Abstract: A process for manufacturing regenerated leather characterized by preparing a short-fiber and a long-fiber leather pulps from wasted natural leather; sending the two kinds of pulps separately to a refrigerator for freezing and then drying in a vacuum dryer; thus forming two sheets of cake-like leather by combining the two sheets to one and dipping with proper bonding agent, the long-fiber leather sheet is fluffed by a fluff-forming machine thus to form a regenerated natural leather.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a method for the recovery of hair from an animal hide and for a concurrent opening of the hide structure using a proteolytic enzyme, which method comprises first pre-treating the hide, free of preservative salt, in the acid pH region with a material cleaving disulfide bridges and then, without a previous softening, concurrently loosening hair and opening the hide structure by treating said hide with a protease, effective in the alkaline region, at a pH value of about 11 to about 13.

Abstract: Chrome tanned leather scrap is converted into thermal insulation by shredding the tanned leather scrap into leather fibers, without damaging the structural fiber integrity, and case hardening the shredded leather fibers. The shredded leather fibers are case hardened by reducing the moisture content thereof to less than 5% by weight, and preferably less than 2%.

Abstract: The method of obtaining the leather resides in the treatment of cattle hides and includes the following successively performed operations: pretreating a raw hide, splitting it longitudinally to the thickness of 2.0 to 2.5 mm of the leather tissue, flushing the thus obtained grain split in an aqueous solution containing surface-active agents and ferments, pickling, tanning, shaving, greasing, drying, rolling, stretching and grinding. All the above operations are performed with the hair remaining on the unfinished leather.As a result of the disclosed treatment there is obtained the leather with hair and with the suede finish of the flesh side. The leather is suitable for production of warm shoes, with the hair inside and no lining.

Abstract: A cover sheet is disposed over a recess in a work table. A folding apparatus, including an edge folder and edge erector is disposed over the recess and lowered until the edge erector is in the recess. The edge erector includes horizontally movable plates which are moved outwardly against the edges of the recess to erect the marginal edges of the sheet. The edge folder has downwardly depending, horizontally moving members. The edge folder is lowered until the members touch the work table after which the members are moved inwardly to fold the erected marginal edges of the sheet horizontally over the plates. The plates are then withdrawn while the edge folder members are maintained in contact with the folded marginal edges, and high frequency heat applied to weld the folded marginal edges to the sheet. After the welding is completed the edge erector and edge folder are raised to their initial position and the members are returned to their outward positions.

Abstract: A system, including apparatus and method for cutting leather and like flexible sheet material into straps and/or strips and for sequentially sizing and shaping the straps and/or strips uniformly, the apparatus comprising a cylindrical bar with shaping and sizing circumferential grooves in the surface thereof, a pivotable biased holder carrying a cutting edge disposed at a narrow acute angle across one or both of the mentioned grooves in the cylindrical bar so that undesired portions of the straps or strips are cut off to size and shape the strap or strip as it is forceably drawn between the groove and the mentioned cutting edge. The cylindrical bar also comprises a slot and one or more spacers to hold one or more blades parallel to each other and perpendicular to the body so that a sheet of rawhide, leather or like flexible material may be selectively and simultaneously cut into uniform strips by drawing the sheet through the parallel blades.

Abstract: A leather yarn embodies a novel combination of five parameters which enables the leather yarn to be readily worked by garment knitting machine needlework into a unique knitted fabric having a soft "leather hand".The parameters are:1. Softness;2. Consistent Thinness of Depth;3. Consistent Narrowness of Width;4. Adequate Tensile Strength; and5. Continuity.The leather yarn is cut from a thin leather having a weight in the range of about 3 oz. to 11/2 oz. as measured by a standard leather thickness gauge such as the Woburn ounce weight caliber, made by the Woburn Machine Company, Woburn, Massachusetts.The softness parameter is obtained by the selection of a leather with the softness characteristics of fine garment/dress glove leather (a standard category in the tanning industry).The consistent narrowness of width and thinness of depth (and manufacture of the yarn at a marketable cost) is obtained by a number of specifically interrelated machine cutting operations.

Abstract: An improved hide processing machine has a hide-treating drum supported for rotation about a central longitudinal axis to retain and tumble hides and treating fluids at a closed end of the drum. The drum includes helical partition means extending across the interior of the drum and spirally along the drum axis from its closed end toward its open end, thereby dividing the drum into at least two longitudinally-extending spiral compartments. The partition means prevents movement of hides from one such compartment to another during rotation of the drum, and includes fluid-transmitting openings for free movement of treating fluid between such compartments. The helical partition means can provide a conveying force for retaining or discharging such hides when the drum is rotated in an appropriate direction.

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 method of, and apparatus for, flexibilizing or softening leather or like materials wherein opposite marginal regions or lines of at least one area section of the piece of material to be worked and extending at least partially over such piece of material are moved periodically in relation to each other. This relative movement comprises or consists of a movement component directed parallel to the plane of said piece of material. This can be achieved by means of at least two tools moved appropriately in relation to each other and acting on the material by imposing an alternating deformation thereon comprising a movement component parallel to the plane of the piece of material.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a paint roller cover or similar applicator fabricated partially from animal pelt, such as sheepskin or other like shrinkable material, comprising the steps of forming a sleeve of the shrinkable material, providing an internal core about which the sleeve is embraced, and heat shrinking the sleeve onto the core. The sleeve can be overlapped about at least one end of the core and heat shrunk thereto for applying paint along adjoining corner surfaces.

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.

Abstract: A chain conveyor advances brine soaked hides hanging from hooks on the conveyor to a wringer consisting of a pair of vertically oriented pressure loaded power-driven rolls, and draws the hides through the wringer with the lengthwise dimension of the hides substantially horizontal.

Abstract: Beginning with leather lacing of substantially rectangular cross-section, moistening that lacing to a proper degree, drawing the moistened lacing through one or more shaping dies under controlled tension, drying the formed lacing and then applying an emollient in a controlled amount, a leather beading line of high strength, pliability and ease of threading and with substantially circular cross-section is obtained.