US517083A - Process of and appaeatus foe tanning - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

0. B. WARRAND; PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TANNING.

Swvewl'oz U I wwm we NAnoNAL uwoannmme COMPANY.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

CONSTANTINE BELVESELSKY WARRAND, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO GEO. W. LAMAR,"W. G. MORRELL, AND A. MINIS.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TANNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,083, dated March 27, 1894.

Application filed November 20, 1893- Serial No. 491,430. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OONSTANTINE BELVE- sELsKY WARRAND, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Savannah, in the county of Chatham and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Tan ning; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

. My invention pertains to the art of tanning, and consists in an improved process for tanning hides and means for carrying out this process, as will be hereinafter more fully described in 'the accompanying specification, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

Its object is to accelerate the tanning operation, or, in other words, to hasten the chemical combination of the gelatine of the hide with the tannic acid, by which the former is converted into leather. In order to successfully accomplish this, certain conditions are necessary. First, the hides must be kept in a slight and continuous state of agitation within the tan liquor while the latter is caused to steadily circulate around them. Second, the hides must be subjected meantime to an even steady pressure, which will aid in forcing the tan liquor into and through the capillary tubes or pores without rupturing or injuring the grain or fiber. Third, in maintaining a suitable and proper temperature of the tan liquor throughout the operation. To attain these combined conditions, Ihave devised the following apparatus, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and which I will proceed to describe.

A represents a large wooden vat, similar to those employed in breweries, and so constructed as to withstand a pressure of from twenty to twenty-five pounds to the square inch. This vat may be coated on its inner surface with brewers pitch or any other substance impervious to air and water, that will not be affected by tannic acid or the required degree of temperature. A port or manhole is provided in its upper end for the purpose of introducing the hides as they leave the beamhouse, properly limed, haired, fleshed, and plumped in the usual manner. From the top or cover of the cask depend a number of cop- .per hooks from which the hides are suspended close to each other within the cask,but out of contact, so that'space will be afforded for the free circulation of the tan liquor around them. Above the cask A is a series of platforms arranged at varying altitudes, one above the other, and I have found sixteen feet, twentyfour feet, thirty-two feet and forty feet respectively to be convenient for my purpose. Upon each of these platforms are supported two narrow upright tanks, B and C,open at the top designed to hold from seventy-five to one hundred gallons each of tan liquor. A pipe, D, communicates with the bottom of vat A, and extends upward to the highest platform, and connects with each of the tanks B, B B B by branch pipes D, leading from pipe D to the bottom of each of the tanks B, B, B B A similar pipe, E, extends upward from the top of vat A and connects with each of the tanks 0,0 0 and C by a like branch pipe E. The branch pipes D are provided with stop-cocks T and E are provided with similar stop cocks or valves T, whereby communication may be cut ofi at will between the main pipes D, E, and any of tanks B, B B B 0, O O and 0 Communication between the tanks B, B B B 0, O O and 0 on each platform is provided through the medium of pumps P, and pipes whereby the contents of tank 0 may be pumped into tank B on the same platform. By means of this arrangement a complete circuit is provided through the medium of the pipes D, E, and their branches, the tanks B, B B B 0, C Oi'and C the pump P, and the vat A for-the flow or circulation of the tan liquor.

For the purpose of raising the tan liquor to the required degree of temperature, which may be from 80 to 100 Fahrenheit, Iprovide a steam coil in tanks B, 13 ,3 B connecting with steam supply pipe F, as shown.

In operating my process the hides, properly prepared, are suspended from the copper hooks within the vat. or cask A, asnear together as the economy of the space willpermit, but out of contact. The port isithen tightly closed and sealed in the usual manner.

The tanks B, B B and B at the respective elevations, are then each filled with tan liquor of varying degrees of strength, the first, B, being most diluted, and each succeeding tank above being charged or filled with a liquor containing a greater quantity of tannin than the one beneath and hence of greater strength,

i the approximate scale of strength being about as follows, as indicated by barkometer: in tanks B, 6 to 12. In tanks B 12 to 18. In tanks 13 18 to 24. In tanks 13, to All of the tanks being cut off from communication with the vat A by means of the respective stopcocks T and T in the branch pipes D and E. The discharge cock of the lower tank B is then opened and the liquor therein permitted to flow into the vat A, and

a liquor of thesame strength is introduced into tank B, and permitted to flow until both tank 13 and vat A arefilled, when the supply port it is tightly closed. The cock at the bottom of t the tank (3 is then opened and the downward pressure of the liquid through the pipe D causes the liquor in vat A to rise through the ,pipetE, into tank C, as that in tank B is exhau sted, until a level is reached in both tanks t motion within the Vat, causing the entire body therein to revolve, and this revolving motion of the tan liquor through and around the hides toward the eduction pipe E causes i a continuousslight agitation of the hides during the. circulationof the tan liquor caused by the pumpthrough tanks 0, B and vatA; and the hydrostatic pressure within vat A caused by-the perpendicular columns within pipes D and E forces the tan liquor into and l a through the pores and capillary tubes of the hides more rapidly than by the ordinary methods. After this process has continued for a sufficient length of time to enable the hides to absorb the tannin contained in the diluted tan liquor first introduced as is usual in the case of green hides, it becomes necessary to subject them to a stronger tan liquor and greater degree of hydrostatic pressure. The tanks B,C,at the lowest elevationare then shut off by means of their stop-cocks, and those at the next higher elevation, 13*, 0 are connected and thesame operation is re- .peated, and continued with each series of tanks, Bl, 0 ,13 0 &c., in succession until the desired result is obtained, the strength of the tan liquor being increased, as well as the hydrostatic pressure within vat A, at each increased elevation. By this method a calf skin can ordinarily be tanned in twenty-four hours, and the heaviest steer hide in from ten to twelve days.

WVhileI have described but a single tan vat or receptacle for hides, it is obvious that several may be used in battery, by connecting the first with the pipe D communicating with tank B, and the last with pipe E, communicating with tank 0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I 1. An improved process of tanning, consisting of subjecting the prepared hides in a slight stateof agitation in unison with the motion of the entire body'of tan liquor within which they are immersed, automatically produced in a stationary tan vat bya deflected influent current, to a continuous, uniform, perfectly circulating current of tan liquor under a uniform hydrostatic pressure from allsides,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. An improvedprocess of'tanning, consisting of subjecting the prepared hides ina state of uniform and gentle agitation, produced within and by a surrounding bath of tan liquor within a stationary air and fluid tight receptacle, to a continuously and perfectly circulating current of said liquor heated to a required temperature under a uniform hydrostatic pressureexerted equally from-all directions. r n i l I 3. An improved process of tanning, consist in g of subjecting the prepared hides, in a state of agitation, to a continuously circulating current of tan liquor under a steady and uniform hydrostatic pressure during stated in tervals, and from time to time regularly increasing the strength of thetan liquor and the degree of hydrostatic pressure as the operation proceeds, without retarding or interrupting the process, substantiallyas described. 1 I

4. In an apparatus for tanning hides, one or more tightly closed vats adapted to receive the prepared hides in a suspended position and the tan liquor, an induction pipe communicating with the vat near its bottom having its mouth turned upward and outward to impart a rotary motion to the volume of tan liquor and with a tank on an elevated platform; an eduction pipe extending from the vat at or near its top and communicating with a like tank on the same elevated platform, and a pump connected by pipes with the tanks on the elevated platform, whereby a continuous circulation of the tan liquor through the pipes,- tanks and vats may be produced, all combined and arranged substantially as and for the purpose described. I i I I 5. In an apparatus for tanning, an air and fluid tight tan vat, adapted to receive the prepared hides in a suspended position, out of contact witheach other, and the tan liquor, in combination with a series of tanks arranged in pairs on platforms of varying altitudes above the tan vats and connected with the latter by an induction and an eduction pipe, stop-cocks connecting the tanks with the induction and eduction pipes,whereby any pair may be cut off from communication with the tan vats, and a pump connecting each pair of tanks whereby they maybe placed in circuit with the tan vats by means of the eduction and induction pipes, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a tanning apparatus, an air and fluid tight tan vat, a series" of tanks arranged in pairs on platforms at varying altitudes above the tan vat, one of each pair communicating with the tan vat near its bottom by an induction pipe, so turned at its end as to give the inflowing liquor an upward and rotary mo;

tion, and the other byan eduction pipe connecting with the vat near its top, a pump and pipes connecting each pair of tanks, stopcocks between the tanks and the induction and eduction pipes, whereby communication between any pair of tanks and the tan vats may be cut off at will, and a steam coil within each of said tanks B, B B B connected bined as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CONSTANTINE BELVESELSKY WARRAND. Witnesses:

HARRY COOPER, ABRAM MINIs.

- with a steam supply, all arranged and com- 25

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