EP2855712B1

EP2855712B1 - Improved frame for toggling hides to be dried and a drier using said improved frame

Info

Publication number: EP2855712B1
Application number: EP13735400.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Domenico Feltre; Graziano Feltre
Original assignee: Feltre Srl
Current assignee: Feltre Srl
Priority date: 2012-05-30
Filing date: 2013-05-30
Publication date: 2016-04-06
Anticipated expiration: 2033-05-30
Also published as: ITVI20120125A1; EP2855712A1; WO2013179130A1

Description

The present invention concerns an improved frame for toggling hides to be dried.
The invention concerns also a drier for hides that uses the above mentioned improved frame.
A known method for drying hides includes the use of tunnel-shaped driers along which the hides to be dried transit after being laid on special frames. Each frame is provided with a panel on which the hide is laid and properly stretched by means of a plurality of toggles that are arranged on several points along its perimeter edge and that are constrained to the panel.
For this purpose, each toggle is provided with clamping jaws and with a pin that is inserted in a hole provided in the underlying panel once the hide has been stretched.
In technical jargon, the operation of laying the properly stretched hide on the frame is called "toggling" and it is for this reason that the frames are called "toggling frames".
Laying and stretching the humid hide before introducing it in the drier is indispensable in order to prevent it from wrinkling during the drying stage but also in order to increase its useful surface and thus the amount of hide that will be available for sale once the drying stage has been completed.
The hide can be stretched manually by the operators during the toggling stage or through mechanical stretching means always during the toggling stage.
In this second case the frames that are used have the shape shown in Figure 1, in which each frame A comprises two panels B and C that are coplanar with and adjacent to each other at the level of an edge, astride which the operators lay the humid hide D and constrain it using the toggles E.
In the case shown in Figures 1 and 2 the hide D has large dimensions and can be, for example, a cow, bull, calf hide or the hide of another animal similar in size.
Successively, before the frame A and the hides D arranged on it enter the drier, suitable mechanical means move the panels B and C away from each other according to the direction indicated by the arrows F, as shown in Figure 2, thus stretching the hide D.
Stretching with mechanical means ensures a whole series of advantages, one of which lies in the adjustable and better distributed stretching of the hide, which improves the quality of the hide once the drying operation has been completed.
Furthermore, the hide is stretched to a higher degree than that obtainable with the manual stretching operation and this consequently ensures a better yield in terms of surface area available for sale.
However, the use of these known frames divided in two coplanar and adjacent panels that can be moved with respect to each other according to the plane they define poses some recognized drawbacks when small hides must be dried, for example the hides G shown in Figures 3 and 4, which can be sheep or goat hides or hides of an animal with a similar or even smaller size.
It can thus be understood that in these cases a first problem is represented by the fact that for the operators it is difficult to reach the edges of the hides and fix them to the panels once each hide has been arranged astride the underlying panels B and C.
In some cases, for example for particularly small hides and particularly short operators, the operation may even be impossible.
Another drawback is represented by the considerable loss of space and thus of drying surface on the frame, which can be clearly understood by comparing the situations illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.
This obviously entails a reduction in production and consequently higher costs. Furthermore, this also lowers the drier's thermal efficiency.
The document US 3 850 013 describes a machine for clamping and drying hides which comprises panels arranged side by side in pairs on the same plane, to which the skins to be dried are toggled. Before drying, the panels are spaced apart to stretch the skins toggled to them, in order to derive from each skin, after drying, a greater marketable surface area. Even the dryer described in the cited document presents the drawbacks and limitations described with reference to the prior art cited above with reference to Figures 1 to 4.
The present invention aims to overcome all the drawbacks listed above.
In particular, it is a first object of the invention to provide an improved frame for toggling hides to be dried that, compared to the frames known in the art, facilitates the stretching operation in case of hides having small dimensions.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved frame that makes it possible to dry hides having small dimensions and obtain productivity and efficiency levels that are clearly higher than those obtainable using toggling frames of the known type.
It is another yet not the least object of the invention to provide a drier that uses a plurality of said improved frames.
The objects mentioned above are achieved by an improved frame for toggling and stretching hides to be dried according to the contents of the main claim, to which the reader should refer for the sake of simplicity.
The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the improved frame of the invention and of a drier using said frame.
Advantageously, the improved frame that is the subject of the present invention makes the toggling and stretching of the humid hides to be dried and the collection of the dried hides simpler and less tiring for the operators.
Furthermore, advantageously, said greater simplification and reduced difficulty of the work make it possible to improve productivity and the quality of the final product.
Finally, to advantage, the use of the improved frame that is the subject of the invention makes it possible to increase the productivity of the drier using it.
The objects and advantages described above will be highlighted in greater detail in the description of a preferred embodiment of the improved frame and the drier using it that are the subjects of the invention, which is provided here below as an indicative, non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, wherein:

Figures 1 and 2 show a frame belonging to the known art that is used to dry hides having large dimensions;
Figures 3 and 4 show a frame belonging to the known art that is used to dry hides having small dimensions;
Figure 5 shows a top view of the improved frame of the invention during the hide loading stage;
Figure 6 shows the frame shown in Figure 5 in operation, after the hides have been loaded;
Figure 6a shows a detail of Figure 6;
Figure 6b shows the frame of Figure 6 entering the drier;
Figure 7 shows a variant embodiment of the frame of the invention in operation, after the hides have been loaded;
Figure 7a shows a detail of Figure 7;
Figures from 8 to 16 show the longitudinal cross section of the drier of the invention that uses improved frames carried out according to the invention;
Figure 17 shows the drier of the invention when fully loaded;
Figures from 18 to 21 show enlarged views of cross sections of the drier shown in Figures from 8 to 17 in different operating stages;
Figure 22 shows a top view of another embodiment of the frame of the invention during the hide loading stage;
Figures 23 and 24 show two different views of the frame of Figure 22 in operation while it enters the drier.

The frame of the invention is shown in Figures from 5 to 7, where it is indicated as a whole by 1.
It is also shown in the detail Figures 6a and 7a, illustrating details of Figure 6 and Figure 7, respectively, and in Figures from 18 to 21 that show enlarged details of a cross section of the frame in different operating stages that are described below.
The frame 1 of the invention is particularly suited to facilitate the toggling of hides G having small dimensions, for example sheep or goat hides, or hides of animals that are similar or smaller in size, which are applied to it by means of toggles E.
The frame 1 is thus used in a drier for drying hides, which is also the subject of the invention, represented in different operating stages in Figures from 8 to 17, where it is indicated as a whole by 50.
In particular, the cross sections of Figures from 18 to 21 correspond to any section of the drier 50 according to the planes X1-X1 and X2-X2 of Figure 10.
With reference to the figures mentioned above, it can be observed that the frame 1 that is the subject of the invention comprises a supporting structure 2 for a plurality of flat panels 4 for toggling the hides G, each one delimited by a perimeter element 5 associated with the supporting structure 2.
The supporting structure 2, as can be observed, is provided with rolling means 3 suitable for coupling with guide tracks 51 of the drier 50.
Kinematic units 7 that can be observed in particular in Figures from 18 to 21 belong to the frame 1 and each one of them is suited to cooperate with actuator means 9, also visible in Figures from 18 to 21 and belonging to the drier 50, which carry out the mutual coplanar displacement of panels 4 that are adjacent to each other, as will be described in greater detail below.
According to the invention, the frame 1 has substantially the shape of a U that defines a corridor 10 arranged in intermediate position between the panels 4 that comprise a first pair of panels consisting of a first panel 4a and a second panel 4c that are coplanar with each other, and a second pair of panels consisting of a third panel 4b, coplanar with and adjacent to the first panel 4a, and a fourth panel 4d, coplanar with and adjacent to the second panel 4c.
The first panel 4a and the second panel 4c are spaced from each other so as to define a corridor 10 that defines an access direction X for the operator so that he/she can access the first and the second panel 4a, 4c in order to load/unload the hides G.
The width 10a of the corridor 10 can vary but in any case it must be sufficient to allow the operator to comfortably pass through it as well as to move and operate without hindrances.
As regards the perimeter elements 5, it can be observed, in particular in Figures 5, 6, 6a, 6b, 7 and 7a, that the first panel 4a is delimited by a first perimeter element 5a and the second panel 4c is delimited by a second perimeter element 5c, and analogously the third panel 4b is delimited by a third perimeter element 5b, and the fourth panel 4d is delimited by a fourth perimeter element 5d.
Regarding the supporting structure 2 and the perimeter elements 5, it can be observed, with particular reference to the detail figures 6a and 7a, that they are constituted by tubular elements that are telescopically and slidingly fitted inside each other.
In particular, it can be observed that each perimeter element 5 is externally coupled with the supporting structure 2 and both are preferably but not necessarily constituted by tubes with square or rectangular cross section that are coaxially coupled with each other.
This ensures that each pair of panels 4a, 4b and 4c, 4d has the necessary dimensional stability.
Regarding the panels 4, the surface of each one of them is provided with a plurality of holes, not indicated in the drawings for the sake of simplicity, for the application of the toggles E used to fix or toggle the hides G, each one of the hides, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, being fixed astride two panels 4a, 4b and 4c, 4d arranged on the same side of the corridor 10.
In particular, Figure 6 and Figure 7 show two different embodiments: in Figure 6 the inner panels 4a, 4c move with respect to the outer panels 4b, 4d that remain fixed with respect to the supporting structure 2, while in the embodiment shown in Figure 7 the outer panels 4b, 4d move with respect to the inner panels 4a, 4c that remain fixed with respect to the supporting structure 2.
Finally, the presence of a bridge 8 that connects the panels 4 that remain fixed, and precisely the outer panels 4b and 4d shown in Figure 6 and the inner panels 4a and 4c shown in Figures 5 and 7, allows the simultaneous advance of all the panels 4 inside the drier 50.
The movement of each panel is obtained by means of said kinematic units 7, each one of which, as shown in Figures from 18 to 21, comprises a rack 11 belonging to the supporting structure 2 of the frame 1 and a spike 12 belonging to the perimeter element 5 and suited to interact with the rack 11.
There is also a counteracting bracket 13 belonging to the corresponding perimeter element 5.
The spike 12 and the counteracting bracket 13, as can be observed in the already mentioned figures from 18 to 21, cooperate with the actuator means 9 that are associated with the structure 52 of the drier 50, which is also the subject of the invention.
The frame 1 includes at least one kinematic unit 7 at the level of each one of the panels that are moved and each panel is preferably provided with two kinematic units 7 in order to ensure that the movement of the panels is regular.
In particular, said kinematic units 7 are arranged one in proximity to the head and one in proximity to the tail of each panel, with reference to the longitudinal direction of the panel that is parallel to the axis X.
It is evident that the actuator means 9 associated with the structure 52 of the drier comprise, for each one of the kinematic units 7, a first actuator 9a and a second actuator 9b that overlap each other in the configuration that can be observed in Figures from 18 to 21 and are arranged in the positions indicated by the lines X1-X1 and X2-X2 of Figure 10.
Furthermore, in order to guarantee that each one of the actuators 9a and 9b fixed to the structure 52 of the drier can cooperate with the corresponding kinematic unit 7, the distance between the actuators 9a and 9b and therefore, substantially, the distance between the lines X1-X1 and X2-X2, must be equal to the distance between the kinematic units 7 of each panel.
To simplify the description, here below reference is made, for each panel, to only one of the two kinematic units 7 of which it is provided and to the corresponding actuators 9a and 9b that cooperate with it.
Obviously, each panel that must be moved can be provided with any number of kinematic units 7 and with corresponding actuators 9a, 9b cooperating with them.
With reference to Figure 7 and to the cross sections shown in Figures from 18 to 21 relating to the panels 4a and 4b positioned on the left of the corridor 10, it can be observed that the rack 11 is fixed to the supporting structure 2 while the spike 12 and the counteracting bracket 13 both belong to the perimeter element 5b of the panel 4b that is moved with respect to the adjacent panel 4a delimited by the perimeter element 5a, said panel, instead, remaining fixed.
Obviously, although not illustrated in the figures, an analogous situation occurs in relation to the panels 4c and 4d positioned on the right of the corridor 10, in which the perimeter element 5d that delimits the panel 4d is associated with a spike 12 and a counteracting bracket 13.
With reference to the embodiment shown in Figure 6, it is evident that the spike 12 and the counteracting bracket 13 belong to the perimeter elements 5a and 5c that respectively delimit the panels 4a and 4c.
Regarding the actuators 9, these cooperate with the corresponding kinematic unit 7 associated with each panel and, as can be observed in Figures 18 and 19, they comprise a first actuator 9a that cooperates with the corresponding kinematic unit 7 in order to move the panel 4b away from the panel 4a while the frame 1 enters the tunnel 54 of the drier 50, and a second actuator 9b that, as shown in Figures 20 and 21, cooperates with the same kinematic unit 7 associated with the same panel 4b so as to move it near the panel 4a while the frame 1 exits from the tunnel once the hides have dried.
Concerning, in particular, the drier 50, in Figures from 10 to 17 it can be observed that it comprises: a loading/unloading station 53 for the hides G to be dried or already dried laid on the toggling frames 1, which is arranged before a drying tunnel 54 the inside of which is provided with the guide tracks 51 that are arranged at the sides of the tunnel 54 and are parallel to each other and suited to house the rolling means 3 of the frames 1.
The guide tracks 51, as shown in Figure 6b, develop starting from the loading/unloading station 53 so that each pair of panels, respectively 4a, 4b and 4c, 4d, is slidingly and firmly supported by the guide tracks 51 both outside and during the advance of the frames 1 inside the drier 50.
There are also means for the advance of the frames 1 inside the tunnel 54 along the guide tracks 51 that, according to the known technique, are substantially constituted by a chain 55 wound in a closed ring between rotating mechanisms 55a associated with power means that are not illustrated herein.
There are also heat generation means, of the known type and not illustrated in the drawings for the sake of simplicity, suited to dry the hides G inside the tunnel 54.
The actuator means 9 are arranged in proximity to the guide tracks 51, downstream of the loading/unloading station 53 and upstream of the entry to the tunnel 54, in the area indicated by 57 in Figure 10.
In particular, as already explained, at the level of each line X1-X1 and X2-X2 there are the first actuator 9a arranged in proximity to the inlet branch 51a of the guide tracks 51 entering the tunnel 54 and the second actuator 9b arranged in proximity to the outlet branch 51 b of the same guide tracks 51 exiting from the tunnel 54.
In practice, the hide drying cycle is started by toggling the hides G on the panels 4 of the frame, as shown in Figure 5.
In particular, each hide G is laid astride two adjacent panels 4a, 4b and 4c, 4d that are arranged on opposite sides of the corridor 10.
As can be observed, the hides can be easily toggled by the operators who can easily reach the edge of the hides to fix them to the underlying panel.
The invention thus achieves one of the set objects and makes it easier to lay the hides on the drying surface.
At the end of the toggling operation the adjacent panels, respectively 4a, 4b and 4c, 4d, are moved away from each other, as can be observed in Figure 6 or 7, so as to stretch the hide G.
The frame 1 with the hides G fixed thereon is thus arranged as shown in Figure 8, at the level of the loading station 53 where the advance means, in particular the means for the advance of the chain 55, start transporting it inside the tunnel 54.
As shown in Figure 9, the transport operation is started by inclining the frame 1 downwards, so as to insert the rolling means 3 with which it is provided in the inlet branch 51 a of the guide tracks 51.
In the area 57 downstream of the loading/unloading station 53 and upstream of the drying tunnel 54 and particularly at the level of each one of the lines X1-X1 and X2-X2, the first actuator 9a, as shown in Figure 18, comes into contact with the counteracting bracket 13 of the perimeter element 5b that supports the panel 4b.
The exit of the rod of the first actuator 9a, as shown in Figure 19, moves the perimeter element 5b and thus the panel 4b associated with it towards the left in the direction indicated by the arrow S.
Preferably but not necessarily, both the actuators 9a and 9b are air-operated linear actuators.
As the perimeter element 5a of the adjacent panel 4a remains fixed in its position, being held by locking means indicated as a whole by 58, the hides G positioned astride the panels 4a, 4b are laid and stretched.
The same situation, although not shown in the figures, occurs for the panels 4c and 4d arranged on the opposite side of the corridor 10 and astride which there are further hides G to be dried.
It can be observed that in the passage from the configuration shown in Figure 18 to the configuration shown in Figure 19, the spike 12 jumps on the teeth of the rack 11, being hinged to the perimeter element 5b through the pin 12b and elastically controlled by the spring 12a and in the final configuration shown in Figure 19 the spike 12 counteracts the adjacent teeth of the rack in order to constrain the perimeter element 5b and the corresponding panel 4b in the position reached.
The frame 1 with the hides G stretched as described above continues its advance movement towards the inside of the tunnel 54, progressively reaching the position shown in Figure 11 and successively the positions that can be observed in Figures 12 and 13.
In the passage from the position of Figure 12 to the position of Figure 13, the rolling means 3 of the frame 1 move from the inlet branch 51a of the guide tracks 51 to the overlying outlet branch 51 b.
In this position the frame 1 is inclined and starts its return movement towards the inlet of the tunnel 54 with a rigid parallel movement according to the direction indicated by the arrow R that can be observed in Figure 14, until reaching the configuration shown in Figure 15.
Continuing its advance movement in the direction of the arrow R, the frame 1 returns to the horizontal position when it reaches again the area 57 where it is arranged in the configuration shown in Figure 16.
Obviously, the cycle described with reference to Figures from 8 to 16 refers to a single frame 1 but at the same time in the drier 50 and in particular inside the tunnel 54 there are a plurality of frames 1 that move therein and are shown in Figure 17 which, by way of example, illustrates all the positions assumed by the individual frames 1 along the drying route.
When the frame 1 is in the configuration shown in Figure 16, in which it is coming out of the tunnel 54, the hides G arranged on it have already dried and the second actuator means 9b, arranged in proximity to the outlet branch 51 b of the guide tracks 51 in the area 57, come into contact with the corresponding kinematic unit 7 of the frame 1, as shown in Figure 20.
In particular, from the position shown in Figure 20 the rod of the second actuator 9b starts its return stroke towards the right, as indicated by the arrow T, and causes the rotation of the spike 12 that detaches from the rack 11, so that the perimeter element 5b and thus the panel 4b are moved in the direction indicated by the arrow T when the pushing element of the rod of the second actuator 9b comes into contact with the counteracting bracket 13.
At the end of the stroke the configuration shown in Figure 21 is reached, in which the two perimeter elements 5b, 5a and the corresponding panels 4b, 4a are again one against the other, in the same initial configuration shown in Figure 18.
The same happens for the panels 4c, 4d positioned on the other side of the corridor 10.
The frame 1 then advances towards the unloading station 53 where the operators provide for removing the already dried hides G.
At this point the cycle can be started again by loading new humid hides to be dried on the same frame and repeating the drying cycle.
According to the description provided above, it can thus be understood that the frame 1 of the invention reaches all the set objects.
It has been shown that the presence of the corridor 10 between the panels 4a, 4c that form the frame 1 facilitates the toggling of the hides and that the operators work in better conditions in terms of ergonomics.
This improves the quality of the work performed, which inevitably improves the quality of the final product.
Furthermore, this also improves the productivity of the operators.
It can be observed that the frame 1 that is the subject of the invention substantially makes it possible to double production with respect to the production that could be achieved if the same drier 50 used frames of the known type, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
Furthermore, easier access of the operators to the panels on which the hides are loaded makes their work less tiring.
As already explained, two variant embodiments are possible, one shown in Figure 6, in which the panels 4a, 4c between which the corridor 10 is defined mutually approach and move away from each other, while the panels adjacent to them are fixed, and another shown in Figure 7, in which the panels that delimit the corridor 10 are fixed while the outer panels 4b, 4d approach and move away from them.
Obviously, the application of one embodiment or the other will depend on the way in which the kinematic units 7 that cooperate with the actuator means 9 are associated with the perimeter elements 5, and particularly in the variant embodiment shown in Figure 6 the kinematic units 7, in particular the spike 12 and the counteracting bracket 13, are associated with the perimeter elements 5a, 5c of the panels 4a, 4c that delimit the corridor 10, while in the variant embodiment shown in Figure 7 the kinematic units 7, in particular the spike 12 and the counteracting bracket 13, are associated with the perimeter elements 5b, 5d of the panels 4b, 4d arranged outside the panels that delimit the corridor 10.
Both embodiments, however, achieve all the advantages and objects described above.
The means suited to move the panels can also be made according to construction forms different from the one described herein, according to which actuator means 9 cooperating with the kinematic units 7 are used.
Furthermore, another embodiment is also possible, in which the moving means can even be absent and the hides are stretched by spacing the panels manually.
Finally, a further embodiment is also possible, in which the panels that make up the frame are fixed, in which case the frame 1 is used toggling and stretching the hides astride the panels 4a, 4b and 4c, 4d manually, according to the known technique, and thus exploiting the only advantage deriving from the presence of the corridor 10.
It is evident that in this last possible variant embodiment each pair of panels 4a, 4b and 4c, 4d can be constituted by a single panel.
A further variant embodiment of the frame that is the subject of the invention, indicated as a whole by 100, is represented in Figures from 22 to 24.
It can be observed that each frame 100 is supported by the guide tracks 151 but the first pair of panels, comprising the first panel 104a and the second panel 104c, and the second pair of panels, comprising the third panel 104b and the fourth panel 104d, are independent of each other because the connection bridge that, on the contrary, was present in the embodiments previously described, is missing.
In this way, by installing in the drier 150 a pair of advance means independent of each other, it is possible to make the pairs of panels 104a, 104c and 104b, 104d advance in the drier 150 independently of each other, as shown in Figures 23 and 24.
In this way, production and productivity of the drier are increased, as each pair of panels can be introduced in the drier as soon as the operator has completed the toggling operation, with no need to wait for the same toggling operation to be completed on the other pair of panels.
In the construction stage the frame 1 and the drier 50 that are the subjects of the invention and their variant embodiments can be subjected to modifications and variants that are neither described herein nor illustrated in the drawings.
It is understood, however, that these possible modifications or variants must all be considered protected by the present patent, provided that they fall within the scope of the claims that follow.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the protection of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

Frame (1; 100) for toggling hides (G) to be dried, comprising:
- at least one supporting structure (2; 102a, 102b) provided with rolling means (3) for coupling with guide tracks (51; 51 a, 51 b) of a drier (50);

- panels (4; 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) for toggling said hides (G), each one delimited by a perimeter element (5; 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) associated with said supporting structure (2; 102a, 102b),
characterized in that it has substantially the shape of a U defining a corridor (10) arranged in an intermediate position between said panels (4; 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) that comprise:
- a first pair of panels defined by a first panel (4a) and a second panel (4c) coplanar with each other;

- a second pair of panels defined by a third panel (4b) that is coplanar with and adjacent to said first panel (4a) and by a fourth panel (4d) that is coplanar with and adjacent to said second panel (4c),
said first panel (4a) and said second panel (4c) being spaced from each other to define said corridor (10) in which it is possible to identify an access direction (X) for the operator so that he/she can access said first and said second panel (4a, 4c) in order to load/unload the hides (G).
Frame (1; 100) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises one or more kinematic units (7) belonging to said frame (1), each suited to cooperate with actuator means (9; 9a, 9b) belonging to said drier (50) in order to obtain the mutual coplanar displacement of the panels (4a, 4b; 4c, 4d) that are adjacent to each other.
Frame (1; 100) according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises two kinematic units (7), each one of which in turn comprises:
- a rack (11) belonging to said supporting structure (2);

- a spike (12) belonging to said perimeter element (5; 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) and suited to interact with said rack (11);

- a counteracting bracket (13) belonging to said perimeter element (5; 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d),
said spike (12) and said counteracting bracket (13) being suited to cooperate with said actuator means (9; 9a, 9b).
Frame (1; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting structure (2) and said perimeter elements (5; 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) are constituted by tubular elements with polygonal cross section slidingly coupled inside each other.
Frame (1; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface of each one of said panels (4; 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) is provided with a plurality of holes for the application of toggles (E) for fixing said hides (G).
Frame (1; 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each one of said hides (G) is fixed astride two panels (4a, 4b; 4c, 4d) arranged on the same side of said corridor (10).
Drier (50; 150) for hides (G), comprising:
- a loading/unloading station (53) for the hides (G) to be dried or already dried laid on panels (4; 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d; 104a, 104b, 104c, 104d) belonging to toggling frames (1; 100);

- a drying tunnel (54) whose inside is provided with guide tracks (51; 51 a, 51 b) arranged at the sides of said tunnel (54) and of said loading/unloading station (53) and parallel to each other, suited to house rolling means (3) belonging to said toggling frames (1; 100);

- means (55, 55a) suitable for the advance of said toggling frames (1; 100) along said guide tracks (51; 51a, 51b);

- heat generation means for drying said hides (G);

- actuator means (9; 9a; 9b) for displacement of the panels (4a, 4b; 4c, 4d), characterized in that said toggling frames (1; 100) are made according to any of the claims from 1 to 6.
Drier (50; 150) according to claim 7), characterized in that said actuator means (9; 9a, 9b) comprise:
- at least one first actuator (9a) suited to cooperate, in succession, with a corresponding kinematic unit (7) of said frames (1) to move each panel (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) away from the adjacent panel (4b, 4a, 4d, 4c) while each frame (1) enters said drier (50);

- at least one second actuator (9b) suited to cooperate, in succession, with a corresponding kinematic unit (7) of said frames (1) to move each one of the panels (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) previously moved away close to the adjacent panel (4b, 4a, 4d, 4c) while each frame (1) exits from said drier (50).
Drier (50; 150) according to any of the preceding claims 7 or 8, characterized in that each one of said actuators (9; 9a, 9b) is a fluid-operated linear actuator.