drawn over the edge of the stretcher-bar without anything
for holding back the fur and hair. As soon as the card at the back of the rotary
knife has passed over the section of the skin in front of the stretcher-bar, the rubbers
are quickly moved over the same toward the centre, whereby the hairs that lie down
sidewise are raised and pointed outwardly, causing them to stand upright. The rotary
separating brush is then quickly moved upward and forward, and revolved in front of
the skin at the edge of the stretcher-bar, so as to separate the fur from the hairs,
The rotary
brushing down the former and leaving the stiff hair standing out.
separating brush is then quickly moved backward and downward, so as to carry with
it the separated fur, which is then held in position by the oscillating guard that follows
the brush and carries the fur still further back, and holds it in position while the
vertical knife is raised and shears off, in conjunction with the rotary knife, the
forwardly projecting hairs, as shown in Fig. 1. The separating brush after it has
accomplished its work is lowered sufficiently so as not to touch the skin at all except
when it is in front of the working-edge of the stretcher-bar.
less trouble than when more fur is acted upon.
The next section of the skin is now moved by the feed-rollers over the edge of the
stretcher-bar, and the same operation of the parts produced by the next rotation of
the driving shaft, and so on until the skin is finished. When the plucking of the skin
at the neck and shoulders has been accomplished, the action of the rubbers may be
dispensed with, which is accomplished by loosening the cams H, 8, on the shaft, S,
so that the guide-bar, H, and the rubbers h,, are not acted upon by the transmitting
mechanisms but remain in a position of rest.
The operation of the machine is quick and reliable, the hair being cut off close to
the skin and without injury to the fur, which is held back so as not to be presented to
the knives, by the action of the stationary card above, and the joint action of the
separating brush and oscillating guard below the stretcher-bar.
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. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar, means for intermittently feeding the
skin over said stretcher-bar, a stationary card above said stretcher-bar, a vertically-
reciprocating knife, and a rotary knife, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar, means for intermittently feeding the
skin over said stretcher-bar, a stationary card above the stretcher-bar, a vertically-
reciprocating knife, a rotary knife, and a card applied to arms of the rotary knife at
the back of the same, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar; means for stretching and intermittently
feeding the skin over said stretcher-bar; a stationary card above said stretcher-bara
rotary separating brush below the stretcher-bar; mechanism for moving said brush in
front of the stretcher-bar at the proper moment; an oscillating guard below the
stretcher-bar a vertically-reciprocating knife and a rotary cutting knife; substantially
as set forth.
4. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar; means for intermittently feeding th
skin over said bar; a stationary card above the stretcher-bar; vertically-oscillatin
and laterally reciprocating rubbers moving in front of the edge of the stretcher-bar
a rotary separating brush; an oscillating guard below the stretcher-bar; a vertically
reciprocating knife and a rotary cutting knife; substantially as set forth.
5. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar; means for intermittently feeding th
skin over said bar; a stationary card above said stretcher-bar; an oscillating guide-bar

page_text: laterally reciprocating rubbers on said guide-bar; a rotary separating brush an
oscillating guard; a vertically reciprocating knife and a rotary cutting knife;
substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar; means for intermittently feeding the
skin over said bar; a stationary card above said bar; an oscillating guide-bar, and
laterally reciprocating rubbers on said guide-bar; substantially as set forth.
7. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar; means for intermittently feeding the
skin over the same; a guide-bar above the stretcher-bar; means for oscillating said
bar; two pairs of rubbers guided on said bar; and means for imparting laterally-
reciprocating motion to said rubbers; substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar; means for intermittently feeding the
skin over the same; a stationary card above the stretcher-bar; a rotary separating
brush below the same; and mechanism substantially as described whereby the rotary
brush is moved upward and forward into a position in front of the stretcher-bar;
substantially as set forth.
9. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar; means for feeding the skin intermittently
over the same a fixed card above the stretcher-bar; a rotary separating brush;
pivotted arms for said brush; slotted guide-plates for said arms; connecting rods
having cam yokes; and a driving shaft having cams whereby an upward and forward
motion is imparted to the rotary separating brush; substantially as set forth.
10. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar; means for feeding the skin over the
same; a stationary card above the stretcher-bar; a rotary brush below the same;
mechanism for moving the brush forward and in front of the stretcher-bar; an
oscillating guard having wipers; guide-plates having arc-shaped slots for said guard;
pivot-links attached to the guard; connecting rods having cain-yokes; and a driving
shaft having cams for engaging said cam-yokes; substantially as set forth.
11. The combination of a fixed stretcher-bar, B; an oscillating guide-bar, H,
above the same; a shaft, H2, having arms, H3, H, a spring He; rubbers h, h, having
slotted keepers, ; fulcrummed arms, connecting link, ; spring, ; rods, h°, h;
and shaft, $, having cams, H* and h; substantially as set forth.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Patent Agents,
22, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.