Improvements in Machinery or Tumblers for Treating Hides, Skins, and Leather.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 4th Sept., 1889-Accepted, 2nd Nov.,
1889
PROVIDIONAL DIBUITIVATION
Improvements in Machinery or Tumblers for Treating Hides, Skins,
and Leather.
I PIERRE ALPHONSE JESSON of 4 Rue Vandrezanne Paris in the Republic of
France, Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to produce a machine which, while differing both
from the cylindrical and the rectangular tumblers hitherto employed in treating
leather, shall act upon the materials under treatment with the same gentleness as the
cylindrical tumblers, and shall produce a useful effect superior to that of the rectangular
tumblers.
With this object, I take two hollow pyramids of metal or other suitable material,
and arrange them base to base upon a common axis. The pyramids. may be either
equal or unequal in size, and may have any convenient number of sides, according to
the desired capacity of the machine, and their bases should be not less than one
metre in diameter. At the apex of each of these pyramids, I fix a metal trunnion.
These trunnions, the axes of which coincide with the axis of the pyramids, are
carried by two standards. A toothed wheel or pulley, or, if preferred, a crank
handle fixed upon the trunnion, serves to impart to the machine, either directly or
through intermediate gearing, a rotary motion which may be more or less rapid
according to the nature of the work in hand. The apparatus is provided with a door
so carried upon hinges as to close upon one side of the pyramid, and serving to
facilitat ethe charging and emptying of the tumbler.
During the rotation of the tumbler, the materials under treatment fall to the
bottom of the tumbler; are then raised to a certain height, and fall again by their
own weight, and so on. It will readily be understood that at the lower part of the
tumbler, the materials are pressed together and beaten between the opposite faces
of the two pyramids, and that when they are at their greatest height, they tend to
Hence arises the
separate, and to approach towards the centre of the tumbler.
tendency of the materials to unfold and spread out at each rise and fall, an effect
which it is important to obtain in order to render the operation efficient.
One of the trunnions is hollow, and serves for the introduction of water or other
liquid during the rotation of the machine, and cross ribs or projections on the
interior of the periphery and opposite sides of the tumbler are arranged, which
serve to retain the materials a short time longer against the sides of the tumbler
during their upward movement, and also to hasten the mingling together of the
liquid and solid substances which are introduced into the tumbler before the final
operation.
When the machine is used for washing or scouring, openings, which may be closed
at will, are formed in the periphery of the tumbler, at regular or irregular distances
apart, to provide an escape for the impure water.
The tumbler may be constructed of wood, or of any suitable metal, and the two
pyramids may be attached directly to each other at their bases, or may be separated
by a polygonal casing of any desired width. 1 may also employ cones in the
construction of the apparatus.
T
LIL
Desemba 1988
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Tumblers for Treating Hides, Skins,
and Leather.
I PIERRE ALPHONSE JESSON of 4 Rue Vandrezanne, Paris in the Republic of
France, Mechanician, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to produce a machine which, while differing both
from the cylindrical and the rectangular tumblers hitherto employed in treating
leather, shall act upon the materials under treatment with the same gentleness as
the cylindrical tumblers, and shall produce a useful effect superior to that of the
rectangular tumblers.
In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a side elevation,
and Fig. 3 a cross section of a machine constructed according to this invention.
The machine consists of two portions, A.. B, of hollow pyramidal or conical form,
of metal or other suitable material, arranged base to base. The pyramids or cones
may be either equal or unequal in size, and may have any convenient number of
sides, according to the desired capacity of the machine, and their bases should be
not less than one metre in diameter. At the apex of each of these pyramids A B, is
provided a hollow trunnion C, the axes of which coincide with the axis of the
pyramids or cones A B. The trunnions are carried by standards D, and one of them
may be provided with a pulley E, or, if preferred, a crank handle, by which motion
may be imparted to the machine, either directly or through intermediate gearing F,
the motion being more or less rapid, according to the nature of the work in hand.
The machine is provided, at one side, with a door K, which serves for the charging
and emptying of the tumbler.
The two pyramids or cones forming the tumbler may be secured directly to each
other at their bases, or may be separated by a polygonal casing L, of any desired
width, and having cross pieces b, as shown in the drawing.
On rotary motion being given to the tumbler, the materials under treatment will
be raised to a certain height, and will then fall to the bottom of the tumbler by
their own weight, and this action will continue so long as the tumbler is rotated. It
will readily be understood that, at the lower part of the tumbler, the materials are
pressed together, and, as it were, beaten between the opposite faces of the two
pyramids or cones, and that, when they are at their greatest height, they open out,
and approach towards the centre of the tumbler. By this tendency of the materials
to unfold and spread out at each rise and fall, an effect is obtained which is important
in order to render the operation efficient.
Water or other liquid is introduced through one or other of the trunnions during
the rotation of the machine, and the cross ribs or projections on the interior of the
polygonal casing L, as well as on opposite sides of the tumbler, serve to retain the
materials a short time longer against the sides of the tumbler during their upward
movement, and also to hasten the mixing of the liquid and solid. substances which are
introduced into the tumbler before the final operation.
When the machine is used for washing or scouring, openings, which may be closed
at will, are formed in the periphery of the tumbler at regular or irregular distances
apart, to provide an escape for the impure water.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A tumbler for treating hides, skins, leather, and other materials, constructed,
arranged. and operating as herein described and shown with reference to the

page_text: 2. In machinery or tumblers for treating hides, skins, leather, and other materials,
the use of a vessel composed of two portions, of pyramidal or conical form, secured
together at their bases, or to a polygonal or other casing, and having hollow
trunnions by which the vessel is supported in suitable standards, and to which rotary
motion is communicated from a prime mover, as set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of September 1889.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.