IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE FUR OR HAIR PROM THE SKINS OF ANIMALS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Vero, of Atherstone, in the County of
Warwick, Furrier, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SEPARATING THE FUR OR HAIR PROM THE SKINS OF ANIMALS."
Sealed the 19th July 1861, and dated the 24th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Vero at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
January 1861.
JAMES VERO, of Atherstone, in the County of Warwick, Furrier, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SEPARATING THE FUR OR HAIR FROM THE SKINS OF ANIMALS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for separating
the fur or hair from the skins of animals. Heretofore machinery has been
employed for removing the fur or hair from the skins of rabbits and other
animals, which operates in such a manner as to cut the skin and render it
useless, except for the manufacture of size or for other similar manufactures.
Chemical processes have also been employed, by which, although the skin is
preserved, the quality of the fur or hair is much deteriorated. Now, by the
use of machinery arranged according to my Invention, the fur or hair may be
removed without the aid of any chemical process, and without injury to the
skin; a knife is traversed across the skin in a direction at right angles to that

page_text: at which the fur or hair naturally lays, and at each motion it removes the fur or
hair from a strip of the skin slightly less in width than the length of the fibre of
the fur or hair. While the cut is taking place the ends of the fibres which are
being removed are nipped by a bar which descends on to the surface of the skin,
so that the fibres cannot be pushed aside by the knife, and in this manner
escape from its action, the knife being pressed between the skin and the roots
of the fibres. Between each cut the bar rises and the skin is moved the width
of a cut forward, the bar then redescends and the cut takes place. The
forward motion of the skin may conveniently be produced by causing it to pass
over a cylindrical or polygonal roller which partially rotates, to bring up a
fresh face after each cut. The hair or fur as cut off is received on to an
endless apron, and is moved away thereon.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Vero in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
VERO, of Atherstone, in the County of Warwick, Furrier, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Vero, Her special licence that I, the said James
Vero, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said James Vero, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE FUR OR HAIR FROM THE
SKINS OF ANIMALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Vero, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immédiately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Vero, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for separating
the fur or hair from the skins of animals. Heretofore machinery has been
employed for removing the fur or hair from the skins of rabbits and other
animals, which operates in such a manner as to cut the skin and render it
useless except for the manufacture of size or for other similar manufactures.
Chemical processes have also been employed, by which, although the skin is
preserved, the quality of the fur or hair is much deteriorated. Now, by the
use of machinery arranged according to my Invention, the fur or hair may be
removed without the aid of any chemical process and without injury to the
skin; a knife is traversed across the skin in a direction at right angles to that
at which the fur or hair naturally lays, and at each motion it removes the fur
or hair from a strip of the skin slightly less in width than the length of the
fibre of the fur or bair. While the cut is taking place the ends of the fibres
which are being removed are nipped by a bar which descends on to the
surface of the skin, so that the fibr s cannot be pushed aside by the knife, and
in this manner escape from its action, the knife being passed between the skin
and the roots of the fibres. Between each cut the bar rises and the skin is
moved the width of a cut forward, the bar then redescends and the cut takes
place. The forward motion of the skin may conveniently be produced by
causing it to pass over a cylindrical or polygonal roller which partially rotates,
to bring up a fresh face after each cut. The hair or fur as cut off is received
on to an endless apron and is moved away thereon.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a side elevation; Figure 2 a plan; and Figure 3 a longi-
tudinal section of the machine. In these Figures the same letters of reference
are used to indicate the same parts.
a, a, is the framing; 6 is the roller on which the skin is fixed, and by which
it is progressively and at intervals brought up into a position to be acted on by
the cutter. The roller b receives motion by means of the driver c, and it is
retained from moving back by the click d; on the axis of the roller is a ratchet
wheel e, in the teeth of which the driver o is caused to act so as to move up a
fresh portion of the surface of the roller, and consequently a fresh part or

page_text: narrow strip of the skin fixed thereon.
The driver c is attached to the lever
arm which moves on the axis of the roller b, and motion is given to the
lever arm by a connecting rod g, which at one end is attached to the lever
arm, and at the other end to a bell crank h which receives motion from the
treddle by the connecting rod j. The treddle i also gives motion to the
pressing bark by means of the connecting rod which is connected to the
treddle and to the lever m, the end of which passes through a loop attached
to the crosshead or bar , which connects the two rods which are attached
to the two side rods k¹ to which the pressing bark is fixed, which rods A at
their back ends are pin jointed to the cranks 1, 2, on the axis P, by which
arrangement the pressing bar can receive a to-and-fro motion as well as
a downward motion. The pressing bark is prevented coming too forward (when
pressing on the skin) by means of the stops m¹ which are fixed by spring stems
to the framing. The skin rests on the bar n when being cut. is a handle
by which the workman moves the pressing bar k. The rods k pass through
slots in the framing, in order that they may be able to move to-and-fro with
the pressing bar k. The treddle and parts connected therewith are counter-
balanced by the weight o, which raises the treddle when the workman no
longer presses it down by his foot.
Figure 4 shews the form of knife or cutter used; Figure 5 shows a plan of
a portion of a skin from which the fur or hair has been partly removed; and
Figure 6 shows a section of Figure 5. These Figures are on a larger scale
in order that the manner in which the presser bar acts, and the manner in
which the cutter or knife is used may be more readily understood. The fur
or hair as it is cut off falls on to the endless apron p on the rollers q, q, which
receive motion from the bell crank by means of a connecting rod q' which
gives motion to the arm or lever g, which turns freely on the axis of one of
the rollers q. On the arm or lever q² is a driver which takes into the teeth of
the ratchet wheel g³; on one of the rollers q and q* is a catch or click which
prevents the ratchet wheel or roller q moving back. The fur or hair received
on to the endless apron p is carried towards the back of the machine, and then
deposited on to the endless apron carried by the two rollers s, 3, which
receive motion from the arm q by a connecting rod and driver and ratchet
wheel, in like manner to that above described in respect to giving motion to
the endless apron p.
The Drawing represents the parts of the machine in the position just after
making a cut, the workman's foot having been removed from the treddle. The
workman by the handle will next lift the presser bar & over the stops m³,
he will then press down the bark on to the skin, the stops giving way to allow

page_text: of the bar & descending on to the skin, he will then force the bar k back, by
which he will force back the fur or hair which has been cut off on to the plate
or shelf t, from which it will be received on to the endless apron p. The
workman then raises the bark and he presses down the treddle with his foot,
by which motion will be communicated to the roller b, and a fresh strip or
portion of the skin brought into position on the fixed bar n, and just before
the lever m commences to press down the bark the workman moves that bar
up to the stops m', be then enters the point of the knife under the fur or hair
which is outside of the bar k, and then he forces the knife or cutter across the
skin, the bark acting as a guide or straightedge for the back of the knife or
cutter.
I would remark that although in carrying out my Invention I prefer the
arrangement of mechanism above described, the same may be varied; and
Figure 7 shows a diagram in which a pressing roller is used, which not only
presses the fur or hair down on the roller b on which the skin is fixed as
before, but in this arrangement it is preferred that the fur or hair should be
moved up to the cutter in the opposite direction to that previously described.
And it is preferred to use a knife or cutter x with a straightedge across the
machine, which has a to-and-fro motion communicated to it by an excentric or
otherwise. 1 is a bar over which the fur or hair is moved, and over which
the skin passes as the fur or hair is cut off; the forward edge of this bar which
presses on the skin is made with teeth in between which the fur or hair enters
when the roller b is turned to bring up a fresh quantity of the skin, and this
construction of the bar facilitates the action of the cutter; p is an endless
apron which receives and carries away the fur or hair as it is moved over the
bar n by the rotation of the pressing roller k.
Having thus described the naturo of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim
to any of the parts separately, but claim the combination thereof as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Vero, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixte one
JAS. VERO. (L.S.)