Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Working or Treating Skins, Hides, or Leather.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 7th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 16th Oct.,
1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Working or Treating
Skins, Hides, or Leather.
I WILLIAM TURNER of 16 Jenny Lind Avenue, Somerville, County of Middlesex,
in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Inventor da hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention in leather treating apparatus refers especially to machines for
slating, fleshing, putting out and the like, and I have hereinafter described my
apparatus as constructed for putting out, i.e., working out from the hide or skin
any liquid or tan which may have been previously used in the treatment of such
hide or skin.
In my apparatus now to be described I employ a work-support, a working
surface to act upon the stock and comprising a plurality of connected working
members having one or more working projections, the acting edges of which, when
in operative direction, lie in the same substantially flat plane, the work support
and working surface having imparted to them a relative movement in such
direction that substances in or on the stock carried by the work-support may be
worked thereon laterally with relation to the direction of said relative movement.
My invention comprehends, for use with a working surface, a shifting work-
supporting apron over which the skin is laid, and an endless carrier for the apron,
the shifting of the latter presenting different portions of the skins to the working
surface.
Frames of suitable shape and construction sustain the several working parts.
The frames have at opposite sides suitable recesses the edges of which consti-
tute top and bottom guides for the laterally sliding rectangular frame-like heads,
the entrances to the recesses being normally closed by suitable bars secured by
suitable bolts.
The heads at their inner sides have suitable flanges which hold the said heads
in proper alignment.
In the heads are journaled respectively the swivel carriers, pivoted top and
bottom in the said heads and adapted therefore to rotate about a vertical axis, the
said swivel carriers having suitable bearings for the shafts extending from one to
the other frame and provided with sprocket wheels.
The sprocket wheels are arranged in pairs, the wheels of each pain standing one
vertically above the other and about the wheels of each pair, are passed the
sprocket chains, corresponding links of the two chains of the respective pair of
shafts, being connected by and serving as supports for the bar-like working
members.
Each of these working members may have angularly arranged ribs or projec-
tions, hereinafter denominated working devices diverging in opposite directions,
the said ribs or projections being so arranged that when a plurality of the working
members stand one next the other, as when passing from one to the other of the
sprocket wheels which carry the same, the angular lips or projections on one

page_text: member will form substantial continuations of the ribs or projections on the
members at either side thereof.
Preferably the angular working devices are made independent of their respec-
tive working members, and made readily detachable therefrom in order that work-
ing devices of different shape or construction may be used if desired.
There are endless series of working members which at the middle of the machine,
where the two series face each other, present opposite substantially flat working
surfaces over which are distributed the angularly arranged working devices or
ribs, and it is between these two substantially flat working surfaces that the hide
or skin to be treated is passed.
In the frames near the tops and bottoms thereof, are journaled shafts each of
which is provided near its opposite ends with suitable sprocket wheels having
chains which at one side of the sprocket wheels, pass between or in a plane which
lies between the two working surfaces.
These chains carry the work support or supports.
Each work support holder consists of a plate or board provided at its ends with
end pieces supported by rods constituting two of the pivots of the chains, said rods
extending across the machine from one to the other of said chains.
The end pieces are pivotally mounted upon one of the rods, and are slotted at
their opposite ends, for the reception of the other rod, so that as the chains are
revolved in unison this board or member will be carried round and round and each
time caused to rise between the working surfaces.
About this board or member I prefer to lay a flexible apron of suitable material,
in the present instance of my invention constituting one form of work support,
the same being folded or lapped over the pivot rod and having its opposite edges
joined by cords or connections which latter, intermediate the edges of the apron,
are passed about a suitable shaft suitably mounted.
The
Rotation of this shaft causes the apron to be shifted upon the board.
The several shafts and their wheels may be driven in suitable manner.
power may be applied to a pulley on one of the shafts, say, the upper right hand
shaft, said shaft being provided with a sprocket wheel connected by a suitable
chain with another sprocket wheel fast on a shaft journalled in the frame, and in
a bracket thereon, and having fast on it a spur wheel meshing with a wheel, fast
on and driving the lower shaft.
The upper shaft is of course, driven through the sprocket chains from the lower
shaft, said upper shaft being in turn provided with a sprocket wheel connected by
a suitable chain with a suitable wheel fast on one of the shafts of the other pair.
The power to the pulley will cause the endless travelling working surfaces to
move and the several work supports be caused to travel.
The hides or skins saturated to a greater or less extent with the tan or other
liquid employed are laid upon the work supports as the latter successively reach
the proper position, which hides by reason of their damp condition, adhere closely
to the aprons, constituting the said supports.
As the work support carrying the hide or skin rises between the downwardly
moving working surfaces the angular projections on the latter, by acting firmly
upon the hide or skin at opposite sides of the work support, squeeze out the liquid
in the skin, and by their angular positions the said liquid is worked away.
The skins emerge from between and at the tops of the working surfaces, and are
removed.
A certain portion of the skin, viz:-that lapped over the rod at the bend is not
acted upon, and to accomplish this the working surfaces are separated momentarily
and the aprons are shifted to carry this portion of the skin away from the bend
and down in position to be acted upon.
To accomplish this automatically there is at each side of the machine a lever
connected with sliding heads at end of the machine, the vibration of the said lever
causing the said rods and the shaft and wheels carried thereby to be moved in
opposite direction,

page_text: To move these levers, their lower ends are extended and connected with the
upper ends of other levers suitably fulcrumed.
Upon these main levers are depending members slotted at their lower ends to
receive the clamping screws said members having lips and rollers adapted to be
acted upon by cams on the lower chain shaft, springs, acting on the upper ends
of the levers holding the rollers to the said cams.
.
Each shaft may rotate three times for one complete movement of the chains.
The parts are so adjusted that after any work support carrying a skin has
partially passed between the working surfaces the cams engage rollers and move
the levers to separate the heads and the working surfaces carried thereby to remove
the latter momentarily from. contact with the skin.
While the working surfaces are separated, a suitably arranged pinion on the
shaft of the work-support, engages a stationary rack on the frame, which by
reason of the movement of the chain carrying the work-support, causes the said
shaft to be rotated sufficiently to shift the apron and carry the portion of the skin
which had been out of contact with either working surface down upon one side of
said support where during the further movement of the skin between the surfaces
it will be acted upon like the rest of the skin, the cams permitting the main levers
and the working surfaces to be returned quickly by the springs.
A retrograde movement is given to a work-support continuously travelling,
and by providing a plurality of work-supports the skin is passed between the work-
ing surfaces faster than is possible with any reciprocating support.
My machine gains by having a substantially flat working surface of large area to
act upon almost one half of the skin at once, said surface having a large number of
angularly arranged projections acting upon the skin at the same time.
Rotative movement of the shaft of any single work-support by the rack and
pinion is limited, and during the downward movement of the work-support at the
outside of the machine the apron is returned to its original position.
The distance between the working surfaces is determined by a suitable
adjustment.
It is new to separate the working surfaces without necessarily interrupting the
movement of the skin between the same to shift a skin whether such shifting is
done in a machine having a substantially flat working surface, or one wherein said
working surface is on a roller.
Dated the 8th day of June 1897
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Working or Treating
Skins, Hides, or Leather.
I WILLIAM TURNER of 16 Jenny Land Avenue, Somerville, County of Middlesex,
in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Inventor do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention in leather treating apparatus refers especially to machines for
slating, fleshing, putting out and the like, and I have hereinafter described my
apparatus as constructed for putting out, i.e., working out from the hide or skin
any liquid or tan which may have been previously used in the treatment of such
hide or skin.

page_text: In my apparatus now to be described I employ a work support, a working
surface to act upon the stock and comprising a plurality of connected working
members having one or more working projections, the acting edges of which, when
in operative direction, lie in the same substantially flat plane, the work support
and the working surface having imparted to them a relative movement in such
direction that substances in or on the stock carried by the work support may be
worked thereon laterally with relation to the direction of said relative movement.
My invention comprehends, for use with a working surface, a shifting work-
supporting apron over which the skin is laid, and an endless carrier for the apron,
the shifting of the latter presenting different portions of the skins to the working
surface.
In the drawings Fig. 1, in front elevation shows a machine containing one
embodiment of my invention.
Fig. 2, a left hand end elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3, a vertical cross section taken on the dotted line -, Fig. 1 and
Figs. 4 and 5 details showing a modification of my invention.
Referring to the drawings, A, A, are two substantially like end frames of
suitable shape and construction to sustain the several working parts.
The frames A, A, see Figs. 2 and 3, are provided at opposite sides with suitable
recesses the edges a, a, of which constitute top and bottom guides for the laterally
sliding rectangular frame-like heads b, b, the entrances to the recesses being
normally closed by suitable bars a', a¹, secured by suitable bolts a².
The heads bb, at their inner sides are provided with suitable flanges b¹, shown
in Figs. 1 and 2 which hold the said heads in proper alignment with relation to
their recesses.
In the heads b, b, are journaled respectively the swivel carriers 62 pivoted top
and bottom in the said heads and adapted therefore to rotate about a vertical axis,
the said swivel carriers having suitable bearings for the shafts c, c, extending
from one to the other frame, A, A, and provided with sprocket wheels c¹, c¹, see
Fig. 3.
The sprocket wheels c¹, see Figs. 2 and 3, are arranged in four pairs, the wheels
of each pair standing one vertically above the other and about the wheels of each
pair, are passed the sprocket chains c², c², corresponding unks of the two chains
of the respective pair of shafts c, c, being connected by and serving as supports for
the bar like working members d d see Figs. 1 and 3.
Each of these working members d is, in the present instance, provided with a
plurality of angularly arranged ribs or projections, which I shall hereinafter
denominate as working devices d', the same diverging in opposite directions from
a point preferably midway the length of the member, the said ribs or projections
being so arranged or placed that when a plurality of the working members stand
one next the other, as when passing from one to the other of the sprocket wheels
which carry the same, the angular lips or projections on one member will form
substantial continuations of the ribs or projections on the members at either side
thereof.
Preferably the angular working devices d¹ are made independent of their
respective working members d, and made readily detachable therefrom in order
that working devices of different shape or construction may be used if desired.
The working devices d' are shown herein as set in the angular grooves in their
respective working members, and are secured in place by bolting to the raised
lips d² on the members and adjacent the said grooves.
Referring to Fig. 3, it will be clear that there are two endless series of working
members d, which at the middle of the machine, where the two series face each
other, present opposite substantially flat working surfaces over which are distri-
buted the angularly arranged working devices or ribs, and it is between these two
substantially flat working surfaces that the hide or skin to be treated is passed.
In the frames A, A, near the tops and bottoms thereof, are journalled the two
shafts e, e, each of which is provided near its opposite ends with suitable sprocket
3
4
4
5

page_text: wheels el, el, about which are passed the two sprocket chains e, e, these chains,
at one side of the sprocket wheels passing between or in a plane which lies
between the two working surfaces referred to.
These chains e, e², carry the work support or supports, of which I preferably
employ a plurality, but since all are alike in construction, a detailed description of
one will be deemed sufficient.
Referring then to Figs. 1 and 3, each work support holder, as shown, consists
of a plate or board e³, provided at its ends with end pieces e, which are supported
by two rods es, e", constituting two of the pivots of the chains e², said rods extend-
ing across the machine from one to the other of said chains.
The end pieces are pivotally mounted upon one of the rods as e, and are
slotted at their opposite ends, as at e, Fig. 3, for the reception of the other rod eo,
so that as the chains are revolved in unison this board or member e will be carried
round and round and each time caused to rise in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3,
between the working surfaces.
About this board or member e³ I prefer to lay a flexible apron f of suitable
material, in the present instance of my invention constituting one form of work
support, the same being folded or lapped over the pivot rod e, and having its
opposite edges joined by cords or connections f¹, whicn latter, intermediate the
edges of the apron, are passed one or more times about a suitable shaft f2 rotat-
ably mounted in the end pieces e' close to the ends of the slots e in the said end
pieces.
Rotation of this shaft f2 will cause the apron f to be shifted or moved upon the
board or member ex.
The several shafts and their wheels may be driven in suitable manner, I having
herein shown the power as applied to a pulley ? on one of the shafts c shown as
the upper right hand shaft in Fig. 1, said shaft being provided with a sprocket
wheel connected by a suitable chain 2 with a sprocket wheel 23 fast on a
shaft journalled in the frame, and in a bracket 2 thereon, and having fast, on it
a spur wheel 25 meshing with a wheel 2 fast on and driving the lower shaft e.
The upper shaft is of course, driven through the sprocket chains e, from the
lower shaft e, said upper shaft being in turn provided with a sprocket wheel 1,7
connected by a suitable chain 28 with a suitable wheel p fast on one of the shafts e
of the other pair, herein shown as the upper left hand shaft in Fig. 3.
The power, therefore, applied to the pulley 2 will cause the endless travelling
working surfaces d to move in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 3, and will also
cause the several work supports to travel in the direction of the arrows adjacent
thereto.
In operating the machine, the hides or skins, saturated to a greater or less
extent with the tan or other liquid employed in connection with the treatment
of the same, are laid upon the work supports f as the latter successively reach a
position at or about the position indicated at 5, Fig. 3, said hides or skins, by
reason of their damp condition, adhering closely to the aprons, constituting the
said supports.
As the work support carrying the hide or skin rises between the downwardly
moving working surfaces the angular projections on the latter, by acting firmly
upon the hide or skin at opposite sides of the work support, squeeze out substan-
tially all the liquid or tan contained in the skin, and by reason of their angular
positions cause the said liquid to be gradually worked in opposite directions
towards and off at the lower edges and ends of the skin.
After the skins emerge from between and at the tops of the working surfaces,
they are removed by the operator before the descent of the work-supports at the
back of the machine, or are permitted to drop before such descent.
It will be evident by viewing Fig. 3, that a certain portion of the skin, viz:—
that portion which is lapped over the rod eat the bend in the skin, will not be
acted upon by either of the working surfaces.
It is necessary, however, that all portions of the skin should be presented to one

page_text: or the other of the working surfaces, and to accomplish this I momentarily
separate the working surfaces and shift the aprons of the work support to carry
this portion of the skin away from the bend and down in position to be acted upon
by one of the working surfaces.
To accomplish this automatically I have provided at each side of the machine a
lever, pivoted at h, and connected by links h2 with the frame-iike sliding
her ds b at that end of the machine, so that the vibration of the said lever h will
cause the said rods and the shaft and wheels carried thereby to be moved in opposite
direction, that is, separated or brought together according to the movement given
to the lever.
To move these levers h their lower ends are extended and connected by suitable
links with the upper ends of other levers ht, fulcrumed at their lower ends at h5
to the frames A, A.
Upon these main levers h*, are, at 6, the depending members h' slotted at their
lower ends to receive the clamping screws 8, said members being shown as
provided with laterally extended lips in which are journalled suitable rollers h³,
adapted to be acted upon by the cams 10, fast on the lower chain shaft e, springs h¹
acting upon the upper ends of the levers 1 serving to hold the said rollers h
always in operative contact with the said cams or driving such portions of the
movements of the latter as are necessary for the proper operation of the machine.
Each shaft e rotates three times for one complete movement of the chains e².
In the operation of the machine the parts are so adjusted that after any work-
support carrying a skin has partially passed between the working surfaces the
cams will engage the rollers h and move the levers / to separate the heads b, b,
and the working surfaces carried thereby to remove the latter momentarily from
contact with the skin on the work support, between the same.
During this short interval, while the working surfaces are separated, a suitably
arranged pinion m on the shaft 2 of the work-support, referred to, engages a
stationary rack m¹ on the frame, see Fig. 1, which latter by reason of the move-
ment of the chain carrying the work-support, causes the said shaft f² to be
rotated sufficiently to shift the apron and carry the portion of the skin which had
been out of contact with either working surface down upon one side of said support
where during the further movement of the skin between the surfaces it will be acted
upon and treated like the rest of the skin, the cams 10 permitting the levers hand
the working surfaces to be returned quickly by the springs h₁ to their original
operative position immediately following the shifting of the work-support and the
skin.
By reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that there is never a retrograde movement
to a work-support as in machines at present constructed, said work support always
and continuously travelling, and by providing a plurality of work supports it is
possible to cause the skin to be passed between the working surfaces faster than is
possible with any reciprocating support, so that the capacity of my machine must,
of necessity, be much greater than that of any machine having a reciprocating
support.
I further gain in my machine by having a substantially flat working surface of
large area to act upon almost one half of the skin at once, said surface being pro-
vided, see Fig. 1, with a large number of angularly arranged projections all acting
upon the skin at the same time, so that the latter must be more effectively stretched
and all liquid more effectually and quickly removed than is possible where there
is but a single line of contact and where rollers alone are employed.
Rotative movement of the shaft f of any single work-support by the rack and
pinion referred to, is limited by a stop piece f³, co-operating with a stop-pin f* on
The adjacent end piece e and during the downward movement of the work-support
at the outside of the machine the apron is returned to its original position by a
second rack m³.
The distance between the working surfaces is determined by a suitable adjust-
able stop o on the frame against which the lever * abuts, and by adjusting the

page_text: position of the member h', on the lever h the extent of movement of the working
surfaces, as the latter are separated, may be varied.
I believe it is original with me to separate the working surfaces without
necessarily interrupting "the movement of the skin between the same, to permit
said skin to be shifted in order that all the parts of its surface may be presented
to its working surfaces, whether such shifting is done in a machine having a sub-
stantially flat working surface, or one wherein said working surface is on a roller,
for instance in Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown a construction wherein a roller machine
may more nearly approach the capacity of the flat surfaces of this machine than is
possible with a machine now in use.
In Fig. 4 I have shown four rollers n, n, each constructed substantially as
shown in Fig. 5, and provided with a plurality of diverging vanes or projections n¹,
said rollers being arranged in pairs, there being two rollers to act
in succession upon the portions of the skin at opposite sides of
the work-support as the latter passes between them, the rollers being mounted in
sliding boxes in order that they may be opened and closed substantially in the
manner illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The use in a machine of the class described, of a movable work-support, a
working-surface comprising a plurality of connected working members provided
with one or more working projections, the working edges of which, when in work-
ing position, lie in the same substantially flat plane, and means to impart to said
work-support and working surface a relative movement in the direction of a line
diagonal to and lying in the plane of said working edges, whereby substances in or
on the stock carried by said work support may be worked thereon by said projec-
tion or projections laterally with relation to the direction of said relative
movement, substantially as described
2. The use in a machine of the class described, of a suitable work support, a
working surface comprising a plurality of connected working members provided
with working projections, having their working edges, when in working position,
lying in the same substantially flat plane, and means to move said working mem-
bers relatively to said work-support, and in the direction of a line diagonal to and
lying in the plane of said working edges, whereby substances in or on the stock
carried by said work-support may be worked thereon by said projections laterally
with relation to the direction of said relative movement, substantially as
described.
3. The use in a machine of the class described, of a suitable work-support, a
working surface comprising an endless series of working members provided with
working projections, having their working edges, when in working position, lying
in the same substantially flat plane, and means to move said working members
relatively to said work-support, and in the direction of a line diagonal to and lying
in the plane of said working edges, whereby substances in or on the stock carried
by said work support may be worked thereon by said projections laterally with
relation to the direction of said relative movement, substantially as described.
4. The use in a machine of the class described, of a suitable work support, an
endless series of travelling working members provided respectively with a plurality
of angularly arranged working projections, the latter on each member, diverging
from an intermediate point towards the ends of the member, substantially as
described.
5. The use in a machine of the class described, of a suitable work support, an
endless series of travelling working members provided respectively with angularly
arranged working projections, the latter, on each member, diverging towards the
ends of said member, the projections on one member when in working position

page_text: constituting substantial continuations of the projections of an adjacent member,
substantially as described.
6. The use in a machine of the class described, of a suitable work-support, a
plurality of working surfaces provided respectively with one or more working
projections having working edges in the same substantially flat plane, said working
surfaces with their projections, being arranged to act from, opposite sides of and
upon the stock carried by said work-support, and means to impart to said work
support and working surface a relative movement in the direction of a line.
diagonal to and lying in one of the planes of said working edges, whereby sub-
stances in or on the stock carried by said work-support may be worked thereon:
by said projections laterally with relation to the direction of said relative move-
ment, substantially as described.
7. The use in a machine of the class described, of a suitable work support, a
plurality of working surfaces, comprising respectively an endless series of work-
ing members each provided with one or more working projections having working
edges, when in operative position, lying in the same substantially flat plane, said
working surfaces. being arranged to act from opposite sides of the said work-
support upon the stock carried thereby, and means to impart to said work support
and working surfaces, a relative movement in the direction of a line diagonal to
and lying in one of the planes of said working edges, whereby substances in or on a
the stock carried by said work-support may be worked thereon by said projections
laterally with relation to the direction of said relative movement, substantially
as described.
8. The use in a machine of the class described, of two endless series of working
members and means to move the same, a work support movable between said series
and an endless carrier for said work support substantially as described.
9. The use in a machine of the class described, of two working surfaces, each
provided with a plurality of working projections, arranged with the working edges
of the projections on the respective surfaces in the same substantially flat planes,
the working projections on the said surfaces facing each other, one or more work-
supports, and an endless carrier for and to move the same between said working
surfaces in the direction of a line diagonal to and lying in the plane of said work-
ing edges, whereby substances in or on the stock carried by the respective work-
supports may be worked thereon by said projections laterally with relation to the
direction of said relative movement, substantially as described.
10. The use in a machine of the class described, of a working surface, a work-
support, a carrier for the same, means to move said work-support and working
surface one relatively to the other, and means to automatically shift the position
of said work-support relatively to said carrier to cause. different portions of the
material thereon to be presented to the working surface, substantially as described.
11. The use in a machine of the class described, of a working surface, a work-
support, an endless carrier to move the same past said working surface, and means
to automatically move the said work support on or with relation to its carrier, to
cause different portions of the material on said work-support to be presented to said
working surface, substantially as described.
12. The use in a machine of the class described, of a working surface, a work
supporting apron over which the skin is laid, an endless carrier for said apron, and
means to shift the said apron to cause different portions of said skins to be
presented to the said working surface, substantially as described.
13. The use in a machine of the class described, of a working surface, a work
support movable past the same, means to separate the working surface and work
support while the one is passing the other, and means to shift said work-support
to present a new portion to the working surface while the work-support and work-
ing surface are so separated, substantially as described.
1.
14. The use in a machine of the class described, of two working surfaces arranged
facing each other, a work support movable between the same, means to separate-

page_text: said working surfaces, and means to shift said work support, while the surfaces
are so separated, substantially as described.
15. The use in a machine of the class described, of two working surfaces, one
or more work-supports, an endless carrier for the same, means to separate said
working surfaces, and means to automatically shift said work-support with relation
to its carrier while between said working surfaces, and to return said work-support
to its normal position relatively to its carrier before said support again enters
between said working surfaces, substantially as described.
16. The use in a machine of the class described, of two opposite working sur-
faces, one or more work-supports, and endless chains between which the same is
mounted, said work support at its opposite ends being carried by pintles on
different links in its chains, substantially as described.
17. The use in a machine of the class described, of opposite working surfaces,
a pair of endless chains, rods joining different links of one chain with corres-
ponding links of another, and a work-support carried by and between said rods,
substantially as described.
D1
L 1
e
1007
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.