IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING LEATHER
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Fitchew Cox, of the City and County of Bristol,
Tanner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING
LEATHER"
Scaled the 14th November 1870, and dated the 18th May 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephon Fitchew Cox at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th May 1876.
STEPHEN FITCHEW Cox, of the City and County of Bristol, Tanner.
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING LEATHER."
"IMPROVE⭑
This Invention has for its object to improve the construction of machinery for
rolling leather in the finishing process either in the wet, semi-dry, or dry state.
For this purpose I mount a pair of rollers below a weighted box or frame one
near each of its ends. The box rests upon a carriage capable of being slidden to-and
fro upon guides above a fixed bed. The box or frame has a traversing to-and-fro
motion given to it in any suitable manner, and it is either mounted upon inclines
upon the carriage, or is otherwise so mounted upon it that when the box or frame
is moved in either direction the roller at whichever end of the frame is foremost
rests upon and rolls over the fixed bed below it. Thus when the movement is
reversed the box or frame first shifts its position upon the carriage, and causes the
roller which previously was resting upon the bed and rolling over it to be lifted
up and put out of action, whilst the other roller descends on to the bed and comes
into action, the box or frame and carriage then travel forwards together. By this
means the pair of rollers can be caused ench in its turn to roll upon and over the
surface of the leather to be rolled or finished, which leather is laid upon a bed of
wood or other material. The leather to be rolled is advanced by the workman at
his discretion, and as the work or finish is performed by the rollers. This system
gives facility for rolling leather wet from the pits or in any temper to the dry state
not possessed by any other machine, and the work can be performed from the
centre to the outsides, as by the oscillating action of the weighted box or frame
each roller leaps over the work done by the other, and comes into position to per-
form its part upon the unrolled surface.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Stephen Fitchew Cox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
November 1876.
STEPHEN FITCHEW Cox, of the City and County of Bristol, Tanner.
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR FINISHING LEATHER."
"
IMPROVE-
This Invention has for its object to improve the construction of machinery for
rolling leather in the finishing process either in the wet, semi-dry, or dry state.
For this purpose I mount a pair of rollers below a weighted box or frame one near
cach of its ends. The box rests upon a carriage capable of being slidden to and fro
upon guides above a fixed bed; the box or frame has a traversing to-and-fro motion
given to it in any suitable manner, and it is either mounted upon inclines upon the
carriage or is otherwise so mounted upon it that when the box or frame is moved
in either direction the roller at which ever end of the frame is foremost rests upon
and rolls over the leather on the fixed bed below it. Thus when the movement is
reversed the box or frame first shifts its position upon the carriage and causes the
roller which previously was resting upon the leather laid upon the bed and rolling
over it to be lifted up and put out of action, whilst the other roller descends on to
the bed and comes into action, the box or frame and carriage then travel forwards
together. By this means the pair of rollers can be caused each in its turn to roll
upon and over the surface of the leather to be rolled or finished, which leather is
laid upon a bed of wood or other material. The leather to be rolled is advanced
by the workman at his discretion, and as the work or finish is preformed by the
rollers. This system gives facility for rolling leather wet from the pits or in any
temper to the dry state not possessed by any other machine, and the work can be
performed from the centre to the outsides, as by the oscillating action of the
weighted box or frame each roller leaps over the work done by the other and comes
into position to perform its part upon the unrolled surface.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I have shown in the Drawing hereunto annexed a machine for finishing
leather constructed to act in the manner above described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
a is a weighted box or
The Drawing shows a perspective view of the machine.
frame carrying on its under side two rollers b, b, which are to act alternately upon
the leather; c is a bed of wood or other material upon which the leather is supported
whilst acted upon by the rollers; d is a table on which the leather is laid out ready
for being rolled; c, c, is the frame of the machine; f, f, are friction rollers; g, g,
sliding inclined planes capable of moving to and fro on iron bars or trackways h;
is a stop on each sliding piece g; l, l, are arms on the box a; they are coupled by
the connecting rod m with the crank arm n, on the axis o on which is a toothed
As the crank arm revolves
wheel driven by a pinion and strap wheel p, as shown.
it moves the weighted box to and fro along the trackways h, and at each change in the
direction of motion of the box the friction rollers which previously were bearing against
the stops on the sliding inclines g move away from these stops and descend the in-
cline in front of them, whilst the other friction rollers mount up the incline in rear of
the stop, so lifting up the roller which had previously been acting upon the leather and
lowering the one which had been out of action. As soon as the friction rollers which
have mounted up the inclines come against the central stop k of the sliding inclines g
they carry forward the inclines with them until another change in the direction of
motion of the box takes place. In place of giving motion to the weighted box or
frame carrying the rollers b by a crank and connecting rod, as shown, other means
of giving a to-and-fro motion to the box or frame may be adopted, as, for example,
a direct-acting steam cylinder may be used or a rack and pinion.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim as my improvements in machinery
for finishing leather-

page_text: First. The combination of machinery for rolling leather, substantially as herein-
before described.
Second. The combination consisting of a pair of weighted rollers so mounted and
carried upon an oscillating frame that they can not only be moved to and fro above
a bed on which the leather to be rolled is to rest, but can also at the same time by
the oscillation of the frame be caused to act alternately upon the leather and perform
their work from the centre outwards, substantially as described.
Third. The combination consisting of weighted rollers carried by a box or frame
acting with inclined planes capable of sliding to and fro over guides fixed above a
bed on which the leather to be rolled is to rest, and acting substantially in the manner
herein described by the principle of oscillation.
In witness whereof I, the said Stephen Fitchew Cox, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
STEPHEN FITCHEW COX. (L.S.)