An Improved Driving-belt.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 31st May, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JOHN ANDREW JACKSON SHULTZ and BRUCE CLARKE
ALVORD, both of St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America, Manufacturers.]
An Improved Driving-belt.
I, HENRY HARRIS Lake of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Hitherto in the manufacture of a leathern link-belt the links have been united
and formed into the belt by means of bolts or rods of a substantially inelastic
character. The bolts or rods extend cross-wise in the belt and to enable the belt
to be used upon a crowned pulley rim the custom has usually been to form the
belt in two sections arranged side by side and united by means of a flexible con-
nection which permits of the sections turning upon each other sufficiently to come
into contact with the pulley-rim, that is the bolts or rods referred to do not extend
through the entire width of the belt, but each section has its own bolts or rods
which extend through its width only. Such a construction is objectionable it is
not sufficiently pliable to meet the requirements of a driving belt even when in
the form of sections hinged together as described it cannot well he made to bear
upon the pulley-rim at its apex, nor even at the sides respectively of the apex;
moreover, the bolts or rods employed have been heavy metallic ones in consequence
of which the weight of the belt has been materially increased, this excessive weight
in turn, not only causes unusual wear upon the belt-pulley-journals, but also operates
to hinder the belt from being used saving in a horizontal position and then only
when the slack side can be run on top. To mitigate if not to obviate these
objections, and to provide an improved link-driving belt is the aim of the present
improvement which consists mainly in the improved means for uniting the links
substantially as is hereinafter set forth.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a view showing in side elevation a portion of a pulley-rim with a
portion of the improved belt applied thereto.
Figure 2 a cross section on the line 2, 2 Figure 1.
Figure 3 a view in perspective of one of the belt links.
Figure 4 a view in perspective of one of the bolts used to unite the links and
Figure 5 a view in perspective of a portion of the belt. The same letters of
reference denote the same parts.
The links A, considered generally, resemble the links often used in link-driving
belts and the improvement can be carried out largely with the aid of almost any of
the links upon the market. I prefer, however, the special form of link shown,
namely, an approximately rectangular link, having its end edges a, a slightly convex,
and its upper and under edges a', a slightly concave to fit the curvature of the rim b
of the pulley, B as shown substantially in Figure 1. The link is perforated at a³
and a to receive the bolts C.
The mode of combining the links and bolts to form the belt is shown more clearly
in Figures 2 and 5; the links being interlapped as shown to form a belt of any
desired width and length, and the bolts extending laterally through the entire width
of the series of links, passing through the perforations a³ a' as shown, and, to better
confine the bolts in place, the outside links of the series are secured to the bolts so as
not to slip off therefrom. A mode of securing the links is shown; a nail D, being
driven edgewise through the link into the bolt. The result obtained is a belt
uniformly flexible throughout its entire width, and adapted to fit the curvature of the
pulley-rim in both directions, and to conform to all styles of pulley-faces, flat or

page_text: crowned, or more or less crowned; a belt also, which is more than flexible-a belt
which is elastic and resilient, and which, after being bent or twisted, automatically
re-assumes its form, thereby enabling the belt-to keep its place upon the pulleys and
rendering it capable of being run in all positions in which belts are likely to be used
horizontally, perpendicularly, and in a twist. The belt, further, is light in weight,
and it can be reversed; when worn upon one of its sides it can be turned and its
opposite side run next to the pulley-face. I prefer to make the links and bolts of
leather, but other substances suited to: an elastic link-driving belt such as described,
can be used for the links and also for the bolts. Various forms of leather, including
raw-hide and partially tanned leather; are available. So far as the use of an elastic
bolt for uniting the links is concerned.I desire not to be restricted to just such a link-
driving belt as is here shown.. For such a bolt can be used in belts made in sections
such as herein before described, each section having its own elastic bolts, and the two
sections being hinged laterally together in substantially the same manner as when
rigid bolts are used.
1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the..nature of the said inven-
tion and in what. manner the same is to be performed as communicated, to me, by
my foreign correspondents I.declare that, what. I claim is :-
A link driving belt composed of a series of independent-leathern links and leathern
rods, combined substantially as described.
HASELTINE; LAKE & Co.;..
45; Southampton Buildings,: London,.Agents for; the, Applicant...