Process and apparatus for spreading out and vacuum drying of wet dressed and/or colored hides

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR SPREADING OR SMOOTHING AND DRYING HIDES, COMPRISING AN IMPERVIOUS METALLIC SUPPORTING TABLE UPON WHICH A HIDE MAY BE LAID, MEANS FOR HEATING SAID TABLE, A COMPOSITE PAD INCLUDING AN IMPERVIOUS FLEXIBLE TOP SHEET AND A SPACED POROUS FLEXIBLE LOWER SHEET, THE BRIM OF THE IMPERVIOUS TOP SHEET EXTENDING BEYOND THE EDGES OF THE POROUS SHEET; A RIGID FRAME, MEANS MOUNTING THE FRAME FOR RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT VERTICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAIT TABLE FOR APPLYING AND RELEASING PRESSURE, MEANS SUSPENDING SAID PAD BY ITS BRIM FROM SAID RIGID FRAME TO OVERLIE THE TABLE IN A CONVEX SURFACE SO THAT UPON LOWERING OF SAID FRAME THE PAD CENTER PORTION INITIALLY CONTACTS A HIDE UPON THE TABLE AND PRESSES GRADUALLY OUTWARDLY TO SPREAD AND SMOOTH THE HIDE AS THE PAD IS LOWERED FURTHER, MEANS INCLUDING SAID IMPERVIOUS TOP SHEET FOR FORMING ALL AROUND SAID PAD AN AIR-TIGHT CLOSURE AGAINST THE TABLE WHEN THE PAD IS COMPLETELY LOWERED; A SOURCE OF VACUUM, FLEXIBLE TUBULAR MEANS FOR PUTTING SAID SOURCE OF VACUUM INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID TOP AND LOWER SHEETS OF THE PAD, AND MEANS FOR PUTTING SAID SPACE BETWEEN THE PAD SHEETS INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE ATMOSPHERE AFTER SHUTTING OFF SAID VACUUM SOURCE, SAID MEANS MOUNTING THE FRAME INCLUDING A TRUCK HAVING WHEELS TO PERMIT LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE MEANS MOUNTING THE FRAME.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR SPREADING OR SMOOTHING AND DRYING HIDES, COMPRISING AN IMPERVIOUS METALLIC SUPPORTING TABLE UPON WHICH A HIDE MAY BE LAID, MEANS FOR HEATING SAID TABLE, A COMPOSITE PAD INCLUDING AN IMPERVIOUS FLEXIBLE TOP SHEET AND A SPACED POROUS FLEXIBLE LOWER SHEET, THE BRIM OF THE IMPERVIOUS TOP SHEET EXTENDING BEYOND THE EDGES OF THE POROUS SHEET; A RIGID FRAME, MEANS MOUNTING THE FRAME FOR RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT VERTICALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAIT TABLE FOR APPLYING AND RELEASING PRESSURE, MEANS SUSPENDING SAID PAD BY ITS BRIM FROM SAID RIGID FRAME TO OVERLIE THE TABLE IN A CONVEX SURFACE SO THAT UPON LOWERING OF SAID FRAME THE PAD CENTER PORTION INITIALLY CONTACTS A HIDE UPON THE TABLE AND PRESSES GRADUALLY OUTWARDLY TO SPREAD AND SMOOTH THE HIDE AS THE PAD IS LOWERED FURTHER, MEANS INCLUDING SAID IMPERVIOUS TOP SHEET FOR FORMING ALL AROUND SAID PAD AN AIR-TIGHT CLOSURE AGAINST THE TABLE WHEN THE PAD IS COMPLETELY LOWERED; A SOURCE OF VACUUM, FLEXIBLE TUBULAR MEANS FOR PUTTING SAID SOURCE OF VACUUM INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID TOP AND LOWER SHEETS OF THE PAD, AND MEANS FOR PUTTING SAID SPACE BETWEEN THE PAD SHEETS INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE ATMOSPHERE AFTER SHUTTING OFF SAID VACUUM SOURCE, SAID MEANS MOUNTING THE FRAME INCLUDING A TRUCK HAVING WHEELS TO PERMIT LATERAL MOVEMENT OF THE MEANS MOUNTING THE FRAME.