IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING BELTS AND STRAPS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Cheesman Morgan, of Newcastle, Penn-
sylvania, in the United States of America, and of 53, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING BELTS AND STRAPS."-A communication
from abroad by Mr. Joseph Clifton, of Newcastle, aforesaid.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Cheesman Morgan
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th June 1860.
I, GEORGE CHEESMAN MORGAN, of Newcastle, Pennsylvania, in the United
States of America, and of 58, Chancery Lane, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING BELTS AND STRAPS," to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to woven belts or straps, the warps of which are of
animal fibre, and the woof of either animal or vegetable fibre impregnated and
covered with a pliable waterproof cement. These bands may be made of
any desired width or thickness, and the different plies of the warp and weft
threads are well tied through and through by the warps. The band after

page_text: being woven is sized with any well-known size, and then passed while damp
through pulverized resin or any other gum, which is caused by the damp size
to adhere to its surface. After that the band is passed between heated
rollers for the purpose of melting the adhering resin or gun, and causing it to
penetrate the band and give greater smoothness and evenness to its surface.
The band is then covered with a waterproof cement or composition composed
of boiled linseed oil and black lead, or any other unctuous earth or mineral,
which mixed with linseed or other oils will form a waterproof coating or
cement, and give an even surface to the band, and protect from wearing, while
it does not detract from its pliability..
I do not confine myself to impregnating or covering a strap or belt having
the warps of animal fibre, and the woofs of either vegetable or animal fibre
with the material herein described, as any other well-known material may be
used for this purpose that will increase the durability and strength of the band
without detracting from its pliability. The great superiority of this band over
those heretofore constructed is that it possesses a pliability and elasticity
almost equal to the leather band at less cost.
The cement or coating to the woollen band does not harden and become
brittle and crack as it does on those bands made of hemp or flax, or other
vegetable fibre, neither does the oil used in the cements rot the animal
fibre, so that this band is more durable than those made of these materials,
besides being more flexible & unaffected by dryness or moisture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Cheesman Morgan in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th December 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CHEESMAN MORGAN, of Newcastle, Pennsylvania, in the United States of
America, and of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Gentle-
man, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Cheesman Morgan, Her special licence that I, the said George
Cheesman Morgan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1, the said George Cheesman Morgan, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING BELTS AND
STRAPS," a communication from abroad by Mr. Joseph Clifton, of Newcastle,
aforesaid, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Cheesman Morgan, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Cheesman Morgan, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say)
-
It has long been a desideratum with manufacturers to obtain a substitute
for leather banding for driving machinery, that can be afforded to the consumer
at less cost and possessing all of its essential qualities, such as its great strength
and durability united with pliability. Many materials have been proposed
and used as a substitute for leather, among others a woven fabric of cotton,
flax, or hemp, covered and impregnated with india-rubber, gutta percha, or
some pliable waterproof paint or cement. The rubber bands are generally
made of two or more plies of a woven cotton fabric cemented together with
india-rubber and the exterior covered with the same material. The great
objection to these bands is that the different layers of the textile inaterial
being only united by elastic cement, there is no direct connection between
the textile fibres of the different layers; hence when these bands are subjected
to strain and wear, these different layers are liable to split and separate, which
materially weakens and destroys the integrity of the band, and, moreover,
these bands are liable to slip on the pulley when wet, and the external coating
of rubber is softened, if the oil from the machinery comes in contact with it,
and when run at high speed the heat generally softens the cement on the
surface and between the different plies of cloth, causing the cement to peel off
and leave the textile material of the band exposed and the different plies to
separate. Bands made of hemp, cotton, or flax are generally woven so as to
form a thick beavy fabric, the warps and fillings being well tied. The textile
band made of these materials is covered and impregnated with some oil

page_text: cement, or pigment, in order to render it waterproof, and protect and give
greater smoothness to the surface.
The great objection to bands of this description made from vegetable fibre,
is that they aro rendered stiff and rigid by the application of a waterproof
cement or paint, and the oil which is the vehicle used for applying the resinous
and earthy compounds to cover the band is absorbed by the vegetable fibre,
causing it in a short time to rot and lose its strength, and also by the absorb-
tion of the oil the surface coating becomes hard and brittle, which causes it
to crack off and leave the textile fibre exposed, or it becomes hard and
enamelled by the friction on the pullies, which renders it liable to slip. More-
over all bands made from vegetable fibre are greatly affected by dryness and
moisture, which causes them to contract when wet and expand when dry,
so that they are almost worthless to drive machinery requiring the bands to be
kept at a uniform tension.
The object of this Invention is the construction of a band of textile material
that will not be liable to the before-mentioned defects. This Invention relates
to woven belts or straps, the warps of which are of animal fibre, and the woof
of either animal or vegetable fibre) impregnated and covered with a pliable
waterproof cement. These bands may be made of any desired width or
thickness; and the different plies of the warp and weft threads are well tied
through and through by the warps. The band after being woven is sized with
any well-known size, and then passed, while damp, through pulverized resin
or any other gum, which is caused by the damp size to adhere to its surface.
After that the band is passed between beated rollers for the purpose of
melting the adhering resin or guin, and causing it to penetrate the band, and
give greater smoothness and evenness to its surface. The band is then covered
with a waterproof cement or composition composed of boiled linseed oil and
black lead or any other unctuous earth or mineral which, mixed with linseed or
other oils, will form a waterproof coating or cement, and give an even surface
to the band, and protect it from wearing, while it does not detract from its
pliability.
I do not confine myself to impregnating or covering a strap or belt having
the warps of animal fibre and the woofs of either vegetable or animal fibre,
with the material herein described, as any other well-known material may be
used for this purpose that will increase the durability and strength of the band
without detracting from its pliability.
The great superiority of this band over those heretofore constructed is that
it possesses a pliability and elasticity almost equal to the leather band at less
The cement or coating to the woollen band does not harden and become
cost.

page_text: brittle and crack, as it does on those bands made of hemp or flax, or any
other vegetable fibre, neither does the oil used in the cements rot the animal
fibre, so that this band is more durable than those made of these materials,
besides being more flexible and unaffected by dryness or moisture.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, a band the
warps of which are of animal fibre, and the wefts of either animal or vegetable
fibre impregnated or coated with pliable cement.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Cheesman Morgan, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
GC MORGAN (18)
GC MORGAN
(1.8)