US2284001A - Staking machine - Google Patents

Description

. May 26, 1942.

L. J. LAMBERT swcme MACHINE Filed Ma 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 1942'.- L. J. LAMBERT STAKING mourns Filed m 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 26, 1942 STAKIN G MACHINE Leo J. Lambert, Danvcrs, Mass, assignor to The Turner Tanning Machinery Company, Portland, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application May 27, 1940, SerialNo. 337,475 1 26 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for operat ing upon hides and skins and is illustrated as embodied in staking machines for performing softening and stretching operations upon tanned skins. J

As heretofore constructed, staking machines of the type commonly used in tanneries comprise a blade or blades and co-operating rollers so arranged that successive portions of a skin are bent over an edge of the blade or blades by the rollers. tion that marginal portions of the skin are drawn over the edge of the stakingblade without tension suflicient to produce the desired staking action. A machine of this type is shown It is a disadvatage of this construcin Patent No. 604,560, granted May 24, 1898,'

upon an application of Craig .and Slocomb.

It is an object ofthe invention to provide means for performing staking operations upon tanned skins in such manner that, during the many successively overlapping treatments of a given skin necessary to complete staking of all portions thereof, the marginal portions will receive the same treatment as the body portions of the skin. x 7

To this end, and in accordance with an important feature of the invention,.means is provided for pressing marginal-portions of the skin against a surface of a staking tool sothat such portions of the skin are not only bent sharply over an edge of a staking tool but are also held against a surface of the tool in such manner that they are not released until the edge portions have passed from between the pressing means and the tool whereby the marginal portions are subjected to staking action while under suitable tension, with results substantially the same as those obtained in the rest of the skin.

In the illustrated construction, the pressing means comprises a presser or brake member operative to press a marginal portion of a skin; 1

against a face of a staking blade, andparticularly against that portion of the face adjacent to the working edge of the blade, tocause such portion of the skinv right up to the .very edge thereof to be bent sharply over the edge of the of the skin passes beyond the feeler or detector member, the latter becomes operative to cause the presser or brake member tobe promptly advanced into cooperative relation with respect to the blade in time to treat the marginal portion of the skin. p v

Since the marginal portions of skins are irregular in contour, it 'is preferable to provide a number of feelers or detectors side by side so that, when the trailing edge of a skin undergoing'treatment passes beyond any one of the feelers or detectors, means will instantly become operative to-move the presseror brake member into co-operative relation to the blade. Conveniently, the feelers or detectors are all operable to close switch members in an electrical device so arranged that any one ofthe feelers or detectors may throw in a switch in an electrical circuit to close the latter, therebyenergizing a power member to move the presser or brake member to operative position.

When the jaws of the staking machine, which carry the staking elements, separate at the end of a staking stroke, the feelers or detectors are so operated as to break the. circuit, thus permittingthe presser or brake member to return to its initial position.

While a number of the important features of the invention are illustrated as embodied in means for staking marginal portions of skins, it is to be understood that these features may have other applications and uses.

Fig. 3 is a much enlarged sectional view of an I electrical contact member, the sectionbeing along the line III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view on substantially the same scale as Fig. 2 showing the staking elements in another position;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Figs. 2 and 4 with the staking elements separated from each other as in the forward or idle stroke of the staking tools; y

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line VIVI of Fig. 4, showing one contact arm in circuit closing position and the others below such position;

Fig. '7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of Fig. 4 (with the upper work guide removed) showing three feelers or detectors with one of them dropped off a marginal portion of a workpiece;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII'of Fig. 5; and V Fig. 9 is a greatly enlarged sectional view illustrated construction, this pressing means is found in a presser or brake member 60 carried by a. plate 82 adjustably secured to the forward end of the carrier 50 to get the pressure desired between" member 60 and tool 40. As shown in Figs. 1 and2, the lower edge of the brake member 60 is initially spaced from the upper edge of the staking blade 40 and is in closely spaced Y relation with respect to the surface of the roller showing a contact arm on its return movementj with the circuit broken.

In the illustrated machine, which is specially designed for staking operations upon tanned hides and skins, there is providedapair of jaws I0 and I2 pivoted at M and I6, respectively; 7 to a head 18. As shown, the head I8 is arranged to be reciprocated in a suitable guideway in the frame of the machine by means of a connecting rod 22 adapted to be operated by a power driven eccentric (not shown). At its rear end the jaw.- IO carries a roll 24 which is held yieldingly by a spring 26 in contact with a cam 28 fixed to the end of the connecting rod 22. Similarly the jaw I2 is provided with a roller ,30 held in contact with another cam 32 on the.

same connecting rod, a spring 34 being fixedly carried bythe head l8 to press on the jaw I2 and'thereby to hold the'latter with its roll 30 pressedyieldingly against the cam 32. The forward end of the jaw I0 is provided with two '38, this being the relationship of these tools during staking operations upon the body portions of a given skin S. However, when the marginal portions of the skin are being presented for staking treatment, the brake 60 and the roller 38'aremoved downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4 in which position the brake member 60 presses the marginal portion of the skin against the rear surface or face of the staking'blade 40. while the roller 38 also assists in placing tension .upon such marginal portion of the skin by reason of its frictional surface which is closely spaced with respect to the rear surface of the blade 40. When thus pressed against the staking rollers 36"and 38 of a well-known type,

while the lower jaw I2 carries a staking blade 40- for co-operation with the rollers 36 and 38 a in staking operations "upon suitable pieces of work. For supporting the work piece, such as askin S, there is provided a table 42 which is supported by the frame 20 and which has a slot therein (not shown) extending from front to.

rear of the machine for the reception of the reciprocating head l8. --At its forward end the table 42 is provided with a beam 44 against which the operator may press. a portionof the skin S to hold the latter whilethe staking tools are moving away from the front of the machine rear surfaceyof the blade 48, the marginal portions of the. skin are caused to pass over the edge of theblade and thus are adequately staked. 'Such marginal portions are so held that they are staked substantially to the very edge of the skin, whereas in the ordinary staking machine a considerable marginal portion of the skin is 'whipped away from the blade, with little or no staking actiondue to the loss of holding power between the bladeiand the rear roller on such marginal portion of the skin, it being understood also that .the skin parts undergoing treatment in front of the blade are under high tension so that upon loss of holding power a whipin a staking operation on a portionof the skin.

For-a more detailed description of the staking machine reference should behad to United States Letters Patent No. 604,560, granted May 24, 1898, upon application of Craig and Slocomb.

Commonly the roller 38 is carried fixedlyby the upper jaw of the commercial staking machine. However, in my improved machine, the roller 38 (Figs. 4 and 5) is carried by'suitable bearings fixedly secured to a supporting member or carrier 58 pivoted at 52 in a pair-of brackets, one of which is shown at 54 extending downwardly from the under side of the upper jaw l0,

faspring 56 being provided to hold the carrier with a part thereof pressed against an adjustable abutment or stop member 58. The spring 56 may be relatively light since most of the staking. operation on a given skin is per-v formed with the roller 38 in the positionshown in Figs. 1 and 2 inwhich the pressure of the work piece tends-to move the roller 38 in an upward direction. Hence, the stop 58 positions the roller 38 throughout most of the staking operation on a given skin. 1

v For treatingmarginal portions of the skin to staking operations-there is provided means for pressing such anarginal portions against the blade 40- in such manner'that these marginal portions of the skin cannot escape without proper treatment by the staking blade. In the ping action is inescapable in the ordinary staker.

For controlling the operation of the brake member Gland particularly for timing the op-- eration thereof, there is provided, in the illustrated construction, a feeler or. detector means which normally contacts the upper surface of the skin'and presses it lightly against an abutment 66 fixedly carried by the lower jawl2. When the feeler or detector means drops off the edge of .the skin, it initiates the operation of means for moving the brake member 60 and the roller 38 to the position shown in Fig. 4. In the illustrated construction, the feeler or detector means comprises a plurality of feelers or detectors 88 arranged to become operative when the trailing end of the skin passes beyond the feeler or detector during relative movement between the blade and the skin. Since the staking blade 40 is about five inches in length along its staking edge, it is considered that three feelers 68 (Fig? 7) are sufiicient in staking operations for marginal portions of the usual batch of skins.

'ment of the marginal portion of the skin as shown in Fig. 4.

-As shown most clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings, each feeler 68 is mounted for vertical moveto another line wire 4. Since certain of-the ment in a casing l9 on the bracket 54, the feeler being carried by a rod'IZ which is of smaller diameterthan the feeler so that a spring 14 may surround the rod 12 and operate to. force the feeler yieldingly in a downward direction whereby the feeler yieldingly contacts a work piece or skin S or, alternativelycontacts the upper surface of the abutment 66.- The upper end of the rod 12 is pivoted to a lever 16 pivoted at lB'on a pivot rod, carried by brackets 54, and serving as a pivotal support for all three arms or levers [6. These levers or arms 16 are made of Bakelite or other similar rigid material which is also electrically non-conducting. It will be understood, of course, that just the rear end of the urn I6 may be of this non-conducting substance if it is so desired. These arms 16 control or operate a multiple contact switch-19.

Upon reference to Figs. 6, 8 and 9, and particularly to Figs. 6 and 8,"it:will be observed that each arm 16 at the rear end thereof carries a block 89 slidably mounted thereon, each block being also of a non-conducting substance. Pivotally mounted at 82 in each arm 16 is a pair of contact members 84 which are projected through openings in the side walls of the blocks 80 during upward movement of the arms 1.6, such projection'ofthe contacts 84 being due to dropping of the block 89 by gravity on its supporting arm 16, it being noted that the block 89 has a slot 8| of a size to permit up-and-down movement of the block upon the end of arm 16. Relative movement between the arm 16 and its block 80 may be insured by frictional resistance between the block 80 and metal contact members 99, 92.

As'shown, members 99, 92 are spring members so arranged as to engage opposite surfaces of the blocks 89 with sufficient friction to afford some resistance to the entrance of the block members between the contact members 90, 92..

In other words, due to the frictional resistance of the contacting surfaces between the blocks 89 and the springs 99, 92, the ends of the arms 15 move upwardly in the blocks 89 thus projecting the contacts 94 to the position shown in Figs.

6 and 8. Hence, during upward movement of the blocks 80 and their supporting arms 16 between spring contact members 99, 92, the mem-- bers 84 are in contact with the spring members 99, 92 and establish an electrical circuit whereby a solenoidy93 (Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5) is energized to move; the carrier 59 about its pivot point 52, whereby the staking tools 38 and 59 are moved downwardly to the operative position shown in Fig. 4.

In order that any one of-the feeler, members 56 may energize the circuit of the solenoid 93, a special wiring of the spring contact members 96, 92 is required. This may be conveniently accomplished according to the arrangement shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, wherein three switches are shown in parallel, each switch comprising a block 89 and a set of the spring contact members 90, 9 2, the purpose here being to provide a double pole switch. If, for instance, the switch at the bottom of Fig. 8 be closed by upward movement of the arm 16, the current coming in through a line wire I09 will flow through wire I92 to a post I04 and thence through the contact members 96, 94 to the other spring contact member 99 and thence by wire I96 to the solenoid 93, the return circuit being by wire I99 to post I19, thence to spring contact member 92, pivoted contact members 84, the

second spring contact member 92, and wire .I I 2 binding posts are connected in sets of three on each side by wires H6 and 8., respectively, the v circuit may be readily. traced when either the middle or the upper lever'member .16 in Fig. 8 is moved upwardly to the position shown at the left in Fig. 6.

It is clear from the preceding descriptionthat :any one of the feeler members 68 (Figs. 2, 4 and 7) may close the circuit which includes the solenoid 93 and thereby cause movement of the brake member .60 and the staking roll 38 to their operative positions shown in Fig. 4.

When the jaws Ill and I2 move apart toward he end of the rearward or operative stroke (preliminarily to a forward movement of the jaws in the idle stroke during which the said jaws are separated) the feelers 68 are spaced from the abutment 6B and are projected downwardly by their springs 14 a substantially greater distance than when they dropped off the rear edge of the work piece into contact with the said abutment 66. Due to this downward movement of the feelers 68, the rear ends of all of the leverslfi are moved sharply upwardly to a position, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6, wherein the blocks .80 are above shoulders I20 in the spring contact members 99, 92 and in that part of the space between the members of each pair of members 90, 92 which is so wide that the contact members 84 do not touch said contact members 99, 92. Hence, the circuitthrough the solenoid is broken and remains so during the return or idle stroke of the staking tools and also during the operative stroke of the tools until one or more of the feelers drop off the edge of the skin near the end of the operative stroke of the staking tools, as above described. It follows that current is passing through the solenoid and through the circuit only a very small part of the time. Furthermo-re, by using a double pole switch such as that described in connection with Fig. 8, the solenoid and the wires adjacent thereto are dead the greater part of the time.

. When the jaws close upon the skin at the end of the forward stroke of the jaws, substantially as shown in Fig. 1, the feelers 68 are forced upwardly into their casings 10 and at the sametime the levers 1.6 are turned about their pivots 18 so that the rear ends of said-levers I6 are the lever 16 moves downwardly in the central slot in the block 80, thus withdrawing the pivoted contact members 84 as indicated in Fig. 9. It follows that this movement of the levers 16 together with their blocks 80, relatively to the members 99, 92, does not close the circuit of the solenoid even temporarily. When the levers l6 and the blocks 89 reach the position shown at the right in Fig. 6 and in Fig. 3, the blocks drop downwardly relatively to their sup-' ports 16 by gravity and the contact members 84 are again projected in position to become efiective electrically when the rear end of the lever 16 is lifted by reason of the dropping of one of the feelers 68 off of the end of the skin.

As a further improvement, the lower jaw 121's pivot point 52.

provided with a Shield or guard member I30, the front end of which is secured to the abutment 66, the rear end of the guard or'shield 130 resting on the upper surface of the jaw l2. Preferablyanother shield I40 is provided, it being conveniently attached'to' the'upper jaw l (Fig.

1) and to a surface of the bracket 54 below the s In operating the machine, a piece of work suchas a skin Sis introduced by theoperator between the upper and lower jaws l0 and I2 while the latter are spaced from each'other, as shown in Fig. 5, it being understood that the operator has hold of the skin along opposite marginal portions thereof and on opposite sides of the reciprocating head and jaws I0 and I2.

" Before the'jaws close on the skin in the position shown in Figs. 1 and'2, the operator has pressedthe skin'S against the beam 44 usinga part of his body for the purpose. Incidentally,

the operator wearsa" padded or thick leather apron in operating this type 'of machine, comv monly known as a belly staker, because of the part of the body used to hold'the work against displacement. As soon as the jaws have closed upon the skin, they start on their operative stroke, that is, to the right, in Figs. 1 and 2,

during which time the skin is riding up over the edge of the blade 40' due to the bending of the skin over the edge of the'blade by the rollers 36 and 38. In staking machines, as heretofore constructed, the blade 40, together with the rollers V 36 and 38, would be the staking elements for the skin to the very edge thereof, and the staking effect on the marginalportions of the skin would "not be satisfactory. However, in my improved machine, the presser or brake member 60 comes .down into cooperative relation to the blade 40 as soon asone of the feelers 68 drops off the edge of the skin. Because of the position of the brake 60, the marginal portions of the skin are pressed against the rear face of the blade both by the presser or brake member 60 andby the roller 38 and, by reason of these operative conditions, said marginal portions are bent sharply around theedge of the'blade'with sufficient tension to insure'staking of the marginal portions of the skin right to the edge thereof.' The staking operations are 'repeated on successively overlapping paths across the skin, as the latter a is shifted step by step, until all portions of the skin have been staked. c

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: s c i 1. In a staking machine, a staking tool,.m'eans movable with thetool to bend successive portions of a work piece over an edge of the-tool whereby such portions are subjected to staking operations during relative movement between the work piece and thetool, andmeans movable into close proximity to the tool and becoming'operative only when marginal portions of the work piece are presented to the tool for pressing said marginal portions against 'asurface of the tool to bend such marginal portions sharply over the working edge of the tool and'to hold the marginal portions under yielding pressure against said surface of the tool whereby such portions are tensioned during movement over said surface, thus to insure satisfactory staking of the marginal portions .ofv the .work piece;

2. In. a staking machine, a staking tool, means cooperating with the tool on each side the tool.

3. In a staking machine, a staking tool, a

member in front'of the tool to bend a portion of a work piece over the edge of the tool, a member at the rear of the tool to press portions of the work piece over 'said edge of the tool, one of said members being movable with respect to the tool, and a detector means located in spaced relation to the tool and arranged to be controlled by the work piece and to control the operation of the movable one' of said members.

4. ,In a staking machine, a staking tool, a member in front of the tool to bend a portion of .a work piece'over the edge of the tool, a second member at'the rear of the tool to press portions of'the work piece over said edge of the tool, one of said'members being movable to press portions ofthe work piece into contact with a surface of the tool, and a detector means located to the rear of the tool and arranged to be controlled by the work piece to determine the time of movement of the'movable member to effect treatment of the work piece.

5. In a staking machine, a staking tool, a member in front of the tool to bend a portion of a work piece'over the working edge of the tool, a member at the rear of the tool movable to bend portions of the work piece over the edge of thetool, a detector means spaced rearwardly from saidtool and arranged to be controlled by the work piece to determine the time of operation of the member back of the tool, and means controlled by the detector means to move the second-mentioned member into co-operative relation with respect to the tool.

6. In a staking'machine, a tool having an upwardly facing working edge, a member in front .of the tool to bend a portion of a skin downwardly over the tool, a second member back of the toolto co-operate with the first member in bending the skin over said working edge of the tool,

means for movably supporting the second of the members for movement relative to said tool, op-

erating means for'said supporting means, and detector means spaced rearwardly from said tool and controlled by the movement of.the skin for determining the time of operation of the operatingmeans, whereby the second member is moved mto co-operative relation with respect to the tool to effect staking operations upon a portion of the skin.

'7. In a staking machine, a blade, a pair of members to bend a Portion of a skin over the blade whereby such portion of the skin will be stretched and softened during relative movement between the blade and the skin, a carrier for supporting one of said members for movement into close proximity to a surface of the blade, electrical means for moving the carrier, a detector spaced from the blade a, suitable distance and arranged to become operative as the edge of the thereof to bend a portion of. a work piece over skin is moved beyond the detector during relative movement between the skin and the staking blade, and a switch operated by the detector to close the circuit of the electrical means, whereby the carrier is moved to position the member carried thereby in co-operative relation to said blade for staking operations on the skin.

8. In a staking machine, a blade, a pair of members to bend a portion of a skin over the blade whereby such portion of the skin will be stretched and softened during relative movement between the blade and th skin, a carrier for movably supporting one of said members, elec' trical means for operating said carrier, said electrical means comprising a switch, and a feeler or detector member located back of the blade and arranged to contact the surface of the skin and to drop off an edge thereof during relative movement between the skin and said tool, said feeler or detector member having a connection to close the switch when said feeler drops off the edge of the skin, whereby said skin determines the time of operation of the electrical means for operating the carrier to move the movable skinbending member carried thereby into co-operative relation with respect to said blade.

9. In a staking machine,'a staking blade, a pairof members, one on each side of the blade, cooperating with the blade to bend a portion of a work piece over the edge of the blade whereby such portions are subjected to staking operations during relative movement between the work piece and the blade, and means located back of the blade to engage and press marginal portions of the work piece directly against a surface of the blade to bend such marginal portions sharply over the edge of the blade and to hold such marginal portions with sufficient tension against said surface of the blade to insure staking of the marginal portions to the very edge of the work piece.

10. In a staking machine, a staking blade, a pair of members, one on each side of the blade, c-o-operating with the blade to bend a portion of a work piece over the working edge of the blade whereby such portions are subjected to staking operations during relative movementbetween the work piece and the blade, and a presser or brake member movable to engage a surface of the work piece to press a portion of the latter directly against the blade closely adjacent to the working edge thereof to insure that such marginal portions of the work piece will pass over the edge of the blade and thus be subjected to staking treatment by the blade.

11. In a staking machine, a staking blade, a pair of members co-operating with the blade to bend a portion of a work piece over the edge of the blade whereby such portions are subjected to staking operations during relative movement between the work piece and the blade, a presser or brake member movable to co-operate with the blade in staking operations on marginal portions of the work piece, and a detector spaced rearwardly from the blade and arranged to be controlled by the edge of the work piece when the marginal portion of the work piece reaches the blade and to initiate operative movement of the presser or brake member whereby the latter is timed in its movement toward the blade to effect treatment of the marginal portions of the work piece.

12. In a staking machine, a staking blade, a pair of members co-operating with the blade to bend a portion of a work piece over the edge of the blade whereby such portions are subjected to taking operations during relative movement between the work piece and th blade, a presser or brake member movable to co-operate with the blade in staking operations on marginal portions of the work piece, a detector located back of the blade and arranged to be controlled by the edge of the work piece when a, marginal portion of the work piece reaches the blade whereby the presser or brake member is timed in its movement toward the blade to effect treatment of the marginal portions of the work piece, and power mean con-.

trolled by the detector to move the brake memher into co-operative relation with respect to the blade.

13. In a staking machine, a blade, a pair of members movable towardthe blade to benda portion of a skin over the blade whereby such portion of the skin will be stretched and softened during relative movement between the blade and the skin, a carrier for movably supporting one of the said skin-bendingmembers for movement relative to said blade, a :presser or brake member also supportedby said carrier for movement with the movable skin-bending member, operating means for said carrier, and a detector spaced rearwardly from said blade and. controlled by the movement of the skin for determining the time of operation of said operating means whereby both the presser or brake member and said one of the skin-bending members are .moved into cooperative relation with respect to the blade to operate upon a marginal portion of the skin.

14. In a staking machine, a blade, a pair of members movable toward the blade to benda portion of a skin over the blade whereby such portion of the skin will be stretched and softened during relative movement between the blade and the skin, a presser or brake member operative to press a marginal portion of a skin against a surface of the blade, a carrier for movably supporting the presser or brake member, electrical means for operating said carrier, and a feeler or detector member spaced from said blade and having connections to control said electrical means and arranged to contact the surface of the skin and to drop off the edge thereof whereby said skin determines the time of operation of the electrical means for operating the carrier to move the presser or brake member into'co-operative relation with respect to said blade.

15. In a staking machine, a blade, a pair of members movable toward the blade to bend a portion of a skin over the blade whereby such portion of the skin will be stretched and softened during relative movement between the blade and the skin, a presser or brake member operative to press a marginal portion of a skin against a surface of the blade, a carrier for the brake member, electrical means for moving the carrier, a

detector member spaced rearwardly from the blade a suitable distance and arranged to be controlled by the edge of the skin as the latter is moved past the staking blade, thereby to determine the extent of a marginal portion of the skin to be given treatment by said brake member, and

a switch operated by the detector member to close the circuit of the electrical means whereby the carrier is moved to position the presser or brake member in co-operative relation to said blade for staking operations on marginal portions of the skin.

16. In a staking machine, a staking tool having an edge over which a skin is drawn in staking operations thereon, a member in front of the tool and another back of the tool both co-operating to bend the skin over the working edge of the tool, a feeler arranged to ride on the surface-of the skin and to fall off when an edge of the work is reached during relative movementbetween the tool and the skin, electrical means controlled by the feeler for moving one of said skin-bending members into co-operative relation to the staking tool, said electrical means including a switch consisting of two spring members, spaced from each other a substantially greater distance in one part of the length of such members and closer together in another part of the length of such spring members, and a feeler-operated block carrying contact members arranged-to contactlsaid spring members where they are spaced closerto each other and to be out of contact with said spring members where the latter are spaced a greater distance from each other, whereby the electrical means isjoperative to move said skinbending member into co-operative relation to the staking tool when the block with its contact members is in the space of lesser width between said spring members.

1'7. A staking machine according to claim 16 in which the contact members carried by said block are pivotally mounted and are projectable to contact said spring members to close the cir-, cuit of said electrical means.

the tool as the trailing edge of the hide or skin passes beyond said one of the detectors, and means arranged to be operated by that one of the detectors which first becomes operative for causing the tool and its co-operating means'to effect treatment of the hide or skin."

20. In a machine for treating hides and skins, a tool, members in front and rear of thejtool and co-operating therewith to effect treatment of a hide or skin, a plurality of detectors arranged side by side in spaced relation with respect to the tool, one of the detectors becoming operative to controlthe operation of theitool as thetrailing edge of the hide 'or skin passes beyond said one of the detectors, andelectrical meanshaving a circuit arranged to be closed by that one of the detectors which first became operative'for causing 'co-operation of the tool and said members to 18. In a staking machine, a staking tool having an edge over which a skin is drawn in stakin operations thereon, a member in front of the tool and another back of the .tool both co-operating to bend the skin over the working edge of the tool, an abutment over which a skin is drawn during relative movement between the staking tool and the skin, a feeler arranged to ride on the surface of theskin and to fall ofi an edge of the skin into contact with said abutment when operated block carrying pivotally mounted contact members arranged to be projected to contact said spring members where they are spaced closer to each other and tobe out of contact of said spring members where they are spaced a greater distance from each other, and said block being movable by gravity to project the pivotally mounted contact members for contact with said spring members when the feeler member drops off the edge of the skin, the arrangement being such that the block with its pivotally mounted contact members moves into the widespace between said spring members when the staking tool and the two co-operating members move away from each other at the end of their operative or working stroke, contact of the feeler with a skin being followed by a reverse movement of the block with its pivotally mounted contact members withdrawn from operative'position, so that the electrical means is energized only while said feeler is in contact with said abutmentafter' having dropped off an edge of the skin.

19. In a machine for treating hides and skins, a tool, means co-operating therewith to" effect treatment of a hide or skin, a plurality of deefiect treatment of the hide or skin. i

21; In a staking machine, a stakingtool having an edge over which a skin is drawn in staking operations thereon,a member in front-of the tool and another back of the took-one of said members being movable with respect to said tool and both co-operating to bend the skin over the working edge of the tool, a plurality. of detectors arranged side by side in spaced relation with respect to the tool, one of the detectors becoming operative to control the operation of the tool through-said movable member as the trailing edge of the hide or skin passes beyond said one of the detectors, electrical means for moving the movable one of said members into co-operative relation to said staking tool, and a plurality of switches, each being controlled' by one of said detectors and so arranged that any one of the detectors may close the circuit of the electrical means through its corresponding switch when a given detector becomes operative upon passage thereby of the trailing edge of the skin. 7

'22. Ina machine for treating hides and skins, a tool, means co-operating therewith to efiect treatment of a hide or skin, a plurality of feelers ordetectors spaced a substantial distancefrom the tooland arranged to ride on the surface of the hide or skin during relative movement between the hide or skin and the tool, and means arranged to be' operated by that one of the feelers or detectors which first drops 0115 an edge portion of the skin for initiating operation of the tool and its co-operating means to effect treatment of the hide or skin.. i Q

23. In a machine for treating hides andskins, a tool, means oo-operating therewith to effect treatment of a hide or skin,.a plurality of feelers or detectors spaced rearwardlyfrom saidtool and arrangedlto ride on the surfaceof the hide or skin during relative movement betweenthe hide tectors arranged side by side in spaced relation with respect to the tool, one of the detectors or 'skin and thetool, an electrical 'means having a circuitfarrangedto be closed by that one of the feelers or detectors which first drops oiI an edge portion of the skin, and power means operated by said electrical means for causing cooperation of the tool and the first-mentioned means to effect treatment of the hide or 24. In a staking machine,a staking tool having an edge over which a skin is drawn in staking operations thereon, a member in front of the tool and another back of the tool both co-operating to bend the skin over the working edge of thetool, a plurality of feelers or detectors spaced rear! wardlyfrom the tool' and arranged to'ride on the surface of the skin a'ndtodrop off an edge thereof during relative movement between the skin and the staking tool, and electrical means, ar

parallel, each being controllable by one of said ranged to be operated by that one of the feelers or detectors which first drops off the edge of the skin, for moving one of said members into co-operative relation to said staking tool.

25. In a staking machine, a staking tool having an edge over which a skin is drawn in staking operations thereon, a member in front of the feelers or detectors and so arranged that the first feeler or detector to drop off the edge of the skin will close the circuit of the electrical means through its corresponding switch.

26. A machine according to claim 25 in which relatively movable jaws are provided to carry the feelers or detectors and also the staking toolwith its co-operating members and in which all of the switches are rendered inoperative when the feelers or detectors are moved away from the plane of the skin upon the opening of the jaws preliminarily to the idle stroke of the jaws during which a new skin is introduced for treatment.

LEO J. LAMBERT.

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