US1118813A - Hide and method of treating the same. - Google Patents

Description

C. E. SCHMIDT. HIDE AND METHOD OF TREATING THE SAME. APPLICATION rum) 1411.11.31, 191s. nnnnwnn AUG. 5, 1914.

1,118,813, Patented Nov.24, 1914.

B m A i\\ i? YE! MCGPW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL E. SCHMIDT, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

1mm AND METHOD OF TREATING THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

Application filed Harcha1, 1913;3eria111ha. 757,970. Renewed August a, 1914'. Serial no. states.

The invention relates it the stretching and drying of hides and skins during their treatment and preparation for marketin as leather ready for use, and has for its 0 ject an improved method of handling and work: ing, whose purpose is to avoid the objection. able features of unevenness of product and trimming waste incident to the process as now followed, in which the skins are stretched or F put out on smooth, tables,

thereafter removing the hides or skins and stretching them. out on frames, where they. are tacked or, held in place by pins or by toggles until the leather is dried. This method is objectionable in that no account is or can be taken of the variations in the quality and thickness of the hide, as for example, be-

tween the relatively tough. andtbick part near the center and the flank portions, where the hide isthinner. and more tender. Furthermore, when this method of-treatment is followed, there is produced all around the edge of the hide a series of tack holes, be-

tween which there are located unevenly.

stretched portions of theleather, which it is necessary to cut OE and discard either at the tannery or when the hide is cut up for its special use.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is perspective of a setting-out board with a hide stretched thereover. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, in exaggerated proportions as to thickness, of the board, the hide, and the interposed mucilaginous film.

The avoidance of this waste, which experience shows amounts to about five per cent, and involves leather otherwise just as good as the portion that is saved as well as the securing of greater uniformity in the quality of the finished leather, is the object of this invention, in the carrying out of which I employ a fiat surface A of either wood, metal or glass, or even paper or cardboard, which is coated, just before the hide is stretched thcreover, with a film of adhesive or mucilaginous substance B such as glue, gelatin,'dextrin, silicate of soda, glu--' 'cose', Irish moss,- glycerin or soap, and over which the hide C is then stretched to the do gree desired, and preferably with the grain side downward, after which the then exposed surface of the leather is worked, either by the operators hand or by the a plication of a glass or metal tool, until it is attened against the up orting surface A to the degree and wit t e evenness required, the operator gradually working toward the edge portions, which are the last to be pressed against the coated surface A.

The flank portions F of the hide. which are normally the thinnest and most yielding parts, can thus be worked somewhat thicker by partially rolling thereinto and thereover from the adjacent thicker portions of the leather, while still wet and plastic, so that its mass is finally brought very near the standard of the remaining portions ofthe hide. Although both the hide and the applied mucilaginous or adhesivesubs'tau on the finishing surface or table are still Wet by the time this working has been com: pleted, I have found that the unionthus 8ecured betweenthe hideqand the adjacent poi: tions of the tablesurface is such as to old the hide in the degree ,ofgtension and mu. formity of quality to which it has bee brought while it is drying, so that the hide when dried and ready to be moved is of the same size and even quality left by the worker. Moreover, this grain side protected from the light during drying giycs a surface of exceptional uniformity of co or or shade. When dry or nearly so, the hide is easily stripped from the finishing surface, and the character as well as the proportion of the adhesive substance used is such as to be of no objectionable effect on the finish of the leather or any subsequent treatment to which it may be desired to Sub ect 1t, and in some instances actually beneficial. ThlS process also results in maklng all of the leather to the extreme manl' stead of the previously perforated edge porfound specially adapted for certain condieing tions. And While I have described the coating of the finishing surface with the adhesive or mucilaginous substance, the soaking of the leather therewith or therein before putting it, thus allowing it to dampen the surface over which it is spread out could of course, easily be substituted therefor.

The advantages of my invention result from the greater uniformity of thickness in the diflerent portions of the treated hide and from the desirable surface condition of the grain side of the dried hide. There is much less lossin working the hide up into leather and the surfaced grain side of the leather is in excellent condition for further treatment and use.

By working the grain side of the leather down on the supporting surface, this face of the leather is impressed with the character of the surface. When the surface is smooth, the leather, drying in intimate contact with it, assumes asimilarsmoothness. If the surface is given a grain efiect and the skin is worked grain side down, as above described, and allowed to dry in contact with the surface, the pattern or surface of the support will be permanently impressed on this grain side of the leather. Moreover, this surface character will be substantially uniform throughout the skin, whereas by the present method of boarding, the fineness of the impression varies in the different parts of the skin.

What I claim is 1. The process of treating leather, consisting in dampening the same with an adhesive and spreading the same over a plane surface with the grain side down, manually working the thicker portions of the leather toward and into the thinner portions to efl'eot a standardizing change in the thick ness of each, and leaving the leather to dry asthus worked into position and held to the plane surface by the mucilaginous substance.

2. The process of-treating leather, which consists in working the flesh side of a mucilaginously coated hide so as to diminish the thickness of'those portions of the hide adjacent the relatively thin flank portions thereof in favor of such flank portions, forcing the grain side 'of the hide as thus worked into adhesive contact with a plane surface, pinldi allowing the same to-dry while thus 3. The process of treating leather, which consists in wetting the same with an adhesive substance, and forcing the grain side thereof into uniform adhesive contact with a plane surface and Working all part-s of the exposed flesh side into substantially uniform thickness, and allowing the same to dry while thus held in position.

4. The process of treating leather, consisting in drawing the same over an adhesively coated plane surface with the flesh side exposed, manually working the thicker portions of the hide over. and into the adj acent thinner portions thereof to effect substantial uniformity in the thickness of the entire hide, and forcing the grain side of' the leather as thus worked into adhesive contact with said coated plane surface, and allowing the same to dry while thus held.

5. A dried, tanned hide or skin, having a surfaced grain side, the thinner portions of the hide being thickened so that the hide is of more uniform thickness than the natural hide, substantially as described.

6. A tanned and dried skin or hide, having its grain side surfaced throughout, the thlnner portions of said hide or skin being worked into thickened condition, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

CARL E. SCHMIDT.

Witnesses:

Nrcn. J. Sononn, WILLIAM M. SWAN.

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