GB2058130A

GB2058130A - Treating hides

Info

Publication number: GB2058130A
Application number: GB7930866A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Emhart Materials UK Ltd
Current assignee: Emhart Materials UK Ltd
Priority date: 1979-09-06
Filing date: 1979-09-06
Publication date: 1981-04-08

Abstract

A hide treatment machine, has a bed roller 10 over which a hide is draped, a grip roller 14 by which the hide is fed out of the machine, and a bladed cylinder 12 for treating the hide. The grip roller and cylinder are mounted in a sub-frame for pivotal movement bodily between an operative and an out-of-the-way condition, in which latter condition there is a vertically accessible gap between the bed and grip rollers and the cylinder to facilitate loading of the hide on to the bed roller. The grip roller is urged towards the bed roller so that feeding of the hide can be initiated before engagement of the hide by the cylinder. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Machine for the treatment of hides This invention is concerned with a machine for the treatment of hides, more especially a machine having a tool in the form of a bladed cylinder, e.g.

a fleshing machine, setting machine or the like.

Hide treatment machines of this type are available commercially, comprising a work supporting roller, often referred to as a bed roller, extending across the front of the machine, over which roller a hide can be placed with a central portion thereof contacting the roller and with end portions thereof draped at opposite sides of the roller, such machine further comprising a cylinder tool and a grip roller or rollers arranged rearwardly of the work supporting roller, and means being provided for effecting relative movement between the work supporting roller, the grip roller(s) and the cylinder tool between an operative condition, in which a hide supported on the work supporting roller is gripped thereagainst by the grip roller(s) and the cylinder tool is caused to operate on the portion of the workpiece at the rearward side of the work supporting roller, and an inoperative condition, in which the cylinder tool and grip roller(s) are spaced from the work supporting roller. In the operation of such machine, when the rollers and cylinder tool are in the operative condition aforementioned, the work supporting roller and the grip roller or rollers are driven in a direction to feed the hide supported on the work supporting roller towards the operator, whereby the portion at said rearward side is fed out of the machine and, as it is so fed, is operated upon by the cylinder tool.

In commercially available machines, it is usual for the work supporting roller to be mounted for movement, e.g. pivotal movement, between operative and inoperative conditions, while the cylinder tool and the grip roller or rollers are mounted in the machine frame either fixedly, or for limited yielding movement. Thus, in using such a machine, when the operator has placed the hide over the work supporting roller as aforesaid (and this is usually done by throwing the hide into the machine), he then has to maintain a grip on the leading edge of the hide at the forward side of the roller, in order to retain control of the hide as it is being fed out of the machine as aforesaid. This means that, as the work supporting roller moves into its operative condition, in a direction away from the operator, he has to follow the inward movement with his arms.In the course of a working day, especially when operating on small hides or skins, e.g. sheepskins, where the output is in the order of 600 per hour, this action of following the inward movement of the work supporting roller places a heavy physical burden on the operator.

Other hide treating machines have also been proposed where the work supporting roller is fixedly mounted in the machine frame, means being provided for bodily moving the cylinder tool between operative and inoperative conditions in relation thereto. In such machines, however, the cylinder tool has not been mounted rearwardly of the work supporting roller, but rather in such a position in relation thereto that the operator is unable readily to load hides onto the work supporting roller at a rate which would now be considered economic. Furthermore, where earlier proposed machines have included a grip roller or rollers cooperable with the work supporting roller, the mounting for such roller or rollers has been fixed in relation to the work support roller, rather than associated with the mounting for the cylinder tool.In such cases, therefore, the hide treatment method whereby the operation is performed from a central portion outwardly to one edge and thereafter from the central portion again outwardly to the other edge, cannot be practised.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved hide treatment machine in the operation of which the conventional method of treatment, from a central portion outwardly to successive edges can be practised, which enables loading of hides into the machine to be effected without hindrance, but which reduces the physical burden which the operator experiences on conventional machines in following the inward movement of the work supporting roller.

The invention provides a machine for the treatment of hides comprising a work supporting roller extending across the front of the machine, over which roller a hide can be placed with a central portion thereof contacting the roller and with end portions thereof draped at opposite sides of the roller, the machine also comprising a cylinder tool and a grip roller mounted, rearwardly of the work supporting roller, on a sub4rame which is mounted for movement so as to move bodily the cylinder tool and grip roller between a forward, operative, condition, in which a hide supported on the work supporting roller is gripped thereagainst by the grip roller and the cylinder tool is urged against the hide, and an inoperative condition, wherein, when the cylinder tool and grip roller are in said operative condition, the work supporting roller is driven in a direction to feed the hide supported thereby towards the operator, whereby the portion thereof draped at the rearward side of the roller is fed out of the machine and, as it is so fed, is operated upon by the cylinder tool.

It will thus be appreciated that, in using the machine in accordance with the invention, because the cylinder tool and grip roller are mounted rearwardly of the work supporting roller, they do not impede the loading of a hide on to the work supporting roller. Furthermore, the conventional method of treating the hide from a central portion thereof outwardly towards each edge can be practised and, more importantly, the physical burden on the operator, especially when operating on small hides at a high hourly output rate, is significantly reduced. In addition, by fixing the work supporting roller in the machine frame, the machine can more readily be adapted, if desired, to a conveyorised feed arrangement, again, however, without detrimentally affecting the facility to effect the conventional practice above set out.

Conveniently the sub-frame is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis extending widthwise of the machine. Furthermore, preferably the movement of the sub-frame to bring the cylinder tool and grip roller to operative condition, is determined by stops (constituted e.g. by the end of a cylinder where the machine is hydraulically operated). Thus, regardless of the machine setting, the sub-frame always executes a set stroke.

For accommodating variations in the thickness of the hide being operated upon, e.g. where hardened manure has adhered to the hair side of the hide, the work supporting roller is preferably mounted for resilient yielding movement away from the cylinder tool. To this end, conveniently the work supporting roller is mounted on a carrier for limited pivotal movement under the control of a hydraulic piston-and-cylinder arrangement, the pressure of fluid in which is set according to the desired pressure to be applied to a hide passing between the cylinder tool and the work supporting roller. Furthermore, preferably the work supporting roller can be set, again according to the thickness of the hide being operated upon, in relation to the cylinder tool.Conveniently, where the mounting is constructed and arranged as aforesaid, this setting can be achieved by varying the effective length of the piston rod of said piston-and-cylinder arrangement.

It may be desired to initiate feeding of the hide out of the machine as aforesaid prior to initiation of the operation thereon by the cylinder tool. To this end, the grip roller may be mounted in the sub-frame for bodily movement relative to the cylinder tool whereby, when the sub4rnme is moved to bring the cylinder and grip roller to their operative condition, the grip roller engages the hide prior to engagement thereof by the cylinder tool, continued movement of the sub-frame then causing the grip roller to yield. Conveniently, the mounting for the grip roller is movable relative to the sub-frame under the control of a hydraulic piston-and-cylinder arrangement by which the grip roller is urged towards the work supporting roller. Furthermore, conveniently said housing is mounted for sliding movement in the sub-frame.

In order to ensure that the work supporting roller is held in its adjusted position when engaged by the grip roller, conveniently the pressure applied to the grip roller housing as aforesaid is less than the pressure applied to the carrier for the work supporting roller, and to this end the hydraulic circuitry of the machine in accordance with the invention is preferably so arranged that the pressure thus applied to the grip roller mounting cannot exceed the pressure applied to the work supporting roller mounting.

For increasing the spread of the hide over the surface of the cylinder tool during the operation thereof, conveniently the machine may also comprise a so-called pad bar arranged in the machine frame beneath the work supporting roller.

By the arrangement of the machine in accordance with the invention, therefore, the mounting of such pad bar, which is known per se, may be significantly simplified in comparison with currently available machines, and further the facility for adjusting the position of the pad bar along its length is similarly facilitated.

The machine in accordance with the invention preferably also comprises a guard member which, when the cylinder tool and grip roller are in their inoperative condition, shrouds the grip roller and also serves to deflect a hide being placed over the work supporting roller away from the cylinder tool.; In this manner, the operator need not concern himself with the possibility of the hide being damaged by contact with the cylinder tool during the loading of the machine. Upon moving the cylinder tool and grip roller to operative condition, preferably such movement is effective to cause the guard member to be moved to a second position in which sufficient of the grip roller is exposed to clear the nip between the grip roller and work supporting roller.In order to prevent injury to the operator by trapping his fingers between the guard and the work supporting roller as it is moved to its second position as aforesaid, a suitable sensing device, e.g. a pneumatic tube, may be arranged along the leading edge of the guard member, pressure contact with said device being effective to arrest and reverse the movement of the grip roller and cylinder tool into their inoperative condition.

Where the machine in accordance with the invention is a fleshing machine, a grinding device is preferably provided for sharpening the blades of the cylinder tool. Conveniently, the grinding device is mounted for movement along a support therefor provided on the subframe.

There now follows a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of one machine in accordance with the invention (hereinafter called the "illustrative machine"). It will be appreciated that this illustrative machine has been selected for description merely by way of exemplification of the invention and not by way of limitation thereof.

In the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the illustrative machine, with parts broken away; Figure 2 is a side view, partly in section and with parts broken away, of the illustrative machine, showing a cylinder tool and grip roller thereof in an inoperative condition; Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2, showing the cylinder tool and grip roller in operative condition, and showing also a blade grinding attachment; and Figure 4 is a diagram of the hydraulic circuit of the illustrative machine.

The illustrative machine is a fleshing machine comprising a work supporting roller in the form of a bed roller 10, a cylinder tool in the form of a bladed cylinder 12, and a grip roller 14. The cylinder 12 is driven by an electric motor 1 6 mounted at one end of a base 18 of the machine, and the bed roller 10 and grip roller 14 are driven by hydraulic motors 20, 22 respectively, each hydraulic motor being mounted at one end of its associated roller, on the bearing housing therefor.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the bed roller 10 extends across the front of the illustrative machine for supporting a hide placed thereon with a central portion thereof contacting the roller and with end portions thereof draped at opposite sides of the roller in the usual manner. In the illustrative machine the bearing housings for the bed roller 10, arranged at opposite ends of the roller, are supported in bell crank levers 24 (Figure 2), which levers are supported for pivotal movement on brackets 26 carried on a frame portion 28 of the machine. Remote from the bearing housing, each bell crank lever 24 has pivotally secured thereto a cylinder block 30 having a piston 32 with a downwardly extending piston rod 34.Carried on the piston rod 34, and screwed into the cylinder block 30 and projecting thereinto, is a bush 36 which, by engagement with the under-surface of the piston 32, limits the upward movement of the cylinder block 30 relative to the piston, and thus limits the inward movement (clockwise, viewing Figure 2) of the bed roller 10. Since each cylinder block 30 carries this adjustment bush, the opposite ends of the bed roller can be adjusted relative to one another to provide proper alignment with the cylinder at 12. A lock nut 38 is provided on each bush 36 for securing it in adjusted position.

Furthermore, the lower end of each piston rod 34 is threaded and is received in a collar 40 which is captive, against axial movement, in a bracket 42 carried on a support plate 44. A lower portion of the collar 40 carries a worm gear 46 which meshes with a worm 48 carried on a shaft 50 extending across the width of the illustrative machine, the shaft thus supporting the worms 48 of both bed roller support arrangements. Rotation of the shaft 50 is thus effective to cause the collar 40 to rotate thus effectively extending or reducing, as the case may be, the effective length of the piston rod 34 and thus the inward position of the bed roller 10. Means (not shown) is provided whereby the operator can rotate the shaft 50.

It will thus be appreciated that the inward position of the bed roller 10 can be adjusted by the operator according to the thickness of the hide to be operated upon. Because of the arrangement of cylinders 30 and pistons 32, however, the bed roller can yield to accommodate variations in the thickness of the hide, e.g. where hardened manure has adhered to the hair surface of the hide. To this end, the chamber in each cylinder block 30 above the piston 32 is supplied with fluid under pressure, which can be regulated according to the desired pressure to be applied by the bed roller.

The cylinder 12 is provided at opposite ends with bearings mounted in housings 52. The housings 52 are mounted on a sub-frame comprising two end plate arrangements, each comprising in turn two end plates 54, and an inter-connecting square-section cross-beam 56.

The sub-frame is mounted for pivotal movement on a cross-shaft 58 extending across the illustrative machine and carried in lugs 60 forming part of the main frame thereof. For effecting pivotal movement of the sub4rame two piston and cylinder arrangements 62 are provided, the cylinders of which are secured at the rear of the main frame, and which have piston rods 64 pivotally connected with the sub-frame.

In the operation of the machine, the sub-frame is caused to pivot to bring the cylinder 12 to operative condition as determined by stops constituted by the ends of the cylinders of the arrangements 62. Thus, it will be appreciated that the sub-frame always executes a fixed stroke and always brings the cylinder to the same operative position.

The cylinder 12 is constantly driven when the machine is in use by the motor 1 6 acting through a belt drive (not shown), the arrangement being such that the output drive shaft of said motor is mounted co-axially with the cross-shaft 58.

The grip roller 14 is mounted, at opposite ends thereof, in bearings, housings for which are each supported on a slide member 66, each slide member being carried in a slideway, which slideways are provided on the bearing housings 52 for the cylinder 12. Each slide 66 carries a cylinder block 68 in which a piston 70 is accommodated, a piston rod 72 of which is fixedly received in the bearing housing 52 associated therewith. An end plate of each cylinder block 68 carries an adjusting screw 74 projecting into the cylinder for limiting the stroke of the cylinder block relative to the piston 70 which is fixed as aforesaid.

When the illustrative machine is in a rest condition (as shown in Figure 2), the grip roller 14 is in an advanced position, relative to the cylinder 12, as determined by the setting of the adjusting screw 74. When the sub-frame is caused to pivot into operative condition, the grip roller 14 is caused to grip the hide to be operated upon against the bed roller 10 before the cylinder 12 engages said hide, continued movement of the sub-frame then causing the grip roller 14 to yield by sliding along the slideways until the end of the stroke of the piston and cylinder arrangements 62 is achieved.

In the operation of the illustrative machine when the grip roller 14 first reaches a position in which it presses a hide to be operated upon against the bed roller 10, operation of the motors 20, 22 is initiated thus to initiate the feeding out of the hide from the machine prior to initiation of the operation thereon by the cylinders 12. In this.

way, the treatment of the hide by the cylinder 12 is progressively introduced, thereby preventing damage to the hide by engagement of the latter by the cylinder before feeding is initiated. Initiation of operation of the motors 20, 22 is effected by a microswitch (not shown) which is actuated by an actuator (not shown) on the sub-frame as the subframe reaches a position in which said rollers 10, 14 are effective to grip the hide as aforesaid.

It will be appreciated from Figure 2 that, when the sub4rame is in an out-of-the-way condition, a vertically accessible gap is provided between the bed roller 10 on the one hand and the cylinder 12 and grip roller 14 on the other. This configuration is especially advantageous for the loading of a hide on to the bed roller 10, which loading is customarily effected by the operator throwing the hide into the machine so that it will drape over the bed roller 10. (The vertically accessible gap is, however, also advantageous in that it would facilitate the automatic loading of a hide e.g. from an overhead conveyor.) When the hide is being loaded by the operator, however, a danger would arise in that the hide could be damaged by the cylinder 12, which is of course constantly rotating.

In order to avoid such damage, and further in order to protect the operator from the moving parts of the machine during loading, a guard member 76 is provided, said member forming part of the general machine cover, but being hinged on the remainder of said cover. For moving the guard member 76 about its hinge, each bearing housing associated with the grip roller carries a pusher arm 78, said arms determining the position of the guard member 76 when the sub-frame is in the out-ofthe-way condition and also serving to move the guard member in advance of the grip roller and cylinder, as the sub-frame is moved to its operative condition.The guard member 76 is so shaped that an end portion thereof extends vertically, or substantially so, when the sub-frame is in its out-of-theway condition so that when the operator throws a hide over the bed roller into the machine, it may strike the guard member and be deflected away from the cylinder 12. In order to avoid the possibility of the operator's fingers being trapped between the guard member 76 and the bed roller 10 as the guard member is moved during movement of the sub-frame into operative condition, a detector 80, in the form of a pneumatic tube, is mounted along the front face of the edge of the guard member, contact with said detector being effective to return the sub-frame to its out-of-the-way condition.

As is conventional in fleshing machines, the illustrative machine comprises a grinding device generally designated 82 (Figure 3) for the cylinder 12. In the illustrative machine, the grinding device comprises a so-called brick 84 mounted in a support 86 which can slide along the length of the cross-beam 56, a sprocket and chain drive arrangement being provided therefor, driven by a reversible hydraulic motor 88 mounted on the sub-frame.

The illustrative machine is hydraulically operated and is provided with a pump P which is driven by motor M (Figure 4); the pump and motor are mounted on the base 1 8 of the machine, at the right-hand side thereof (viewing Figure 1). The pressure of the fluid in the hydraulic system is regulated by pressure relief valve PV, fluid at the full system pressure being thus supplied through solenoid valve SV1 to the piston and cylinder arrangements 62, through solenoid valve SV2 to the hydraulic motors, 20, 22, and through solenoid valve SV3, which is a three-position valve controlled by two solenoids, to hydraulic motor 88.The solenoid of valve SV1 is energised by a foot treadle (not shown), the solenoid of valve SV2 by actuation of the aforementioned microswitch as the sub-frame approaches its operative condition, and a selected one of the solenoids of valve SV3 upon actuation of a "grind" button by the operator. The hydraulic system also supplies fluid under pressure to the cylinders 30 whereby to maintain the bed roller 10 in its inward position.

Fluid is supplied to said cylinders through a pressure reduction valve PR1 thus to maintain the desired pressure in said cylinders, while nevertheless enabling the bed roller to yield resiliently in the event of a significant variation in hide thickness. When the bed roller yields in this manner, fluid forced from the cylinders 30 is exhausted to tank.

In addition, the fluid from pressure reducing valve PR1 is supplied to a further pressure reducing valve PR2 which supplies fluid under pressure as regulated by said valve PR2 to the cylinders 68 by which the grip roller 14 is urged into its advanced position. It will be appreciated that, since the fluid supplied to the cylinder 68 is regulated firstly by valve PR1, the pressure applied to a hide by the grip roller 14 cannot exceed the pressure applied via the bed roller 10.

Furthermore, preferably the pressure set by valve PR2 is less than that set by valve PR1, so that the pressure applied by the grip roller is less than that applied by the bed roller to the hide. In this way, if the bed roller is caused to yield in the manner aforesaid, due to a significant variation in thickness of the hide being operated upon, the grip roller will not be able to hold the bed roller in the position to which it has so yielded, but rather the bed roller will return to its most inward position, and the grip roller will be caused to yield correspondingly. Thus, the hide is always maintained by the bed roller in the proper relationship with the cylinder 12.

Whereas in the illustrative machine only one grip roller 14 is provided, it will be appreciated that two grip rollers may be mounted on the slides 66 for engagement with the work, said rollers being driven in synchronism with one another and with the bed roller.

Claims

1. A machine for the treatment of hides comprising a work supporting roller extending across the front of the machine, over which roller a hide can be placed with a central portion thereof contacting the roller and with end portions thereof draped at opposite sides of the roller, the machine also comprising a cylinder tool and a grip roller mounted, rearwardly of the work supporting roller, on a sub-frame which is mounted for movement so as to move bodily the cylinder tool and grip roller between a forward, operative, condition, in which a hide supported on the work supporting roller is gripped thereagainst by the grip roller and the cylinder tool is urged against the hide, and an inoperative condition, wherein, when the cylinder tool and grip roller are in said operative condition, the work supporting roller is driven in a direction to feed the hide supported thereby towards the operator, whereby the portion thereof draped at the rearward side of the roller is fed out of the machine and, as it is so fed, is operated upon by the cylinder tool.

2. A machine according to Claim 1 wherein the sub-frame is mounted for pivotal movement about an axis extending widthwise of the machine.

3. A machine according to either one of Claims 1 and 2 wherein the movement of the sub-frame to bring the cylinder tool and grip roller to operative condition is determined by stops.

4. A machine according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the work supporting roller is mounted for resilient yielding movement away from the cylinder tool.

5. A machine according to Claim 4 wherein the work supporting roller is mounted on a carrier for limited pivotal movement under the control of a hydraulic piston-and-cylinder arrangement, the pressure of fluid in which is set according to the desired pressure to be applied to a hide passing between the cylinder tool and the work supporting roller.

6. A machine according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the position of the work supporting roller can be set, according to the thickness of the hide being operated upon, in relation to the cylinder tool.

7. A machine according to Claim 6 when tied, directly or indirectly, to Claim 4 wherein said setting is achieved by varying the effective length of the piston rod of said piston-and-cylinder arrangement.

8. A machine according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein the grip roller is mounted in the sub4rame for bodily movement relative to the cylinder tool whereby, when the sub4rame is moved to bring the cylinder and grip roller to their operative condition, the grip roller engages the hide prior to engagement thereof by the cylinder tool, continued movement of the subframe then causing the grip roller to yield.

9. A machine according to Claim 8 wherein the mounting for the grip roller is movable relative to the subframe under the control of a hydraulic piston-and-cylinder arrangement by which the grip roller is urged towards the work supporting roller.

10. A machine according to Claim 9 wherein the mounting for the grip roller is mounted for sliding movement in the sub-frame.

11. A machine according to either one of Claims 9 and 10 when tied to either one of Claims 5 and 7 wherein the pressure applied to the grip roller mounting as aforesaid is less than the pressure applied to the carrier for the work supporting roller.

12. A machine according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein a guard member is provided which, when the cylinder tool and grip roller are in their inoperative condition, shrouds the grip roller and also serves to deflect a hide being placed over the work supporting roller away from the cylinder tool.

13. A machine according to Claim 12 wherein, upon moving the cylinder tool and grip roller to operative condition, such movement is effective to cause the guard member to be moved to a second position in which sufficient of the grip roller is exposed to clear the nip between the grip roller and work supporting roller.

14. A machine according to Claim 13 wherein a sensing device is arranged along the leading edge of the guard member, pressure contact with said device being effective to arrest and reverse the movement of the grip roller and cylinder tool into their inoperative condition.

1 5. A machine according to any one of the preceding Claims wherein a grinding device for sharpening the blades of the cylinder tool is mounted on the sub-frame for traversing movement across the machine.

1 6. A hide treatment machine constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.