Improvements in Apparatus Employed in Tanning Hides and Skins.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th July, 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus Employed in Tanning Hides
and Skins.
I, LORENTZ ALBERT GROTH, of 88 Neckar Strasse, Stuttgart in the Kingdom
of Wurttemberg, German Empire, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates more especially to improvements in apparatus employed
in that process for tanning hides and skins with the aid of electricity, in which the
hides or skins are kept in motion in a stationary vat or tanpit while the process of
tanuing is going on, and while a current of electricity is passed through the tanning
liquor, and through the said hides or skins; but the said improvements are also
applicable to apparatus in which the hides or skins are moved in the vat or tau-pit
without the use of a current of electricity.
The vats or tan-pits may be constructed in the usual way of brickwork, timber
or otherwise as may be most convenient. The hides or skins to be tanned are
suspended parallel to each other in the vats or tan-pits, by hooks or otherwise to
frames, and hang down so as to be wholly immersed in the tanning liquor contained
in the vats or tan-pits. The said frames, which for the sake of distinction may be
called hide frames, are supported on the edges of the vats or tan-pits by rollers
which run on rails secured on the tops of the vat or tan-pit sides. The hide frames
and the hides or skins suspended to them are thus free to be moved to and fro at
any required speed. In order to impart this to and fro, or reciprocating motion to
the hide frames and to the hides or skins connected with them, and to enable any
one of the said frames to be stopped when required without stopping the other
frames, I employ the following arrangement of machinery
A main frame of timber or other suitable material extends over the vats or
tan-pits; the longitudinal bars of this frame extend along over the side edges of
the vats or tan-pits, and are provided with rollers which run on rails and enable
the main frame to be moved to and fro, in the same direction as the hide frames by
any suitable means as for example by means of connecting rods operated by cranks
on a shaft which receives its rotatory motion from a strap pulley, toothed gearing
or otherwise, and placed in a suitable position with reference to the main frame.
It will now be understood that as the main frame reciprocates, the frames carrying
the hides or skins may be caused to reciprocate with it, or to stop, by means of
suitable connecting and disconnecting appliances. One convenient arrangement
of such appliances is of the following character. A cross shaft is arranged to turn
in suitable bearings in or on the longitudinal bars, or other part of the main frame,
and may be provided with a lever handle by which it may be turned when
required to any desired extent. Arms are also secured to the cross shaft having
notches formed in them adapted to take over pins or other fixings on the hide
frames. When these arms are in such a position that the notches in them take
over the pins or other fixings on the hide frames connection is established between
the main frame and the hide frames, and both reciprocate together; but when the
arms are raised, by turning the cross shaft by means of the aforesaid lever handle,
so as to disengage the notches of the arms from the pins or other fixings on the
hide frames, the latter are disconnected from the main frame, and remain stationary
while the main frame continues to reciprocate. While the hide frames remain

page_text: stationary the hides or skins can be attached thereto or detached therefrom as may be
required. When it is desired to again set the hide frames in motion the arms are
turned back by the lever handle so that they ride on the pins or other fixings of
the hide frames, until, by the motion of the main frame, the notches in the arms
come over and engage with the said pins or other fixings, thereby re-establishing
the connection between the main frame and the hide frames. It will be under-
stood that a separate cross shaft, lever handle, and notched arms or latches are
provided for each separate hide frame in the series, or at least for such of the said
frames as require to be stopped independently of the main frame.
In cases where it is not necessary to stop the hide frames or either of them
independently of the main frame the connection of the hide frames to the main
frame may be of any suitable permanent character, the cross shafts, lever handles,
and notched arms or latches being in that case dispensed with if preferred.
In some cases the hide frames may be dispensed with entirely, the main frame
only being used, on which thin laths are fastened and suspended in the pits, the
hides being fastened to these laths and thereby made to partake of the motion of
the main frame.
Dated this 8th der of October 1805
L. A. GROTH,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.
Improvements in Apparatus Employed in Tanning Hides
and Skins.
I, LORENTZ ALBERT GROTH, of 88 Neckar Strasse, Stuttgart, in the Kingdom
of Wurtemberg, German Empire, Consulting Engineer, 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:—
This invention relates more especially to improvements in apparatus employed
in that process for tanning hides and skins with the aid of electricity, in which the
hides or skins are kept in motion in a stationary vat or tan pit while the process of
tanning is going on and while a current of clectricity is passed through the
tanning liquor and through the said hides or skius, but the said improvements are
also applicable to apparatus in which the hides or skin are moved in the vat or tan
pin without the use of a current of electricity.
My present improvements are illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.
Figure 1 is a plan of a series of tan-pits having my improved apparatus applied
thercto.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of same taken on line 1-1 of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan, to a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2, of the two end tan pits
and part of the next two of the series shown in Figure 1, and
Figure 4 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3.
AA are separate vats or tan pits which may be constructed of brickwork,
timber or otherwise as may be most convenient. B represents the hides or skius to
be tanned which are suspended parallel to each other by hooks C, or otherwise, to
frames D and hang down so as to be wholly immersed in the tanning liquor
contained in the vath or tan-pits. The frames D are supported on the edges of the
vats or tau-pits by rullers E which turn lou cly on pin secured in the metallic
Exings F fastened on the side bars of the frames D. The rollers E run upon
Fails & secured on the tops of the vat or tan-pit sides. The frames D, and the
hides or this, Buspended to them, are thus free to be moved to and fro in the

page_text: directions indicated by the double-headed arrow in Figure 4. In order to impart
this to and fro or reciprocatory motion to the frames D and to the hides or skins B
connected with them and to enable any one of the said frames to be stopped when
required without stopping the other frames I employ the following arrangement of
machinery :-
H, H¹ is a frame of timber or other suitable material composed of longitudinal
bars H extending along over the side edges of the vats or tan-pits. These bars
are held at proper distances apart by the cross pieces H¹. The frame H H' is
provided with rollers I which turn loosely on pins secured in metallic fixings J
fastened to the longitudinal bars H. These rollers rest on the rails G and enable
the frame H H' to be moved to and fro in the same direction as the frames D by
means of the connecting rods K which are pin-jointed at one end to the carriage L
secured to the longitudinal bars. H, and take at their other ends on to the crank
pins M of cranks N on a shaft P turning in bearings and receiving its rotatory
motion from a strap pulley or toothed wheel R. It will now be understood that
as the main frame H H reciprocates the frames D may be caused to reciprocate
with it by means of suitable connecting and disconnecting appliances. One
arrangement of such appliances is shown in Figures 3 and 4; S is a cross shaft
turning in suitable bearings in the longitudinal bars H of the main frame. T is a
lever handle secured on the end of the shaft S. UU are arins keyed or otherwise
secured on the shaft S. These arms are notched at U' so as to take over the boss
of the fixing F which carries the rollers E supporting the frame D, or if preferred
some other part may be provided and secured on the frame D for the notch of the
arm to take on to. When the arms U are in the position shown in full lines in
Figures 3 and 4 the connection between the main frame H H and the frame D is
established and the two reciprocate together; but when the arms U are raised by
the lever handle T into the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 4 the frame Ď
is disconnected from the frame H H¹ and the latter continues to oscillate while the
former remains stationary to enable the bides or skins to be attached to or
detached therefrom for example. When it is required to again set the frame D in
motion the arms U are turned back by the lever handle T so that the part U 2 of
such arms rest on the boss of the fixing F and rides over such boss, until by the
motion of the main frame H H the notch U₁ comes to and drops on to such boss,
thereby re-establishing the connection between the frame D and the main
frame H H. It will be understood that a separate shaft S, lever handle T, and
notched arms or latches U U₁ are provided for each of the frames D in the series or
at least for such of said frames as require to be stopped independently of the main
frame H H. In cases where it is not necessary to stop the frames D or either of
them independently of the main frame H H' the connection of the frames D to the
said main frame may be of any suitable permanent character. When an electric
current is employed the electrodes which are shown at + and - (Figures 3 and 4) are
preferably placed at the sides of the vats or tan-pits parallel to the hides or skins
which are reciprocated between them and are subjected to the action of the electric
current as they reciprocate, or if preferred the said electrodes may be placed in
the other direction.
In some cases the hide frames may be dispensed with entirely, the main frame
only being used, on which thin laths are fastened and suspended in the pits, the
hides being fastened to these laths and thereby made to partake of the motion of
the main frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The arrangement of mechanism for reciprocating hides or sking in the
tanning liquor contained in stationary vats or tan-pits which consists of a main
reciprocating frame H H', a reciprocating frame D for each vat or tan-pit of a
series, and means of connecting the said frames D with, and disconnecting the

page_text: same from, the main frame H H¹, combined and operating substantially as herein-
before described, and illustrated in the drawings.
Second. The arrangement of mechanism for reciprocating hides or skins in the
tanning liquor contained in stationary vats or tan-pits which consists of a main
reciprocating frame H H', a reciprocating frame D for each vat or tan-pit of a
series, and means of connecting the said frames D with, and disconnecting the same
from, the main frame H H', and means for passing a current of electricity through
the tanning liquor and hides or skins, combined and operating substantially as
hereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings.
Third. In mechanism for reciprocating hides or skins in the tanning liquor contained
in stationary vats or tan-pits, consisting of a main reciprocating frame and a separate
reciprocating hide frame for each vat or tan-pit, mechanism for connecting each such
separate hide frame with, and disconnecting the same from, the main frame,
consisting of a weight-shaft S turning in bearings in the main frame, and notched
arms U secured on said shaft and engaging with suitable fixed parts on the hide
frame, combined, arranged and operating, substantially as herein before described,
and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this tih dan of T..1 1000