US2197287A - Apparatus for dressing animal hides - Google Patents

Description

April 16, 1940.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1958 :wwwhom April 16, 1940- RS. ALMENDINGER 7 APFARATUS FOR DRESSING ANIMAL IDES Filed Sept. 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w I I Patented Apr. 16, 1940 .1

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to apparatus for, dressing animal hides and is particularly directed to a machine suitable for use in dressing hides of large size. The primary object resides in the provision of a machine of the type mentioned having a frame in which a large hide can be stretched and supported and to provide a framesupported cutting mechanism which will be movable relative to the hide in order that fur, hair or flesh can be quickly and easily removed therefrom. i

It is also an object of the invention to provide a machine of the typementioned with novel means for clamping and stretching 2. hide therein;

A further object is the provision of a frame having a guide on which is mounted a carrier supporting a tool used in operating upon the hide.

It is also an object of the invention to provide the support for the cutting device with means to automatically secure it in positions of adjustment relative to the hide.

A still further object is directed to the provision of a tool support which is movable in a direction parallel to the surface of. the hide as well as in a direction at right angles thereto, means also being providedto adjust the position of the cutting tool when the support is moved away from the hide. a i

Additional objects will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the'accompa ying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a hide dressing machine formed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

-" Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line III--III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view'taken on the plane indicated by the line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the plane indicated by the line VI-'VI of Fig. .4;

Fig. '7 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line VII-VII of Fig. 3.

} tudinally extending rail 6 connected thereto adper ends of the posts on this side of the frame, the hook It will engage a lug H to hold the of vertical corner posts 2 which are formed at their lower ends with flange members 3 by means of which the frame may be secured to the building floor. The upper ends of the corner posts are connected by means of longitudinally and '5 transversely extending rails 4 and 5 respectively, the corner posts and the rails being formed of tubing and welded or otherwise secured together. A pair of the corner posts also have a longijacent thelower ends. This rail and the posts to which it is connected are provided with spaced eyelets 7. The corner of the frame at the upper end of one of these posts has a pair of spaced ears8 secured thereto between which is pivoted a clamp bar 9 which has its opposite end formed to include a hook Hi. When the bar is swung to a position substantially in engagement with the longitudinal bar extending between the upbar in this position. When the bar is moved 'to this position with one edge of a hide placed between it and the longitudinal bar of the frame. the hide will be securely held therein. .The eyelets 7 have lacing ropes l2 movably positioned therein and between adjacenteyelets.

th rope is provided with hook members 13 for engagement with the free edges of the hide. When the hooks are in engagement with the hide and the rope drawn tight, the hide will be stretched vertically between the pair of corner posts and the horizontal bars 6 and 9 in a tau condition.

One of the horizontal members 4a of the frame extends between the transverse rails at a point intermediate their ends and constitutes a'guide for the reception of a carrier mechanism M including a pair of spaced sleeves l5 slidably received by the bar 4a. The sleeves are formed with laterally directed branches which bend toward one another and are secured together to form a laterally offset portion l6. Depending from the'portion I6 is a pair of Vertical rods 11, the lower ends of which are connected by a short barlB which serves to maintain the-bars in parallel order. By reason of the sleeves being loosely positioned on the bar 401., the. carrierfwill be free to move longitudinally thereof in a plane parallel to the surface of the hide stretched in the frame. The carrier may also move in a direction at right angles to the hide due to the pivotal action around the axis provided'by the bar 4a.

The machine also includes a tool supporting unit which is composed of two main parts. The first part is a bracket section which is slidably positioned on the vertical bars 1'! and includes a pair of sleeves l9 and Ma connected by a web 20. The sleeve i9 is made in two sections and a plate 21 is positioned therebetween. This plate is formed with an opening to surround one of the rods H, the opening being slightly greater than the outside diameter of the rod to permit the plate to tilt to a slight degree. At the rear portion of thesleeve, the upper section is provided with a lug to be engaged by the plate 2|. A compression type spring 22 is placed between the plate and the lower section of the sleeve and serves to resiliently hold the plate in its tilted position. When the plate is in this position, the bracket section will be prevented from moving downward on the bars I! in response to gravity action. The bracket may be moved upwardh by applying an upward force but when it is desired to move it down, pressure must be applied to the outerend of the plate iii to release it from looking engagement.

The central portion of the web 20 is provided with an enlargement having a vertical socket in which is positioned a pivot pin 23 which is free to rotate in the socket. To secure the pin in its various positions, the enlargement on the web is provided with a set screw 24.

The tool supporting unit also includes a tool carrying section 25 formed with a body having converging corner angles connected by means of transverse cross 2'1. One end of the body alsoincludes a pair of vertically spaced cars 28 perforated to receive the ends of the pivot pin 23 rigidly secured thereto by means of pins 2%. This arrangement permits the body to be moved a horizontal plane around the axis of the pin 23. The purpose of this movement will be hereinafter set forth.

At the opposite end, the body is provided with a pair of bearings 35! to receive the ends of a horizontally disposed axle 3! which rotatably supports a disk knife 32 to which is secured as at 33 a sheave wheel 3d which has an endless V-type belt35 in engagement therewith. The belt also engages a pulley 35 carried by the armature shaft of an electric motor 38. The motor is bolted to a shelf formed in connection with the body adjacent the end attached to the carrier. When the motor rotates, similar motion will be imparted by means of the belt to the disk knife which is made concave to provide a curved cutting edge for en gagement with the hide to be dressed. When the body is moved on the pivot .23, the cutting edge of the knife will be positioned; in angular relation to the surface of the hide. To prevent the knife from making cuts on the hide too deep, 2. pair of guard members 39 are adjustably secured to the frame at the sides of the knife. The outer edges of the guard members engage the hide at the sides of the knife and limit the engagement thereof with the hide.

The operation of the device is as follows:

After a hide has been placed in the frame and rigidly secured in a taut condition, the tool support is raised to its highest point on the carrier. The carrier is then moved toward the hide to position the knife in engagement therewith, after which it is moved longitudinally on its guide. This operation will clean or shave a narrow strip of the hide. Upon the completion of this strip, the carrier will be lowered approximately the width of the strip cut and operation repeated until the whole hide is dressed.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a machine has been provided which will enable one or two operators to quickly and easily dress a large hide. The hide would not necessarily have to be maintained in a vertical position but could as readily be held in a horizontal position. The rest of the machine would, in that event, be altered in a similar manner.

While I have shown and described the invention in its preferred form, many changes such as that suggested above may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame, means providing in connection with said frame for stretching a hide to a taut condition and immovably holding it in a vertical position, a carrier mounted for sliding movement on said frame in a plane parallel to the surface of said hide, said carrier also being free to swing in a plane at right angles to the surface of said hide, a tool support mounted on said carrier for movement therewith, said support being adjustable vertically with respect to said carrier, and a motor driven disk knife positioned on said support, the swinging movement of said carrier serving to move said knife into and out of engagement with said hide.

2. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame, means provided in connection with said frame for stretching and immovably holding a hide in a taut condition, a carrier mounted for movement on said frame in a plane parallel to the surface of said hide, said carrier also being movable in a plane at an angle to the surface of said hide, a tool support mounted on said carrier for movement therewith, said support being movable relative to said carrier in a plane parallel to the surface of said hide, and a motor driven disk kniie positioned on said support for engagement with said hide.

3. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame,

means provided in connection with said frame for stretching and immovably holding a hide in a taut condition, guide means extending parallel to the surface of said hide, a carrier movable longitudinally of said guide means, a tool support positioned on said carrier for movement therewith, said support being movable relative to said carrier in a plane parallel to the surface of said hide, and a motor driven disk knife carried by said support, said knife being movable into and out of engagement with said hide. I

l. A hide dressing machine comprising a framework having vertically extending corner posts connected at their upper ends by longitudinally and transversely extending horizontal rails, means for stretching a hide in a vertical plane between a pair of corner posts, a guide bar extending parallel to the plane of said hide, a carrier mounted for longitudinal movement on said guide bar, said carrier being free toswing on said guide bar in planes at right angles to the plane of said hide, a tool support positioned on said carrier for movement therewith, and a motor driven disk knife carried by said tool support.

5. A hide dressing machine comprising a framework including vertically disposed corner posts and elevated longitudinally and transversely extending horizontal rails, means provided in connection with a pair of corner posts and one elevated horizontal rail for stretching a hide in a vertical plane, a carrier mounted for sliding movement on one of said longitudinal rails, said carrier being, free to swing around the center proconnection with a pair of vertical posts for engaging the other edges of said hide to stretch and support it in a vertical plane, a carrier slidably mounted on one of said longitudinal rails, said carrier being free to swing toward and away from said hide, a tool support mounted for vertical adjustment on said carrier, means disposed between said tool support and carrier for securing the former in its positions of vertical adjustment, a disk knife rotatably carried by said tool support, a motor mounted on said support, and motion transmitting means connecting said motor and said knife.

7. A hide dressing machine comprising a framework including vertically extending corner posts and longitudinally and transversely extending horizontally disposed elevated rails, means for clamping one edge of a hide to one ofsaid longitudinally extending rails, means provided in connection with a pair of vertical posts for engaging the other edges of said hide to stretch and support it in a vertical plane, a carrier slidably mounted on one of said longitudinal rails, said carrier being free to swing toward and away from said hide, a bracket member mounted for vertical adjustment on said carrier, means disposed between said bracket member and carrier for securing the former in positions of vertical adjustment, a tool support mounted on said bracket member for swinging adjustment in a horizontal plane, a disk knife rotatably carried by said tool support, a motor mounted on said support, and motion transmitting means connecting said motor and said knife. a

8. A hide'dressing machine comprising a frame, means provided on said frame for stretching and immovably supporting a hide in a taut condition, uide means extending parallel to the surface of said hide, a carrier movable longitudinally of said guide means, a tool support positioned on said move said disk knife longitudinally of its axis of rotation.

9. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame,

means provided on said frame for stretching and immovably supporting a hide in a taut condition, guide means xtending parallel to the surface of said hide, a carrier movable longitudinally of said uide means, a tool support positioned on said carrier for movement therewith, said support being movable relative to said carrier in a plane parallel to the surface of said hide, and a motor driven disk knife carried by said tool support for rotation in a plane disposed in angular relationship to the surface of the hide, movement of said carrier on said guide means serving to move said disk knife substantially longitudinally of its axis of rotation.

10. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame having a plurality of spaced bars, means carried by said bars for immovably supporting a hide in a taut condition therebetween, said hide being unsupported at either surface, guide means formed with said frame, a carrier member supported by said guide means for adjustment in a plane parallel to a surface of the hide, said carrier being also movable toward and away from said hide, a tool support mounted on said carrier for movement relative thereto in a plane extending parallel to the surface of said hide, and a disk knife journaled for rotation about an axis disposed in substantially parallel relationship to the uide means for said carrier, movement of said carrier on said guide means serving to move said knife relative to said hide.

11. A hide dressing machine comprising a frame having spaced horizontally and vertically extending bars, means provided on certain of said bars for immovably supporting a hide therebetween in a taut condition, said hide being unsupported at either surface, a carrier slidably supported for longitudinal movement on a bar extending parallel to one surface of the hide, said carrier being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of'said bar, a tool support mounted on said carrier for adjustment in a plane extending parallel to said hide, a disk knife ,journaled on said tool support for rotation about an axis disposed substantially parallel to the bar in which said carrier is supported, amotor mounted on said tool support, and motion transmitting means connecting said motor and said knife.

12. A hide dressing machine comprising a pair of parallel horizontally disposed bars, parallel vertically extending bars maintaining said horizontal bars in an elevated position, a third horizontal barv extending between the lower portions of a pair of said vertical bars, hide stretching and supporting means carried by said third horizontal bar, the vertical bars connected therewith and one elevated horizontal bar, a carrier member suspended from the other elevated bar, said member being movable longitudinally of said bar and around its longitudinal axis, a tool support mounted on said carrier member for movement therewith, said tool support being movable toward and away from the elevated bar supporting said carrier member, and a motor driven disk knife journaled for rotation on said tool support about an axis disposed in parallel relationship to the horizontal bars.

PAUL s. ,AIMENDINGER.

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