Year: 1888

page_text: I EDWARD VAVASOUR BROWN of Exeter, in the County of Devon, Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates more particularly to the rolling and printing of leather, but
by adapting to the apparatus the requisite tool, it may be applicable to fleshing
scouring, setting, unhairing brushing, striking or otherwise operating upon or working
leather, hides, or skins.
Hitherto, in most cases, the rolling action has been obtained by fixed rollers, or by
a roller moving in one path only, and it has been necessary, therefore, to continually
shift the leather, in order to obtain a new path upon the leather for the roller. A
weighted roller has also been used to roll the leather on a table by hand, but this
machine is of a cumbrous and unwieldly nature, and is worked with considerable
difficulty. The best results are, however, obtained by this mode of rolling.
Now the chief object of the present invention is to produce a leather rolling
machine in which the roller will be so arranged as to be moved by power freely
over the whole surface of the leather, whereby the moving of the leather will be
rendered unnecessary.
In carrying out this invention, the roller is caused to rotate by means of gearing
contained in a box or frame carried by the roller. This gearing, which may be of
any suitable type, is driven by means of a flexible or longitudinally expansible shaft
The connection between
from overhead shafting, or in any other convenient manner.
the roller and overhead shafting and the expansible shaft, may be by universal joints,
or flexible couplings.
The gearing may consist of a bevelled reversing clutch arrangement driving a chain
wheel which is geared to a similar wheel on the axle of the roller by a chain; or in
place of the chain arrangement, gear wheels or other suitable means may be used.
The reversing of the gear may be effected by means of a reversing lever on the
end of a shaft or rod, which serves the purpose of a handle, by which the roller may
be guided in any direction by hand. By turning this rod to the right or left, the
gear will be reversed, and the direction of travel of the roller will be changed. This
handle may be made longitudinally expansible if desired.

page_text: It will be evident that the reversing gearing may be applied to the overhead
shafting instead of in the roller frame, or the gearing may be placed in a separate
carriage, to which the roller will be connected in any convenient manner.
By changing the plain roller for an embossed roller, I am enabled to print a pattern
on the leather, and by the addition of the requisite tools, I may effect, with the
improved machine, any of the operations before mentioned upon leather, hides,
or skins.
The driving of the roller may also be effected by rope, chain, or belt, with means
for taking up the slack as the roller travels, or other mechanical means may bo
employed.
. I may find it also convenient, in some cases, to actuate the roller by means of a
motor contained in or about the roller carriage, and driven direct by steam, water,
compressed air, or electricity, conveyed by a suitable tube or a wire, the essential
feature of the invention being a power driven roller or tool which can be moved
freely over the entire surface of the leather, hide, or skin, for the purpose of working
the same, without the necessity for shifting the leather to provide a fresh path for
the tool.
טז
1
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page_text: I EDWARD VAVASOUR BROWN of Exeter in the County of Devon, 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 :-
This invention relates more particularly to the rolling aud printing of leather, but
by adapting to the apparatus the requisite tool, it may be applicable to fleshing,
scouring, setting, unhairing, brushing, striking, or otherwise operating upon or
working leather, hides, or skins.
Hitherto, in rolling machines, the rolling action has been obtained by fixed rollers,
or by a roller moving in one path only, and it has been necessary, therefore, to
continually shift the leather, in order to obtain a new path upon the leather for the
roller. A weighted roller has however been used to roll the leather on a table by
hand, but this machine is of a cumbrous and unwieldly nature, and is worked with
considerable difficulty. The best results are however obtained by this mode of
rolling.
Now the chief object of the present invention is to produce a leather rolling
machine in which the roller will be so arranged as to the capable of being moved
by power freely over the whole surface of the leather (the guiding being effected by
hand), whereby the moving of the leather will be rendered unnecessary.
In carrying out this invention, the roller is caused to rotate by means of gearing
contained in a box or frame carried by the roller. This gearing, which may be of
any suitable type, is driven by means of a flexible or expansible shaft from overhead
shafting, or in any other convenient manner. The connection between the roller and
overhead shafting and the expansible shaft, may be by universal joints or flexible
couplings.
The gearing may consist of a bevelled reversing clutch arrangement driving a
chain wheel, which is geared to a similar wheel on the axle of the roller by a chain;
or in place of the chain arrangement, gear wheels or other suitable means may
be used.
The reversing of the gear may be effected by means of a reversing lever or fork
on the end of a shaft or rod, which serves the purpose of a handle, by which the
roller may be guided in any direction by hand. By turning this rod to the right or
left, the
gear will be reversed, and the direction of travel of the roller will be
changed.
It will be evident that the reversing gearing may be applied to the overhead
shafting, instead of in the roller frame.
In the accompanying drawings:
I have shown, by way of example, one forin of power-driven rolling apparatus,
Fig. 1 being a general view of the complete apparatus, Fig. 2 a transverse section of
the roller and frame, and Fig. 3 a section taken on the line 1-2, Fig. 2.

page_text: A is a roller for rolling the leather, and which carries a box or frame B containing
the gearing. C is the guiding handle, which may be expansible. D is the driving
shaft, which is divided into three portions connected by universal joints, as herein-
after described, and receives its motion from an over-head shaft E, through gear
wheels E E².
The part D of the driving shaft D is arranged to slide vertically in the wheel E2,
and the part D2 enters the box or frame B, and actuates the gearing, the universal
joints being indicated at D³.
At the end of the part D2 is mounted a bevelled wheel F, which gears with a pair
of bevelled wheels F¹ F, mounted loosely on a shaft F³, carried in hearings in
brackets B¹ pendent from the top of the box. Keyed on the shaft F³, between the
wheels FF2, is a friction clutch G, which is capable of sliding on the shaft, and can
be thrown into gear with either wheel F1 F2, as desired, by means of the fork G¹
mounted on the handle C, which projects through the box for the purpose.
H is a pinion on the end of the shaft F³, gearing with a spur wheel I mounted on
a shaft I, which also has its bearings in the brackets B¹. Jis a chain which works
round chain wheels on the shaft L, and on the axle of the roller A. This motion
being communicated to the wheel F by throwing the clutch G into gear (by turning
the handle C), the roller A can be driven in one direction or the other, as required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would here remark that I do not
intend to confine myself to the details of the driving mechanism above described,
which it will be obvious can be more or less modified without departing from the
nature of my invention, but I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A power driven roller or tool which can be moved freely over the entire surface
of the leather, hide, or skin, for the purpose of working the same, without the
necessity for shifting the position of the material to be worked, in order to provide
a fresh path for the tool, as described.
2. In apparatus for working leather, hides, and skins, the combination of a roller
or tool with a box or frame carrying suitable driving gear, to which motion is
communicated from an overhead shaft by an expansible shaft, or other means, as
described.
3. The apparatus for working leather, hides, or skins herein shown, and
described.
S