US149542A - Improvement in leather-splitting machines - Google Patents

Description

UNITED f STATES PATENT 01emen oALnB S. srnAnNs, on MAnnBonoUeH, MASSACHUSETTS, Assrenon on ONE-HALF Hrs nreHr ro SAML. F. nnArnn, or SAME PLAGE.-

lMPROVEMENT IN LEATHkER-'SPLJITTING MACHINES.

Spcification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,541.2, dated April 7, 1814; application fnea August 4, 1873.

To all whom t may concern: Y

4Be it known that I, GALEB S. STEARNS, of Marlborough, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a Leather-Splitting Machine, of which the following is a specification:

This machine consists essentially of three or more rollers, arranged so that a convex surface is presented by one of them to the splitting-knife, and so that the others afford a means of tightening a metallic endless apron extending around the series of rollers, so that a firm surface will be aiforded, to the end that the leather to be split will be evenly sustained throughout its extent, and will be uniformly fed. The` roller that presents a convex surface to the knives has an ela-Stic periphery, and it is made yielding in its bearings, whereby a uniform pressure is maintained on the leather while being fed to the knife. The apron is composed of cha-ins or bands roughened on the exterior, in order that they may bite on the stock so as to carry it along. The stock is held down on the apron by a rising and falling brake-bar, which may be operated by cams or a treadle. It is made smooth on its under side, so that it shall not interfere with the feed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a top view or plan of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a side view of several links of 011e of the chains making up the endless apron.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

The frame of the machine consists of twostandards, A A, united by stretchers B B. The rollers before mentioned are lettered C Of, and are four in number. They are supported in the standards A in Such positions that alternate rollers are opposite one another, two,

C C', in a vertical line, and the other two, C C, in a horizontal line. The two rollers C C have their journals supported in the same blocks D D, and these are arranged in housings provided in the standards A A. Springs S S are iitted under the blocks, and thus afford a yielding action to theupper roller, which is the one that presents the endless feed-apron G, and the stock upon it, in convex f rm to the knife K, that effects the splittin g.

As itsfellow-rollerC has its bearings in the Vapron downward from the-rollers G C. The

upper roller C has an elastic surface, which also' affords a yielding action to the apron. The two rollers C C are supported in separate bearings, which will in practice be made so that the. rollers can be adjusted toward or from each other, to slacken or tighten the endless apron G. llhis apron, as represented in the drawing, consists of a number of chains, having flat plate links riveted together. These chains are arranged side by Side around a leather band, I, Vwhich is stretched round the rollers C C', and motion is imparted to them by the rotation of the rollers, one of which constitutes the driving-roller, and is geared with the others outside the frame ofthe machine. Strips of leather a c, secured to thc edges of the leather band j ust mentioned, constitute flanges,

and prevent the chains from slipping off laterally. The links of the chains are roughened or serrated on the outer side, as shown in Fig. 3, to bite or clutch the stock, in order that they may carry it along to the splitting-knife K. Instead ofbeingthus made up of chains, the apron may be composed of bands of pliable metal, roughened somewh at after the manner of a grater. The knife, Kis arranged horizontally on a beam or block,situate between the standards, and is beveled on the upper side,

as represented in Fig. 2. Its cutting-edge is over the axis of the upper roller C', just where the Stock is presented in convex form. As before stated, the stock is held down on the apron by a brake-bar. It consists of a bar, J, hung above the upper roller C by two rods, b I). 1t is curved on the under side to conform to the convex portion .of the apron underit, and is furnished ,on the under side with slotted rods c c. Levers L, pivoted to the standards A A, are connected with these rods, and, by pushing them in one direction or the other, raise or lower the bar to which they are attached. The two levers are actuated by cams N N on a shaft, O, which is driven by a belt from the driving-roller G, to rotate at a 'much lower speed. The rods b b, which suspend the bar, are pivoted to blocks P P, which are fitted in housings in the upper part of the standards, so that they may be raised or lowered at will to adju st the bar to different thicknesses of stock. The `levers L, by which the bar is operated, have hook-like ends, and the cams against which they work are circular, with single notches in their peripheries. Springs g g hold the levers aga'nst the cams. The brakebar, might, however, be operated by a treadle instead of by cams, and this would be preferable whenever the leather to be split is in short pieces.

The leather to be split is placed on the endl less apron, and the brake-bar is then brought down on it. As this is made smooth on its under side, it does not interfere with the feeding of the leather forward to the knife, but nevertheless holds it down the while. The leather passing forward meets the knife by its continued motion, is split in two pieces, one piece passing over the knife, and the other be low it over the apron. By the time the cutting is finished the notches in the cams have come opposite the ends of the levers L L, and the latter, by the springs g g, are pulled into them, and the brake-bar is raised. Another piece of leather is then placed on the apron, and the operation is repeated.

That I claim as my invention is 1. The endless metallic apron, composed of chains or metallic bands, roughened on the exterior, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The arrangement of three or more rollers for supporting the chains, substantially as described, whereby a convex surface is presented to the action of the knife, and so that the apron may be tightened whenever necessary, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the elastic surface or yielding roller C', of the metallic apron Gr, essentially as and for the purpose herein def scribed.

4. The rising and falling brake-bar J, for holding down the goods, operated by cams or a treadle, essentially as and for the purpose set forth.

lCALEB S. STEARNS.

Witnesses NATHUM WITHERBEE, JEROME B. GARDNER.

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