US3640105A

US3640105A - Apparatus for processing tanned hides

Info

Publication number: US3640105A
Application number: US886675A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gerhard Richter; Norbert Schmid
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-12-28
Filing date: 1969-12-19
Publication date: 1972-02-08
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-08
Also published as: FR2027257A1; GB1275959A; DE1817365A1

Abstract

A machine for wringing tanned hides of the kind including a spreading device and a wringing device, has the spreading device situated near the feed-in end of the machine and the wringing device situated near the delivery end of the machine. A hidefeeding device is provided which, in operation, is moved towards the wringing device to feed a hide into the wringing device, and when the hide is held by the wringing device is moved back again ready to receive a subsequent hide, the feeding device, the spreading device and wringing device being arranged to cooperate together in such a way that an entire hide is wrung in one pass through the machine.

Description

ilite 1 States atent Richter et a1.

[54] APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING TANNED HHDES Gerhard Richter; Norbert Schmid, both of 84 Regensbury, Regensburg 13, Germany Dec. 19, 1969 Inventors:

Filed:

Appl. No.:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data US. Cl ..69/41, 69/42, 68/22 Int. Cl. ..Cl4b 1/08 Field of Search ..69/41, 42, 43; 271/29, 54

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 619,614 2/1899 Ouirin ..69/41 2,330,271 9/1943 Cutler ..69/43 Feb. 8, 197 2 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 718,679 1 1/1954 Great Britain ..69/43 908,440 10/1962 Great Britain 936,250 9/1963 Great Britain 575,775 4/1924 France Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest Attorneywalter Spruegel [57] ABSTRACT 7 hide, the feeding device, the spreading device and wringing device being arranged to cooperate together in such a way that an entire hide is wrung in one pass through the machine.

7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB em: 3,640,105

' SHEET 2 UF 3 PATENTED FEB 8 m2 3.640.105

sum 3 OF 3 APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING TANNED HIDES The invention relates to machines for wringing tanned hides, particularly cattle hides, the machine including a spreading device followed by a wringing device, the spreading device ensuring that the naturally present folds in the tanned hides are flattened out.

In the operation of known wringing machines equipped with a spreading device, the hide is first of all partly inserted into the wringing machine by the operator so that a little more than half of the hide is in the machine. The hide is inserted into the machine in such a way that the half of the hide which is to be wrung is positioned behind a rubber roll which cooperates with wringing rolls, as seen by the operator. The machine conveys the hide between the rubber wringing roll and rolls, the hide being delivered by the wringing rolls back to the operator. On receiving the hide from the machine the operator has to introduce it again into the machine the other way around so that the machine can repeat the process on the other half of the hide. The hide must therefore be introduced into the machine twice, only half of the hide being processed in one pass through the machine. This involves repeated opening and closing of the machine. The operation is therefore necessarily performed in two steps, this being a time-consuming method which limits the output of the machine.

The object of the present invention is to increase the output of wringing machines for hides by arranging the machine so that it operates continuously, each hide being processed in a single pass through the machine, without any necessity to turn the hide around and introduce it a second time into the machine. Thus operation of the machine is greatly simplified.

To this end, according to this invention, in a machine for wringing tanned hides including a spreading device and a wringing device, the spreading device is situated near the feedin end of the machine, the wringing device is situated nearer the delivery end of the machine, and a movable hide feeding device is provided which, in operation automatically feeds the hides into the machine, the machine being constructed in such a way that an entire hide is dried in one pass and conveyed through the machine.

The processing of the hides therefore proceeds continuously and the machine operates at a correspondingly high rate of output.

Preferably the feeding device includes a feed table, on which the hide is spread out ready to be fed into the machine and which is movable relative to the spreading device and the wringing device, the table being preferably pivoted in such a way that it can be swung downwards after the hide has been gripped by the wringing device during the feeding process. When the machine is open, that is to say when the spreading device and the wringing device are both open, the feed table feeds the hide into the machine by introducing it far enough so that when the wringing device is closed it grips the leading edge of the hide, whereupon the table is retracted and swung downwards, leaving the hide freely hanging from the spreading device. The spreading device is then closed and the hide is conveyed through the machine either by the wringing device itself or by a separate conveying device. When the feed table is swung downwards the hide slides off, remaining hanging from the spreading device, leaving the feed table clear and retracted, ready to receive the next hide.

As an alternative, to suit certain operating conditions, a feeding device of the kind described below may be provided for feeding the spread out hides into the wringing machine.

The feeding device may for example take the form of a gripper device which, when the spreading device is open, grips the hide fed in by the feed table, pulling it into the machine before the spreading device closes, and feeds the hide to the wringing device. The gripper device may include a gripper arm having a gripper on its end, for example in the form of a mouth capable of closing, which grips the leading edge of the hide and pulls the hide into the machine. As soon as the machine has closed on the hide the mouth of the gripping device opens, releasing the leading edge of the hide, whereupon the gripper arm is retracted, either upwards or to one side, the gripping device returning to its position of rest.

The gripper device may cooperate with a prepress roller in front of the wringing rolls. The prepress roller itself then cooperates with a counter roller. Before the gripper arm advances outwards from the interior of the machine towards the feed table, the prepress roller opens, that is to say lifts away from its counter roller. Subsequently when the gripper arm has retracted and introduced the hide into the machine, the prepress roller advances towards its counter roller, gripping the hide and assisting in conveying the hide through the machine. The counter roller is preferably an idler roller of the wringing device around which a lower wringer felt belt moves.

Beyond the wringing device there may be a conveyor belt or other conveying device which conveys the hide further through the machine and delivers it out of the machine. This conveyor can, if desired, deliver the hide from the machine in forward direction, in which case the upper run of the conveyor belt is approximately at the level of the lower wringer felt belt. Alternatively, if desired, the delivery conveyor can deliver the hide in rearward direction, that is to say towards the infeed end of the machine. In that case the conveyor belt is situated under the lowest part of the wringing device and receives the wrung hide by gravity from the wringer felt belt situated above it and delivers the hide towards the feed-in end of the machine.

The spreading device, which is preferably in the form of a conventional spreading roll, cooperates with a rubber roll situated at the feed-in end of the machine. Before feeding the hide into the machine the spreading roll is lifted away from the rubber roll, the hide is then fed into the machine whereupon the spreading roll is lowered onto the rubber roll. Both the lifting and the lowering of the spreading roll are effected automatically, the spreading roll lifting as soon as the trailing edge of the hide has left the stretching roll, so that the machine is ready to receive the next hide.

The felt belts used for wringing the hides are preferably hydraulically tensioned to ensure effective operation of the wringing device. The tensioning can be controlled pneumatically, hydraulically, optically or mechanically by a control device which also controls the position of the felt belt sideways so that it always runs straight and true. This is necessary to prevent the felt belt from escaping sideways when wringing hides of varying thicknesses and widths.

Some examples of machines in accordance with the invention are illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of one example of the machine, the machine being open and having a spreading roll in a lifted position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but with a hide fed into the machine;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but with the machine closed;

FIG. 4 shows a machine generally similar to that of FIG. 3 but with a conveyor belt delivering a wrung hide toward the feed-in end of the machine;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a second example with a feed gripper device, the machine being in an open position; and,

FIG. 6 shows the machine of FIG. 5 in the closed position.

All the examples include a feed table I which is mounted to travel forwards and backwards. The table 1 has a horizontal feed plate 2 to the rear end of which a feed trough 3 is attached for receiving a hide 5. A feed roller 4 feeds the hide out of the trough 3. The feed roller 4 has a drive and a brake. The feed plate 2 is hinged at 2' so that it can be tilted downwards, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 3. The downward hinging tilting of the feed plate is effected automatically.

When the machine is fully open (FIG. 1) a movable spreading roll 7 is lifted away from a rubber roll 6. The spreading roll 7 is driven backwards, that is to say its lower surface moves rearwards and it is adjustable in height for changing the gap between the spreading roll 7 and the rubber roll 6. When the machine is in the closed position (FIG. 3) the spreading roll 7 thrusts against the rubber roll 6. Downstream of the spreading roll 7 there are wringing devices 8. 9 which consist of pressure rolls 10, Ill felt belts 12, I3 and

idler rollers

14, 15. The rolls I and II are driven in opposite directions so that the felt belts convey the hide forwardly through the machine. The lower felt belt 13 cooperates with a conveyor belt 16 (FIG. 3) which delivers the wrung hide out of the machine. For delivering the hide in the forward direction the upper part of the conveyor belt 16 moves in forward direction. When it is desired to deliver the dried hides in rearward direction, towards the feedin end of the machine recourse is had to a conveyor 16' (FIG. 4).

FIGS. 1 to 4 show tensioning devices l7, 19 connected to the idler rollers I4, for adjusting the tension ofthe felt

belts

12, 13. It is important to ensure that the felt belts are at the proper tension, not only to obtain efficient conveying of the hide but also to ensure that the hides are wrung satisfactorily. Control devices 18, are provided which sense sideways deviations of the felt belts, returning them to their correct positions. These control devices can be for example mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic or optical sensors which detect sideways deviations of the felt belts and send out signals to control devices which correct the deviations.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show another exemplary machine equipped with an auxiliary gripper device consisting of a gripper arm 23, an attachment link 24 and a mouth pivoted to the gripping end of the gripper arm 23. The gripper arm 23 cooperates with a prepress roller 26. If desired, instead of a single gripper arm there can be several working in parallel, arranged side by side across the machine. As soon as they have pulled the hide into the machine the gripper arms 23 are retracted, or lifted out of the way. When a hide is going to be fed into the machine the gripper arms are, by appropriate motion of the attachment link 24 from the position in FIG. 6 to that in FIG. 5, advanced through the gap between the prepress roller 26 and the pressure roller 15', and through the gap between the spreading roll 7 and the rubber roll 6, rearwardly as far as the leading edge of the hide spread upon the feed table 1. The mouth 25 on the end of the gripper arm 23 is then closed on the leading edge of the hide, pulling the hide forwardly until its leading edge is just forward of the prepress roller 26, whereupon the prepress roller 26 is thrust against the pressure roller 15'. The gripper arm 23 is then retracted out of the way by motion of the attachment link 24 from the position in FIG. 5 into that in FIG. 6. In this process, as soon as the gripper mouth 25 of the gripper arm 23 has seized the hide 5 and begun pulling it into the machine the feed plate 2 swings downwards on its pivot and the feed table 1 travels backwards to its starting position.

The drawings show the machines at several stages during operation.

In FIG. 1 the machine is open and a hide 5 is resting flat on the feed table I. This is at the beginning of the working operation of the machine.

In FIG. 2 the feed table 1 has been advanced sufficiently close to the lower pressure roll 11 of the wringing device that the depending leading hide end on the feed table 2 did come in contact with roll Ill and was frictionally dragged thereby into flat disposition on top of this roll, as shown, whereupon the upper roll I0 was immediately closed on the lower roll and the belts 12, I3 begin to convey the hide through the machine. Thus, in FIG. 2, the leading edge of the hide has just entered between the pressure rolls 10, 11, and the latter have closed to grip the hide, the spreading roll 7 being still in its raised position, and the feed table 1 being shown slightly retracted from its advanced position.

In FIG. 3 the feed table 2 has been swung downwards and the feed table has retracted. The spreading roll 7 has immediately on retraction of the feed table, come down to thrust towards the rubber roll 6 to grip and spread the oncoming remainder of the hide and the hide is being conveyed through the machine. The leading edge of the hide hasjust reached the conveyor 16.

FIG. 4 shows the parts of the machine in positions corresponding to those of FIG. 3, except that the wrung hide will be discharged onto a conveyor 16' for its conveyance toward the infeed end of the machine.

In FIG. 5 the leading hide 5 has passed the prepress roller 26, and the prepress roller 26 and the spreading roller 7 have been moved to their lifted positions. The gripper arm 23 has been advanced through the gaps under the prepress roller 26 and the spreading roll 7, and its mouth has just gripped the leading edge of the next hide 5.

In FIG. 6 the first hide has almost left the pressure rolls 10, 11, the second hide, having already been advanced under the spreading roll 7 and the prepress roller 26, advances towards the pressure rolls I0, 11. The gripper arm 23 has been retracted upwards out of the way.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hide-wringing machine having an outlet end, the combination of driven upper and lower wringer rolls near said outlet end, of which said upper roll is movable to and from said lower roll to close and open said rolls, and said closed rolls being in wringing engagement with a hide therebetween and feeding the latter rearwardly toward said outlet end; upper and lower hide spreading members ahead of said wringer rolls, with said members being separable from and closable on each other and operating to spread a hide therebetween when closed; and a feed table having a leading edge and being adapted to support a hide with an end thereof hanging from said leading table edge, with said table being movable into a retract position ahead of said spreading members, and into an advance position in which the same extends between said separated spreading members and a hanging hide end on said leading table edge is in dragging engagement with said lower wringer roll and thereby brought between said rolls when open, so that on closure of said rolls the latter assume the feed of the hide.

2. The combination in a hide-wringing machine as in claim 1, in which said feed table has a flat top with said leading edge, and a trough behind said top to receive the remainder of a hide supported on said top.

3. The combination in a hide wringing machine as in claim 1, in which said table is hingedly mounted for pivotal movement into a substantially horizontal upward disposition in which to support a hide and bring it into dragging engagement with said lower roll, and into a downward disposition for slideoff of a hide part thereon into hung disposition from said lower spreading member.

4. The combination in a hide wringing machine as in claim I, in which said members are rotary upper and lower spreader rolls of which said lower spreader roll is below the top level of said lower wringer roll, and said upper spreader roll being movable to and from said lower spreader roll into closure with the latter and into a separated position above the top level of said lower wringer roll, with one of said spreader rolls being driven.

5. The combination in a hide wringing machine as in claim 4, in which said feed table is hingedly mounted for pivotal movement into a substantially horizontal upward disposition in which to support a hide and bring it into dragging engagement with said lower wringer roll, and into a downward disposition for slide-off of a hide part thereon into hung disposition from said lower spreader roll.

6. The combination in a hide-wringing machine as in claim 5, in which said feed table has a flat top with said leading edge, and a trough behind said top to receive the remainder of a hide supported on said top, with said top being hingedly mounted on said trough for pivotal movement of said top into said upward and downward dispositions.

7. The combination in a hide wringing machine as in claim 1, which further provides upper and lower belts and upper and lower pulleys closer to said outlet end than said wringer rolls, with said upper and lower belts passing over said upper wringer roll and upper pulley and over said lower wringer roll and lower pulley, so that in said advance position of said feed table a hanging hide end on said leading table edge is in dragging engagement with the belt on said lower wringer roll.

Claims

3. The combination in a hide wringing machine as in claim 1, in which said table is hingedly mounted for pivotal movement into a substantially horizontal upward disposition in which to support a hide and bring it into dragging engagement with said lower roll, and into a downward disposition for slide-off of a hide part thereon into hung disposition from said lower spreading member.

4. The combination in a hide wringing machine as in claim 1, in which said members are rotary upper and lower spreader rolls of which said lower spreader roll is below the top level of said lower wringer roll, and said upper spreader roll being movable to and from said lower spreader roll into closure with the latter and into a separated position above the top level of said lower wringer roll, with one of said spreader rolls being driven.