AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING BELT OR BAND
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sydney Augustus Dickins, of St. Helen's Place, in the
City of London, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF
DRIVING BELT OR BAND." A communication froin abroad by Owen Dickins,
of Aguilas, in the Kingdom of Spain.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sydney Augustus Dickins
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th September 1880.
SYDNEY AUGUSTUS DICKINS, of St. Helen's Place, in the City of London.
AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING BELT OR BAND." [A communication
from abroad by Owen Dickins, of Aguilas, in the Kingdom of Spain.]
The object of this Invention is to produce light, durable, and efficient driving
belts or bands in a more economical manner than heretofore.
To this end esparto grass, cocoa nut, or similar fibre is used. The fibre, which is
prepared in any well known manner, is twisted into strands in the usual way.
A number of these twisted strands are then plaited together to form flat braids.
The belt or band is formed of a number of these flat braids placed on edge and
side by side, in which position they are sewn or otherwise secured together trans-
versely in any convenient manner. The number of these braids used will depend
The width of
upon the width of the driving belt or band it is required to make.
the bruids may also be varied according to the requirements of the case by reducing
or increasing the number of twisted strands.
In this manner a driving belt or band possessing great lightness and durability
and capable of taking a firin grip on the pulleys can be produced at a cheap rate.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Sydney Augustus Dickins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th March 1881.
SYDNEY AUGUSTUS DICKINS, of St. Helen's Place, in the City of London.
"AN IMPROVED MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING BELT OR BAND." A communication
from abroad by Owen Dickins, of Aguilas, in the Kingdoin of Spain.
The object of this Invention is to produce light, durable, and efficient driving
belts or bands in a more economical manner than heretofore.
To this end esparto grass, cocoa nut, or similar fibre is used. The fibre, which is
prepared in any well known manner, is formed into strands in the usual way for
preparing such material for plaiting into mats and other articles.
A number of these prepared strands are then plaited together to form flat braids.
The belt or band is formed-of-a-number of these flat-braids, placed on edge and
side by side, in which position they are laced together transversely. The number
_of_these braids_used_will_depend upon the width of the driving belt or band it is
required to make. The width of the braids may also be varied-according-to-the-
requirements of the case by reducing-or-increasing-tho-number_of_strands in the
plait.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shows a piece of plait or braid such as is
used in the manufacture of the driving band; Fig. 2 shews in plan view, and
Fig. 3 in edge view a portion of a driving band constructed according to this
Invention.
The plait or braid used is composed of five strands, but a greater or less number
of strands may be employed in the formation of the plait, the number being
determined by the thickness or strength of driving band required. The breadth
of the driving band also will vary according to the strength of band required; that
illustrated in the Drawing shews the band as composed of thirty two plaits set side by
side and connected securely together by two cords of hemp or other suitable material
passed through and through the plaits in a serpentine fashion, and shewing at the
opposite edges of the band a row of close stitches. These hempen cords may be passed
through and through the baud by a strong steel needle, grooved at its sides to
facilitate the passage of the cord through the plaits, mechanical force being applied
to tighten the stitches.
It will be obvious that various means may be adapted for connecting the plaits
together, but that which I have illustrated in the Drawing has been found both
efficient and economical. The lengths of stitching cord may be secured by passing
the one length through the end of another and making with the end of the used
up length a back stitch. Thus no ends of the stitching cord will be left exposed
at the edges of the band. The cord marked a may be regarded as a tacking cord,
and the cord b, which produces the regular and close stitches, on opposite sides
of the band, is the stitching cord, the course of which may be clearly traced on the
plan, Fig. 2.
The manner of connecting the ends of the band may vary according to the
requirements of the purchaser. Thus if an endless band is required I may shorten
every other plait, commencing with the first on the left hand side at one end and
the second on the left hand side at the other end, and then having caused the ends
to interlock I may secure the plaits together at the junction in the same manner
as at the other parts of the band. Or I may lap the ends and lace them together
in the manner commonly used for connecting the ends of leather driving bands.
I may also remark that the gripping plates used for heavy driving bands may be !
employed with advantage in connection with this improved manufacture.

page_text: From the above explanation it will be understood that by the use of this
Invention a driving belt or band possessing great durability and capable of taking
a firm grip on the pulleys can be produced at a cheap rate. As it possesses little
elasticity the necessity for frequently tightening up the belt will be avoided, aud
its lightness as compared with other kinds of driving bands of corresponding
strength will cause a material economy in the expentiture of the motive power
which it is employed to transmit.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved Manufacture
of Driving Belt or Band," as communicated to me from abroad, and having
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,-
In the manufacture of belts or bands, the use of flat plaits or braids of esparto
grass, cocoa-nut, or similar coarse fibre set on edge and side by side, and laced or
tied together by hempen cords or their equivalent, for the purpose of producing
a compound fabric as described.
In witness whercof, I, the said Sydney Augustus Dickins, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.