IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCOURING, GLOSSING, AND OTHERWISE TREATING LEATHER
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd May 1870.-A communication from abroad by Edward Fitz-
henry, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SCOURING, GLOSSING, AND OTHERWISE TREATING LEATHER," a communication,
to bo as follows:-
My said improvements relate to machinery for scouring, "setting
out," glossing, and performing general table work upon leather. In
such machinery a reciprocating carriage, to which the tool carriers are
attached is usually supported by two parallel and horizontal ways or
rails that pass between parallel guides extended from the sides and upper
part of the said carriage.
The said Invention consists in the peculiar devices for adjusting the
tool carriers or rubbers to the proper elevation; also in the mechanism
for raising either or all of the said tool carriers, and holding the same

page_text: up so that they may not operate on the leather while the reciprocating
carriage is in motion over the same; also in the novel arrangement of
buffers or dampers, in combination with the lifter rods and a rocker
plate; also in the arrangement and combination of gutters and a drip
trough or pan with the guides of the reciprocating carriage to prevent
the falling of the oil upon the leather being operated upon. The tool
carriers at one end of the carriage are each pivoted upon a rod extending
transversely through the carriage. The lifter rods of the said tool
carriers are extended through long slots in the rocker plate or bar which
is pivoted to the middle of the carriage on a horizontal axis. A con-
necting rod by which a reciprocating rectilinear motion is communicated
from a crank to the carriage is fastened to one end of the said rocker
plate. Each lifter rod is provided with a collar, between which and the
plate is an india-rubber buffer for the plate to strike against in lifting
the tool carrier. This elastic buffer prevents the vibration and noise
which occur when an inelastic pin or shoulder is employed on the lifter
rod. On the upper part of each lifter rod a male screw is formed to
fit into a block hinged to an arm, which, at its inner end is pivoted to
the carriage. The pivot pin may be readily removed from the said arm
and the same may be used as a lever to turn the nut block around upon
the screw to adjust the tool carrier vertically. By forming the screw
threads in the block instead of using separate nuts outside the block,
as heretofore, the slackening of the rod from vibration of the machine
is entirely prevented, and the tool carrier when adjusted cannot be
moved without first releasing the pivot pin, as above described. To
the top of the carriage and underneath each set of the arms I apply
a notched slide bar. The said bar is arranged. between parallel guides
and has at its front end an arm extended from it at a right angle. A
rod projecting from the said arm through a standard is hinged to one end
of a handle. At the opposite end of the said handle is another con-
necting rod projecting from the notched slide of another series of arms
applied to the carriage for supporting another set of tool carriers. By
moving the handle an attendant may move and adjust either or both
of the said slide bars to hold in a raised position either or all of the tool
carriers for the purpose of keeping the tools out of action upon the
leather while the carriage is in motion over it. The surfaces in contact
of the guides and rails have to be kept well lubricated to prevent friction
The lubricating fluid is liable to gather on the ends of the
lower guides, and drop therefrom upon the leather being operated on,
and wear.

page_text: and blacken or otherwise injure it. In order to prevent such falling of
the oil on the leather or upon the table of the machine, I apply to each
end of each lower guide an inclined gutter or channel, and arrange
directly underneath its lower or outer end a trough or long shallow drip
pan or reservoir which should be fixed either to the carriage or to the
slide bar on which it rests, and should be so arranged that the surplus
or waste oil shall pass through the gutters into the said reservoir. The
tool carrier springs are supported on a rod whose ends rest on two blocks
which are arranged in vertical guiding slots in the side plates of the
carriage; screws are fitted into each of these blocks, and the heads of
these screws are arranged to bear against the under side of a shelf
projecting from the carriage.
Heretofore in this class of machinery the screws have been passed
down through the shelf with one end bearing against the block, but
these screws are not conveniently accessible when an oil reservoir
arranged as above described is used; when, however, the screw heads
are arranged to abut against the shelf they are at all times readily
accessible.
My Invention also consist in a novel method of supporting and
operating the carriage, and in the construction of the table, and means
for supporting the same. Instead of moving the said carriage upon two
horizontal slides, I attach it to the extremity of a pendulum. If this
pendulum were attached to a fixed point its lower extremity would
describe the arc of a circle around the point of suspension. It is, however,
necessary that the motion of the tools should be in a horizontal plane
parallel with the table whereon is placed the leather to be treated. To
obtain this horizontal motion I employ the following devices:-I con-
ncct the pendulum rod to a crank whose axis is supported in bearings in
suitable brackets. The shaft of this crank carries at one end a toothed
segment which gears into another toothed segment fixed on a second
shaft which is also supported in bearings in the said brackets parallel
to the crank shaft. From the second segment a connecting rod extends
downward. In the lower extremity of this rod is fixed a bolt or stud which
projects into an elongated hole or slot in the pendulum rod; the elongation
of the said slot being in the direction of the length of the rod. The carriage
is attached to one end of a connecting rod whose other end is fitted
on a stud or pin fixed in a fly wheel, which is carried on a shaft arranged
nearly in the same horizontal plane as the carriage. By the movement

page_text: of the fly wheel a reciprocating movement is given to the carriage,
which movement through the devices in connection with the pendulum
herein-before mentioned is rendered parallel with the surface of the
table instead of being in the arc of a circle around the point of sus-
pension of the pendulum rod. The brackets which support the crank
shaft are bolted to beams or timbers attached to the ceiling or roof of
the building whereon the machine is placed, and are secured together by
tie rods. Below the table is a hollow cast-iron column, wherein is
inserted a cylindrical pivot which carries radial arms, preferably formed
of wrought iron and grooved longitudinally to receive wooden beams
which carry adjustable rollers whereon the table is placed. One of the
said arms is shorter than the other to allow convenient access to the
tools. The said arms are supported at their outer extremity by diagonal
rods secured to a hoop or collar which is fitted to move vertically upon
the column, but which cannot turn upon the same. A lever with a
counterbalance weight is arranged against the bottom of the pivot and
serves to raise the said pivot, and consequently the table, the collar, and
the arms, to bring the said table up to the tools. The lever and table
are maintained in any desired position for working by means of a spring
hook which is inserted in a ring secured in the floor.
The table, instead of being constructed of solid boards, may be formed
of small joists morticed into the top and bottom boards of the table.
Between these small joists are flat pieces, arranged to leave a space
between each two consecutive joists. The joints are glued and the whole
structure is secured by hollow metal tie rods, extending from one edge
to the other of the table across the joists. The said tie rods are furnished
at each end with a screw thread, and a nut which is embedded in the
woodwork. The object of this construction of the table is to render the
same light and strong and to prevent the warping to which a solid table
is liable from the action of the tools and the effect of the water which is
applied to the skins to maintain them properly upon the table. By
this means I also avoid the knots which often exist in wood and which
injure the work.