IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRESSED LEATHER
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick John Bugg, of Ipswich, in the County
of Suffolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF PRESSED LEATHER."
Sealed the 14th February 1871, and dated the 5th December 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick John Bugg
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th December 1870.
I, FREDERICK JOHN BUGG, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRESSED LEATHER," to be as follows :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
pressed leather. Heretofore the cuttings of sheeps skins, lamb skins,
kid, or other light skins called soft leathers prepared by the tawing
process, and also known as alumed leather, have for the most part been
wasted or only utilized in the manufacture of manure or used as fuel.

page_text: '
Large quantities of such waste cuttings are made by glovers and others,
and also by skin dressers, as they cut off numerous small pieces in
rounding the skins to make them more suitable for market.
According to my Invention I utilize such cuttings of soft leathers in
the manufacture of pressed leather. For this purpose I immerse the
soft leather cuttings in a paste formed from flour or rice, or, as I prefer,
in a solution of gelatine or size made from raw waste fleshings, or in a
solution of a waterproofing material. I then take a sheet or plate of
metal, say of zinc, either slightly oiled or covered with a thin cloth to
prevent the adhesion of the leather. I spread a covering of strong
'curriers' shavings, or tanned fleshings, or splits or split pieces over the
sheet, I then lay out the waste pieces before-named piece upon piece
until I obtain any substance I may require; over these I put a covering
of curriers' shavings, splits or split pieces, upon this I place a sheet of
metal slightly oiled, or cover with a cloth, after which the whole is
subjected to hydraulic pressure for a few hours. The pressed leather is
then laid upon racks or hung up to dry, when dry it is fit for market. If
the leather is required hard it may be made more firm by putting a thin
layer of curriers' shavings or split pieces between every layer of pieces
*before-named; the material I use in making this compressed leather
*being of a soft and yielding nature makes a very level and useful sheet.
Sheets of leather may be made without the covering of splits or shavings
over or between the layers, but I prefer to apply a covering to the sheets
as above described.
.
Also according to my Invention I utilize the cuttings of tanned goat,
sheep, kid, lamb, seal, and dog skins, by manufacturing. thêm as above
described into sheets of pressed leather, with outer coverings of curriers'
shavings, splits or split pieces.
Another kind of pressed leather I make is from the roundings of
kips, shoe hides, or other. kind of stout tanned skins that have been
considered unsuitable for being used in the manufacture of pressed
leather, since if the pieces were laid one upon another with their edges
overlapping the sheets produced would be too uneven. I make a
pressed leather and one of a most useful character by treating the
pieces in the following manner:-I take a small machine well known
to the shoe manufacturer as a stiffening, paring, or skiving machine,
this machine has a knife up to or past which the stiffeners are carried,

page_text: and in passing the edges are pared down to any substance that is
necessary; the stout waste pieces to be manufactured into pressed
leather I pass.through the above-named machine, which pares or bevels
all the edges of each piece to. the width I may think necessary; I then
put the pieces in a preparation of flour or rye paste, or size made of raw
fleshings or gelatine, or. waterproof solution; I then take a plate of
metal as before-named and lay the pieces out over the plate, putting
the thin, edges or bevel parts together. I am thus enabled to make a
very level and useful sheet. For some purposes I first lay a covering of
strong shavings, or splits.or. split pieces. over the bottom and top of the
sheet similar to the one already described in making sheets from the
other kind of waste. I may here remark that the pieces may be cut by
any other suitable machine..
Another kind of waste pieces of leather -I use in the manufacture of.
pressed. leather are full of oil or grease, and up to the present have been.
considered unsuitable for any general purpose; these pieces are the ends
that are made by leather strap or machine band makers, and are made
in the following manner :- When they are about to join two parts of a
band together they use what they call a hevelling machine or knife, and
with that they cut off a piece from the ends of leather or bands. that.
they are about to join together, so that when two are joined they may
be of the substance of one; the small waste that is thus made is of little
use, first because the pieces are full of oil or grease, secondly, because
one end of a piece is very thin and the other very thick. In making:
pressed leather from these pieces of which there are large quantities, I
first pass them through a bevelling or skiving machine and bevel or pare
the thick edges to the substance I may require; I then subject them to.
a strong solution of sulphuric acid which kills the surface grease, or the-
grease or oil may be distilled from the pieces. by any suitable means, so,
as to enable me by means of a solution of gelatine or paste to cause
them, to adhere together; the pieces are laid out upon a plate of zino or
metal, bevel upon bevel, until the sheet is.formed, it is then subject to
hydraulic pressure in the same way as any other pressed leather. I may
here remark that these sheets may be made with or without a covering
of splits or curriers' shavings at the top and bottom of the sheets.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Frederick John Bugg in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd June 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
JOHN BUGG, of Ipswich, in the County of Suffolk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-fourth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Frederick John Bugg, Her special license that
I, the said Frederick John Bugg, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Frederick John Bugg, my exe-
cutors, 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 THE
MANUFACTURE OF PRESSED LEATHER," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Frederick John Bugg, 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 per-
formed, 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 Frederick John Bugg, 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 thereof; that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
pressed leather. Heretofore the cuttings of sheep skins, lamb skins,
kid, or other light skins called soft leathers prepared by the tawing.
process, and also known as alumed leather have for the most part been
wasted or only utilised in the manufacture of manure or used as fuel.
Large quantities of such waste cuttings are made by glovers and others

page_text: and also by skin dressers as they cut off numerous small pieces in
rounding the skins to make them more suitable for market.
According to my Invention I utilize such cuttings of soft leathers in
the manufacture of pressed leather. For this purpose I immerse the soft
leather cuttings in a paste formed from flour or rice, or, as I prefer in a
solution of gelatine, or size made from raw waste fleshings, or in a
solution of a waterproofing material. I then take a sheet or plate of
metal, say of zinc, either slightly oiled or covered with a thin cloth to
prevent the adhesion of the leather, I spread a covering of strong
curriers' shavings or tanned fleshings, splits or split pieces, or other
leather pieces over the sheet, I then lay out the waste pieces before-
named, piece upon piece, until I obtain any substance I may require,"
over these I put a covering of curriers' shavings, splits or split pieces
or other leather pieces, upon this I place a sheet of metal slightly oiled,
or cover with a cloth, after which the whole is subjected to hydraulic or
other heavy pressure for a few hours. The pressed leather is then laid
upon racks or hung up to dry, when dry it is fit for the market. If the
leather is required hard it may be made more firm by putting a thin
layer of curriers' shavings or split pieces between every layer of pieces
before-named, the material I use in making this compressed leather
being of a soft and yielding nature makes a very level and useful sheet.
Sheets of leather may be made without the covering of splits or shavings
over or between the layers, but I prefer to apply a covering to the sheets
as above described.
I claim the manufacture of pressed leather from the cuttings of "soft
leathers" substantially as above described,
Also according to my Invention I utilize the cuttings of tanned goat,
sheep, kid, lamb, seal, and doga skins, by manufacturing them as above
described into sheets of pressed leather with outer coverings of curriers'
shavings, splits or split pieces.
Another kind of pressed leather I make is from the roundings of
kips, shoe hides, or other kind of stout tanned skins that have been
considered unsuitable for being used in the manufacture of pressed
leather, since, if the pieces were laid one upon another with their
edges overlapping the sheets produced would be too uneven.
I make
a pressed leather and one of a most useful character by treating
the pieces in the following manner :-I take a small machine well

page_text: known to the shoe manufacturers as a stiffening, paring, or skiving
machine; this machine has a knife up to or past which the stiffeners are
carried, and in passing the edges are pared down to any substance that
is necessary; the stout waste pieces to be manufactured into pressed
leather I pass through the above-named machine which pares or bevels
all the edges of each piece to the width I may think necessary; I then
put the pieces in a preparation of flour or rye paste, or size made of
raw fleshings, or gelatine or waterproof solution;; I then take a plate of
metal as before named, and lay the pieces out over the plate, putting
the thin edges or bevel parts together, I am thus enabled to make a
very
level and useful sheet. For some purposes I first lay a covering
of strong shavings, or splits or split pieces or other leather pieces over
the bottom and top of the sheet similar to the one already described in
making sheets from the other kind of waste. I may here remark that
the pieces may be cut or pared by any other suitable machine.
I claim the manufacture of pressed leather from the roundings or
cuttings of kips, shoe bides, or other kind of stout tanned skins substan-
tially as above described.
Another kind of waste pieces of leather I use in the manufacture of
pressed leather are full of oil or grease, and up to the present have been
considered unsuitable for any general purpose; these pieces are the ends
that are made by leather strap or machine band makers and are made
in the following manner :-When they are about to join two parts of a
band together they use what they call a bevelling machine or knife, and
with that they cut off a piece from the ends. of leather or bands that
they are about to join together, so that when two are joined they may
be of the substance of one; the small waste that is thus made is of little
use, first, because the pieces are full of oil or grease, secondly, because
one end of a piece is very thin and the other very thick.
In making
pressed leather from these pieces, of which there are large quantities,. I
first pass them through a bevelling or skiving machine, and bevel or
pare the thick edges to the substance I may require; I then place them.
for about an hour in a strong solution of acid, by preference sulphuric
or muriatic acid, say a pound of the acid to four gallons of water, which
kills the surface grease, or the grease or oil may be distilled from the
pieces by any suitable means so as to enable me by means of a solution
of gelatine or paste to cause them to adhere together; the pieces are

page_text: laid out upon a plate of zinc or metal, bevel upon bevel, until the sheet
is formed, it is then subjected to hydraulic or other heavy pressure in
the same way as any other pressed leather. I may here remark that
these sheets may be made with or without a covering of splits or curriers'
shavings or other pieces at the top and bottom of the sheets.
I claim the manufacture of pressed leather substantially as above
described from the cuttings made by leather strap or machine band
makers or such like cuttings of leather which are impregnated with
grease.
I would state that the sheets of pressed leather may be made of any
size, shape, or substance, they may also in some cases be made very
stout, and such stout sheets may afterwards be cut into several thin
ones.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick John Bugg, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of June, in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
T T RITGE (1.0)