AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR ROLLING LEATHER, AND FOR A FRICTION-CLUTCH FOR DRIVING AND REVERSING THE MOTION OF THE ROLLER, WHICH FRICTION-CLUTCH CAN ALSO BE APP
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Wilson, Engineer, of the City of Exeter, in the
County of Devon, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR ROLLING
LEATHER, AND FOR A FRICTION-CLUTCH FOR DRIVING AND REVERSING THE
MOTION OF THE ROLLER, WHICH FRICTION-CLUTCH CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Wilson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd July 1881.
EDWARD, WILSON, Engineer, of the City of Exeter, in the County of Devon.
"AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR ROLLING LEATHER, AND FOR A FRICTION CLUTCH
FOR DRIVING AND REVERSING THE MOTION OF THE ROLLER, WHICH FRICTION
CLUTCH CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO MACHINES FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to a machine for rolling leather, and more particularly
'butts."
It consists of a strong girder of suitable section intended to counteract the
upward pressure given out in the operation of rolling, and which is mounted on
two stand brackets. A second moveable girder between the two standards forms
the bed on which the leather rests. This bed is supported and raised or lowered
by means of two iron plates butting end to end against each other and forming
toggle levers at each end of the bed, which are acted upon by the foot of the
workman. The bed is firmly braced to the two stand brackets by two tie rods, one
end screwed into each standard, the other ends being bolted to the centre of the
bed in such a manner that when the bed is raised by the treadle it is firmly braced
to the two end stand brackets, thus making the whole framework of the machine,
practically speaking, one piece between the bed and the above mentioned top
girder. Suspended to this top girder is a roller carriage containing the roller and
two independent springs, one above the other, each capable of being set to any
pressure, one being set to the required pressure for rolling on, and the other may
be connected at will with this spring by a screw and hand wheel, and set to the
necessary additional pressure for rolling off. The pressures of these two springs

page_text: are retained by means of a screw and nut at each end of the spring attached to a
short bar, which also supports the centre of each spring and at the same time
forms a slipper to which the carriage is suspended.
The variation of the length of the stroke is effected in the following manner :-
Standing out in front of the machine is a rocking shaft actuated by two tappets
against which an inclined plane fitted to the roller carriage collides as it moves
to and fro. These two tappets are counterbalanced so as to make them moveable
by the slightest touch, and are prevented from turning round by a feather fitting
into a groove cut in the shaft.
In order to prevent the great wear and tear upon the belts caused by the
hitherto customary way of shifting the belts from fast to loose pulleys every time
the motion is reversed, I employ the following friction gear -
Towards one end of the main driving shaft of the machine are running in
opposite directions two loose pulleys of the same diameter, and placed side by side.
Enclosed between and inside these two pulleys is a third one of smaller diameter
keyed to the shaft. Attached to the inside of each of the two above mentioned
loose pulleys is a friction hoop, one end of which is fixed to the inside rim of the
pulley, and the other end is fixed to a lever pivotted to the same pulley. The
shaft upon which these pulleys turn is grooved, and in the groove is fitted a feather,
one end of which is connected with a clutch, and the other end has a stop
working within a slot cut into the boss of the fixed pulley. This feather receives
a reciprocating motion from the tappets as they collide with the carriage, which
motion is imparted to the clutch by means of suitable connecting links.
As the stop thus reciprocates it alternately projects beyond the boss on either
side of the fixed pulley, and alternately comes in contact with the end of each
lever, thereby tightening the bands or hoops upon the fast pulley. The position
of the stop midway between the two extreme strokes is the position for stopping
the machine altogether, as these two friction hoops will be left slack.
Motion is given to the roller carriage by means of a chain, or preferably a band
of steel or other suitable material wound round a small pulley keyed directly upon
the pulley or driving shaft of the machine. This band is attached to the pulley
and carriage by simply wrapping the ends round a piece of flat iron, which is
slipped into an oblong hole cut into the pulley with a narrow slit sufficiently wide
to allow the steel band to pass through.
The improvements in this machine consist more especially in driving the carriage
direct off the pulley shaft without employing any counter shaft simply by winding
a band of steel or other suitable material directly upon the shaft or a small pulley
keyed thereon, and also in the improved friction clutch for driving and reversing
the motion of the roller.
It will be readily understood that the improved friction clutch may be applied
to machines for other purposes,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Wilson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st January
1882.
EDWARD WILSON, Engineer, of the City of Exeter, in the County of Devon.
"AN IMPROVED MACHINE FOR ROLLING LEATHER, AND FOR A FRICTION CLUTCH
FOR DRIVING AND REVERSING THE MOTION OF THE ROLLER, WHICH FRICTION
CLUTCH CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO MACHINES FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to a machine for rolling leather, and more particularly
"butts." It consists of a strong girder A of suitable section, intended to
counteract the upward pressure given out in the operation of rolling, and which
is mounted on two stand brackets B. A second movable girder C between the
two standards forms the bed on which the leather rests. This bed is supported
and raised or lowered by means of two sets of iron plates D, D₁, butting end to
end against each other and forming toggle levers (at each end of the bed), which
are acted upon by the foot of the workman. The bed is firmly braced to the two
stand brackets by two tie rods E, one end screwed into each standard, the other
ends bolted to the centre of the bed in such a manner that when the bed is raised
by the treadle it is firmly braced to the two end stand brackets, thus making the .
whole framework of the machine practically speaking one piece.
Between the bed and the above mentioned top girder a roller carriage F con-
taining the roller F¹ and two independent springs F2 and F3, one above the other,
each capable of being set to any pressure, one F2 being set to the required pressure
for rolling on, and the other F³ may be connected at will with this spring by a
screw and hand wheel F, and set to the necessary additional pressure for rolling
off. The pressures of these two springs are retained by means of a screw g and
nut at each end of the spring attached to a short bar F5 which also supports the
centre of each spring, and at the same time forms a slipper from which the carriage
is suspended.
The variation of the length of the stroke is effected in the following manner:-
Standing out in front of the machine is a rocking shaft G actuated by two
tappets G, G¹, against which an inclined plane fitted to the roller carriage collides
as it moves to and fro. These two tappets are counterbalanced so as to make them
movable by the slightest touch, and are prevented from turning round by a feather
fitting into a groove cut in the shaft.
In order to prevent the great wear and tear upon the belts, caused by the
hitherto customary way of shifting the belts from fast to loose pulleys every time
the motion is reversed, I employ the following friction gear:-
.
Towards one end of the main driving shaft of the machine are running in
opposite directions two loose pulleys P1, P2, of the same diameter, and placed side
by side. These two loose pulleys contain two friction bands which are alternately
engaged and disengaged by a lever L attached to and coming into contact with a
reciprocating stop in the shaft L', thus causing the above friction bands or hoops
alternately to grip and disengage a pulley P3 which is enclosed between and inside
the two loose pulleys, and which is keyed on to the hollow shaft. Inside this
hollow shaft is a bar P5 working to and fro, to which the above mentioned stop
L' is fastened, and this bar receives its reciprocating motion by suitable connecting
links L, L, from the one end of the rocking shaft G as the tappets G¹, G¹, collide
with the roller carriage. As the stop thus reciprocates it alternately projects
beyond the boss on either side of the fixed pulley P³, and alternately comes in
contact with the end of each lever L, L, thereby tightening the bands or hoops
upon the fast pulley P³. The position of the stop midway between the two

page_text: extreme-strokes is the position for stopping the machine altogether, as then both
friction.hoops will be left slack.
. Motion is given to the roller carriage by means of a chain, or preferably a band
of steel, or wire rope or other suitable material wound round a sinall pulley K
keyed directly upon the pulleys or driving shaft of the machine without any
intermediate gearing. In case of employing a band it is attached to the pulley
and carriage by simply wrapping the ends round a piece of flat iron which is
slipped into an oblong hole K¹ cut into the pulley with a narrow slit sufficiently
wide to allow the steel band to pass through.
EDWARD WILSON. (L.S.)