CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING FURS AND SKINS
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PIERRE
THIRION, of Hitt's Place, Clerkenwell, in the County of Middlesex, Fur Skin
Dresser, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of June, in the eighth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Pierre
Thirion, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that
I, the said Pierre Thirion, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Pierre Thirion, my executors, administrators, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Ber-
wick-upon-Tweed, an Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING FURS
AND SKINS," being partly a communication from a Foreigner residing abroad;
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
Pierre Thirion, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particu-
larly to describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in wha

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be enrolled
in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Pierre Thirion, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of Improvements in Dressing Furs and Skins consists in
the employment of certain apparatus for facilitating the operation to which
the furs and skins are subjected during the process of dressing. The ordinary
mode of proceeding is to take the skins in their stiff or air-dried state and
place them in suitable tubs, where they undergo a treading operation from
men's feet until they are sufficiently soft to bend easily. The skins, if large,
are sewn up, the fur being turned inwards, but if small skins, such as ermine,
are being dressed, they require no sewing, as they in the first instance are
turned fur inwards to dry. This sewing is preparatory to the greasing with
butter or lard, and is intended to keep the grease from the fur, and further
assists in softening the skins, which are again submitted to the treading
operation.
" 4.0
The next part of the process is to wet the skins and remove the flesh
therefrom. When "fleshed" they are hung up to dry... A similar operation
of treading with the workman's feet. is then repeated for. making the skins
soft, after which they are placed in tubs, containing sawdust and, trodden by
men's feet; they are next submitted to the operation, of treading in suitable
tubs, with plaster of Paris, whitening, or some other equivalent substance,
sprinkled, between the layers, of skins. After this operation. the skins..are
taken out and beaten with a stick to rid them of, the plaster, of Paris or other
substance; they are, then,combed, and the dressing is complete...
This is a general description of the various operations, under. which furs and
skins have to pass before the dressing is completed,, and, although the order and
the repetition of these operations are determined. according to.the.kind and
quality of the skins, yet it, will be sufficient to shew. in.. what stages..of the
process' the present improvements are to be used. In the first place, instead
of, softening the skins by the action of treading, I employ beating stocks of
various, sizes, according to the kind of skins to be dressed, and..of a similar
.

page_text: construction to the ordinary fulling mill. When somewhat softened the skins
are sewn up (the fur inwards) and greased; they are then again-submitted to
the beating stocks. until. sufficiently. soft and ready for the next operation.
In the accompanying. Drawings I have shewn the construction of beating
stocks, which I intend to employ for this-purpose..
.
"
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.
A is a strong vessel in which the goods are placed....B, B, are standards for
supporting the shaft: .C... which forms the fulcrum for the arms of the
beaters, D, D, E, E, are arms keyed upon a shaft F, which is mounted 'in
standards G, G.. Upon rotary motion being communicated to the shaft F,
the arms E will come in contact with the outer end of the arms of the beaters,
raise them up,.and.let them fall upon the goods in the vessel A. By this
means, the skins will be forced, upwards, and coming in contact with a board
or cover H, be turned over..and over in the vessel, and softened in a compara-.
tively short, time.. .I then flesh", the skins in the ordinary manner and
return them to the beating stocks,, and sprinkle upon. the fur mahogany or
any other suitable...wood dust, according to the quality of the skins under
operation. Having submitted the skins to the action of the beaters for the
requisite time, I take them. out of that apparatus and place them in a heated
barrel, provided in its interior, with radial pins for turning the goods over and
over, in order that they may be acted upon by various dry substances, which
are thrown into the barrel to absorb the fat from the skius. This apparatus,
which is also intended.to. supersede. the: arduous operation of the workman's
feet, is shewn in sectional elevation at Fig. 3. It consists of a framing A, A,
which supports a hollow shaft B, forming the axle. of the barrel C. This
barrel, as before mentioned, is provided with pins a, a, and a door b; through
which entrance is obtained to the barrel. Through the hollow shaft B, steam
is passed by the steam pipe D, provided with a stopcock, and leading to the
hollow shaft from an adjacent steam boiler. When the skins or furs are
placed in the barrel C, sand, flour, sawdust, or some other dry suitable mate-
terial, is thrown therein... Rotary motion is, then to be communicated: from
any prime mover to the apparatus by a band. and pullies; as shewn in the
Drawing, and the steam let on to the hollow shaft.... By this means the skins
will be heated, and the fat contained therein being in a measure dissolved,
the sand; flour; or other exsiccate substance, will readily 'absorb it. I find it
advisable to take the skins or furs frequently out of the barrel and comb them,
in order to examine each, and see the progress of the operation. Such as
have been sufficiently acted upon I put aside, return the others to the barrel,

page_text: and continue the operation until they have arrived at the same state as those
already laid aside.
The last part of this Invention refers to the clearing the furs and skins
of the wood, dust, sand, plaster of Paris, or other substance which may have
been employed in the process of dressing. This is effected by the apparatus
shewn at Figures 4 and 5, and is intended to supersede the mode of beating
by hand, as at present practised..
Fig. 4 shews the apparatus in front elevation, and Fig. 5 is a cross section
of the same, taken in the line 1, 2, Fig. 4. It consists of a cylindrical
grating composed of metal rings a, a, which are attached together by hori-
zontal rods b, b, passing through them, and bolted at each end to a disc c,
which forms the ends of the grating. d, d, are studs attached to the discs 'c,
and forming the axle of the cylindrical grating, which is mounted on stan-
dards e, e, and is made to rotate. by means of a band and pullies actuated by
any first mover. is a door through which the goods to be freed of dust
and dirt are placed in the grating. 9, 9, are horizontal bars provided with
pins h, h, projecting inwards, and by means of these pins the goods, during the
rapid revolution of the cylindrical grating, are turned over and thrown against
the bars of the grating, and effectually cleared of the materials which have
been employed in the previous operation. The goods, when taken out of
the grating, are then to be combed by hand, after which the dressing is
completed.
Having now described the Invention of Improvements in Dressing Furs
and Skins, I wish it to be understood that I claim, under the above in part
recited Letters Patent,-
Firstly, the application to the dressing of furs and skins of beating or fulling
stocks, as above described.
.
Secondly, the application of a rotary barrel or cylinder, furnished with
suitable projections inwards, and provided with a heated pipe, as above
described; and,
Lastly, I claim the application of a rotary cylindrical grating for clearing the
furs and skins of the materials which may be employed in the operations of
which such furs or skins are subjected.
In witness whereof, I, the said Pierre Thirion, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
P. (L.S.) THIRION.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Third day of December,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Pierre Thirion came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the same Third day of December, in the year above written.