IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Isaac Blue Harris, of Castle Mills, Fountain-
bridge, Edinburgh, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Isaac Blue Harris at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd August 1875.
I, ISAAC BLUE HARRIS, of Castle Mills, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFacture OF INDIA-RUBBER MACHINE BELTING," to be as
follows:-
-
India-rubber machine belting is usually composed of several layers or
thicknesses of canvas cemented together by means of a solution of
india-rubber, or this gum reduced to a plastic state by means of any of
the well known solvents. It has been found in practice that when in
constant use the layers of canvas are apt to become detached from each
other by the constant bending of the belts round the pullies. The object

page_text: of the present Invention is to prevent this inconvenience, and this object
is effected by the use of staples, rivets, screws, tacks, nails, or other
equivalent mechanical fastenings, which when passed through the belt
and properly clenched will have the effect of uniting or securly holding
the layers of which the belting is composed. If two-pronged staples be
used they are placed by preference lengthwise across the belt, and the
metallic fastenings have their heads so formed and the ends secured so
as to admit of being covered by the outside rubber covering of the
belting.
In addition to the staples, rivets, screws, or other fastenings I some- ]
times employ plates which extend across the belts, and when drawn
down tight by the fastenings on to the face of the belt will compress
the same and prevent the canvas layers from coming asunder and
weakening the belt.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Isaac Blue Harris in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ISAAC
BLUE HARRIS, of Castle Mills, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs, and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Isaac Blue Harris, Her
special licence that I, the said Isaac Blue Harris, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Isaac Blue Harris,
my executors, administrators, and 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 INDIA-RUBBER MACHINE BELTING,"

page_text: upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Isaac Blue Harris,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Isaac Blue Harris, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
India-rubber machine belting is usually composed of several layers or
thicknesses of canvas cemented together by means of a solution of
india-rubber or india-rubber reduced to a plastic state by means of any
of the well known solvents, or by grinding, as is well known to rubber
manufacturers. It has been found in practice that when in constant
use the layers of canvas are apt to become detached from each other by
the constant bending of the belts round the belt pullies. Now the
object of the present Invention is to prevent this inconvenience. The
desired end I propose to attain by the use of staples, rivets, tacks, nails,'
or equivalent metal fastenings, which when passed through the belt and
properly clenched will have the effect of securely holding together and
preventing the disuniting of the layers of which the belting is
composed.
In the accompanying Drawing one mode of carrying out this Inven-
tion is clearly shown in several views.
Fig. 1 is a cross section of an india-rubber belt the canvas layers of
which are secured by means of staples; Fig. 2 is a plan of a portion of
a belt illustrating the mode of constructing the same; and Fig. 3 is a
cross section further illustrating this construction of belt.
In these Figures a are the layers of canvas cemented together in the
usual manner, and through these layers are passed at suitable intervals

page_text: belt (see Fig. 2), and these ends are bent over and pressed down upon
the canvas.
Over the lapped ends of the staples a tape c coated with
india-rubber cement is laid; the belt is then finished by enveloping it, in
a thin covering of india-rubber d.
From the above explanation it will be understood that when rivets,
tacks, nails, or equivalent metal fastenings are used in place of the
staples a they are to be applied and pressed into the canvas layers and
covered in the same manner as explained with respect to the staples.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements
in the Manufacture of India-rubber Machine Belting," and explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the means above
described for preventing the separation or detachment from each other
of the cemented layers of canvas composing india-rubber machine
belting.
In witness whereof, I, the said Isaac Blue Harris, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.