GB191226300A - Improvements in or relating to Processes of and Apparatus for Finishing the Edges to Pieces of Leather. - Google Patents

Abstract

26,300. Boult, A. J., [United Shoe Machinery Co.]. Nov. 15. Edges, treating.-The edges of pieces of leather for boot and shoe uppers, gloves, pocketbooks, &c. are given a rounded contour, as shown in Fig. 2, by subjecting them to a marginal shrinkage on one side, for instance by heating, whereby the other side is caused to curl towards the shrunken side. In a machine for effecting this electrically, the leather 100, Fig. 8, is carried by a conical feed-roll 29 and a turntable 27 under a U-shaped platinum or similar cautery 1 which is bent at a right-angle to bear on the leather horizontally. The cautery, Fig. 5, consists of a heavy platinum wire 1 doubled on itself and soldered to two rods 3, 5 of segmental section which are insulated from each other by a sleeve 7. An edge-gauge 20 with a flexible stem extending from the bearing-block 19, Fig. 1, on the main work-table 25 has a protruding lip, as shown in Fig. 8, for lifting the edge of the leather towards the cautery. In order definitely to bend the edge as well as sear it, a guide 35 is formed on the table 27 with a grooved edge and the roller 29 is mounted angularly so as to crowd the leather into the bending-groove. A pivoted forked guard 37, Fig. 1, which straddles the cautery, bears on the leather and protects it from heat excepting immediately around the cautery. The guard is spring-pressed on to the work at 41, and may be raised by depressing the lever 43. To accommodate work of various thicknesses, the cautery and gauge 20 may be vertically adjustable, or, as shown, the shaft 45 of the turntable may be centred on a vertically-adjustable bearing- screw 47. The turntable and feed-roll 29 are belted together at 53 and are driven at an adjustable speed by a friction wheel 57, which slides along the main-driving-shaft 61 under the action of a pedal-actuated linkage 63, 67, 69. The lever 69 is adjustably linked at 77 to the control arm 75 of a rheostat, whereby the current through the cautery is increased in proportion to the speed of travel of the work. In an alternative method, the resistance of the circuit is practically all concentrated in the cautery which, by virtue of its temperature coefficient of resistance, together with the cooling- action of the leather, maintains a sensibly constant temperature. The electric cautery may be replaced by a gas-heated tool having a gauze partition and flame-vent of the usual type. The grain or flesh side of the leather may be operated upon, and the process may be used for darkening the edges as well as smoothing and bending-over. In place of the above-described machine, a heated tool with an edge-gauge attached to its handle may be used, this being guided around the work by means of a templet.