Abstract: Skins, hides and similar flexible objects are sammied during travel through two successive nips the first of which is defined by an upper pressure roll and a first lower pressure roll and the second of which is defined by the upper pressure roll and a second lower pressure roll. A first endless belt of felt or other absorbent material is trained over the upper pressure roll and a second endless belt of felt or other absorbent material is trained over the second lower pressure roll. A liquid-permeable object-supplying endless belt conveyor has an upper reach which advances through the two nips and has a portion which overlies the second endless belt downstream of the second nip.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn to a method of removing hair from an animal pelt in which liquified gas is applied to the fleshy side of the pelt to freeze the pelt to a temperature at which hair pores of the skin open. The application of the liquid gas to the pelt may be facilitated by placing the pelt on a conveyor having perforations, applying suction to the pelt through the perforations to secure the pelt to the conveyor, and applying the liquified gas to the pelt through the perforations. Furthermore, the application of the liquified gas to the pelt may be carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the pelt is frozen to a temperature between 0.degree. and -20.degree. Celsius. In the second phase, the pelt is frozen to a temperature between -20.degree. and -220.degree. Celsius. Finally, after the pelt has been frozen, the hair may be removed with an appropriate hair removing device such as a comb, blade or brush.

Abstract: In a staking machine for staking leather, skins or furs a rotatable work roll carrying staking blades or grindstones is arranged against a flexible pressing device with an adjustable gap. A workpiece is pulled through the gap by a rotary feed roll and a rotary clamping roll also arranged at an adjustable clearance. The workpiece is fed through the gap between the feed roll and the clamping roll when the feed roll cooperates with the clamping roll.

Abstract: A drying press for hides, comprising two endless drying felts (1; 4) passed over rolls (2, 3; 5, 6), said felts being pressed against each other at press rolls (2, 5) to form a drying press gap for hides which are passed therethrough, as well as hide stretching means upstream of said gap. A problem to be solved is to provide such hide stretching means that can be used to effectively prevent the folding of the trailing edges of hides to be fed through a drying press. To solve this problem, there are an upper stretcher (8) and a lower stretcher (7) between which a hide (18) is passed while being lifted off a drying felt (1). Stretchers (7 and 8) press a hide therebetween with a suitable sliding fitness, said hide keeping taut and off a felt.

Abstract: A method and machine for removing naturally occurring oil from animal hides, especially pig skins, which comprises passing the hides in the condition they are in at the conclusion of the conventional curing operation, with the hair side facing downward, between a small diameter solid-surfaced roll and a much larger diameter power-driven cylinder having a resiliently yieldable surface, the cylinder being above the roll so that the hair side of the hides is in contact with the roll, and the cylinder being forced down onto the roll with sufficient pressure to cause the surface of the cylinder to conform to the curvature of the roll as it and a hide move across the roll to thereby progressively subject narrow band-like zones of the hair side of the hide alternately to compression and tension forces transversely of said zones, and before the internal structure of that portion of the hide can recover from the alternate collapse and expansion of its pores that results from the compression and stretching of its hair

Abstract: A press comprises two cooperating endless belts each trained over a support and tensioning roller. The end supports of the support roller for the lower belt rest on a hydraulically actuated piston which enables this support roller to be displaced towards the other support roller. Two pairs of like bracing members hold the end supports of the support rollers, the bracing members of each pair having one end pivoted to a respective hydraulic cylinder for the pistons and the end supports of the other support roller being detachably fixed to the other bracing member ends. Each pair of bracing members defines a guide for the displacement of the end supports of the support roller for the lower belt. One of the end supports of each support roller is pivotally mounted for pivoting the support rollers in a plane defined by the axes of the support rollers.

Abstract: In a rotary ironing machine for applying treatments such as ironing, embossing and the like to sheet materials such as leather, cardboard and the like, the cylindrical ironing surface is provided on a thin-walled hollow cylinder, the sheet material is fed by a conveyor belt between said cylinder and an external pressure roller, a counter-pressure roller being provided within the cylinder. Radiation heating means are provided for the ironing surface, externally or preferably internally of the hollow cylinder. Said cylinder is supported by external or internal guide rollers which, together with the heating arrangement, are supported by a carrier which is disposed within the cylinder and is supported at only one end thereof. Other details are disclosed, including a retaining arrangement, for retaining and spreading the sheet material and stripping arrangements with oscillating stripper fingers.

Abstract: A method of, and apparatus for, dewatering leather wherein there is provided at least a first dewatering-pressure zone and to both sides and neighboring such first dewatering-pressure zone two further dewatering-pressure zones producing a lower pressure than the first dewatering-pressure zone. The two further dewatering-pressure zones together with the first dewatering-pressure zone move over the surface of the leather, and the leather, at the region of the pressure zones, is brought into pressure contact, at least at one face or side thereof, with an absorbent element.