CERTAIN IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUE FOR CUTTING HIDES OR SKINS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Hall Ashworth, of Prestwich, in the County of
Lancaster, Hyde and Size Dealer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUE FOR CUTTING HIDES OR SKINS."
Sealed the 5th November 1858, and dated the 6th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Hall Ashworth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
May 1858.
I, HALL ASHWORTH, of Prestwich, in the County of Lancaster, Hide and
Size Dealer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING HIDES OR SKINS," to be
as follows:-
The Invention relates to a novel and peculiar construction and arrangement
of apparatus as applied to the purpose of cutting hides or skins.
The apparatus consists in a driving or fly wheel having any required number
of arms, each being furnished with suitable knives or cutters to act upon or
cut the hide as it is advanced thereto. The hide is fed to the knives from a
supply trough or guide by two or more pairs of fluted rollers, which are
adjustable in bearings, and receive an intermittent rotatory motion through a
train of spur and change wheel gearing from the driving or cutting wheel.
The action of cutting the hide into strips or shreds is performed by the

page_text: revolution of the driving wheel bringing the cutters into contact with the hide,
and cutting against the edge of a metal plate forming the end of the feeding
trough, the hide being advanced at certain interals, regulated by the change
wheels according to the width of the strips or cutting required and the
number of knives employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Hall Ashworth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th
November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HALL
ASHWORTH, of Prestwich, in the County of Lancaster, Hide and Size Dealer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Hall Ashworth, Her especial license that I, the said Hall Ashworth,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Hall Ashworth, 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 "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CUTTING HIDES OR SKINS," upon the
condition, amongst others, that I, the said Hall Ashworth, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that the said Hall Ashworth, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
.formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings (that is to say) :-
The Invention relates to a novel and peculiar construction and arrangement
of apparatus, as applied to the purpose of cutting hides or skins.

page_text: The apparatus consists in a driving or fly wheel, having any required number
of arms, each being furnished with suitable knives or cutters to act upon or
cut the hide as it is advanced thereto. The hide is fed to the knives from a
supply trough or guide by two or more pairs of fluted rollers, which are
adjustable in bearings and receive an intermittent rotatory motion through a
train of gearing (composed of spur and change wheels) from the driving or
cutting wheel. The action of cutting the hide into strips or shreds is per-
formed by the revolution of the driving wheel bringing the cutters into contact
with the hide, and cutting against the edge of a metal plate forming the end
of the feeding trough, the hide being advanced at certain intervals, regulated
by the change wheels according to the width of the strips or cuttings required
and the number of knives employed.
In order that the Invention may be more clearly understood and explained
in detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, made upon a scale of
about two inches to a foot, and having similar letters of reference upon
corresponding parts of the apparatus throughout the Figures.
Fig. 1 is a plan view, shewing the train of gearing for driving the fluted
rollers; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is respectively an end
and front view of the pair of bevil wheels for effecting the intermittent motion
by which the hide is fed to the knives; and Fig. 4 is an end view of the
machine.
In Fig. 1, a, a, is the framing, in which is supported the driving shaft b,
which imparts a rotatory motion to the bevil wheels c, c; these bevil wheels
effect the intermittent motion, which is transferred, by means of the gearing
d, d, d, to the upper and lower sets of fluted rollers e, e, e, e; between
these fluted rollers, the hide is passed from the trough a', and is by them
propelled or fed to the knives f, f, upon the driving or fly wheel 9, which, as
it rotates, brings the knives in contact with the hide, cuts off or severs the
strip thus projected beyond the metallic ledge h.
I would remark, in conclusion, that any number of knives may be employed,
and that the strips cut may be of any width required, according to the dimen-
sions of the change bevil wheel c, c; also, that amount of pressure may
be obtained and exerted upon the hide by means of the top fluted rollers in
connection with the lever and weight i, i.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I claim the
novel application, use, and adaptation of the above-named construction and
arrangement of mechanism to the purpose of cutting hides or skins, which is

page_text: herein-before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Hall Ashworth, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
HALL ASHWORTH. (L.S.)