Improvements in Driving Belt-fasteners.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Belt-fasteners.
We, ANTONIN SEBOR, Miller, and LEOPOLD SCHULZ, Official, both of Prague,
Bohemia, in the Empire of Austria, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Hitherto as is well-known it has been usual to connect the ends of a driving
belt by stitching, rivetting, or screwing them together. Thus the connection was
a permanent one and when it was required to disconnect the ends after the belt had
become loose through stretching, wear, or other cause considerable difficulty was
experienced in so doing.
The object of this invention is to construct a fastening device for driving-belts so
as to obviate the before-mentioned inconvenience and to enable the driving belt
when it has become loose to be shortened by simply shifting its ends so that they
will overlap each other to a greater extent which may be done without difficulty or
appreciable loss of time.
The improved fastener in one form mainly consists of a frame the upper and
lower cross pieces of which are each provided with a slot in each of which is adapted
to fit one end of a rod so that the latter is capable of a certain lateral displacement
in both directions. The ends of the belt or strap are connected in the following
manner-
The belt is inserted into the fastener so that both ends are situated underneath
the side pieces of the frame while the central portions rests upon the rod.
When
the belt is stretched taut by tensile strain acting in the direction of the length of
the belt one end of the belt will of itself be clamped between the main part of the
belt and one of the sides of the frame; it will be understood that the more powerful
the tensile strain the stronger will be the connection.
In another form of fastening device there may be two movable clamping rods
which may in all cases be roughened to prevent displacement of the belt. These
rods are adapted to slide within two longitudinal grooves provided in the frame
for the reception of their ends. The strap is inserted into the frame through the
top in such a manner that each of its ends envelopes one of the clamping rods
somewhat after the manner of a loop. When the strap is taut the tensile strain
exercised in the direction of the length of the belt causes the rods to be tightly
drawn against the sides of the frame whereby the belt is compressed and firmly
clamped between the rods and the said sides.
Another form of fastener is practically similar to that last described except that
instead of longitudinal grooves the frame has rectangular recesses for the ends of
the clamping rods to be fitted in.
Each end of the belt is in this instance turned back so as to form a loop and thus
passed on to one of the fastening or clamping rods the end which is turned back
passing underneath the side-pieces of the frame. The connection is then completed
similarly to that last described.
In another of the improved belt fasteners one end of the belt is passed round one
of the side pieces of the frame and then stitched to the body of the belt while the
other end is placed round a movable clamping rod in the same way as before
described. The two recesses in this case need not extend completely across the
end-pieces of the frame.
The before described fasteners may be modified without departing from the spirit
of the invention.
The loosening and tightening of the improved fastener may be effected in the

page_text: most simple manner. The driving-belt or strap is first taken off the pulleys and
then its connected ends pulled a little further over each other to the desired extent
whereupon the belt is again placed on the machine the stretching action of which
while making the belt perfectly taut will at the same time increase the firmness
of the connection.
Dated this Second day of February 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Belt-fasteners.
We, ANTONIN SEBOR, Miller, and LEOPOLD SCHULZ, Official, both of Prague,
Bohemia, in the Empire of Austria, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Hitherto as is well-known it has been usual to connect the ends of a driving belt
by stitching rivetting or screwing them together. Thus the connection was a
permanent one and when it was required to disconnect the ends after the belt had
become loose through stretching, wear, or other cause considerable difficulty was
experienced in so doing.
The object of this invention is to construct a fastening device for driving-belts
so as to obviate the before-mentioned inconvenience and to enable the driving belt
when it has become loose to be shortened by simply shifting its ends so that they
will overlap each other to a greater extent which may be done without difficulty or
appreciable loss of time.
Various forms of the improved belt-fastener are illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
In Figs. 1, 1 and 1° the belt fastener mainly consists of a frame R the upper
and lower cross-pieces a and b of which are each provided with a slot s in each of
which is adapted to fit one end d of a rod e so that the latter is capable of a certain
lateral displacement in both directions. The ends of the belt or strap are connected
in the following manner:
The belt is inserted into the fastener as shown in Figs. 1" and 1" so that both
ends are situated underneath the side-pieces e while the central portions rest
upon the rod c.
When the belt is stretched taut by tensile strain acting in the
direction of the arrows one end t of the belt T will of itself be clamped between
the main part of said belt T and one of the sides of the frame; it will be
understood that the more powerful the tensile strain the stronger will be the
connection.
In the form of fastening device shown in Figs. 2º 2 and 2° there are two
movable clamping rods e which may in this as in all the other examples be provided
with notches or spikes u or otherwise roughened to prevent displacement of the
belt. These rods are adapted to slide within two longitudinal grooves provided
in the frame R for the reception of their ends. The strap is inserted into the
frame through the top as shown in Fig. 2 in such a manner that each of its ends
envelope one of the clamping rods somewhat after the manner of a loop. When
the strap is taut the tensile strain exercised in the direction of the arrows causes
the rods e to be tightly drawn against the sides e f of the frame whereby the belt
is compressed and firmly clamped between the rods and the said sides.
C
Another form of fastener shown in Figs. 3 3 and 3 is practically similar to
that last described except that instead of longitudinal grooves the frame R has
-rectangular recesses for the ends of the clamping rods to be fitted in.
Each end of the belt is in this instance turned back so as to form a loop and

page_text: thus passed on to one of the fastening or clamping rods the end which is turned back
passing underneath the side-pieces e and of the frame. The connection is then
completed similarly to that last described.
In another of the improved belt-fasteners as shown in Figs. 44" 4° and 4d one
end of the belt T is passed round one of the side pieces (e) of the frame R and
then stitched to the body of the belt while the other end as shown in Fig. 4' is
placed round a movable clamping rod ¢ in the same way as in Fig. 3b. The two
recesses in this case need not extend completely across the end pieces ab of the
frame. As shown in Fig. 4° the connection in this example may be completed in
the same manner as in the arrangement shown in Figs. 11" and the same remark
applies to the modifications shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 6 which are substantially
similar to the form shown in Fig. 1, only differing therefrom in the shape of certain
details.
Fig. 7 is a plan and Fig. 7 a section of another modification of the belt-
fastener. The device in this case consists of a hollow frame R provided with
side openings a for the insertion of the belt ends and with an opening o for the
insertion of the wedges B.
The connection is effected in the following manner :-
The belt is first passed on to the pulleys from one to the other of which it is to
transmit motion and its ends are inserted into the openings a.
The wedges B
serrated on the surface facing the belt are then introduced downwardly through
the opening o over the belt ends.
The wedges B thus force themselves between the belt surface and the cross-
picces d and by their serrated lower side press the ends of the belt on to the
cross-pieces or bridges d' with a pressure which increases with the tensile strain on
the belt.
To facilitate adjustment the wedges are provided on each side with pins which
enable them to be shifted into position in the grooves n of the frame R.
The frame R may be curved so as to suit the circumference of the pulleys
employed.
It is manifest without departing from the spirit of the invention various modifi-
cations may be made in the construction of the belt fasteners before described for
example instead of the parts & Figs. 7 and 7° extending right across the frame R
ribs may project only a comparatively short distance inwards from the sides of the
frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. A belt fastener mainly consisting of a frame such as R and one or more
fastening or clamping rods such as c adjustable in slots as in Figs. 1 and 2 or in
notches as in Figs. 3 to 6 and over which rods both belt ends are placed after
which they are passed underneath the side pieces of Figures 1, 5 and 6 or the
belt ends being looped around the said rods as in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 in such a manner
that by stretching the belt its ends are clamped between the said rods c and
the said side pieces ef substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a belt fastener the combination with a frame such as R one or more
sliding rods such as c substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
3. A belt fastener consisting of a hollow frame such as R provided with an
aperture such as a for the insertion of a belt end and with an opening o for the
introduction of a wedge such as B the fastening being effected by clamping
the belt between the said wedge B and the lower cross-piece or bridge substan-
tially as described and illustrated in Figures 7 and 7 of the accompanying
drawings.

page_text: 4. In a belt fastener the combination with a frame such as R of one or more
wedges such as B substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in
Figures 7 and 7b of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of April 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.