IMPROVEMENTS IN BELT-FASTENERS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Frederick Redfern, of the General Patent Office, 4,
South Street, Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELT-FASTENERS." A communication from
abroad by Owen H. Jones, of Hartford, in the County of Hartford, State of
Connecticut. United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Frederick Redfern
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd December 1879.
GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, 4, South Street,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELT-
FASTENERS." [A communication from abroad by Owen H. Jones, of Hartford, in
the County of Hartford, State of Connecticut, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to devices for connecting the ends of machine belting, and
the object of the Invention is to make a belt fastener of one piece of metal, with
which the ends of the belting may be readily connected and in such a manner that
the strain will be uniform, and the application of which will not necessitate the
removal of any appreciable amount of stock from the belting. The same fastener
may be used a great number of times on belting of varying thickness, and with
which the place of bearing in the belting of any one of the arms or hooks may be
changed without changing the position of the entire fastener; also one with which,
in its application, several lines of bearing may had.
The Invention consists in making the fastener of one thin flexible piece of metal
with a number of integral arms bent to pass through the belting at varying
distances from the centre piece; the said arms may be either of varying or equal
lengths.
The fastener is made of one piece of metal, brass being preferable, though any
kind of metal may be used which will bear the strain and allow the requisite
amount of bending. For ordinary three inch belting, brass about one sixteenth of
an inch in thickness is used, though it will be seen that the thickness required
depends largely on the weight of the belting to which the fastenings are to be
applied, and the strain to which the belting is to be subjected. Each alternate

page_text: arm is longer than the one next to it for the purpose of obtaining a bearing in the
belting in more than one line, the object being to obtain a number of points of
bearing without weakening the belt to any appreciable extent, as would be the
case were all the punctures in the same line. It will be seen that the same result will
be accomplished if the arms be made of equal length and then bent at varying &
distances from their ends, or from the centre plate, though in this case when bent
down on the opposite side of the belt, the arms or hooks will appear to be of
unequal lengths.
To insert the hooks the belting is first pressed against the ends of the hooks,
thus marking the places where the holes are to be made in the belting; in, this 1
way accuracy is obtained, and the strain will be uniform on all the bearings, and
the place of the bearing of any one or more of the hooks or arms may be changed
without changing the position of any other bearing or part of the fastener.
It will be understood that the width of the fastener must depend on the width of
the belt, though several small fasteners may be used on one wide belt; the better 1
way however is to use one fastener of a sufficient width. It will also be seen that
the distance between the arms is not material, and if a greater amount of bearing-
surface is desired in the belting, then the arms or hooks may be located very near
together and several lines of holes made in the belting.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Frederick Redfern in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st June 1880.
GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, 4, South Street,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELT
FASTENERS." A communication from abroad by Owen H. Jones, of Hartford, in
the County of Hartford, State of Connecticut, United States of America.
This Invention relates to devices for connecting the ends of machine belting, and
the object of the Invention is to make a belt fastener of one piece of metal, with
which the ends of the belting may be readily connected and in such a manner that
the strain will be uniform, and the application of which will not necessitate the
removal of any appreciable amount of stock from the belting. The same fastener
may be used a great number of times on belting of varying thickness, and with
which the place of bearing in the belting of any one of the arms or hooks may bo
changed without changing the position of the entire fastener; also one with which,
in its application several lines of bearing may be had.
The Invention consists in making the fastener of one thin flexible piece of metal
with a number of integral arms bent to pass through the belting at varying
distances from the centre piece; the said arms may be either of varying or equal
lengths.
In the accompanying Drawing, in which similar letters of reference indicate
like parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved device showing one side
or set of hooks inserted in a piece of belting with the other side or set of hooks bent
preparatory for use. Figure 2 is a view of the device as it appears before the arms
are bent, and Figure 3 is a view of one in which the arms are of equal length and
more numerous than in Figures 1 and 2. The fastener is made of one piece of
metal, brass being preferable, though any kind of metal may be used which will
bear the strain and allow the requisite amount of bending. For ordinary three
inch belting, brass about one sixteenth of an inch in thickness is used, though it
will be seen that the thickness required depends largely on the weight of the
belting to which the fastenings are to be applied and the strain to which the
belting is to be subjected. The fastener is stamped or cut into the shape shown in
Figure 2, and each alternate arm F is longer than the one marked C next to it for
the purpose of obtaining a bearing in the belting in more than one line, the object
being to obtain a number of points of bearing without weakening the belt to any
appreciable extent, as would be the case were all the punctures in the same line. It
will be seen that the same result will be accomplished if the arms be made of equal
length and then bent at varying distances from their ends or from the centre
plate O, though in this case, when bent down on the opposite side of the belt, the
arms or books will appear to be of unequal lengths.
In the Drawing Figure 1 shews the device with one side or set of hooks inserted
in the piece of belting J with the arms bent down or clinched, showing the
other side of the fastener with the arms or hooks bent ready for insertion in the
belting.
To insert the hooks the belting is first pressed against the ends of the hooks,
thus marking the places where the holes are to be made in the belting; in this
way accuracy is obtained and the strain will be uniform on all the bearings, and
the place of the bearing of any one or more of the hooks or arins may be changed
without changing the position of any other bearing or part of the fastener.
It will be understood that the width of the fastener must depend on the width
of the belt, though several small fasteners may be used on one wide belt. The
better way however, is to use one fastener of a sufficient width. It will also be

page_text: seen that the distance between the arms is not material, and if a greater amount
of bearing surface is desired in the belting, then the arms or hooks may be located
very near together, as shown in Figure 3, and several lines of holes made in the
belting. It is not intended to confine the Invention to this particular construction,
though it is deemed the best.
Having now described the nature of the Invention communicated to me, and the
best means with which I am aquainted for carrying the same into effect, I wish it
to be understood, that what is claimed as new, and intended to be protected by
the herein in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
Firstly. An improved belt fastener, consisting of a flexible metal plate provided
with attaching arms or hooks of different lengths and bent at varying distances
from the edge of the plate, substantially as hereinbefore described and represented
in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly. An improved belt fastener, consisting of a flexible metal plate having
attaching arms or hooks of equal length bent at varying distances from the edge of
the plate so as to form two or more lines of bearing when attached to the belt,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Frederick Redfern, have hereto set
my hand and seal, this Ninteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.