US462166A - Leather-splitting machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet. 1. J. A. SAPFORD. LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE.

No. 462,166. Patented 00t.27, 1891.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. A. SAPPORD. LEATHER SPLITTING MAGHINE.

No. 462,166. Patented Oct. 27, 1891.

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W I '2 6 EU 0 he W E S 5 'UIIL l 0 B vfi. 6 6 W; 1 J M W (No Model.) 5 8heets-8heet 3.

J. A. SAPPORD. LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE.

No. 462,166. Patented Oct. 27,1891.

MIN-M55555.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. A. SAFPORD.

LEATHER SPLITTING MACHINE.

No. 462,166. Patented-Oct. 27, 1891.

k I s l K I l 3 l B 2g- HE] N h H z s L 5 s L1 5 o a r\ ao O N a E Q Q E WITNESSES]. INVENTUR- m 7mm a front elevation of a leather-splitting ma- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. SAFFORD, or MALDEN, MASSACllUSETTS.

.LEATH ER-SPLITTING MACHINE.

srncrrrcn'rrorz formingpart of Letters Patent No. 462,166, dated October 27, 1891.

Application filed May 4, 1891. Serial No. 391,508. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. SAFFORD, of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather-Splitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of leather-splitting machines in which a stationary splitting-knife is employed, and in co-operation therewith an adjustable feed-roll and an adjustable gage-roll, said rolls presenting the.

leather to the splitting-knife, while the gageroll determines the thickness of the piece of leather by governing the amount cut or split from it by the knife. A type of leathersplitting machine of this class 'is shown in Letters Patent No. 305,240, granted to me September 16, 1S8-i.

The present invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in machines of this class whereby the machine may be adapted to successfullycut and properly split different kindsand qualities of leather. I have found in my experience that in almost every establishment where leather -splitting machines are used there are several kinds of leather which have to be split by the same machine, each requiringadiiferent treatment from the others, so that machines as usually constructed heretofore, while adapted to operate successfully on one or more kinds of leather, are not successful in splitting other kinds, and my aim in inventing the improvements hereinafter described has been to produce an all round machine which will enable the operator to vary the treatment in splitting (liiferent kinds of leather, as his judgment may dictate.

The invention also has for its object to provide improved means for. feeding a series of independent strips or pieces of leather to the splitting devices and to provide an improvedgage or indicator whereby the distance be tween the feed-roll and gage-roll will be indicated at all times.

To these ends the invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents chine provided with my improvements. 2 represents a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 represents an end elevation. Fig. 5

represents a section similar to Fig. 3, showmg certain modifications tn the construction and mode of operation of the feed-roll-cleaning brush. Fig. 6 represents an elevation of a portion of the machine constructed as Y shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents a section on line 7 7-, Fig. 6. Fig.8 ,Sheet 1, represents a section on line 8 8, Fig. 4. Fig. 9 represents a sectional view of the feed-roll, gageroll, and knife, together with the pressure -rolls or bars hereinafter referred to. Figs.

10, -l1, and 12 represent similar views to Fig. 9. Fig. 13 represents a sectional view of the machine, showing the improved chute or guide for strips of leather and the improved gage or indicating device. Fig. 14= represents a perspective view of said chute or guide. Fig. 15 represents a perspective view of one member of the indicating device; and Fig. 16 represents an elevation of a portion of the machine, showing thestationary member of the indicating device or gage and the finger co-operating therewith.

The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A represents the main frame of the machine, having bearings for the driving-shaft C.

E represents a pressure or feed roll, and F represents a gage-roll, said rolls being positively rotated by power communicated from the drivingshaft in any suitable manner and compelled to rotate in unison in opposite ditheir lower ends to the supporting-frame, and 7 they constitute pivoted supports, which onable the rolls to be adjusted relativelytoeach other audio the knife with the minimum of friction, as described in Letters Patent No. 305,240, above referred to. The general construction, so far as the means for supporting, rotating, and adjusting the rolls E and F is concerned, is preferably the same as in said patent.

My improvements include means for connecting each of the arms a a, supporting the feed-roll E, with the supporting-frame by means of a double or practically universal joint, the object being to enable the feed-roll to be. adjusted parallel with the edge of the knife without binding the journals of the roll in its bearings. It sometimes happens that in grinding the knife the'alignmeut of the cutting-edge is changed, so that said edge extends in a slightly-diagonal direction, and as it is of the utmost importance that both the feed=roll and the gage-roll be exactly parallel with the cutting-edge of the knife it follows that in case the knife is ground, as last indicat ed, the rolls must be correspondingly adjusted. To this end I provide the'lower end ofe'a'ch arm a with a vertical trunnion a (see Fig. 8,) "which is journaled in a bearing or socket a, formed on a horizontal trunnion a,

journaled in a horizontal bearing in the supportingframe A. It will be seen that the ;trunnions a; permit the feed-roll-supporting arms a a to swing, as in my above-mentioned patent, to give the feed-roll the desired move-' ments toward and from the knife and gageroll, while the vertical trunnions a ,-jou rnaled in bearings on said horizontal trunnions a, permit the arms to swing in such manner. as to keep the bearings at the upper ends of said arms always parallel with the axis of the feedroll',"so that 'when .the feed-rollis adjusted to an oblique position, or with one end farther-forwa'rd than the other, the bearings in the arms a a will always be in alignment with'the axis of the feed-roll, and therefore will not bind or Wear unevenly on the journals of the feedroll. This construction also enables the bearings of the feed-roll to yield to different degrees at the opposite ends of the roll in case the thickness of the leather varies, so as to press one end of the feed-roll farther back than the other end, the described double-joint connection of the feed-roll-supportin g arms to the frame of the machine'giving the desired elasticity, as it were, to the feed-roll and permitting it's bearings to conform to all the requirements of the work without cramping or binding upon the journals of the feed-roll.

My improvements also include certain auxiliary devices, next described, to co-operate with the feed-roll E and guide-roll F in giving all the variations of treatment to the leather that maybe required by the varying conditions and qualities of leather to which I have above referred. Said attach men ts comprise two pressure rolls or bars 0 and cl, of oylindri'cal form, su pported' by a movable frame over the feed-roll and gage-roll, and in substantially the relation thereto shown in Figs. 3 and 5, each of said rolls having an independent yielding movement, so that it will conform to the variations in the thickness of a piece of leather passed under it, while the two rolls are adapted to be raised and lowered simultaneously by the movable frame e, which supports them. Said frame e extends lengthwise of the supporting-frame of the machine and is provided with ears 2' e, which are connected by pivots c with fixed cars a a on the supporting-frame. At the ends of the frame e are sockets e in which rods 1'' f are fitted to slide, said rods being provided at their lower ends with bearings for the roll 0 and pressed downwardly by springs g g, thus giving the roll ca yielding movement. To the sliding rods f f, below the springs g, are afiixed arms h h, projecting forward toward the front of the-machine, and to the outer ends of said arms h are pivoted at i the outer ends of supplemental arms j, the inner ends of .which are detacha ly secured at 11 to-the arms h, said arms being adapted to swing vertically on said pivots i and provided with sockets j j, in which are fitted sliding rods k k, the lower-ends of which are, provided with bearings 7c, in which the roll (1 is journaled. Springs l 1, arranged between the bearings 10' and sockets j, give the roll (1 an independent yielding movement, both rolls 0 and (1 being adapted to yield together by the springs g. One or more springs h may be employed to exerta downward yielding pressure on both the rolls 0 and d, said spring being attached at its lower end at h 'to the supporting-frame and at its upper end at h to one of the arms h. By means of the spring h and the independent springs g and Z a sufficiently-forcible pressure :is imparted to the rolls 0 and d to enable them to co-operate effectively with the feed-roll and gageroll. -It will be seen, particularly .by reference to Fig. 13, that the rods ff, having bearings in which the pressureroll or bar 0 is mounted, are screw-threaded along their upper portions, and are provided with nuts 15, which support the lower ends of the springs g, and with nuts 16 and 17 at their upper ends, the nuts 16 constituting stops which bear on the upper ends of the sockets, in which the rods fslide and limit the downward movement of the pressure roll or bar 0 toward the feed-roll and gage-roll.

Hence by adjusting the nut 16 the normal position of the pressure roll or bar a may be adjusted to any desired extent. The nut 15 enables the pressure or force of the spring g to be varied in a manner which willbe readily understood. It will be seen that the roll c is located over the throat or space between the feed-roll and gage-roll, while the roll dis located over the gage-roll. Hencetherollcis adapted to act as a pressure-roll for-either the main feed-roll E or the gage-roll F, the arrangement of the roll a being such that the leather can pass behind it and between it and the main feed-roll E, as shown in Fig. 9, or before it, so as to be pressed by it againstthe periphery of the gage-roll F, as shown in Fig.

10. Some kinds of leather will be best treated by being passed between the rolls 0 and E, as in Fig. 9, while for other kinds the treatment shown in Fig. 10 will be preferable. In cases where the shape of the leather is such that it is liable to be wrinkled in passing between the feed and gage rolls I find that the wrinkles may be taken out and the leather properly stretched and smoothed bypassing it under both .the rolls 0 and (1, said rolls co-opcrating in pressing the leather against the gage-roll F, as shown in Fig. 11. The yielding-movement of the rolls 0 and d enables them to conform to the thickness of the leatherand to press the leather closely against the roll or rolls with which they co-operate.

If desired, the roll d may be removed from the machine or made inoperative by removing the armsjj or by disconnecting each of said arms at one end from the arm h that supports it and swinging said armsj upwardly, thus raising the roll (1 from its operative position without disconnecting it from the machine.

The frame e may be raised to make the rolls c and (1 simultaneously inoperative by any suitable means, such as a treadle m at the base of the machine, Fig. 4, connected by a rod 11. with an arm or lever o,affixed to ears p p on the frame e, the arrangement being such that a depression of the treadle will raise the frame e and thus separate the rolls c and d from the feed-roll E and gageroll F, this displacement of the rolls being necessary to permit the insertion of thick pieces of leather- If desired, the rolls 0 and (1 may be locked, so that they will not rotate, thus causing them to exert a considerable degree of friction and resistance on the leather for the purpose of more perfectly stretching the samebefore it reaches the point where it is split. To this end locking-pins q q, Fig. 5, may be inserted in holes formed in said rolls c and cl, said pins being suitably supported by the parts which support said rolls, the latter in this case be ing converted into bars.

It will be seen that'the improvements thus far described comprise one or more pressure rolls or bars adapted to co-operate with the feed-roll E, or both the feed-roll E and'the gage-roll F, in the manner shown. \Vhen said devices are permitted to rotate as pressurerolls, they rotate loosely and receive their rotary motion from the leather or material on which they bear, the latter being moved by the gage-roll of the machine. By providing these pressure rolls or bars, one or more, I am enabled to insure the proper splitting of different kinds of leather and adapt the machine to all the requirements which naturally arise in a boot and shoe factory.

I do not limit myself to the conjoint use of the two rolls 6 and d, but may use either roll singly, as in some cases the roll (1, co-operating only with the gage-roll F, may be used, the roll c being'o'mitted, as shown in Fig. 12. I desire, therefore, to be understood'as covering, broadly, in the claims following this specification a pressure roll or bar arranged to cooperate with either ,the feed-roll or the gage-roll of a leather-splitting machine of the class above described, as well as the conjoint use of the two rolls, as here shown, said .roll or rolls having a yielding pressure upon the leather.

When the course of the leather is as indicated in Fig. 9, the advancing end of the sheet or piece of leather is deflected and guided into the throat or space between the bar or roll a and the feed-roll E by means of a swinging plate or strip 0, which is affixed to arms 0 pivoted at c to the arms h h, and pressed yieldingly by springs 0 toward the roll 0. The position of the plate or strip 0' is such that a piece of leather passing over the roll c, as shown in Fig. 9, would be turned backwardly and caused to pass between the roll c and feed-roll E, instead of avoiding the meeting point of said roll 0 and feed-roll E, as it would be liable to do if the said guiding or deflecting strip c were not employed.

T represents a brush arranged to act on the fluted periphery of the feed-roll E for the purpose of removing from the creases thereof the matter which is liable to be deposited therein by the pressure of the roll against the leather. Such matter eventually fills the creases between the longitudinal teeth or corrugations of the feed-roll, thus depriving the feed-roll of the positive control of the leather which it is desirable said roll should possess, so that the feed is not of the positive character desired. Said brush may be adapted to rotate, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, its shaft being journaled in suitable bearings and provided at one end with a pulleys, which is connected by a belt t with a pulley u on a short shaft '0, which is driven by a connection with the driving-shaft 0.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 I show the brush as adapted to reciprocate lengthwise, and in this case the shaft or rod/r, to which the brush is affixed, is provided with a feather r, Fig. 7, adapted to slide in a groove in a bearing 1', affixed to the supporting-frame, said feather and groove permitting the brush to reciprocate endwise without rotating. For reciprocating the brush I have shown a lever 10, oted at w to an arm aflixed to the supporting-frame and-having one end extended upwardly and provided with a slot 10*, receiving a stud 10 on the back or stock of the brush, its other end being extended downwardly and provided with a stud w, which enters a camgroove w in a disk or wheel afiixed to the driving-shat't of the machine.

In Figs. 13 and 14 I show an attachment for feeding a series of strips of leather, such as welt-strips, to the point where the leather is grasped and carried forward to the splitting-knife. Said attachment, which is shown in perspective in Fig. 14, comprises a chute or guide having a series of channels 2 2, each adapted to guide a welt-strip, said channels Ito piv-

being formed between two plates 3 3, and divisions or partitions 4 4, inserted between said plates. The bottom plate 3 is secured to a slotted guide-bar 5 by means of a bolt 6, atlixed to said bottom plate and passing through a longitudinal slot 7 in said guidebar, said bolt having a nut 8 bearing on the under side of the guide-bar, as shown in Fig. 13. By loosening said nut the chute or guide can be adjusted or moved lengthwise along the guide-bar, while by screwing up the nut the guide may be afiixed to the bar at any point to which it may be adjusted. This lateral adj ustabili y of .the chute or guide enables it to be changed from point to point, so that as fastas a given portion of the knife be comes dull the work may be presented to another portion of the knife. The bar 5 is afiixed to the outer portions of the arms h on the swinging frame a, so that by raising said frame the guide or chute may be elevated above its operative position.

\Vhen the guide or chute is employed, the forward roll or bar dis removed from the machine to make room for said chute, said roll d being unnecessary in the splitting of narrow strips or welts. The guide or chute is arranged to conduct the strips or welts to the upper surface of the gage-roll, so that said strips pass over the gage-roll, under the roll or bar 0, and between the gage-roll. and feedroll.

It is obvious that the strip guide or chute above described may be used in connection with the feed-roll and gage-roll, the pressure roll or bar 0 being removed.

I have also shown in Fig. 14 and in detail in Figs.'15 and 16 a gage to determine the distance between the gageroll and feedroll.

which is a pointer 9, affixed bya set-screw 10 to a socketed block 12, attached to the sliding bar 13, on which are formed the wedges which determine the position of the gage-roll adjusted by an endwise movement of the bar 13, on which they are formed, (said bar being lettered i in the patent referred to.) The other member of saidgage is a plate 14, afiixed to a fixed part of the frame of the machine and provided with marks or graduations, as shown in Fig. 16. The pointer9is curved, as shown in Figs. 13 and 15, and extends from the bar 13 to the plate 14, its outer end being in such proximity to the plate thatitco-operates with the marks on the latterin indicating the extent to which the wedge-carrying bar 13 has been moved endwise from its starting position, the latter being the position it occupies when the gage-roll and feed-roll are at their closest app roach to each other. It will be seen, therefore, that any movement of the wedge-' carrying bar 13, which increases or decreases the distance between the gage-roll and the feed-roll, will be indicated by the described gage or indicating device. It will also be see:\?

that the addition of the said indicating device to the machine involves but little ex-' pense and that said indicating device can be adapted very readily to existing types of machines. The block 12 has longitudinal slots 21 21, Fig: 15, which receive the screws that attach said block to the bar 13. Said screws permit the pointer 9 to be adjusted to the proper initial or starting position on the bar 13. Every grinding of the knife requires a readjustment of the initial or starting position of the pointer if the latter is to be accurate.

In-Fig. 5 I show a chute 20, arranged to deflect toward the front of the machine thepiec'esof leatherwhich pass downthe frontside of the knife, and another chute 2l, arranged to deflect in similar manner the pieces which pass down the rear side of the knife, said chutes being arranged to deliver the pieces at different points, so that each grade or series of pieces will be separated and delivered by itself. In some cases it may be desirable to use only one of said chutes, and either the chute 20 or the chute 21 may be used, the other being omitted, according to the character of the work.

1. In a leather-splitting machine, the combination, with a fixed knife, of agage-roll, a

feed-roll journaled in arms a a, and a double or universal joint connection between said arms andthe supporting-frame, constructed to 'per- 2 mit the said arms to turn on two axes at right angles to each other, whereby the bearings of the feed-roll are kept in alignment with the axis thereof under all adj ustmentsof the feed roll, as set forth.

2. In a leather-splitting-machine, the combination of a fixed knife, an adjustable gageroll, a feed-roll, arms a a, having bearings for the journals of said feed-roll, vertical trunnions a on the lower ends of; said arms, and vertical bearings a, receiving said trunnions and provided with horizontal trunnions a, which are journaled in fixed horizontal bearings in the supporting-frame of the machine, as set forth.

3. In a leather-splitting machine, the com-.

bination,with a fixed knife, a feed-roll, and a gage-roll, of a. frame pivotally connected to the supporting-frame of the machine, rods,

'such as ff, movable in said frame toward or from the feed and gage rolls, a pressure roll or bar carried by said rods, means for adj ust-' ing said rods to determine the initial position of said pressure roll or bar toward the feed and gage rolls, and means for adjusting the pressure ofsaid springs, as set forth.

'4. In a leather-splitting machine, the com-' IIO the pressureroll an additional downward yielding pressure, as set forth.

5. In aileather-splitting machine, the combination,witli a fixed knife, a meet-011, and a gage-roll, of the frame 0, hinged or pivoted to the supporting-frame of the machine, the pressure roll or bar 0, journaled in hearings on said rods, the springs g, whereby said rods and the pressure roll or bar are depressed, the arms 72, attached to the rods f, the plates j, detaehably or pivotal] y connected to the arms h, the rods 7;, fitted to slide in sockets in the plates j, the pressure-roll d, journaled in ing a series of waysor passages arranged to guide a series of strips to the feed-r011 and gage-roll, as set forth.

7. In a leather-splitting machine, the combination, witha fixed knife, a feed-r011, and a gage-roll, of a chute or guide arranged to present a series of strips to said gage-roll and feed-roll, means for laterally adjusting said guide to present the material to different por tions of the knife, and means for securing said guide in any position to which it may be adjusted, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 28th day of April, A. D. 1891.

JOSEPH A. SAFFORD.

'Witnesses- O. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

Order of Cancellation of Letters Patent No. 462,166.

v Approved:

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, UNITED srn'rnsrnrnnr OFFICE,

WASHINGTON, D. 0., November 23, 1891.

Whereas the attorneys for the party in interest have, in writing, refused to receive Letters Patent N 0. 462,166, granted October 27, 1891, upon the application of Joseph A. Safford, of IvIalden, Massachusetts, for an improvement in Leather Splitting Machines, for the reason that one of the claims was omitted therefrom, and

Whereas an examination shows that the said Letters Patent were not issued in accordance with the oficial record of the case in the Patent Office,

It is hereby ordered that the seal of said Letters Patent be broken, the grant returned to the file marked canceled, and that Letters Patent in proper form be issued pursuant to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

- W. E. SIMONDS,

Commissioner.

GEO. CHANDLER,

First Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

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