Improved Process and Apparatus for Tanning by Aid of Electricity.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1887
Complete Left, 4th Feb., 1888
Complete: Accepted, 9th Mar., 1888
Improved Process and Apparatus for Tanning by Aid of Electricity.
We EUGENE WORMS and JEAN BALE both of 2 Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière,
Paris in the Republic of France, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :-
Electricity has already been used in the ordinary method of tanning skins in pits
and has been found to increase the rapidity of the tanning process. Also tanning has
been effected in rotating drums, containing the hides and tanning liquors.
Our invention relates to the application of electricity in tanning by rotating drums,
and for this purpose we subject the skins to the action of an electric current passed
through the tanning liquor in a rotating drum.
We use the ordinary construction of rotating drum, adapting thereto the necessary
contacts and, conductors to cause passage of an electric current through the liquor.
For this purpose we fix upon the circumference of the rotating drum two metallic
rings which are electrically connected with circular conductors placed in the interior
of the drum. By means of two spring rubbers connected to the two poles of a battery
or other generator of electricity and hearing against the external rings of the drum,
we cause an electrical current to pass through the contents of the drum during its
rotation.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Process and Apparatus for Tanning by Aid of Electricity.
We, EUGÈNE WORMS and JEAN BALE both of 2 Rue du Faubourg Poissonnièrè
Paris in the Republic of France, 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 :-
Electricity has already been used in the ordinary method of tanning skins in pits
and has been found to increase the rapidity of the tanning process.
Also tanning
has been effected in rotating drums containing the hides and tanning liquors.
Our invention relates to the application of electricity in tanning by rotating drums,
and for this purpose we subject the skins to the action of an electric current passed
through the tanning liquor in a rotating drum.
We use the ordinary construction of rotating drum, adapting thereto the necessary
contacts and conductors to cause passage of an electric current through the liquor.
For this purpose we fix upon the circumference of the rotating drum two metallic
rings which are electrically connected with circular conductors placed in the interior
of the drum. By means of two spring rubbers connected to the two poles of a battery
or other generator of electricity and bearing against the external rings of the drum,
we cause an electrical current to pass through the contents of the drum during its
rotation.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is an end view and Fig. 2 is a front view of
a tanning drum and its mountings arranged to operate according to our invention.
A is the rotating drum which is made in the usual way of wood with inwardly
projecting pegs, and with manholes a for giving access to the interior and with stop
cocks or valves for drawing off the liquid contents. It is mounted on standards
having bearings for its tubular trunnions c. Above the druin is fixed on framing
the tank B which as usual is divided into two compartments containing the tanning
liquors. From these compartments pipes D provided with regulating cocks d lead to
the tubular trunnions e through which the liquors are admitted to the interior of the
drum.
So far the apparatus is of ordinary known construction and arrangement we will
now'describe additions and modifications according to our invention.
F is a voltaic battery for which a dynamo electric machine or other source of
electricity may be substituted. The conductors m from the terminals of the electric
generator F, which may be situated in any convenient position, are led first to an
overhead beain M, so that the connections may be out of the way, and thence descend
to the summits of two posts I where they are connected to metallic springs J. The
springs bear against two metallic rings K which are fixed on the exterior of the
drum A and which are respectively connected by wires passing through the wooden
wall of the drum to metallic rings L fixed inside the drum.
In operating with this apparatus we find the following proportions of materials
employed practically useful. Assuming that the drum has a capacity of about

page_text: 1200 litres, it may be charged with about 50 kilogrammes of hides, and then, the
manholes being tightly closed, it may receive the tanning liquor consisting of about
2.5 kilogrammes of tannic extract at a strength of 20° Beaumé and 270 to 280 litres
of filtered water. The drum thus charged is caused to revolve at the rate of 9 or 10
revolutions per minute while the electric current, which may be such as is produced
from a battery of 12 cells is made to pass through its contents from the one ring L to
the other, and at the same time from one of the compartments of the tank B about
2 litres of essence of turpentine are admitted to the interior of the drum. After the
drum has revolved for about 12 hours for ordinary hides or for about 6 hours for
very light skins the electric current is cut off and a second dose of tannic extract is
admitted to the drum while it continues to revolve. Thereafter the revolution of the
drum is continued for about 80 hours for ox hides, about 72 hours for lighter hides
such as those of horses or young cows or oxen, about 48 hours for light skins such as
those of calves. The tanning is then complete, the hides or skins thus treated being
applicable to all the uses to which hides or skins tanned in the usual way can be
applied. When the tanning is effected as above described the druin
stopped, and
the liquor is run off into a closed receptacle. An hour after running off the liquor
two of the manholes opposite to each other are opened, and about two hours there-
after evaporation having taken place, the hides are withdrawn and hung up for airing
during several hours, after which they are handed to the currier.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The herein described process for effecting rapid tanning of hides by subjecting
them to the action of tanning liquor in a rotating drum while an electric current is
passed through the contents of the drum.
2. For conducting the process above referred to, the construction of the drum with
internal metallic rings connected electrically to external metallic rings against which
hear springs connected by conductors to the terminals of a suitable electric generator,
substantially as herein described.
Dated this 4th day of Waka 1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.