Improvements in Metallic Belting.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metallic Belting.
I, ROBERT INGRAM BROWN, Engineer, (Post O.Hice aldres: 132 Nassau Street,
New York, New York), of Brooklyn, Kings County, State of New York, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
means for the
My invention has reference to improvements in machine belting made entirely of
metal, and to the use of metallic belting, wire or ropes as a
transmission of power. It relates, first, to means for attaching two or more
parallel wires, ropes or cables together, secondly, to the use of a flexible metal
band passing in an endless circle over wheels, &c., for transmitting power, and
thirdly, to certain improvements in the use of metallic belting for the transmission
of power.
The objects of my invention under the above indicated first head are, to supply
the ropes or wires with firmly attached clips which may be easily put in place or
removed, and which, by their shape, shall be readily available to transmit the
power to or from the ropes or wires; to attach two or more parallel transmission
ropes or wires to each other so that they shall travel at the same speed and work
evenly together as a belt, and to satisfactorily unite the ends of such belting. The
objects under the above indicated second head are, to increase the percentage of
wear permissible before exceeding the margin of safety, to reduce the diameter of
wheels necessary for easy and rapid flexion of the band when passing around them,
and to reduce the possibility of slip between the band and wheels while reducing
the tension originally given to prevent such slipping. The objects under the above
indicated third head are, to increase the durability of the belt, to reduce or remove
the permanent stretching which is an objectionable feature in belts or ropes of
wire as made heretofore and to make such belts applicable to wheels of smaller
diameter than heretofore possible.
I obtain the several enumerated objects as hereinafter set forth, reference being
made to the accompanying drawings wherein,
Figure 1 shows a plan of the simple clip.
Figure 2 is an end view showing the method of attaching the clip.
Figure 3 is an end view of the clip when attached.
Figure 4 is an end view showing the clip attached to four ropes.
Figure 5 shows a practical equivalent of Figure 2, but of more economical
construction.
Figure 6 is a section and Figure 7 a side view of the usual method of uniting
wires for the transmission of power.
Figure 8 shows the action of such wires with small wheels of high speed.
Figure 9 is an end view, Figure 10 a top view, and Figure 11 a side view of one
manner of arranging and uniting the separate wires for the transmission of power
according to my invention.
Figures 12 and 13 show their application with sprocket pulleys.
Figure 14 illustrates the special qualities which I have devised and applied to
belts for power transmission, and
Figures 15 and 16 illustrate the application of cross bars, for the purpose of
engaging with sprockets or otherwise, to belts having these qualities.

page_text: Referring now to my invention as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, C is the main
body of the clip and has the ends or corners, A, which resist the strain caused by
the wedges or strut, W, W, when in place.
The concave curve of these corners, A, is usually smaller than the diameter of
the rope for which the clip is adapted. The clip may be placed in its proper
position, longitudinally, on the wires or ropes and the strut, W, W, forced,
transversely to the line of the wires or ropes, into place without any tendency to
move the clip from its proper position. The griping pressure is produced on the
toggle-joint principle; and the wedges, W, are entirely prevented from longitudinal
motion in the clip by the sides, B, consequently the wedges will not be released
whether the strain from the rope be backward or forward, as it varies at the
driving or driven sprocket wheel. The sides, B, serve also as bearing surfaces for
the sprockets on the wheels over which the wires, R, work. The hole, H in the main
body of the clip is made therein for the purpose of enabling the wedges, W, to be
released by means of a punch, which may be driven through the hole H, against
the wedges, thereby knocking them out, as will be readily understood.
The wedges, W, are here shown wedge-shaped, but this is not necessarily so.
One end has a concave curvature slightly less in radius than that of the wire. The
other ends may be made one concave and one convex to fit into each other as
shown.
The method of attachment is as follows: The clip, C, wires, R, R, and wedges
or strut, W, W, are placed in the position shown in Figure 2; the abutting ends of
the wedges are then pressed flat against the main body of the clip, C, thus
compressing the wires, R and R, and holding them firmly in a powerful vise, as
the abutting ends of the wedges, W and W, have passed the dead center and the
pressure keeps them firmly against the clip. Or a bolt L in Figure 3, may be
passed through the wedges and screwed into H to hold the former in place, when
desired.
It is obvious that the clip, C, may be made in various shapes, with bolt holes,
lugs and other projections, so that it may be readily attaclied to any desired
object, and it may be made to embrace any number of ropes or wires.
The curved surfaces coming in contact with the wires may be made with
projections to penetrate the wire or may be covered with any material to increase
the adhesion.
It is not necessary that the means, H, for removing the strut shall have any
particular shape, or position in the clip, and it may be entirely omitted when
desired. Neither is it necessary to my invention that the corners or lugs, A, shall
have a concave curve slightly smaller than the diameter of the rope or wire to be
held; any shape may be given to the surface against which the rope or wire is
driven by the strut, so long as it is adapted to retain said rope or wire. This also
applies to the ends of the strut where coming in contact with said wires or ropes.
Neither is the concave-convex sliding joint between the wedges an essential
feature and likewise the guards, B, may be varied or omitted when not desired.
It is preferable that the wire or rope should not be entirely encircled by the clip
and wedge, but an uninterrupted edge left to facilitate riding over idlers, &c., as
shown.
The style shown in Figure 5 is a very successful and easily made vise. Here
the toggle wedges are made in one piece, the sliding concave-convex joint being
replaced by continuous metal which is bent while the toggle is being pressed into
place. And the restraining surfaces against which the wires are forced are
originally made straight and parallel, leaving it to the toggle to force the wire to
make its own curved seat, as far as is necessary.
..
This clip may be used for the purpose of connecting together two or more lengths
of wire or of rope or cable or the like, the ends which are desired to be united
being placed in abutment and held there against withdrawal by means of the
pressure of the clip, and wedges as before described.
Referring now to the detail of. my invention illustrated in Figures 6 to 13, when

page_text: a wire rope is bent in a curve, as around a wheel, each individual wire, F, Figures 6
and 7, slides longitudinally on its neighbor, in the endeavor to equalize the strain
produced on itself; otherwise, that part of each wire which is in the part of the
rope on the outside, G, Figure 7, of the bend would have the most tensile strain,
while that on the inside, I, Figure 7, of the bend might even be in compression.
This internal sliding friction and resistance to bending a wire rope is an important.
element in determining the diameter of wheel it can be satisfactorily run over or
around. In high angular speeds of the wheel it has a very strong tendency to
reduce the contact of the wire rope with the wheel, as illustrated in Figure 8,
because the former rides slightly past the wheels, M, before bending. Consequently
the frictional contact and driving power are reduced. To avoid this an otherwise
unnecessary tension is usually put on the rope, causing increased friction and wear
on the bearings of the wheels or their shafts.
Now, if the sides of the rope groove in the wheel are cut into sprockets, and
lugs or clips rigidly attached to the rope so as to engage with the sprockets, then
the rope cannot slip around the wheel. Where attached these clips must necessarily
grip the rope very firmly to prevent their slipping, consequently when bending
around the wheels the separate strands of the rope are prevented from freely
sliding on each other and this increases the rigidity of the rope, the power taken to
operate it, and the diameter of the wheel it should run over.
But by reducing the size of the rope and using two or more, parallel and
fastened to the same clip, less power will be exhausted in bending, because the
sides G and I, Figure 7, will be nearer the center of the rope, therefore their
tension less unequal, and a wheel of less diameter may be used.
The fact still remains that if the ordinary wire rope is made of wires of, say,
1-16 in. diameter and that much, 1-16 in., should be worn off the outside of the
rope all the wires would be cut into short pieces and the rope have practically no
tensile strength. Yet the 1-16 in. worn off the outside would be a comparatively
small proportion of the total in the rope; the remaining part being worse than
useless as it has required power to keep it in motion and especially to bend it.
around the wheels.
In my invention by using single wires, F (Figures 9, 10, 11 and 13) not twisted
into a rope, but arranged straight and parallel to each other, fastened or united
together at suitable intervals by suitable clips, N, which are rigidly attached
thereto (Figures 9, 10, 11 12, and 13) spacing them as convenient and so that they
will all travel on the same pitch line and are adapted to ride directly on the
wheels, M, (Figures 12 and 13) the power necessary to bend the belt thus con-
structed is only that due to the spring of the wires, because having no frictional
contact with each other, they do not slide on each other, to equalize the strain on
themselves, as above mentioned in bending a wire rope of many times the diameter
of each wire.
In my invention, each wire, F, stands its full duty in wear throughout its length
except where covered by the clips, N, and when worn out there will not be a great
mass of metal which was twisted inside and received little wear. Instead, a part
of this weight will be retained in the clips, which, however, perform active service
in preventing slip when sprocket wheels are used but do not consume power to be
bent around them. Consequently, where a large wire rope was used at low
tensile strain, the size being necessary to give surface contact with the wheel for
frictional grip and the whole requiring to be bent, I can use much less wire at
a high tensile strain and run it around much smaller wheels because it will bend so
much easier.
In the drawing, Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12, the wires are shown united by clips
which leave one side of the belt with an uninterrupted smooth surface. This is an
important factor where belts are to be crossed or used on idlers or other wheels not
recessed for the clips below the riding line of the wires, but it is not necessary to
all belts embodying my invention.
Any numbers of wires may be used. To secure the completest possible freedom

page_text: from stretch, which stretch would destroy the correct pitch of the cross bars or
clips and make the whole inoperative, and to obtain the maximum use of all the
material, and therefore weight, that it contains, it is preferable that the wires
should be of a uniform section throughout their lengths; and they should be free
from irregularities of grain or fibre caused in the manufacture and from perforations
or other reductions of sectional area at places which may be worn or weakened
by the use of the belt. For this reason drawn wire is preferable as having the
straightest, toughest and most regular fibres. Several methods may be used for
attaching the clips to the wires and various kinds of wheels utilized.
Referring now to the detail of my invention illustrated in Figures 14 to 16
I would state that the previous universal practice in the use of metal bands for
bending around wheels has been to make the belt as flexible as possible by the high
internal mobility of its constituent parts. And the smaller the wheels around
which it is to run the more internally mobile has it been sought to make the belt. As
a consequence ropes have been made of a large number of wires with the object
that, in bending the rope, the wires shall slide longitudinally upon each other so
that parts of the rope on the inside of the bend have nearly equal tension with
those on the outside of the bend, and there shall be no neutral axis, which neutral
axis carries no strain. And to increase this internal mobility of the rope it is
often carefully lubricated.
Not only has this aim to attain the completest possible internal mobility of
structure resulted in the making of ropes of many very fine wires, but it has also
resulted in the application of the same principle to the internal structure of the
individual wires, and they have heretofore been made so soft that they are ductile
and some of their fibers permanently stretch, or slide, upon each other and set,
when bent around wheels. If the wire has set to a curve approaching that of the
wheel all its fibers were in considerable tension and there was no neutral axis while
under the setting strain.
If a wire is bent, so its fibers slide or set upon each other, when it is released it
will not return to its former condition. Also, if a straight wire rope is bent
sufficiently to slide the individual wires upon each other, when released the rope
will not become straight again. Now, if the rope be pulled straight again the
wires will slide hack into their former positions without imaterial alteration except
that due to their slight abrasion (which slightly but surely lengthens the rope)
upon each other; but, if the individual wire above mentioned be pulled straight
again its fibers do not slide back to their former positions, but those least stretched
in the first bending are now stretched most to make up the difference, and the
whole wire has become permanently elongated.
This continual stretching of the fibers in the wire soon crystallizes the metal
and makes it brittle, when it is either discarded or annealed to again fit it for the
process of gradual stretching. Thus, as the rope and its constituent wires are
continually elongating, a belt so made would soon become too loose to transmit
power between ordinary wheels having their centers a fixed distance apart. There
is little elasticity in such ropes or wires.
Believing that the direction formerly followed is erroneous, I proceed as far as
possible in the opposite direction, and, instead of annealing them till easily ductile,
give the wires and their fibers the highest practicable elasticity by tempering.
That is, I replace internal mobility in the wire by the elasticity of its hardened
fibers which spring back when released after being bent, and replace the internal
mobility of the stranded rope by using wires not stranded or twisted together.
In Figure 14 is shown the wire V secured to the clamp S, which is immovably
fastened; and the other end is strained at T in the direction of the arrow, under a
working strain of, say, 100 pounds; the wire being tempered as above mentioned
to withstand the strain when bent to a wheel of this diameter.
If the wire V is, before bending to the wheel, X, straight as shown at V₁ the
fibers at Y and Z are in their normal condition and under no strain. When
simply bent around the wheel and under no strain at T the fibers of this tempered

page_text: wire at I will be in compression and at in tension, the neutral axis being
about half way between Y and Z. The fibers at Y and Z are under normal
conditions.
If this wire is soft and mobile when strain is applied its fibers at 7 will be the
first to permanently stretch and slide upon each other, the wire becoming set; if
sufficiently hard and immobile the fibers will not set or slide upon each other but
stretch only temporarily and return as soon as released.
Properly tempered to remove internal mobility and proportioned to its work no
permanent stretch occurs in such a wire running around wheels even of very small
sizes and therefore, as there is no internal fatigue crystallization does not soon
set in to shorten its running life. It will run indefinitely on wheels having centers
at a fixed distance from each other, without becoming loose, and attachments fixed
to the wires (as illustrated in Figures 15 and 16) at definite intervals are maintained
at such intervals.
The temper given to the wires should not be so high as to make it brittle but
should in all cases be high enough to keep the wires from setting when in place on
the wheel and subjected to its working strain.
In the tempered wire by applying, say, 100 pounds working strain at T the
fibers at Y and Z are put in tension and elongate temporarily and equally and
there is no neutral axis at this straight part of the belt but, the tension at Z is
increased causing these fibers to temporarily elongate, moving the neutral axis
towards at which the compressive strain is diminished. If when the wire was
simply bent to the wheel X, it caused so much compression in the fibers at Y' that
the 100 pound tension added at T has not been able to stretch the fibers at Z¹
enough to allow those at Y¹ to come into tension then there would be a neutral.
axis between the fibers at Y and Z.
The fact of a neutral axis existing in the beit shows that all its parts are not
doing the work they might be made to do, while other parts are loaded so as to
quickly wear out. To overcome the use of idle material caused by the existence
of a neutral axis, two methods have heretofore been followed, one
described, aiming at the highest internal mobility of the fibers in the wires and of
as above
the wires in the rope; the other being to use very large wheels so there is little
tendency to compress the inner part Y, Figure 14, of the rope or wire.
Having discarded the theory and practice of internal mobility in its structure
I adopt other means to keep the neutral axis out of the belt when it is to be used
on small wheels. The following has proved amply satisfactory.
Either before or after tempering, or simultaneously therewith, the belt or wire
s given a permanent curvature of its own as shown at V, Figure 14, the fibers
at Y and Z being now free of tension from external sources; thus, when the belt
s bent to the wheel X, there is much less compression of the fibers at Y and
ension of those at 73 when they are sprung to Y and Z respectively. In this
ase when applying the 100 pound strain at T the fibers at have still remaining
n them temporary stretch, or elasticity, enough to bring those at Y into tension
nd thus remove the neutral axis, which passes out from the side 1. The strain
t T will straighten the wire between T and the wheel, causing more tension on the
bers at Y than at Z2. Where the wire was bent to the wheel we have increased
s ability to withstand external pull by removing the neutral axis, thus causing all
e fibers to carry tension, and we have somewhat weakened the straight part of
e wire by carrying most of the tension on one side, Y.
belt of such a natural curvature that on a given wheel the part bent to the wheel
It is possible to make
ill have the same tension carrying capacity as the straight part of the belt and we
us have the maximum of total efficiency.
Again, it is sometimes desirable that the belt should be stronger where bent to
e wheel than where straight. In such a case the permanent curvature of the
elt may be made to a very small radius (even smaller than that of the wheel) as
own at V, Figure 14, in which case the fibers at would be in compression
hen simply Lent to the wheel at Z and those at Y would be in tension at Y¹.

page_text: On applying the 100 pound strain at T the neutral axis would pass towards ', or
out of the belt at Z1, throughout the part curved to the wheel; and the straightening
of the wire from T to the wheel might throw the fibers at Z2 into compression,
This would leave the belt
bringing a neutral axis into the belt where straight.
where bent to the wheel in the strongest possible condition, which is the important 5
Such a belt would hold very closely to the
point in some elevators, conveyors, &c.
wheels, at high speeds, even, and its grip to prevent slipping on a smooth turned
wheel would be very greatly increased.
In Figures 15 and 16, the wires V2, are united at intervals along their length by
cross bars or clamps . When such a belt is to be used in conjunction with
sprocket wheels it is of the utmost importance that the pitch of, or distance between,
Consequently any stretch in the
the cross bars æ shall not vary or increase.
wire here is very damaging and this can only be avoided by the improvements
herein described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is:
1. A clip for uniting one or more pairs of wires or ropes, comprising the
combination of a main or body part with lugs to confine each pair of wires or ropes
and a toggle strut separating each of said pairs of wires or ropes and forcing them
rigidly against the confining lus.
2. A clip to unite two or more parallel wires, ropes or the like together, which
consists of a main or body portion, having its sides or edges recessed to partially
embrace the wires or ropes, and toggle wedges inserted between the wires or ropes,
adapted to engage with each other and with the wires or ropes so as to rigidly
lock them together and to the clip, substantially as set forth.
3. A clip comprising the combination of the body, C, having lugs, A, to partially
embrace wires, ropes or the like, toggle-wedges, W, W, which are adapted to lock
themselves when they pass the dead center, and the side pieces, B, to prevent
longitudinal motion of the edges, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. A belt for the transmission of power composed of two or more separate drawn
wires arranged parallel to and prevented from having frictional contact with each
other, and rigidly united together without materially reducing their sectional area
and without projections, in the line of the wire, on the inner face of the belt.
5. A. belt for the transmission of power, composed of separate drawn wires
arranged parallel to each other and securely united together, without materially
reducing their sectional area, by means of clips or other suitable fasteuing devices
which are rigidly attached to said wires at intervals of their length, said wires
being prevented from having frictional contact with each other and having an
uninterrupted side adapted to ride directly on the same pitch line over wheels or
pulleys.
6. A metal band for the transmission of power composed of two or more parallel
tension members united at intervals and adapted to ride directly on wheels
which band has a permanent curvature of its own facilitating the removal of the
neutral axis when bent to a wheel and strained.
7. A band for the transmission of power, composed of two or more parallel tension
members united at intervals, which band has a permanent curvature of its own o
aadius not greater than that of a wheel on which it is to run.
of Tul 1895
Dated this 23rd day of July 1895.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.