| JP2008024784 | NATURAL MOUTON |
| JP06081000 | PRODUCTION OF FUR PLATE |
| JP3220125 | STRING-LIKE FUR, CLOTH USING FUR-LIKE MATERIAL AND PRODUCT USING THE CLOTH |
HEDEGAARD, Jens (Blaamunkevej 20, DK 7500 Holstebro, DK)
C L A I M S
1. Method for mechanical execution of water-brushing of taned pelts (6), chiefly mink pelts, on a distension element/pelt board (4) with a first and a second broad side surface (40, 42), preferably with a convex and open surface structure, a nose end (10) and a foot end (7), where the pelt board (4) is fastened at the foot end (7), preferable in the upright position, and said pelt (6) is secured in the stretched position on the pelt board by a wrapping or a tubular holding bag (8) comprising a narrowed-down area, the lower limit of which is placed on a level with the tail root (13) of the pelt, and where the holding bag comprises a slotted part (12) oriented towards the pointed end of the pelt board, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the following process steps are carried out: a. a taned pelt (6) on a pelt board (4) standing on the foot end (7) in the upright position is displaced to a processing area (46) opposite a wa- ter-brushing machine (2), and the upright pelt board (4) is positioned so that the position of the pelt board is well-defined for a control unit (64) associated with the water-brushing machine (2), b. displacement of a vertically-displaceable brush aggregate (18) comprising two similar, laterally reversed and mutually displaceable proc- essing stations (20,22) from a start position above the pointed end
(10) of the pelt board downwards towards the pointed end of the board, at the same time that the processing stations (20,22) are led towards each other for the surrounding of the pelt board (4) with the taned pelt (6), c, the application of liquid/water to the fur side (50) of the pelt by a number of atomising nozzles (26) on the respective processing stations (20,22) and connected to a supply (28) of water via pipes (33) and a pump (32), d. immediately after the application of liquid/water, brushing of the fur side (50) of the pelt by a number of horsehair brushes (30), where the shape of the brushes is adapted in accordance with the cross- sectional geometry of the pelt board (4) with the taned pelt (6), by a continued displacement of the brush aggregate (18) in the direction towards the foot end (7) of the pelt board, e. continuous sucking-up of excess liquid/water stemming for the brushing process by the pressing of sweeping blocks (24) of elastically- yielding, water absorbing material, which are placed below the atomising nozzles (26) on the processing stations (20,22), against the fur side (50) of the pelt on the first and second broad side surface (40, 42) of the pelt board, f. displacement of the slotted part (12) of the holding bag towards the holding bag's narrowed-down area (16) by means of the sweeping blocks (24), by continued displacement of the processing stations (20,
22) in the direction towards foot end (7) of the pelt board, g. possible repetition of the process steps b, d, e, f after the implementation of a relative displacement of the processing stations (20, 22) away from each other, and herewith away from the fur side (50) of the pelt, and a displacement of the brush aggregate (18) to the start position, h. the folding-back and down of the slotted part (12) of the holding bag (8) by means of the sweeping blocks (24), and elements (34) projecting from the processing stations (20, 22), which are displaced into contact against the taned pelt/holding bag's along the edge (38) of the pelt board's first and second side surface (40, 42), the sides (44) of which facing towards the holding bag (8) are provided with a non-skid coating, to a level where the whole of that part of the holding bag (8) lying above the narrowed-down area (16) is folded down over this, during continued leading-down of the brush aggregate (18) in the di- rection towards the foot end (7) of the pelt board, until the horsehair brushes (30) have been led past the transition area between the folded-back and down part (12) of the holding bag (8) and the narrowed-down area (16),
1. removal of the pelt board (4) with the taned, water-brushed pelt (50) from the processing area (46), and the placing of a new pelt board with taned pelt in the processing area.
2. Water-brushing machine (2) for the execution of the method according to claim ^ c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that extending upright from a base (100) it com- prises a bracket (102) with a column (52) with a front side oriented towards a processing area (46) and a rear side, and a first side and a second side, a substantially vertical guide rail (54) for the guiding of a carriage (58) on the one side of the column (52) and which is displaceable by a first actuator (56) in the direction of the guide rail, where on said carriage (58) there is mounted a brush aggregate (18) comprising two similar, laterally reversed processing stations (20, 22) which are mutually displaceable by a second actuator (62), and which lowermost comprise sweeping blocks (24) consisting of elastically-yielding, water-absorbing material, and a number of atomising nozzles (26) connected to a supply (28) of water via pipes (33) and a pump (32), and where above said atomising nozzles (26) there are a number of brushes (30), the shape of which is adapted to suit the cross-sectional geometry of the pelt board (4) with the taned pelt (6), and where extending from the processing stations (20, 22) there are elements (34) which by a third actuator (36) are displaceable from a passive position to an active position in contact with the taned pelt (6)/holding bag (8) along the edge (38) of the pelt board's first and second side surface (40, 42), the sides of said elements facing towards the holding bag being provided with a non-skid coating (44), and where said machine further comprises detection units for localisation of a pelt (4) in the processing area (46), the actual position of the carriage (58) on the vertical guide rail (54) and the placing of the holding bag (8), all of which are connected via interface to a control and regulation unit (64) associated with the machine, and which has a storage unit which comprises a control programme which, on the basis of signals received from the detection units, implements the sequential control of the machine's operations.
3. Machine (2) according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the brushes (30) are suspended in spring-loaded arms (31) which ensure uniform pressure of the brushes against the fur side (5) of the pelt (4),
4. Machine (2) according to claim 2 or 3, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the brushes (3) consist of linear brushes of horsehair oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of the pelt board, and said linear brushes having an extent which corresponds at least to the breadth of the pelt board (4) with the taned pelt (6).
5. Machine (2) according to any of the claims 2-4, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the non-skid coating (44) on the projecting elements (34) consists of rubber.
6. Taned pelt (6) secured in the stretched position on an expansion pelt board (4) by a holding bag (8) with a slotted part (12), c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the fur side (50) of the pelt is water-brushed in accordance with the method disclosed in claim 1 , and with the use of a machine according to any of the claims 2- 5. |
Title: Method and machine for performing water-brushing of tanned pelts.
The present invention relates to a method for the mechanical execution of water-brushing of taned pelts, chiefly mink pelts, on a distension element/pelt board with a first and a second broad side surface preferably with a convex and open surface structure, a nose end and a foot end, where the pelt board is fastened at the foot end, preferably in the upright position, and where said pelt is secured in the stretched position on the pelt board by a wrapping or a tubular holding bag comprising a narrowed-down holding area, the lower limit of which is placed on a level with the tail root of the pelt, and where the holding bag comprises a slotted part oriented towards the pointed end of the board.
The method for the water-brushing of pelts according to the invention also finds application in cases where the pelts are taned on an expandable and col- lapsible distension element/pelt board, a so-called expansion pelt board, with a first and a second broad side surface with a convex and open surface structure, a nose end and a foot end, and a locking/distension element which, from the foot end of the board and oriented in the longitudinal direction of the board, comprises a projecting blunt part in which the expansion board is secured preferably in the upright position, and where said mink pelt is secured in the stretched position on the pelt board by means of a tubular holding bag comprising a narrowed-down holding area, the lower limit of which is placed on a level with the tail root of the pelt, and where the holding bag comprises a slotted part oriented towards the pointed end of the board.
The invention also relates to a machine for the execution of the method according to the invention.
The drying of the leather side of pelts from furred animals is well-known, where the drying takes place after the pelt has been stretched and secured with staples on a flattish board of wood, a pelt board, with the object of keeping the pelt as large as possible. The use of staples results in damages to the pelt in the form of large holes in the lower end of the pelt, which reduces the value of the pelt. Moreover, the use of the known pelt boards entails a number of disadvantages, of which can be mentioned the lack of drying of the pelt in certain areas where the leather side lies tightly up against the surface of the pelt board, long drying times and a troublesome taning procedure.
Attempts to solve these problems have earlier been made with a method and a distension element as disclosed in WO 2005/026394 A1 , where the pelt is mounted and stretched over a hollow distension element which comprises a first and a second broad side surface of mutually connected, cooperating convex half- parts with an open structure, the one end of which (the foot end) is cut off at right- angles in relation to the longitudinal axis of the distension element/pelt board, and the breadth of which gradually decreases towards a pointed but rounded-off end part (the nose end), the surface of which, at least in the drying area but preferably over the whole surface, has an open structure, with the leather side facing towards the distension element, and where the pelt is secured in this position during the drying procedure by the drawing-over of a holding bag in accordance with the principles disclosed in WO 01/62985 A1 , which at least over a part of the lower end (the tail end) presses the pelt against the surface of the distension element/pelt board, and where the drying of the leather side of the pelt takes place by an exchanging of the air in the cavity of the distension element/pelt board, and herewith the air which is present under the open structure.
The pelt is effectively secured in the stretched position during the drying procedure by an interaction between the surfaces of the convex half-parts with the open structure and a narrowed-down area of the tubular holding bag which is drawn over the fur side of the pelt, at least over a part of the lower end (the tail end) of the pelt, where the narrowed-down area presses the leather side of the pelt against the open structure of the distension element, whereby the leather side of the pelt is secured in its stretched position during the drying procedure.
The possibility is hereby achieved for effective drying of the leather side of the pelt, and also that the pelt can effectively be secured during the drying procedure without the use of staples which damage the pelt, in that the pelt is secured in its stretched position by means of a holding bag. The use of the holding bag also has the advantage that the pelt becomes easier to remove from the distension element after conclusion of the drying procedure, inasmuch as there are no staples to be removed before the pelt can be separated from the board, and also that the drying time is considerably reduced with the method according to the invention. Moreover, a pelt dried following the method in accordance with the invention is dried in a more uniform manner, without black spots under which the leather can turn mouldy, which can result in the loss of hair from the fur side of the pelt.
As already disclosed, the drying of the leather side of a taned pelt takes place by exchanging the air in the cavity of the distension element/pelt board. A method for carrying out this change of air is disclosed in WO 2005/026394 A1 , where the pelt boards with the taned pelts are placed in an upright position in a drying aggregate provided with a blower/suction unit which effects the changing of the air in the cavity of the pelt board. The drying aggregate(s) with a plurality of pelt boards are placed in a drying room in which the humidity and the temperature of the air are conditioned, so that an effective and uniform drying of the leather sides of the pelts is achieved.
The treatment and handling of pelts in a pelt processing plant, between the skinning and taning where the pelts are transported in pneumatically-driven transporters and lie in bulk until they are cleaned of sawdust etc., has the effect that the fur side of the pelts can appear tousled and "tufty", which is undesirable, since ex- perience has shown that it is not just the size of the pelts, but also the appearance of the fur side after the drying and removal from the pelt boards which is decisive for how high a price can be obtained in the sale of the pelt at an auction. In order to obtain the best possible price for the pelt, it is thus of great importance that the fur side of the pelt has an attractive, uniform and smooth appearance after the dry- ing.
Efforts have earlier been made to solve this problem by carrying out a manual water-brushing of the pelts, or by drawing a holding bag over the fur side of the pelt, the shape of the bag being adapted substantially to correspond to a pelt board on which a pelt is mounted and stretched, the extent of which substantially corresponds to the whole extent of the pelt in the direction of its length. This method has to a certain degree also been able to contribute towards an improvement in the appearance of the fur side of the pelt after the conclusion of the drying procedure and removal of the pelt from the pelt board.
However, it has proved that the earlier-known water-brushing of the pelts is clearly to be preferred, since this gives the best results with the most beautiful appearance of the dried pelt. In this connection it has also proved to be expedient to make use of a short holding bag of the kind disclosed instead of the above- mentioned long bag, in that the possibility is hereby provided of being able to carry out a manual water-brushing of the pelts in the area outside the holding bag's nar- rowed-down area before the drying procedure is initiated.
However, also here there is a need for new and more modern methods with the object of reducing the amount of manual labour. The water-brushing of the pelts has hitherto been carried out by manually pressing the taned pelt lightly against a rotating horsehair brush, the hairs of which pass a water bath at each full rotation, whereby the fur side of the pelt is provided with water and treated mechanically with the horsehair brushes. This work is, however, relatively labour- demanding, since each individual pelt board must be handled manually and led over the rotating brushes, on not only one but both sides, which is relatively demanding work.
All else being equal, the implementation of water-brushing before the drying of a taned pelt takes place will be conditional upon whether a pelt bag has been used in the taning of the pelt, where the bag covers as small an area of the fur side of the pelt, with due consideration to the extent of the holding bag's narrowed- down area, to achieve the necessary holding power for securing the pelt stretched on the pelt board. Moreover, it is necessary that the holding bag shall have a certain length in order for it to be possible to carry out a mechanical placing of the holding bag during the taning procedure. Consequently, this involves two conflicting factors, namely that the extent of the bag in the pelt's longitudinal direction is desired to be as short as possible out of regard for being able to carry out water- brushing over the largest possible area of the fur side of the pelt, at the same time that the extent of the narrowed-down area and the bag's length in order to be able to mount this mechanically over a pelt stretched on a pelt board, in the holding area on the board with the narrowed-down area of the holding bag placed in the immediate vicinity of the pelt's tail root. Furthermore, it is of great importance that water/moisture stemming from the water-brushing does not collect in between the holding bag and the fur side of the pelt, in that this can result in a reduction of the drying out of the pelt, which gives rise to the need for longer drying times for this part of the pelt, to the detriment of the remaining part of the pelt.
There has thus been developed a short, tubular holding bag comprising a slotted area extending from an area near the narrowed-down area in the direction of the pelt's nose end, the result being that it is possible to carry out mechanical operations with the bag during the mounting of the bag during the taning proce- dure. This slotted area of the bag thus serves solely to ensure that the mechanical operations with the bag until this is placed in the holding area on the pelt can be carried out satisfactorily and without operational disturbances. Hereafter, said part of the bag is actually superfluous for subsequent water-brushing of the pelt, in that
the slotted part of the bag covers over a part of the pelt's fur side which is desirable to be able to be treated. Moreover, water will be able to collect in the pelt's fur side between the bag and the pelt. The slot serves to make it possible in an easy manner to carry out a folding/drawing back and down of the slotted area of the bag over the narrowed-down area of the bag, all the way to the transition between this and the slotted area of the holding bag.
With reference to the above-mentioned problems, and the fact that machines have been developed for the automatic taning of pelts, the mounting of inner bags, pelts and holding bags, and arrangements for carrying out the internal transport of pelt boards of the kind mentioned by way of introduction, with or without pelts in the upright position, it has thus been so much more of a demand to be able to carry out an automatic and mechanical water-brushing of taned pelts, with the object of obtaining a better price for the pelts at the fur auction, while at the same time with a saving of manual labour in connection with the water-brushing, and further without any reduction whatsoever in the quality of the pelts.
It is thus the object of the invention to provide a method for the execution of an automatic mechanical water-brushing of taned pelts, chiefly mink pelts, on a distension element/pelt board with a first and a second broad side surface, preferably with a convex and open surface structure, a nose end and a foot end, where the pelt board is fastened in the foot end, preferably but not necessarily in the upright position, and where said pelt is secured in the stretched position on the pelt board by a wrapping or a tubular holding bag comprising a narrowed-down holding area, the lower limit of which is placed on a level with the pelt's tail root, and where the holding bag comprises a slotted part oriented towards the pointed end of the pelt board.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for the mechanical water-brushing of pelts in cases where the pelts are taned on an expandable and collapsible distension element/pelt board, a so-called expansion pelt board, with a first and a second broad side surface with a convex and open surface structure, a nose end and a foot end, and a locking/distension element which from the foot end and in the longitudinal direction of the pelt board comprises a blunt projecting part in which the expansion pelt board is preferably fastened in the upright position, and where said mink pelt is secured in the stretched position on the pelt board by a tubular holding bag comprising a narrowed-down area, the lower limit of which is
placed on a level with the tail root of the pelt, and where the holding bag comprises a slotted part oriented towards the pointed end of the pelt board.
This object is achieved by implementation of the following process steps:
- a taned pelt on a pelt board fastened at the foot end in upright position standing on the foot end is displaced to a processing area opposite a water-brushing machine, and the upright pelt board is positioned so that the position of the pelt board is well-defined for a control unit associated with the water-brushing machine.
- the displacement of a vertically-displaceable brush aggregate comprising two similar and laterally reversed and mutually relative displace- able processing stations from a start position over the pointed end of the pelt board downwards towards the foot end of the board, at the same time that the processing stations are led towards each other for surrounding of the board with the taned pelt.
- Application via a pump of liquid/water to the fur side of the pelt by a number of atomising nozzles on the respective processing stations.
- Brushing of the fur side of the pelt immediately after the application of water by a number of horsehair brushes, the shape of which is adapted to the cross-sectional configuration of the pelt board with the taned pelt, with continued displacement of the brush aggregate in the direction towards the foot end of the pelt board.
- Continuous sucking-up of excess liquid/water stemming from the brushing process by the pressing of sweeping blocks of elastically- yielding water-absorbing material, placed below the atomising nozzles on the processing stations, towards the fur side of the pelt on the pelt board's first and second broad side surface.
- Displacement of the slotted part of the holding bag towards the nar- rowed-down area of the bag by means of the sweeping blocks, with continued displacement of the processing stations in the direction towards the foot end of the pelt board.
- Possible repetition of the above-mentioned process steps except for the application of water after implementing a relative displacement of the processing stations away from each other and herewith away from the fur side of the pelt, followed by a displacement of the brush aggregate to the start position.
- Folding back and down of the slotted part of the holding bag by means of the sweeping blocks, and elements projecting from the processing stations which are displaced into contact against the taned pelt/holding bag along the edge of the pelt board's first and second side surface, the sides of which facing the holding bag are covered with a non-skid coating to a level where the whole of that part of the holding bag which is lying over the narrowed-down area is folded over this, during continued leading down of the brush aggregate in the direction towards the foot end of the pelt board, until the horsehair brushes are led past the transition area be- tween the folded-back and down part of the holding bag and the narrowed-down area.
- Implementation of a relative displacement of the processing stations away from each other, and herewith away from the fur side of the pelt, followed by a displacement of the brush aggregate to the start position. - Removal of the pelt board with the taned, water-brushed pelt from the processing area, and the placing of a new pelt board with taned pelt in the processing area.
Utilisation is hereby made of the situation where the pelt board with the taned pelt is placed in the upright position, secured in the projecting part at the foot end of the board, at the same time that the slotted, tubular holding bag makes possible an error-free mechanical handling of this from a supply until it is placed in the holding position over a taned pelt. With the slotting of the holding bag it is achieved that the part of the bag which is localised outside the holding area with the method according to the invention can be mechanically folded back and down over the narrowed-down holding area of the tubular holding bag, so that water cannot collect between the pelt and the holding bag.
Here it shall be emphasised that it is not decisive for the method according to the invention whether or not the pelt board with the pelt is standing upright. What is important is that the pelt board is fastened at the foot end, so that the pelt can be water-brushed and processed, and that the slotted part of the holding bag is folded-back and down so that water cannot collect between the pelt and the holding bag. Therefore, the method can be executed just as well with a horizontal ori- entation of the longitudinal axis of the pelt board, but for the sake of simplicity the method is disclosed in the claim with the pelt board in the upright position, fastened at the foot end.
As already mentioned, the method comprises a possible repetition of the process steps b, d, e, f, but not c, which consists of the application of liquid/water to the fur side of the pelt, for the reason that a concluding sweeping of the pelt without a supply of liquid/water can be expedient in order to ensure an optimal im- plementation of the brushing, so that the pelt has an optimum appearance. Moreover, it can be advantageous that the water-absorbing sweeping blocks absorb possible excess liquid/water from the fur side of the pelt. In conclusion, the first leading down of the processing stations will result in the slotted part of the holding bag being pushed together, so that the surface of this is "curled", with the result that the second leading down of the processing stations and the displaceable, projecting elements will hereby easier be able to grip the slotted part of the tubular holding bag along the edge of the first and second side of the expansion pelt board, whereby the folding-back and down can safely be implemented respectively by influence of the sweeping blocks and the displaceable projecting elements with non-skid coating on the sides facing the holding bag.
A machine for the execution of the method according to the invention can with advantage comprise an upright bracket with a column with a front side oriented towards a processing area, and a rear side, and a first side and a second side, a substantially vertically-oriented guide rail for the guiding of a carriage displaceable by a first actuator in the direction of the guide rail, on which carriage there is housed a brush aggregate comprising two similar, laterally reversed processing stations which are mutually and relatively displaceable by a second actuator, each of said processing stations at the bottom comprising sweeping blocks consisting of elastically yielding water-absorbing material, above which there are a number of atomising nozzles connected to a supply of liquid/water via a pump, and above said atomising nozzles there are a number of brushes, the shape of which is adapted to the cross-sectional geometry of the pelt board with the taned pelt, and elements projecting from the processing stations which by a third actuator are displaceable from a passive position to an active position in contact against the taned pelt/holding bag along the edge of the first and second side surfaces of the pelt board, where said elements towards the facing sides of the holding bag are provided with a non-skid coating, and where said machine further comprises detection units respectively for localising of a pelt board in the processing area, the actual position of the carriage on the vertically-oriented guide rail, the placing of the holding bag, which via interface are all connected to a control and regulation unit associated with the machine, and where said control and regulation unit comprises a storage unit with a control programme which, on the basis of signals re-
ceived from the detection units, carries out the sequential control of the machine's operations.
The brushes can also be suspended in spring-loaded arms, which ensure a uniform pressure of the brushes against the fur side of the pelt, so that the mechanical influence on the pelt's fur is uniform in the implementation of the water- brushing.
With the object of ensuring a suitable quality of the water-brushing executed by the machine according to the invention, the brushes can with advantage consist of linear brushes of horsehair oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of the pelt board. There will typically be a plurality of linear brushes on each processing station, where said brushes are formed in such a manner that they have the same shape as the pelt board with the taned pelt, which for example in cases where the pelts being processed are on expansion pelt boards which consist of two concave, mutually connected half-shells, with the concave sides facing towards each other, will mean that the linear brushes on each of the processing stations will have a curved extent which corresponds substantially to the concave extent of the pelt board with the taned pelts.
With the object of ensuring an optimal engagement with the slotted part of the tubular holding bag, the non-skid coating on the projecting elements can consist of rubber.
In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, where
Fig. 1 is a schematic principle drawing of a first embodiment of an automatic water-brushing machine according to the invention for water-brushing of taned pelts on upright-standing expansion pelt boards.
Fig. 2 is a front view if a second embodiment of an automatic water-brushing machine according to the invention with a pelt board inserted during water- brushing.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of an automatic water-brushing ma- chine shown in fig. 2, and
Fig. 4 is a detail picture of the brushing aggregate on the embodiment of an automatic water-brushing machine according to the invention shown in fig. 2 and 3.
Fig. 1 shows in very rough schematic form a first embodiment of a water- brushing machine 2 according to the invention seen from the side. It shows a pelt 4 with a taned pelt 6 fastened in the upright position by not-shown means at the foot end 7, and where the pelt 6 is secured in the stretched position by a tubular holding bag 8 with a part 12 oriented towards the pointed end 10 of the pelt board, said holding bag 8 comprising slots 14 which are attempted to be shown in fig. 1. The narrowed-down area 16 of the holding bag is placed at the tail root 13 of the pelt.
The water-brushing machine shown in fig. 1 comprises a brush aggregate 18 comprising two similar, laterally reversed processing stations 20, 22 which are mutually and relatively displaceable transversely to the longitudinal axis 5 of the pelt board by a second actuator 62 (cf. fig. 2 and fig. 3), each of said processing stations 20, 22, on the side facing towards the pelt board 4 with the pelt 6, comprising sweeping blocks 24 consisting of elastically yielding water-absorbing material. Above the sweeping blocks 24 there are a number of atomising nozzles 26 connected to a supply 28 of liquid/water via a pressure pipe 33 and a pump 32. Above the atomising nozzles 26 there are a number of linear, curved horsehair brushes 30, the shape of which is adapted to suit the cross-sectional geometry of the pelt board 4 with the taned pelt 6. As shown in fig. 2, but seen more clearly in fig. 4, the horsehair brushes 30 are mounted on arms 31 which are spring-loaded in the direction of the processing area 46 between the processing stations 20, 22. The linear brushes 30 are oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis 5 of the pelt board, and have an extent which at least corresponds to the breadth of the pelt board 4 with the taned pelt 6.
Each of the processing stations 20, 22 also comprises a laterally displaceable projecting element 34, which by a third actuator 36 (cf. fig. 2 and fig.4) is displaceable from a passive position to an active position in contact against the taned pelt/holding bag 8 along the edge 38 of the first and the second broad side surface 40, 42, and the sides of the elements 34 facing towards the holding bag are provided with a non-skid coating 44 which with advantage can consist of rubber.
As indicated by the arrow A in fig. 1 , the brush aggregate 18 is mounted in a manner in which it can be displaced vertically by the second actuator for leading the processing stations 20, 22 down to the processing position in the processing area 46. This means that the sweeping blocks 24 are pressed into contact with the fur side of the pelt, the atomising nozzles are supplied with liquid/water from the
supply 28 via the pump 32 and the pressure pipe 33, whereby liquid/water is applied to the fur side of the pelt, and with the linear, curved horsehair brushes 30 in contact with the fur side 50 of the pelt.
In fig. 2 and fig. 3 there is shown a second embodiment of the automatic water-brushing machine 2 according to the invention.
Here there is seen a pelt board 4 with a stretched pelt 6 secured in the stretched position by a tubular holding bag 8, held standing upright in a transport carriage 60, in the projecting part 11 at the foot end 7 of the pelt board. The shown pelt board 4 can, for example, consist of an expansion pelt board as discussed earlier, with an open, convex surface structure on the first and the second side surfaces 40, 42.
In fig, 2 and fig. 3 there is shown an embodiment of a machine 2 for the execution of water-brushing of taned pelts 6, chiefly mink pelts, on a distension element/pelt board 4, namely an expandable and collapsible distension element/pelt board, a so-called expansion pelt board, with a first and a second broad side surface 40, 42 with a convex and open surface structure, a nose end 10 and a foot end 7, and a locking/distension element 9 which, from the foot end and oriented in the longitudinal direction of the board, comprises a blunt projecting part 11 in which the expansion board is fastened in the upright position, and said mink pelt 6 is secured in the stretched position on the board 4 by a tubular holding bag 8 comprising a narrowed-down area 16, the lower limit of which is placed on a level with the pelt's tail root 13, and a slotted part 12 oriented towards the pointed end 10 of the pelt board.
As will be seen in fig. 2 and fig. 3, extending upwards from a base 100 the water-brushing machine 2 comprises a bracket 102 with a column 52 with a front side oriented towards the processing area 46, a substantially vertical guide rail 54 for the guiding of a carriage 58 which is displaceable by a first actuator 56 in the direction of the guide rail, and on said carriage 58 a brush aggregate 18 comprising the two similar, laterally reversed processing stations 20, 22, which are mutually displaceable by a second actuator 62 (cf. fig. 3)
In this embodiment of the water-brushing machine 2 according to the invention, the nozzles 26 for the supply of water are integrated in the sweeping blocks 24, which is seen more clearly in fig. 4, where the sweeping blocks 24 are shown
transparent. For the sake of clarity, in fig. 4 the linear brushes are not shown on the spring-loaded arms 31. The nozzles 26 are connected by a pipe 33 to a not- shown pump connected to a not-shown supply of water. The water-brushing machine further comprises a control unit 64.
With the leading down of the brush aggregate 18 by means of the first actuator 56, a water-brushing of the fur side 50 of the pelt is carried out and, at the conclusion of the leading-down of the brush aggregate, the sweeping blocks 24, in combination with elements 34 with the non-skid coating 44 displaceable by the third actua- tor 34 are pressed into the active position against the edge 38 of the first and the second broad side surfaces 40, 42, and the slotted part 12 of the tubular holding bag 8 is folded-back and down along the holding bag's narrowed-down area 16, as is attempted to be shown in fig. 1 , hereby making it possible to carry out a water- brushing of that area of the pelt's fur side 50 ' which, before the leading down of the brush aggregate, was covered by the slotted part 12 of the holding bag 8.
In certain cases the machine's control unit 64 can be arranged in such a manner that it carries out the brushing with implementation of two consecutive leading- down operations of the brush aggregate 18, the first during the supply of liq- uid/water via the nozzles 26, and the second without a supply of water, hereby achieving an absorption of possible excess liquid/water from the fur side 50 of the pelt by means of the sweeping blocks 24, and an extra processing of the pelt with the brushes 30.
It will be obvious that the machine according to the invention will comprise the detection units necessary for the control of the mechanical operations, for example the localising of a pelt board in the processing area, the actual position of the carriage on the vertically-oriented guide rail and the placing of the holding bag on the pelt board, and which via interface are all connected to the machine's control and regulation unit, whose storage unit comprises a control programme which, on the basis of signals received from the detection units, implement the sequential control of the machine's operations.
The said detection units and control unit are not shown, but this does not detract from the inventive aspect, which consists of the disclosure of a method and a machine for the implementation of an automatic execution of water-brushing of pelts on upright-standing pelt boards, preferably expansion pelt boards of the kind disclosed.
In the example embodiment described above, a starting point is taken in upright pelt boards which are fastened at the foot end in a blunt part 11 extending from said foot end. However, this shall not be seen to constitute any limitation for the invention as disclosed in the claims, for the reason that the water-brushing machine can easily assume other configurations, where the pelt boards with the pelts are oriented differently, the essential aspect being that the pelt board with the pelt is fastened at the foot end so that there is free access to the fur side of the pelt, and the holding area for a wrapping or the holding bag with the narrowed-down part and slotted part oriented towards the pointed end of the pelt board.
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