IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF REMOVING AND CUTTING THE HIDES OF ANIMALS FOR THE MANU- FACTURE OF DRIVING BANDS OR TUBES OF LEATHER
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MODE OF REMOVING AND CUTTING THE HIDES OF ANIMALS FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF DRIVING BANDS OR TUBES OF LEATHER."-A communication
from abroad by Alois Eschenlohr, Master Tanner, of 29, Boulevart St.
Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 18th February 1868, and dated the 30th August 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,, on.
the 30th August 1867.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention. for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MODE OF REMOVING AND CUTTING THE HIDES OF ANIMALS FOR: THE:
MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING BANDS OR TUBES OF LEATHER," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the production of driving bands and tubes of great.
length from leather without joins or rivets or with only one joint. In order
to obtain them I adopt a new mode of skinning the animal from which the
hide is obtained and also of cutting up said hide.

page_text: Hitherto it has been impossible to obtain leather straps or bands for tubes
of any great length, inasmuch as by the present mode of skinning the strips
can only be of the same length as the hide..
I adopt several modes of skinning and also of cutting up the hide for the
purpose of obtaining strips of as great a length as possible therefrom.
1st Method. The animal after being killed is skinned, the hide being cut
along the line of the back and then in the line of the longitudinal axis of the
head, and also along the whole length of the belly. The hide in this manner.
will be severed into two parts, except at the hind part which serves to connect
them, and when the hide is opened out strips of double the length of the
animal may be cut therefrom. Figure 1, Sheet 1 of the Drawings, shows the
hide opened out at a, a¹; b, b, dorsal line severed; c, c', fore-leg pieces; d, d¹,
hind-leg pieces; e, e', hind part which serves to connect the two halves of the
hide when spread out; f, anus.
2nd Method. This is explained by reference to Figure 1, Sheet 2. After
the animal has been killed in the ordinary way an opening is made under the
throat from 1 to 2, and then under the belly from 3 to 4; these incisions are
sufficient to enable the carcase and bones to be removed, leaving a cylindrical
hide, which, may then be cut up in several ways; thus, 1st, if it is desired to
obtain bands without joins the hide is cut longitudinally into zones or parallel
lines, as seen in Figure 1, Sheet 2, leaving a plane surface a at the spine or
vertebral column and three endless bands without a join, or a greater number
may be obtained by cutting the bands of less width. 2ndly, if it is desired to
obtain one band only from the whole hide it is only necessary to cut it in the
spiral form shown at Figure 2, Sheet 1. This band will have but one join,
formed by uniting its two ends.
3rd Method. The head of the animal is cut off and the hind part opened,.
a cylindrical hide being thus produced, which is then cut up spirally for
making
a band of
great length, or into parallel strips for making endless
bands. This mode is represented at Figure 3, Sheet 2, and is similar to the
second method described above, except that the strips are cut transversely
instead of in a longitudinal direction.
4th Method. This is explained by reference to Figure 5, Sheet 2. The
hide is stripped off-in the ordinary way, and one or more concentric rings are
cut from it, which by cambering are formed into endless bands; or if a band
of great length is required one or more spiral or volute strips are cut from the
hide in the flat.
.
Further, if it is desired to obtain one endless band of great length from a
bide I describe two spirals on a hide in the flat in the manner shown at

page_text: Figure 3, Sheet 1, in which case a first spiral is described, which afterwards
returns in the reverse direction between the lines of the first spiral to form a
second one terminating at the starting point of the first spiral, so as to form
an endless band. These bands are tanned and cambered for the purpose of
straightening in the ordinary way.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, Sheet 1, show transverse sections of bands formed
of a double thickness of leather, the two surfaces being united by the aid of
any suitable mastic.
Figure 6, Sheet 2, shows in red lines a mode of cutting up the hide in a
slanting direction.
Figure 9, Sheet 1, shows in red lines the direction the knife takes in
skinning the animal according to the second plan before described.
Figure 10, Sheet 1, shows in red lines the direction the knife takes in
skinning the animal according to the plan shown in Figure 2, Sheet 2.
Figure 11, Sheet 1, shows in red lines the direction the knife takes in
skinning the animal according to the third plan before described, and .as
represented in Figure 3, Sheet 2.
The Invention thus consists in skinning animals and cutting up the hide
according to the methods herein described in order to obtain endless driving
bands and bands or tubes of great length therefrom.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of August, in the year, of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first-year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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

page_text: of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF REMOVING AND CUTTING THE
HIDES OF ANIMALS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING BANDS OR TUBES OF
LEATHER," a communication to me from abroad by Alois Eschenlohr, Master
Tanner, of 29, Boulevart St. Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to the production of driving bands and tubes of
length of leather without joins or rivets, or with only one join; in order to
obtain them I adopt a new mode of skinning the animal from which the hide
is obtained, and also of cutting up said hide.
:-
great
Hitherto it has been impossible to obtain leather straps or bands for tubes
of any great length, inasmuch as by the present mode of skinning the strips
can only be of the same length as the hide.
I adopt several modes of skinning and also of cutting up the hide for the
purpose of obtaining strips of as great a length as possible therefrom.
1st Method. The animal after being killed is skinned, the hide being cut
along the line of the back, and then in the line of the longitudinal axis of the
head, and also along the whole length of the belly. The hide in this manner
will be severed in two parts, except at the hind part which serves to connect
them, and when the hide is opened out strips double the length of the animal
may be cut therefrom. Figure 1 of the Drawings shows the hide opened
out at a, a¹; b, b', dorsal line severed; c, c, fore-leg pieces; d, d', hind-leg
pieces; e, e¹, hind part, which serves to connect the two halves of the hide
when spread out; f, anus.
2nd Method. This is explained by reference to Figure 12. After the
animal has been killed in the ordinary way an opening is made in the throat
from 1 to 2, and then in the belly from 3 to 4; these incisions are sufficient
to enable the carcase and bones to be removed, leaving a cylindrical hide
which may then be cut up in several ways; thus, 1st, if it is desired to obtain

page_text: bands without joins the hide is cut longitudinally into zones or parallel lines,'
as seen in Figure 12, leaving a plane surface a at the spine or vértébral'
column, and three endless bands without a' join; or a greater number may be
obtained by cutting the bands of less width; 2ndly, if it is desired to obtain
one band only from the whole hide it is only necessary to cut it in the spiral
form shown at Figure 2; this band will have but a single join formed by
uniting its two ends.
3rd Method. The head of the animal is cut off and the hind part opened;
a cylindrical hide being thus produced, which is then cut up spirally for making
a band of great length, or into parallel strips for making endless bands. This
mode is represented at Figure 14, and is similar to the second method
described above, except that the strips are cut in a transverse instead of in a
longitudinal direction.
4th Method. This is explained by reference to Figures 15 and 16, the
animal being shown as lying down in the latter Figure. The hide is stripped
off in the ordinary way, and one or more concentric rings are cut from it,
which by cambering are formed into endless bands; or if a band of great
length is required one or more spiral or volute strips are cut from the hide in
the flat.
Further, if it is desired to obtain one endless band of great length from a
hide I describe two spirals on the hide in the flat in the manner shown at
Figure 3, in which case a first spiral is described, which afterwards returns in
the reverse direction between the lines of the first spiral to form a second one,
and terminates at the starting point of the first spiral so as to form an endless
band. The bands are tanned and cambered for the purpose of straightening
them in the ordinary way.
Fiue 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 show transverse sections of bands formed of a
double thickness of leather, the two surfaces being united by the aid of any
suitable mastic; Figure 17 shows in dotted lines a mode of cutting up the
bide in an inclined direction; Figure 9 shows in dotted lines the direction the
knife takes in skinning the animal according to the second plan above described;
Figure 10 shows in dotted lines the direction the knife takes in skinning the
animal according to the plan shown in Figure 13; Figure 11 shows in dotted
lines the direction the knife takes in skinning the animal according to the
third plan before described, and as represented in Figure 14.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, skinning
animals and cutting up the hide according to the methods herein described in

page_text: order to obtain endless driving bands and bands or tubes of great length
therefrom.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto
set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)