AN IMPROVED STEAM TRAVERSING LEATHER ROLLERBUT
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Newall and James Barker, of War-
rington, in the County of Lancaster, Millwrights and Engineers,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED STEAM TRAVERSING LEATHER ROLLER
"..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Newall and
James Barker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 9th November 1872.
We, PETER NEWALL and JAMES BARKER, of Warrington, in the
County of Lancaster, Millwrights and Engineers, do hereby declare the.
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED STEAM TRAVERSING:
LEATHER ROLLER FOR BUTTS, BENDS, BELLIES, AND HEADS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to that description of machine for rolling leather
in which there is a traversing roller working in bearings at the bottom
of a weighted box, having on each side wheels running on rails over a
tabbe, on which is placed the leather to be rolled. The to-and-fro

page_text: traversing motion is obtained by a rack gearing into a spur wheel, to
which alternate revolving motion is given by open and crossed straps
shifted as required from loose pulleys to a fast one on the shaft to which
the spur wheel is fixed, the straps being shifted by strap forks worked by
levers acted upon by a rod put in motion by a projection on the box or
by a lever worked by hand, there being collars on the rod which can
be adjusted and fixed according to the required length of the traverse,
and when desired, instead of employing two straps we use one only and
two spur wheels. The rails carrying the weighted box and roller are
supported at their ends on vertical rods jointed to levers at the back and
front of the table, and the levers are connected to a treadle, which,
when pressed down by the operative, raises the rails, box, and roller which
fall by their own weight when the pressure is removed from the treadle,
the roller acting on the leather when pressing and traversing upon it, and
being raised from it when lifted by the treadle.
By these improvements the butts, bellies, and other parts can be rolled
in any length and in any part desired, and as the roller can be reversed
at any part of the traverse it is equally applicable for rolling long or short
pieces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Peter Newall and James Barker in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 9th May 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, PETER
NEWALL and JAMES BARKER, of Warrington, in the County of Lancaster,
Millwrights and Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Peter Newall and James Barker,
Her special license that we, the said Peter Newall and James Barker
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Peter Newall and James Barker, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time

page_text: and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might makć, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED STEAM TRAVERSING LEATHER ROLLER
FOR BUTTS, BENDS, BELLIES AND HEADS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we the said Peter Newall and James Barker, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one
of our or their hands and seals, 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 we, the said Peter Newall and James Barker,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement (that is to say):
:-
This Invention relates to that description of machine for rolling leather,
in which there is a traversing roller working in bearings at the bottom of
a weighted box, having on each side wheels running on rails over table,
on which is placed the leather to be rolled. The to-and-fro trasing
motion is obtained by a rack gearing into a spur wheel in connection
with gearing, which, with the spur wheel, have alternate revolving
motion given to them by open and crossed straps shifted as required
from loose pulleys to a fast one by strap forks worked by a combination
of levers put in motion by a stud on the weighted box, or by a lever
worked by hand. The rails carrying the weighted box and roller are
supported at their ends on vertical rods resting on levers at the back and
front of the machine, and these levers are worked by a treadle, which,
when pressed down by the operative raises the rails, box, and roller
which fall by their own weight, when the pressure is removed from the
treadle the roller acting on the leather when pressing and traversing upon
it and being raised from it when lifted by the treadle.
These improvements will be clearly understood by referring to the
fiigures and letters on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which
Figs. 1 and 2 are side and end elevations, and Fig. 3 a plan of one of our
improved steam traversing leather rolling machines.
To the end frames a is fixed a strong metal block or balk of timber 6,
having at the top a layer of teak or other suitable material, the layer

page_text: .constituting the surface on which the leather to be rolled is placed, and
in guides c on the end frames there are four vertical rods d, having their
lower ends in contact with four short levers e fixed to shafts f, and their
upper ends acting as supports or carriers of the rails g, which carry the
weighted box h and roller i by means of the wheels k. To the shafts f
at the front of the machine, are fixed two long levers 7, having their ends
in contact with bowls m, jointed to the treadle n, and the ends of the rails
gare fitted in the top guides c, so that the rails can move up and down.
At one end of the box h there is a socket or guide o, in which is placed
the head of the rack p, gearing into the spur wheels q, fixed to the shaft
r, there being fixed to the shaft another spur wheel s, gearing into a
spur wheel t on the shaft u, carrying the loose pulleys v, w, and the fast
pulley, the latter being turned alternately in reverse directions by the
open and crossed straps y, z. The two strap fórks a¹ are connected
to a rod b, jointed to one arm of an elbow lever c¹, the other arm of
which is jointed to the rod d³, linked at e¹ to the levers f¹, on the tops of
which are springs g', and to the weighted box is fixed the pin or
stud h, and to the front rail is jointed the handle or lever k¹. When the
leather to be rolled is placed on the table and the machine set to work
'the open and crossed straps are alternately placed by the strap forks on
the fast pulley which acting on the gearing, spur wheel, and rack, gives
the weighted roller i a to-and-fro traversing motion on the surface of the
leather thereby rolling and smoothing it in a very efficient manner.
When the changes are effected by self-acting means the strap forks
are shifted by the action of the pin or stud on the levers f¹, the
springs g' keeping the levers steady in order to prevent the strap forks
from shaking or shifting until the termination of each traverse, which, in
this case, is generally the entire length of the surface to be rolled, but
when short strokes are required the strap forks are shifted by the
operative working the handle k¹ connected to the rod d¹.
When the leather has to be moved as required during the process of
rolling, and also when the rolling is completed and a fresh piece has to
be placed on the table the rails g, weighted box.h, and roller i are raised
by pressing down the treadle n, and fall by their own gravity the instant
the pressure is removed from the treadle, and thus the butts, bellies, and
other parts of any thickness can be rolled in any length and in any part
desired, and as the roller can be reversed at any part of the traverse it is
equally applicable for rolling long or short pieces.

page_text: When desired, instead of employing two straps for giving the
traversing motion, we use only one as in some descriptions of planing
machines, or we employ any other well-known traversing motion.
Having now described the nature and particulars of our said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, we desire it to be.
understood that in machines used for rolling leather we claim,-
First. The treadle levers and rods, for lifting the rails, weighted box,
and roller, to allow the leather to be moved to any position during the
process of rolling, and also the removal of the leather when completed
and the supply of a fresh piece.
And, secondly. The arrangement and combination of various mechanical
movements for forming our improved steam traversing leather rolling
machine for rolling butts, bends, bellies, and heads, as such im-
provements are herein described and illustrated on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Barker, for and on behalf
of myself and the said Peter Newall have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.