Improvements in Girths, Body Belts, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Girths, Body Belts, and the like.
I, OTTO CHRISTIAN JOHANNIS KRATZ, of Marne i./Molst., Saddler, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, and accompanying drawing, that is to say:--
This invention has for its object a new or improved belt, which may be used
as a substitute for the expansive leather belts ordinarily used. The improved
belts may also be used for halters, and also as straps or rollers for horse cloths
and the like, and they can be adapted to be used for very many other purposes,
and forin a cheap substitute for ordinary leather belts.
In this invention thin leather strips can be added where the belt strap is pierced
with holes for buckles, but these strips, on account of their small thickness, add
so little to the cost, that a complete belt, made on the new system, on account of
its very great cheapness forms a valuable substitute for leather belts.
The new belt is, as it consists principally of woven or plaited jute or hemp,
much more flexible than a leather belt, and moreover is not so easily broken as
the latter. By means of sufficient stitching, the belt possesses the necessary
solidity and durability.
In the accompanying drawing the new helt is shown as a substitute for a
leather strap on a girth, the girth and strip being shown in the drawing as one
piece.
Figure 1 is a side view,
Figure 2 a transverse section, and
Figure 3 a plan of Figure 1.
The woven or plaited jute or hemp girth itself a has at the narrow end or
buckle strap, its longitudinal edges folded over on one another, so that (as shown
in Figure 2) the girth at this part consists of three thicknesses. Its upper and
lower sides are then covered with thin strips of leather b, and these are
firmly fixed upon the girth strap by stitching. The object of the leather strap
is to prevent the girth strap being torn or injured at the buckle holes.
By the folding over of the edges of the girth, hollow pipe-like edges are formed
at the sides, whereby it is easily seen that the strength and solidity of the strap
is considerably increased.
The necessary holes o, in the buckle strap, for the ordinary buckle-which is
also secured by the double coverings of the girth belt.-pass through the three
thicknesses of the material, so that no objectionable wearing of the leather takes
place.
Instead of the two leather straps, only one may be used, or more than two,
or they may be omitted altogether without departing from the principle of the
invention.
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:-
As o cubstitute for øirths or leather belts, the girths a having its longitudinal

page_text: edge folded over, and with or without one or more thin leather strips b upon one
or both sides, substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this 16th day of October 1899.
EDWARDS AND CO.,
Chartered Patent. Agents, 65 and 66, Chancery Lane, London,
Agents for the Applicant.