IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED FOR MANUFACTURING COTTON CANVAS OR LIKE DRIVING BELTS OR BANDg
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maurice Gandy, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND MACHINERY TO
BE EMPLOYED FOR MANUFACTURING COTTON CANVAS OR LIKE DRIVING BELTS
OR BANDg"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maurice Gandy at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1879.
MAURICE GANDY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE METHOD OF AND MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED FOR MANUFACTURING
COTTON CANVAS OR LIKE DRIVING BELTS OR BANDS,"
In practice it is found that the chief and main objection to the use of cotton
canvas or like driving belts or bands is the liability of such cotton canvas or other
like driving belts or bands to give out or stretch by use.
My Invention consists in, as far as possible, overcoming the liability of cotton or
other like canvas driving belts to stretch or give out during use by manufacturing.
such cotton canvas or other like driving belts under extreme tension, the operation
being performed preferably immediately after oiling or otherwise saturating such
belts, whether such saturation takes place before stitching together the material
forming such belt or after the belt is stitched and finished; or the stretching may
take place during the process of stitching together the folds or layers of canvas of
which the belt is composed.
I will describe the application of my present Invention as applied to the inanu-
facture of belts of hard woven cotton canvas according to former Letters Patent
granted to me on 9th May 1877, No. 1809. The belts are composed of layers of
hard woven cotton canvas cloth folded together in a suitable number of plies and to
any desired width. The plies or folds are then stitched together by a sewing
machine, with rows of stitching about one half inch apart. After the belt is so
stitched it is plunged into a bath of linseed oil compound, and thero allowed to soak
until thoroughly saturated. Heretofore it has been the practice to merely pass the
saturated belt through squeezing rollers weighted to any desired degree and so
express the surplus oil out of and flatten the belt, but this process did not tend to
stretch the belt or equalize what may be called the tension of the stitching of the

page_text: belt with the tension of the material of which the belt is composed. According to
this my present Invention I pass the saturated belts through a machine which both
stretches and presses the belt, so that not only is the surplus saturating agent
expressed but the tension of the stitching is equalized and brought down to the
tension of the material of which the belt is composed, and likewise the tension of
the various folds or plies of the material are stretched and brought down to one
common tension, so that when the belt is afterwards finished and painted all the
plies of which the belt is composed equally contribute to bear the strain to which
the belt may be subjected when applied for driving machinery.
I would have it understood that although I have described my Invention as
applied immediately after the saturation of the belt, and while the belt is in a soft
and elastic state, my Invention can also be applied during the stitching process and
while the belt is passing through the sewing machine.
A machine constructed according to this my Invention for performing the com-
bined processes hereinbefore described of pressing and stretching may consist of a
frame work in combination with a drip pan, in which are mounted two parallel
horizontal rollers, and above which is mounted and runs a third horizontal roller
adjustable in its position with regard to the first named horizontal rollers, and
arranged so that weight may be applied to it by lever power or otherwise, the three
rollers being so arranged that the belt or band passing through them is subjected
to a double pressure, namely, at the points of contact of the three rollers. The
apparatus is provided with (preferably at each side) an arrangement of nippers, the
pressure of which can be regulated by a screw and hand wheel, or by a weighted
lever. The nippers are provided with suitable gauges to suit the width of the belt
being treated. The operation is, after saturation, the belt is led from the bath or
tank through the nippers and between the three press rolls. The nippers are
tightened down to hold the belt and to regulate the tension or stretching to be
applied. The press rolls being set in motion draw the belt through the jaws of the
nippers, thus subjecting the belt to any required tension and stretching, and
squeezing out the superfluity of linseed oil, or other liquid, or material with which
the belt has been saturated, such linseed oil or other material falling into the drip
pan under the rolls, from whence it may be led back to the bath.
By having nippers on both sides of the rolls the belt can be worked backwards
and forwards if required, so as to perfect the operation of equalizing the tension of
the parts of which the belt is composed.
Where it is desired to subject the belt to tension during the operation of stitching,
the nippers can be set on a frame apart from the rolls, the sewing machine being
fed by the rolls slowly drawing the tightened belt from the nippers, the speed being
regulated to suit the speed of the sewing machine.
A modification of a machine constructed according to this my Invention may
consist of a double or duplicate pair of horizontal rollers placed apart, and provided
with a drip pan or drip pans, and arranged so that the speed of one set of rollers is
in excess of the other set. The belt to be treated is first passed through the slow
running rollers and then through those running at a higher speed, the pressure on
the rollers being regulated to give the desired tension, and to perform the combined
processes herein before described of pressing and stretching.
It will also be evident that belts may be treated by the apparatus herein before
described after folding and before stitching, or after stitching and before saturating.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Maurice Gandy in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
October 1879.
MAURICE GANDY, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE METHOD OF AND MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED FOR MANUFACTURING COTTON
CANVAS OR LIKE DRIVING BELTS OR BANDS."
In practice it is found that the chief and main objection to the use of cotton
canvas or like driving belts or bands is the liability of such cotton canvas or other
like driving belts or bands to give out or stretch by use.
My Invention consists in, as far as possible, overcoming the liability of cotton or
other like canvas driving belts to stretch or give out during use by manufacturing
such cotton canvas or other like driving belts under extreme tension, the operation
being performed preferably immediately after oiling or otherwise saturating such
belts, whether such saturation takes place before stitching together the material
forming such belt or after the belt is stitched and finished; or the stretching may
take place during the process of stitching together the folds or layers of canvas of
which the belt is composed.
I will describe the application of my present Invention as applied to the manu-
facture of belts of hard woven cotton canvas, according to former Letters Patent
granted to me on 9th May 1877, No. 1809. The belts are composed of layers of
hard woven cotton canvas cloth folded together in a suitable number of plies and
to any desired width. The plies or folds are then stitched together by a sewing
machine with rows of stitching about one quarter inch apart. After the belt is
stitched it is plunged into a bath of linseed oil compound and there allowed to
soak until thoroughly saturated.
Heretofore it has been the practice to merely pass the saturated belt through
squeezing rollers weighted to any desired degree, and so express the surplus oil out
of and flatten the belt; but this process did not tend to stretch the belt or equalizo
what may be called the tension of the stitching of the belt with the tension of the
material of which the belt is composed.
According to this my present Invention I pass the saturated belts through a
machine which both stretches and presses the belt, so that not only is the surplus
saturating agent expressed but the tension of the stitching is equalized and brought
down to the tension of the material of which the belt is composed, and likewise
the tension of the various folds or plies of the material are stretched and brought
down to one common tension, so that when the belt is afterwards finished and
painted all the plies of which the belt is composed equally contribute to bear the
strain to which the belt may be subjected when applied for driving machinery.
I would have it understood that although I have described my Invention as
applied immediately after the saturation of the belt, and while the belt is in a soft
and elastic state, my Invention can also be applied during the stitching process to
the belt while it is passing through the sewing machine.
A machine constructed according to this my Invention for performing the
combined process herein before described of pressing and stretching may consist of
a framework in combination with a drip pan in which are mounted two parallel
horizontal rollers, and above which is inounted and runs a third horizontal roller
adjustable in its position with regard to the first named horizontal rollers, and
arranged so that weight may be applied to it by lever power or otherwise, the
tbree rollers being so arranged that the belt or band passing through them is
subjected to a double pressure, namely, at the points of contact of the three rollers.
The apparatus is provided with (preferably at each side) an arrangement of nippers
which may be either formed by screw down plates or rollers with a friction brake
to prevent them revolving more than needed, thus forming the said rollers into

page_text: Second. Of cotton canvas or duck thus made, folded, and united by longitudinally
rows of stitching and stitched under tension.
Third. Of cotton canvas thus made, folded, and stitched and saturated with
linseed oil.
Fourth. Of cotton canvas thus made, folded, stitched, and saturated with linseed
oil, pressed and stretched until it is hard, even, and rigid, by which the belt is
rendered insensible to atmospheric changes and non elastic.
The method or mechanical process of making the belt consists,―
First. Of folding the canvas upon the line of its warp, either in a machine or by
hand, to the thickness desired.
Second. Of stitching it by a suitable machine upon a line with its warp with as
many rows of stitching as may be necessary to thoroughly unite the folds or plies
of canvas, the stitching being done while the belt is under tension between a holder
and a pair of feed rollers.
Third. Of pressing the belt in a series of calendar rollers until its surface is flat
and even and the several folds or plies of canvas are forced hard upon each other,
the pressing being performed before oiling, after oiling, and after painting.
Fourth. Of stretching the belt in the operation of pressing it until its tensile
elasticity is practically exhausted and the liability of the belt to stretch in use is
removed.
The improved machinery consists,-
First. In the arrangement of mechanism, illustrated at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, for
stitching the belt under tension.
Second. In the arrangement of apparatus, illustrated at Figures 5 to 9 inclusive,
for pressing and stretching the belt.
In the Drawings,――
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a sewing machine, nippers, and feeding
rollers by which the belt B is sewn while under tension. A are the driving pulleys
of the sewing machine (see also Figure 3). C is a disc with a cam groove which
operates by means of the levers D. (This cam inay also be a simple cam on the
shaft of the sewing machine actuating a lever that again actuates a rachet that
works the feed rolls) the pawl lever E, and thereby the feeding and pressing rollers F.
The feeding and pressing rollers F intermittently pull the belt B through and from
the nippers G which hold the belt B, and during such movement the needle H of the
sewing machine I stitches the belt while under tensile strain. The feeding rollers F
are brought into operation by the machinist through the excentrics and gear J (see
also Figure 2) or by a hand wheel and screw. The nipper rolls G are operated by
the eccentrics and gear J¹ and governed by a brake and gear J". The guides Ju
controll the correct passage of the belt B through the nipper rolls G, and are adjust-
able through the gear J to suit the passage of that part of the belt, being the
then stitched line through the sewing machine. The guides J are also adjust-
able to suit different widths of belts. The rolls F are geared by the toothed wheels a
and the nipper rolls G are geared by the toothed wheels b.
In the Drawings Figure 8 represents a tank containing linseed oil, and set below
the floor K upon which the pressing and stretching machine (Fig. 5) is located.
By B is shown a belt after it has been folded and stitched.
By P is shown a disc secured upon the lower end of the rod X to which a tackle T
is attached by which the disc P is raised and lowered in the tank.
The object of the disc P is to carry a coil of the belt suspended in the oil in the
tank, substantially in the manner shown at Figure 8.
The belt B after being sufficiently soaked with the oil is led up between a pair
of rollers R, R, by which the free oil is stripped off from it. The belt is then led
forward between a pair of friction rollers S, S, and two pair of nippers B¹, B¹,
passing on its way between the calendar rollers U, U, and U', as illustrated. Ench
of the nippers B¹ is provided with an adjusting screw V by which the nippers are
forced upon the belt B and the tension of the belt between the rollers U and U' is
regulated. There are nippers B' on each side of the rollers U, U', but the nippers

page_text: on the delivery side are left open when in operation to allow the belt an
unobstructed passage through. These nippers may be formed of rollers retained
by a brake band and thus regulate the tension required. The pressure being
regulated by pressure they may also be distinct and separate from the frame
carrying the press rolls.
The rollers are arranged to rotate alternately in opposite directions. Thus the
belt B can be pressed and stretched first one way and then the other until the oil
is thoroughly soaked and forced into the fabric and every thread in the structure is
drawn and pressed to its bearing. The tendency of the belt to stretch being thus
developed to its maximum and its surface being brought to a hard and equal
plane.
The two lower calendar rollers U have their axis supported by stationary bearings
in the frame W, but the roller U is carried by an adjustable frame d, which through
the agency of the jointed rode and the lever Q is forced down by a weight e'
upon the bottom rollers U, as shown in Figure 5. The rolls are driven by the
gear Z.
I would remark in conclusion that although I have shown and illustrated in the
Drawing suitable machinery for carrying my Invention into practice I do not intend
to confine the Patent of which this is the Specification to the especial form of
machines, apparatus, or mechanical appliances above described, my Invention not
being limited to the machinery illustrated, but consisting of the belt and of the
mechanical process by which it is produced. I claim therefore as my Invention
and secured to me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent,―
Claim First. A belt possessing the following composition and characteristics :-
First. A foundation consisting of cotton canvas composed of warp stouter than
the weft, both warp and weft hard spun, and the canvas hard or tight woven.
Second. A foundation composed of canvas thus mado folded upon the line of its
warp and the folds united by rows of longitudinal stitching.
Third. The interstices and fibre of a structure thus made saturated with and
full of linseed oil, or any mixture of linseed oil, or a compound of oil and rosin, or
tallow and rosin.
Fourth. The structure thus saturated and pressed fuel of oil or other compound
pressed and stretched rigid, hard, and even.
Claim Second. The mechanical process of manufacturing canvas belts, the sewing
the belt while under tension, and the pressing and stretching of the belt after its
treatment with oil between rollers, in combination with stretching nippers or
between double sets of rollers running at differential speeds for the purpose of
forcing the oil into the interstices and fibre of the fabric, and for the purpose of
stretching and pressing the belt hard, even, and rigid.
Clain Third. The mechanical appliances for sewing belts under tension, sub-
stantially as herein described and illustrated at Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the accom-
panying Drawings.
Claim Fourth. The mechanical appliances for oiling, stretching, and pressing
belts, substantially as herein described and illustrated at Figures 5 to 9 of the
accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maurice Gandy, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
MAURICE (L.S.) GANDY.