Industrial drum for leather treatment

Description

1 / 9 INDUSTRIAL DRUM FOR LEATHER TREATMENT

[001] The present invention relates to an industrial drum for treating tanned hides, or similar flexible and special laminated surfaces (synthetic leather, enhanced leather, etc.).

[002] Firstly, it must be specified that, in the tanning industry, the term leather treatment means the treatment of hides in a sealed machine, known as a drum, which is carried out both to prepare the hides for tanning, dyeing or greasing and to subject them to the actual tanning, dyeing or greasing processes.

[003] Typically, the parameters of a leather treatment cycle recipe comprise: - temperature inside the drum and - Relative humidity, which represents the main parameters of a leather treatment cycle; however, other parameters are also included, such as, for example, the operating speed (i.e., rotation speed) of the drum, the total time of the leather treatment cycle, the chemicals introduced into the drum, the type of leather treated in the drum, the level of air purity introduced into the drum, etc. More specifically, leather treatment is a mechanical process performed on any type of special fabric – usually animal hides – to give the product an aged or wrinkled appearance, make it softer, and eliminate creases, thus preparing it for the next processing steps.

[004] In fact, the material is subjected to mechanical action thanks to its rolling inside the hollow basket or cylinder (often perforated), which constitutes the main part of the industrial machine (or drum) and which operates by rotating around a transverse axis, generally horizontal.

[005] Simultaneously with the mechanical action, the material inside the cylindrical basket (or drum) can be conditioned by air subjected to predetermined temperature and humidity conditions.

[006] Finally, the product is cooled by the circulation of cold air inside the cylindrical barrel, which is the main component of the drum. More or less intense effects on Petition 870250085979, dated 09 / 23 / 2025, pages 108 / 121 2 / 9 the hides can be obtained by varying the processing time.

[007] In general, an industrial drum for leather treatment — treatment which may consist, for example, of a simple filling operation (a term commonly used in the tanning industry to indicate the processing — dry or by means of chemicals, which allows obtaining special fashion effects on the leather — providing its softening by means of mechanical agitation inside the drum, under controlled temperature and humidity conditions) — comprises a hollow barrel, usually cylindrical, made, for example, of wood, stainless steel or polypropylene, adapted to rotate around an axis of symmetry by means of drive and inside which the operator introduces the hides to be treated.

[008] The hollow cylinder (or body) arranged horizontally is supported by a hollow shaft, supported by support elements (typically ball or roller bearings), allowing it to rotate under the action of the drive means; the cavity in the shaft allows the introduction, into the cylinder, of water and substances necessary for tanning and the exit of gases formed during the process.

[009] The hollow shaft is fitted, at one of its ends, with a drive unit (such as a toothed crown, for example, which, by means of a pinion, is moved by the drive means, or by a geared motor, or even by a belt coupled to a pulley), determining the rotation of the hollow cylindrical barrel.

[0010] Appropriately, the inner surface of the hollow barrel is provided with protruding ribs (pins, ribs, rounded blades), which increase the movement of the hides when the hollow cylindrical barrel of the drum rotates around the axis of symmetry.

[0011] In addition, the hollow rotating barrel (preferably cylindrical, as mentioned) of the drum has an opening for the introduction (or loading) and removal of material, in which a watertight rotating hatch (or gate) is installed.

[0012] In the case of more traditional drums, the through-hole is opened / closed by manual action on the rotating hatch, after the drum's rotation has stopped, whereas, in drums with high automation and a more modern design, usually called automatic discharge drums, the movement of the rotating hatch to open / close the through-hole is performed by automatic actuation devices (such as pneumatic actuators, electric motors or other types of motors), without operator intervention and without interrupting the drum's rotation: thus, the hides Petition 870250085979, dated 09 / 23 / 2025, pages 109 / 121 3 / 9 fall from the hollow barrel of the drum while it is still rotating around the axis of symmetry.

[0013] Preferably, a central processing and control unit, available to the operator, which programs its operation, controls the actuation of the aforementioned automatic actuation devices and, consequently, the movement of the rotating hatch.

[0014] Therefore, timely operation means selectively and automatically disposing of the molded hatch between a first position, in which it completely and perfectly hermetically seals the through opening, and a second position, in which the same molded hatch opens at least partially the through opening to allow loading into the internal volume of the hollow rotating barrel of the hides to be treated and / or the discharge of the internal volume of the barrel of the hides already treated. In fact, sometimes, depending on the different size (surface) of the hides to be treated, the hatch is not fully opened, in predetermined adjustable intermediate or continuous positions, thus allowing the operator to control, if necessary, the progress of the leather treatment, the state and general condition of the latter.However, whether the molded hatch is fully open or only partially open, the operator is not in an ideal position to perform a quick, immediate, detailed, and efficient check of the hides' condition, given the reduced visibility the operator has in similar situations within a factory, regardless of the amount of natural light filtered through the factory windows and / or whether artificial light is opportunely studied, intensified, and directed.

[0015] It is concluded that, inevitably and negatively, the operator controls the progress of the processed hides or their state at the end of processing, although this aspect is also significantly improveable.

[0016] Patent documents published as WO2020 / 256653 Al, LIS2013 / 219971 Al and RU24152154 C2 show examples of machines, also called industrial drums or baskets, for the treatment of materials, especially garments or fabrics. Therefore, based on an understanding of the aforementioned disadvantages affecting the current state of the art considered here, the present invention aims to overcome them effectively.

[0017] In particular, the main objective of the present invention is to provide a drum Petition 870250085979, dated 09 / 23 / 2025, pages 110 / 121 4 / 9 industrial device for the treatment of tanned hides (or similar flexible laminar surfaces, excluding paper), which allows the operator to control the condition of hides being processed, or recently processed, in a faster, more detailed and efficient manner compared to traditional state-of-the-art drums.

[0018] In other words, the main objective of the invention is to provide an industrial drum for the treatment of tanneries, which makes visible the hides and their effective material state during (and / or at the end of) the treatment in an improved and more specific way, compared to state-of-the-art industrial drums.

[0019] Within the scope of such purpose, the present invention aims to design an industrial drum for the treatment of tanneries' hides, which exhibits superior operational performance compared to directly comparable state-of-the-art industrial drums.

[0020] The invention also aims to provide an industrial drum for the treatment of tanneries' hides which, in relation to the equivalent state of the art, reduces the percentage of degraded hides as a result of less careful and detailed inspection than is required.

[0021] Within the cognitive sphere of the main objective above, the invention also aims to develop an industrial drum for the treatment of tanneries' hides that, in relation to the state of the art, facilitates the work of those responsible for controlling the progress of the hide treatment inside the hollow rotating barrel of the drum.

[0022] Last but not least, the invention aims to provide an industrial drum for the treatment of tanneries' hides, which allows for better meeting customer needs, especially with regard to delivery times, compared to known types of industrial drums.

[0023] These objectives are achieved by means of an industrial drum for the treatment of tanned hides, according to the accompanying claim 1, which is referred to for the sake of brevity.

[0024] More detailed technical characteristics of the industrial drum for treating tanned hides of the present invention are contained in the respective dependent claims.

[0025] The claims mentioned above, defined specifically and concretely below, are an integral part of this description. Petition 870250085979, dated 09 / 23 / 2025, pages 111 / 121 5 / 9

[0026] Advantageously, the industrial drum for tannery leather treatment of the invention allows users to check the condition of the leathers being processed and / or recently processed within its characteristic hollow rotating barrel in a more detailed, precise and, at the same time, faster manner, compared with equivalent state-of-the-art industrial drums.

[0027] This is due to the fact that, in the industrial drum of the invention, lighting means are conveniently provided, electrically connected to a power source and contained within the hollow rotating barrel, which are normally deactivated when the molded hatch assumes the first position mentioned above and activated when the molded hatch assumes the second position mentioned above.

[0028] The industrial drum of the present invention causes an unexpected technical effect in the sector in question (leather tanning), and, as is known, this should be considered as an indication of the presence not only of novelty, but also of inventive value in the object claimed exclusively: such surprising technical effect results from the object as claimed and is based on the main, essential and indispensable technical characteristics of the invention, combined with the known general characteristics.

[0029] In the invention in question, this technical effect is not opportunely based on technical characteristics that, combined, were already part of the state of the art, since the use of lighting means inside the hollow rotating drum of an industrial drum for the treatment (whether tanning, retanning, dyeing or filling) of leather is currently unknown and, to date, has never been adopted in the sector in question.

[0030] Equally advantageously, the industrial drum for tannery leather treatment of the present invention facilitates the operator's direct and visual control of the leathers inside the hollow rotating drum, both during and at the end of the chemical and / or mechanical treatment to which the leathers are subjected, with or without interrupting the rotation of said hollow drum, but after moving the molded hatch to open, at least partially, the through opening to which it is associated.

[0031] Equally advantageously, in relation to the current state of the art, the industrial drum for tannery leather treatment of the invention reduces the percentage of degraded leathers, by favoring a more accurate, detailed and precise inspection of the processed leathers. Petition 870250085979, dated 09 / 23 / 2025, pp. 112 / 121 6 / 9

[0032] In addition, advantageously, in view of the foregoing, the industrial drum for tannery leather treatment of the invention exhibits superior operational performance to that of state-of-the-art industrial drums, directly comparable to them.

[0033] Again, advantageously, the industrial drum for tannery leather treatment of the invention allows customers to meet their needs more quickly compared to known types of industrial drums, without negatively affecting the quality of the processed leathers.

[0034] The stated objectives and advantages will become clearer from the following description, relating to a preferred embodiment of the industrial drum (or leather treatment machine) for the treatment (tanning, retanning, dyeing or filling) of tanned hides of the invention, presented by way of non-limiting example, in relation to the accompanying drawing tables, in which: - Figure 1 is a simplified and partially divided first asonometric view of the industrial drum for the treatment of hides of the invention; Figure 2 is a simplified second asonometric view of the industrial drum in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an asonometric view of a structural assembly of the industrial drum shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 3a is an enlarged detail of Figure 3.

[0035] The industrial drum for leather treatment of the invention is shown in an explanatory and illustrative manner in Figure 1, where it is indicated as a whole by 1. As can be seen, according to a construction practice, the industrial drum 1 comprises: - a load-bearing structure 2 suitable for resting on a reference surface (not shown for simplicity) of an industrial plant; - a hollow rotating barrel 3 (or body or basket), coupled to the load-bearing structure 2 and adapted to receive the hides to be treated, defining an axis of symmetry X around which the hollow rotating barrel 3 is rotated by drive means, indicated as a whole by 13, associated with the load-bearing structure 2 and having a through opening 4 in which a molded hatch 5 is rotatably coupled to the hollow rotating barrel 3 and cooperates with the first drive means (not illustrated for clarity), suitable for placing it between a first Petition 870250085979, dated 09 / 23 / 2025, pages 113 / 121 7 / 9 position, in which the molded hatch 5 hermetically closes the through opening 4, and a second position, in which the molded hatch 5 at least partially opens the through opening 4 to load into the internal volume 6 of the hollow rotating barrel 3 the hides to be treated and / or to unload from said internal volume 6 of the hollow rotating barrel 3 the hides already treated.

[0036] According to the invention, the industrial drum 1 comprises lighting devices, indicated as a whole by 7, electrically connected to an electrical power source 8 and contained within the hollow rotating barrel 3, normally deactivated when the hatch 5, as mentioned, assumes the first position and activated when the hatch 5, as mentioned, assumes the second position.

[0037] In particular and preferably, the lighting devices 7 are stably and irremovably coupled to the inner wall 3a of the hollow rotating barrel 3 by structural connection devices, not shown for simplicity.

[0038] In addition, only as a non-limiting preference, the lighting means 7 are positioned in a contact zone 9 between the inner wall 3a of the hollow rotating barrel 3 and the lower linear edge 10a, in this case, of a single longitudinal blade 10, which are arranged spaced apart and stably fixed to the inner wall 3a of the hollow rotating barrel 3 by means of a joint, not accompanied by a reference number in the attached figures, but consisting, for example, of a weld bead.

[0039] In other structural solutions of the drum of the invention, not shown below, the lighting means may be positioned differently, for example, on the axis of symmetry and rotation and on a side flange of the hollow rotating barrel, where a spray nozzle is usually present to introduce chemicals and / or water, in spray form, into the internal volume of the hollow rotating barrel.

[0040] The longitudinal blades 10, which are preferably arranged uniformly on the inner wall 3a of the hollow cylinder 2, have the function of moving and / or lifting the hides during the rotation of the rotating hollow cylinder 3, in order to treat them mechanically.

[0041] It is understood that other embodiments of the industrial drum for tannery leather treatment of the invention, not shown in the following figures, may provide for the lighting means to be installed in the contact zone between more than one longitudinal blade and the inner wall of the rotating hollow cylinder and, alternatively, Petition 870250085979, dated 09 / 23 / 2025, pages 114 / 121 8 / 9 at other internal points of said hollow cylinder, suitable for the object.

[0042] Preferably, but not exclusively, the lighting means 7 comprise an LED type light bar 14, visible in figure 3 and in greater detail in the enlargement of figure 3a, which is fixed to the inner wall 3a of the hollow rotating barrel 3, for example, by means of adhesive substances (thus constituting said joining means) of the type suitable for coming into contact with an environment that is generally at least humid, such as the inner volume 6 of the hollow rotating barrel 3 of the industrial drum 1.

[0043] With regard to the electrical power source 8, it preferably comprises an electric battery 11 located inside the support structure 2 (for example, in an inner corner 15 thereof, as shown in figure 1).

[0044] However, in other structural solutions of the invention, not shown in the accompanying drawing tables, the electrical power source may comprise the overall main power source.

[0045] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein, the industrial drum 1 comprises the second actuation means, not shown for convenience, which are electrically connected to the electrical power source 8 and suitable for being actuated, manually or automatically, to activate / deactivate the lighting means 7.

[0046] In this specific case, preferably, the second means of actuation comprise a computational product belonging to a central processing and control unit, arranged in an electrical control panel 12 (visible in figure 2) coupled to the load support structure 2; the computational product is adapted to automatically activate the lighting means 7 according to programmed and predetermined operating times and / or situations, for example, at the end of the treatment performed on the hides or with a determined frequency, coinciding with the passage of the molded hatch 5 from the first position mentioned to the second position.

[0047] Appropriately, but not bindingly, the industrial drum 1 therefore comprises a central processing and control unit disposed in the electrical control panel 12, coupled to the load-bearing structure 2 and also electrically connected to the first actuation means, which moves the molded hatch 5 to open and close.

[0048] In other embodiments of the industrial drum of the invention, not yet Petition 870250085979, dated 09 / 23 / 2025, pages 115 / 121 9 / 9 shown, the second means of operation may comprise a control button adapted to be manually pressed by an operator to activate the lighting means as soon as the molded hatch assumes the second position (to open, also only partially, the through opening present in the hollow rotating barrel), and to deactivate the lighting means as soon as the molded hatch assumes the first position (to close the through opening present in the hollow rotating barrel).

[0049] In this case, the control button mentioned above can be attached to the support structure or, alternatively, be part of an operating keyboard (e.g., a touch screen) located on the electrical control panel attached to the support structure.

[0050] In view of the description given, it is understood that the industrial drum for the treatment (whether tanning, retanning, dyeing or filling) of tanned hides of the present invention achieves the purposes and attains the advantages already mentioned.

[0051] After implementation, changes may be made to the industrial drum for the treatment of tanneries of the present invention, consisting, for example, of a support structure with a different constructive concept from that shown in the attached drawing tables, without this invalidating the advantage brought by the present invention.

[0052] Finally, it is evident that many other alterations could be made to the industrial drum for the treatment of tanned hides described herein, falling within the scope of the appended claims, since it is equally evident that, in the practical implementation of the invention, the materials, shapes and sizes of the details shown can be of any type, according to the needs.

[0053] When the structural and technical features mentioned in the following claims are followed by reference signs or numerals, such reference signs have been introduced for the sole purpose of enhancing the intelligibility of the claims themselves and, therefore, have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified, purely by way of example, by such reference signs. Petition 870250085979, dated 09 / 23 / 2025, pp. 116 / 121

Claims

1 / 2 Claims 1. Industrial drum (1) for leather treatment, including: - a load-bearing structure (2) suitable for resting on a reference surface of an industrial plant; - a hollow rotating barrel (3) coupled to said load-bearing structure (2) and suitable for receiving the leathers to be treated, defining an axis of symmetry (X) around which the hollow rotating barrel (3) is rotated by drive means (13) associated with said load-bearing structure (2) and having a through opening (4) in which a molded hatch (5) is rotatably coupled to the hollow rotating barrel (3) and cooperates with a first actuation means suitable for positioning it between a first position, in which the molded hatch (5) hermetically closes said through opening (4),and a second position in which the molded hatch (5) at least partially opens said through opening (4) to load into the internal volume (6) of the hollow rotating barrel (3) the hides to be treated and / or to unload from said internal volume (6) of the hollow rotating barrel (3) the treated hides, characterized by comprising lighting means (7), electrically connected to an electrical power source (8) and contained within the hollow rotating barrel (3), deactivated when the molded hatch (5) assumes the first position and activated when the molded hatch (5) assumes the second position.

2. Drum (1), according to claim 1, characterized in that said lighting means (7) are stably coupled to an inner wall (3a) of said hollow rotating barrel (3).

3. Drum (1), according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said lighting means (7) are positioned in a contact area (9) between an inner wall (3a) of said hollow rotating barrel (3) and at least one of a series of longitudinal blades (10) spaced apart, stably applied to said inner wall (3a) of said hollow rotating barrel (3) by means of fastening means and suitable for moving and / or lifting said hides during the rotation of said hollow rotating barrel (3) for mechanical treatment.

4. Drum (1), according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said lighting means are positioned on said axis of symmetry and on a side flange Petition 870250099952, of 10 / 31 / 2025, page 7 / 12 2 / 2 of said hollow rotating drum.

5. Drum (1), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lighting means (7) comprise at least one LED type light bar (14).

6. Drum (1), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electrical energy source (8) comprises at least one electric battery (11) disposed within said load-bearing structure (2).

7. Drum (1), according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by comprising the second actuation means electrically connected to said electrical power source (8) and suitable for being operated to activate / deactivate said lighting means (7).

8. Drum (1), according to claim 7, characterized in that the second actuation means comprise a control key suitable for being manually pressed by an operator to activate the lighting means as soon as the molded hatch assumes the second position, and to deactivate the lighting means as soon as the molded hatch assumes the first position.

9. Drum (1), according to claim 8, characterized in that the control key is coupled to the load-bearing structure.

10. Drum (1), according to claim 8, characterized in that said control key belongs to an operating keyboard arranged in an electrical control panel coupled to said load support structure.

11. Drum (1), according to claim 7, characterized in that said second means of actuation comprise a computational product belonging to a central processing and control unit disposed in an electrical control panel (12) coupled to said load support structure (2), said computational product being suitable for automatically activating said lighting means according to programmed and predetermined operating times and / or situations.

12. Drum (1), according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a central processing and control unit disposed in an electrical control panel (12) coupled to said load-bearing structure (2) and electrically connected to said first actuation means that move said molded hatch (5) in opening and closing. Petition 870250099952, dated 10 / 31 / 2025, page 8 / 12

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