US2385712A - Machine for cutting skins - Google Patents

Description

'. 25, 1945. R. H. KONIKOFF' MACHINE FOR CUTTING SKINS through the fur.

a ait-wear Patented Sept. 25, 1945 Search m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR CUTTING SKINS Robert H. Konikofi', New York, N. Y., assignor to Jess Cohen, Louis Passloii, Olga Schneebalg, and Doris Weinberg, New York, N. Y., copartners, doing business under the firm name of American Lambskin Products Application March 6, 1944, Serial No. 525,295

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in means for cutting furred skins, and has for its principal object the provision of a novel apparatus and method of cutting circular discs from the skins without cutting or otherwise damaging the fur.

The apparatus and method of the present invention may be used for cutting any type of furred skins, and it is particularly effective for cutting circular discs from lamb skins for use as powder puffs, or the like. Heretofore, the cutting of such articles has been accomplished either by the use of a simple fur-cutting knife, or by the use of an appropriately-shaped cutting die. When the cutting die is used, the skin is placed, fur side down, on any suitable support, such as an end grain wooden block, and the cutting die placed on the upper or skin side, and the die then struck with a hammer.

The objection to this method resides in the fact that the die cuts the hairs as well as the skin, and since the hairs are disposed in one direction and are lying flat during the cutting operation, there is a considerable waste occasioned by the cutting of the hairs lying under the annular cutting edge. In the event that such hairs were not severed, and the hairs on the disc thereafter brushed out in the usual manner, the resulting powder puff has a considerably larger diameter than the diameter of the skin disc. Accordingly, it has been a more accepted practice to cut these discs with an ordinary fur cutters knife, taking care to out only through the skin, and not This latter method, however, is slow and tedious, and any saving in material is offset by a substantial increase in labor charge.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a high-speed cutting tool which will cut through the skin portion only, and thus leave the hairs below the skin uncut, and accordingly make for a considerable saving in material. Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-speed cutting device of this general character which is emcient in operation, and which can be operated by one possessing only a moderate amount of skill.

The method of the present invention consists essentially in supporting the skin, fur side down, on a generally horizontal supporting surface, and then moving a rotating annular cutting element downwardly into contact with the skin, the cutting element rotating at sufficiently high speed to cut through the skin without the necessity of compressing the fur between the cutting element and the work support. In this fashion, the skin may be cut without the cutting element entering the furred section, thus avoiding severing of the hairs by the cutting element.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter pointed out, or will become apparent, as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine forming one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a broken horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of FIB. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of the cutting element and showing the manner in which the skin is cut without cutting the hairs.

Fig. 4 is a section taken through a disc cut by the machine and method of the present invention after the hairs have been brushed out.

Fig. 5 is a section taken through the ordinary fur-cutting die of the type previously referred to.

Fig. 6 is a section taken through a disc cut by such die.

The cutting element I0 of the present invention is shown in some detail in Fig. 3, and comprises a circular portion having a depending annular flange II. At its lower end, this flange is bevelled on its outer surface, as shown at I2, thus forming an annular cutting edge I3. The inner surface of the flange II is straight, as shown at I4. The circular portion I0 is carried by, or is formed integrally with, a shank I5, which may be mounted in some appropriate chuck I6 carried on motor shaft ll of a motor I8. The motor is suitably, and preferably removably, supported in motor carriage I 9, which may include a plurality of annular strap elements 20. Motor support I! has oppositely-disposed vertical flanges 24 which are received in frame elements 25'and 26 forming trackways, thus providing means for longitudinal up-and-down movement of motor carriage I9 and motor I8.

Frame elements 25 and 26 are part of a general frame structure 30, which may include vertical members 3I and 32, as well as a horizontal work support 33. Downward movement of motor carriage I9 is controlled by means of a foot treadle 31 journalled at 38 in frame 30. Downward movement of the foot treadle 31 causes downward movement of a link 39, the upper end of which is appropriately connected at 40 to a pair of endless chains H, which are supported by sprockets 42 and 43 at the lower and upper ends thereof, respectivel The following means are provided for connecting the chains with the motor carriage I9, shown particularly in Fig. 2. A rearward extension 41 move in the opposite direction, and the motor.

carriage accordingly raised, by means of a coil spring 52 which is secured at its upper end at 53 to the chains 4|, and at its lower end at 54 to a horizontal frame member 55.' Suitable ad'-., J'ustable stop means limiting downward move- V ment of the motor carriage may also bepro vided.

is I

The method of operating the machine is shown in Fig. 3, wherein the skin 60, having the fur 6T on one side thereof, is placed, fur down, on the horizontal work support 33. Cutting element ID with annular cutting edge I3 is now lowered to a point where the cutting edge contacts the skin and cuts through such skin, but not through the fur. The speed of rotation of the cutting element is an important aspect of the present invention, since superior results are achieved only by providing a relatively high-speed motor of the order of 3600 R. P. M. This assures a cleaner cut, and results are otherwise far more satisfactory, than would be the case if the motor operated at a considerably lower speed.

As the cutting edge l3 descends and commences its operation of cutting through the skin, the skin will, of course, be depressed, but only slightly, and the stop means limiting downward movement of the cutting element are so arranged as to permit the cutting element to out completely through the skin, but not through the fur. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the individual hairs 6| are not perpendicular with the surface of the skin, but rather are disposed in one direction, which is the case in practically all furred skins.

For certain types of skins, it may be desirable to provide means for holding the disc while the same is being cut, thus preventing the cut disc from remaining within the recess of the cutting element, which occasionally occurs in light-weight skins. These means may include an opening 62 in the center of the cutting member, which opening receives a. headed pin or button 63 which engages the center of the disc. This button is readily removable. The fur on the resulting disc 65 is then brushed in all directions, thus causing the hairs to project radially from the center of the disc. In this fashion, the over-all diameter of the furred surface is from 20% to 30% greater than the diameter of the fur disc itself, thus achieving a considerable saving in material.

The advantage of the method and apparatus of the present invention becomes more apparent when considered in contrast with the commonly practiced method shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein represents the usual annular cutting die, having a cutting edge H. As the disc 12 is cut, the

skin and the fur are obviously compressed between the cutting edge H and the work support,

and accordingly the cutting edge severs the individual hairs 13 lying immediately therebeneath, as well, as the skin. This produces the result shown in Fig. 6, wherein the hairs 14 have been severed, and accordingly, when the hairs are brushed out, they will extend from the marginal edge of the disc on the right side, when viewed as in Fig. 6, but not on the left side, which produces a distorted circle.

While I have herein shown and described one form or embodiment of my invention for illustrative purposes, and have disclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to a specific application thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to the specific embodiment shown herein, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated form or embodiment of the invention may be made, without departing from the principles thereof.

What I claim is:

An apparatus for cutting circular discs from furred skins comprising a frame, a vertically-reciprocable support slidable in the frame, a foot tigadle journalled adjacent the lower end of the frafi," means connecting the support with the treadle to reciprocate the support, a motor with itsshaft disposed vertically carried bTtlresupport, a cutting element formed with an annular cutting edge carried at the lower end of the motor shaft, and a Wm carried by the frame for receiving a furied'skin, fur side down, on such support, whereby the annular cutting element may be moved downwardly, by depressing the foot treadle, into cutting relation relative to the skin while rotating at high speed to out such circular discs from the skin.

ROBERT H. KONIKOF'F.

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