IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER OR DRESSED SKINS, AND OF MATERIALS TO BE USED IN LIEU THEREOF, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JULIAN
BERNARD, late of Green Street, Grosvenor Square, but now of Guilford
Street, Russell Square, both in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of
November, in the fifteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Julian Bernard, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Julian
Bernard, my exors, adññors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said
Julian Bernard, my exors, adñiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all Her
Majesty's Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and in all
Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER OR DRESSED SKINS, AND OF MATERIALS
TO BE USED IN LIEU THEREOF, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS TO BE

page_text: EMPLOYED IN SUCH MANUFACTURE ;" in which said Letters Patent is contained
a proviso requiring that I, the said Julian Bernard, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, shall particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and shall cause the same to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Julian Bernard, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by this present Instrument in writing as follows, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto attached, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates,-
First, to a system or mode of graining or ornamenting leather or dressed
skins by pressure.
Second, to certain novel arrangements of mechanism, apparatus, or means
to be used for shaving or splitting leather or dressed skins, wherein manual
labor is dispensed with to a greater extent than heretofore, whilst the operation
is performed in a superior manner, and with greater economy, than by the
existing plans in use.
Third, to the manufacture or production of a novel fabric which I term
compound union leather, to be used as a substitute for ordinary leather.
Fourth, to the manufacture or production of a compound fabric of great
strength by joining together two separate woven fabrics.
Fifth, to an improved mode or modes of diceing or ornamenting the surface
of leather or dressed skins.
•
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings here-
unto attached.
Я
4
Fig. 1 on Sheet I. of my Drawings represents a front elevation of the
pressing apparatus which I use for. graining or ornamenting leather or dressed
skins, under the first head of my Invention, and Fig. 2 is a corresponding side
view at right angles to Fig. 1. The press is in this example of the ordinary
hydrostatic kind, the travelling table of the ram being fitted with a flat-s
surfaced steam chest A, to aid in producing the grained figure. The object of
this portion of my Invention being to obtain an accurate copy of a well
grained piece of morocco, or other embossed figure or ornamental leather, a
good original skin is used as the matrix of the required figure, and an electro-

page_text: type plate is made from it in the usual way of metallic deposition. This
plate, presenting an exact counterpart surface of the original figure, is laid
upon the heated chamber A on the pressing table, with the grained or figured
surface upwards, and upon this surface is laid the skin to be operated upon,
the skin being surmounted by a sheet of vulcanized india-rubber, or other
similar elastic medium. Then the table being forced upwards by pumping,
the triple layer of materials receives the required pressure against the fixed top
plate of the press, and the electrotype plate or die then impresses its figure on
the leather surface, the india-rubber over which allows for any irregularities in
the thickness of the leather, and assists in forcing the latter into the minute
interstices or lines of the die. Instead of electrotyping an original skin
or figured surface, the required die may be produced by engraving the
intended figure upon a metal plate; but with a good morocco or other skin as
an original, the system of electrotyping affords a simple means of obtaining a
perfect fac-simile of a good figure. The necessary heat for obtaining a good
impression may be applied by charcoal boxes, or other means, but I have
represented in my Drawings a steam chamber as used for this purpose, steam
being admitted to the chamber by the flexible tube B, whilst the water of
condensation flows off by the escape pipe C. Instead of producing the
pattern by direct pressure from flat surfaces, the necessary impression may be
given by forming the figured matrix into a roller, caoutchouc or other elastic
material being used for the purpose described in the hydrostatic press
arrangement.
Fig. 1 on Sheet 2 of my Drawings represents a longitudinal side elevation
of my shaving or splitting machine complete, and forming the second head
of my Invention. Fig. 2 is a corresponding end elevation at right angles to
Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a plan of the machine. The framing is composed of
the two longitudinal standards A, A, and two transverse or end standards B, B,
bolted together at the 'angle junctions by inside lugs. The upper edges of the
longitudinal frames A are formed with V grooves to correspond to V slide pro-
jections C set parallel to each other on the two opposite bottom edges of a metal
box D, which is thus enabled to traverse at pleasure in an accurate horizontal
plane from one end of the frame to the other. The bore is cast or formed with
a solid bottom, on the inside upper surface of which are a series of ribs or
narrow projections, on which a slab or table of porous stone or other per-
meable composition or material E is laid, so as to leave an air space beneath.
The porous slab fits to the inner sides of the box, and the junctions
therewith are made air-tight by slightly recessing the upper edges of
both the box and slab, this recess being filled up by a strip of any

page_text: suitable elastic material to cover the junctions. At one end of the box D,
and beneath the level of the bottom of the permeable surface or table E,
is an opening F in communication with a distended flexible pipe or air duct G;
one end of which is 'fastened to an expanding flattened mouth piece or
connector H surrounding the opening F, the other end of the flexible duct
being led away to a double acting air pump or other exhausting apparatus.
By this means the air space in the box D is capable of being exhausted
through the duct G even whilst the box is traversing along its slides, and the
surface E being slightly permeable it follows that whatever is laid upon it
during the exhausting action is pressed down uniformly in every part by the
weight of the external atmosphere, and it is this pressure which affords the
means of firmly holding down the leather during the shaving 'action. The
cutting action of the knife and the traversing action of the porous table are
obtained from the main horizontal driving shaft I carried in bearings J, J;
in the side standards beneath the level of the box, and having at one end
fast and loose driving pulleys K, for a belt from the prime mover, and at the
other a slotted crank disc L for the traversing action during the cutting
operation. The outside fast pulley K lias attached to its face a short stud M
for giving motion to the connecting rod N for the knife action, the stud having
jointed upon it a short block piece O fitted within the forked end of the rod N
and connected by a second joint stud P with the double eye of the rod, so as
to form a second joint at right angles to the stud M. This connection admits
of the free traverse vibration or duplex motion of the rod N as the stud P
revolves, the contrary end of the rod N being jointed by a similar duplex
connection at Q with a bell crank turning on a fixed stud centre at R. This
bell crank is formed of the two short levers S respectively attached to the
top and bottom of the short vertical shaft T working in a bracket bearing
on the side frame. The upper lever S is jointed at U to an angular bracket
V of the knife holder W, the upper side of the bracket for the bell crank
being extended to form a segmental face piece X for the projecting face of
the lever eye to bear upon during its traverse. The socket piece Y by which
the connection is formed between the lever and the bracket V contains an
adjusting screw with an upper cross piece Z for turning it by hand to raise
or lower the knife, and it has also a side piece a by which it is jointed by a
stud 6 to the bracket V, a steady pin c being passed through the two pieces
to hold them in position when cutting. The other end of the bracket V is
bolted at d to one end of the knife holder e, the opposite end being similarly
bolted at f to a corresponding bracket' g connected to the free end of a lever h
precisely similar to the lever S, and turning on the fixed centre i in a bracket

page_text: on the side frame. The knife holder is formed of a piece of angle iron j
underneath the horizontal flange of which is placed a flat plate k, the thin
steel knife being set between the two surfaces and bolted up by vertical
bolts. The skin to be split is laid flat out upon the stone, surface, and the
knife is then adjusted at the proper level to take off the required thick-
ness. The exhausting apparatus is then set in motion to form a partial
vacuum beneath the porous table so as to hold the skin in an accurate plane
with great firmness. The revolution of the shaft I then causes the knife
to oscillate or traverse rapidly back and forward across the machine by a
parallel movement, the cutting edge shaving off the upper side of the leather
in one unbroken sheet, leaving the shaved skin of perfectly uniform thickness
beneath. As the horizontal traversing cut is being made, the skin is kept up
to the cutting edge by the traverse of the table E, caused by the revolution of
the stud m, adjustable in the slotted face of the disc L on the driving shaft.
The connecting rod n from this stud passes to a pin in the end of the arm o of
a bell crank turning on a centre at p, the upper horizontal arm 2 having
attached to it a detent r, working into the teeth of the spur wheels, fast on a
horizontal shaft carrying a toothed pinion, working into a rack on the under
side of the box D. In this way at each traverse of the knife for a cut, the
leather is carried up towards it a certain determined distance, until the whole
skin has been split or shaved. When this is accomplished the action is
stopped, by throwing the driving belt on to the loose pulley K of the driving
shaft, at the same time disengaging the catch r from its wheels, and setting
the reversing shaft t in motion to carry back the table. The belt' actuating
this shaft is thrown off the loose pulley upon the fast one u, thus causing the
pinion e, which is fast upon the shaft, to revolve and drive the spur wheel s in
the reverse direction, and carry back the table in readiness for receiving a
fresh skin. It is obvious that various arrangements may be adopted for
working the table in each direction, such, for example, as the modifications of
the self-acting motions used for traversing the tables of planing machines.
Considerable economy arises from the use of this machine, in place of the
ordinary manual or other process, as well in time as in the fact that the back
or flesh side of the leather is shaved off from the face whole and entire, so that
what has hitherto been treated as refuse may now be applied to various useful
purposes. The cut of the knife is also much improved, the several surfaces
being quite smooth and even, so as to obviate the necessity of any subsequent
hand-shaving at present required to remove the ridges left by the common
splitting machine. Although I have herein-before referred to a flat traversing

page_text: knife as the shaving instrument used, I may remark that a revolving spiral
knife may be adopted in its place, the main object of my Invention being the
secure holding down of the leather. In cases where a great number of skins,
pretty nearly equal in size, are to be operated upon in this machine, the
practical difficulty arising from the irregular areas of the skins laying bare
portions of the permeable surface, and thus injuring the vacuum, may be
obviated by providing pieces of an impermeable fabric cut out nearly to the
contours so bared, which may thus be covered up; and in shaving the uppers
of boots, where there is little variation in the size of the pieces, the same
system may be adopted, the entire table being covered over with an air-proof
material, leaving only a hole in such material to admit the upper; and
although I have described porous or permeable stone as the material for the
shaving table, it will be obvious to the practical man that various materials
may be used for this purpose, as, for example, fine wire gauze or perforated
plates. Instead of using a porous table on which to hold down the skin
⚫to be split or shaved, the porous or permeable material may be formd.
into a cylinder over which the leather may be passed during the cutting:
action. To prevent any difficulty in the action of the knife upon the
irregular edges of the leather in any of my arrangements for shaving or
splitting, the table or other supporting surface over which the cut is made may
be arranged so as to be capable of turning round, or the knife may be
reversed so as to cut from the centre towards the edges. If the layer of skin
should interfere with the knife action as it is shaved off, the severed end must
be attached to an overhead cord passed over a pulley, and having a weight
hung to it. By this means the severed layer will be carried up out of the way of
the knife. In order to provide for the periodical grinding and sharpening of the
splitting knife, I fit an apparatus for this purpose to one end of the traversing
box of the table. Two brackets w, w, are bolted to the opposite corners of
the box, and to the outer ends of these brackets are attached two bearing
brackets a, a, being held up at any required angle by the stiff friction resulting
from the tight screwing up of the bolts y. The brackets a bear each a
journal to carry the horizontal grinding shaft z, fitted with fast and loose band
pulleys 1, as well as with a grindstone and buff wheel or pulley 2, 3, which
are fitted on the shaft with a fixed feather, so that whilst they revolve with the
shaft they may traverse at the same time longitudinally. When the knife is
to be ground and sharpened the grinding shaft is traversed up to the knife, and
the bolts b, which attach the holder of the latter being slackened, the steadying
pins are removed, and the holder may then turn upon the bolts b, as a centre,

page_text: to bring up the knife to the required angle with the revolving stone and wheel
2, 3, which are made to revolve for the grinding and sharpening action. As
the grindstone wears it may be set up at any angle required to bring its
periphery into contact with the knife by setting up the brackets * upon the
bolts y. It will be obvious to the practical man that my.improved arrange-
ment for turning the knife over the grindstone, as well as the grinding and
sharpening apparatus, may be adapted to ordinary splitting machines. In
adding my improvements to splitting machines of the ordinary kind, I
increase the accuracy of the cut by covering one of the rollers with india
rubber, so that the elastic surface may allow for any inequalities in the
thickness of the skins to be operated upon, and hold the skin firmly towards
the knife a.
The third head of my Invention relates to a material to be used as a
substitute for leather. This material, which I term compound union leather,
is applicable for a great variety of the purposes to which ordinary leather is at
present applied, and is composed of two or more folds of materials joined or
united by any suitable cement, such as caoutchouc, gutta percha, or a
compound of both. The materials used for this purpose are woven or felted
fabrics, and layers of dressed skins, such layers of skins being produced in
suitable sheets by means of my improved splitting machine or otherwise. In
joining a woven fabric and a split skin the two surfaces are coated with
eement, and united by pressing them together between two rollers or other
pressing apparatus, one or other surface of the compound fabric being after-
wards varnished or otherwise treated, or left plain, or one of the surfaces may
be varnished prior to the junction being effected. If the material is to be
used for shoes, where it may be advisable to use as small a quantity as possible
of the japanning or enamelling substance or varnish, the leather side may be
so enamelled as from its superior smoothness it requires less of the composition
than the other side, whilst the cloth will afford the required increase of
strength. Again, when the compound fabric is to be used for carriage
furniture or purposes of a similar character, the cloth side may be varnished,
whilst the leather slide may be dyed or printed, thus affording the great
advantage of presenting a varnished leather surface on one side, and
an ornamental device on the other. In cases where a very thick and
stout fabric is required, a strong fabric may be inserted between two folds
or layers of skin, thus obtaining a strong fabric with the expenditure of
only two thin layers of leather, the whole at the same time presenting
the external appearance of leather. The superior splitting or shaving action
of my machine affords great facilities for obtaining very thin sheets or

page_text: layers of leather with smooth surfaces and of uniform thicknesses, so as
to enable the manufacturer to produce my compound union leather more
economically and to. better. effect than can be accomplished by any other
existing.mode.
Fourthly, I produce a strong fabric of equal strength longitudinally and
transversely by cementing or otherwise attaching together two distinct fabrics
in such manner that their warps shall cross each other at or near a right angle,
or a similar effect may. be produced by joining together two fabrics with their
warps parallel or nearly so to each other, but such fabrics being. specially
prepared for the purpose by making one with a stout warp and weaker weft,
and the other with a stout weft and weaker warp.
The fifth head of my Invention relates to the application of various mecha-
nical contrivances for the purpose of diceing leather, that is for the production
of a species of diamond-lined ornamental surface. I accomplish this operation
by placing the skin upon a flat table, made to traverse beneath a series of
markers made of any suitable hard material, as bone or ivory. Fig. 4 on
Sheet 2 of my Drawings represents a transverse vertical section of one form
of apparatus wbich I rise for this purpose, and Fig. 5 is a corresponding plan
of the same parts. The table A, B, carries the skin spread out flat, and over
this is a stationary beam C, arranged so as to be capable of turning upon end
spindles D. This beam carries the row of their markers E, passed upon a
spindle F, a hole being bored through one end of each marker for this purpose,
so that the spindle acts as a centre for the entire row. The markers are
inclined with thin loose ends downwards resting upon the skin, a transverse
bar G being passed across them, so that by turning the shaft II more or less
round, the eccentric I on this shaft may be made to bear more or less hard
upon the bar G, and force the ends of the markers with greater or less
intensity down upon the leather. The detail, Fig. 5, shews the apparatus as
partly commenced upon a skin, the table having been traversed beneath the
markers, so as to cause the latter to produce a series of straight. lines J.
Then when the leather has passed beneath the markers, the counterweight K
elevates them from the leather surface on the release of the bar G from the
pressure of the eccentric I; then, to give the cross or angular lines for the
completion of the diced surface, the lined skin is moved in its position on the
table to the position required for the particular angle intended, and a second
traverse beneath the markers then finishes the skin. To cause the markers to
give an uniform pressure to all parts of the skin, the under side of the bar
which presses on the markers has upon it a strip of some elastic material L,
and the markers thus adjust themselves to all irregularities of the leather

page_text: surface. By another arrangement leather may be thus marked by a roller or
cylinder action. Fig. 6 on Sheet 2 of my Drawing is an elevation of a portion
of a marking cylinder for this purpose; and Fig. 7 is a corresponding end
elevation or section of this cylinder, with its counter pressure roller. The
shaft A has upon it an elastic tube or cylinder B running from end to end, and
upon this as an elastic centre are strung a series of circular disc markers of
metal or other material C, washers being alternated with them to adjust the
width of the lines to be marked on the leather. At D is a counter-pressure
roller, between which and the diceing cylinder tho leather is passed. When
the leather has been passed through the cylinders in one direction it is after-
wards repassed through them at such an angle with the first series of lines as
will give the required diamond lines peculiar to Russia or imitation Russia
leather. By introducing washers of various thicknesses between the disc
markers, the pattern may be varied as required in conjunction with the variation
of the line of traverse of the second set of impressions.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to-the
precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or refer
to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the prin-
ciples or main features of my Invention; but what I consider to be novel, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent, is,-
.
First, the system or mode of graining or ornamenting leather or dressed
skin by the use of an original Morocco or other skin as the matrix for the
production of the pressing die, in combination with an elastic pressing medium,
as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of the electrotype process for the production
of a grained or figured pressing die for ornamenting leather or dressed skins,
to be used in combination with an elastic pressing medium, as herein-before
described.
Third, the application and use of caoutchouc or india rubber in graining
or ornamenting leather or dressed skins, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of graining or ornamenting leather or dressed
skins by pressure, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the system or mode of splitting or shaving leather or skins, as herein-
before described.
Sixth, the application and use of atmospheric pressure for holding down the
material to be cut.

page_text: Seventh, the employment and use of a porous or permeable table or shaving
surface in shaving or splitting machines.
Eighth, the system or mode of working or actuating the shaving or splitting
knife by a parallel movement, as herein-before described.
Ninth, the system or mode of grinding or sharpening the knives of splitting
or shaving machines, as herein-before described.
Tenth, the application and use in ordinary roller splitting machines of a
roller surface of india rubber, for the purposes herein-before described..
Eleventh, the employment and use of what I have termed my compound
union leather, as herein-before described.
Twelfth, the system or mode of producing a compound fabric as a substitute
for ordinary leather by the junction of a woven or felted fabric with one or
more layers of skin.
Thirteenth, the employment and use of a compound or union fabric com-
posed of leather or dressed skin, and woven or felted fabrics..
Fourteenth, the system or mode of adding strength to inferior, thin, or split
skins, by joining them to a woven or felted fabric.
Fifteenth, the system or mode of producing a compound fabric of superior
strength by the junction of distinct woven fabrics with their respective
warps crossing each other, or by the junction of distinct fabrics originally
manufactured, according to the plan herein-before described.
Sixteenth, the systems or modes, herein-before described, of diceing or
ornamenting leather or dressed skins.
Seventeenth, the system or mode of producing an elastic diceing or marking
pressure, as herein-before described.
Eighteenth, the application and use of circular disc markers for diceing, as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Julian Bernard, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.
Signed, sealed, and delivered, by the
within-named Julian Bernard, in the*
presence of,
J. HENRY JOHNSON.
JULIAN (L.B.) BERNARD.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of May,
in the year of our Lord.1852, the aforesaid Julian Bernard came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-two.