Patent ID: 7047665

Claim:
A method for the continuous gradual stretching and drying of industrial hides and similar products, comprising the steps of: removing and transfering wet hides supplied following a treatment with liquids, for tanning, or retanning, or dyeing; predrying of the wet hides until their relative moisture content is reduced to a value of between 45% and 65%; initial wet stretching and softening of the hides by means of localised mechanical stresses able to recover the loss in footage and softness resulting from the predrying thereof; at least one intermediate partial drying followed by; at least one intermediate partial stretching and softening; final drying of the hides; final stretching and softening of the completely dried hides; stacking of the completely dried and softened hides on a suitable support; wherein said partial stretching steps are carried out on wet hides so as to achieve both a percentage increase in the surface area of between 2% and 4% and an overall total percentage increase of between 5% and 10%.