IMPROVEMENTS IN LEATHER DRIVING BANDS, AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Richards Harding and Thomas Walter
Harding, both of Leeds, in the County of York, Driving Strap
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LEATHER
DRIVING BANDS, AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE
THEREOF."
Sealed the 25th March 1870, and dated the 27th September 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Richards
Harding and Thomas Walter Harding at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 27th September
1869.
We, THOMAS RICHARDS HARDING and THOMAS WALTER HARDING,
both of Leeds, in the County of York, Driving Strap Manufacturers, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LEATHER DRIVING BANDS, AND IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE
THEREOF," to be as follows:-
Our improvements relate, firstly, to an arrangement whereby we are
enabled with the machine patented by Thomas White, of Leeds,

page_text: In the
numbered 868 of the year 1864, to perform the operation of sewing or
rivetting double belts continuously instead of at intervals.
existing arrangement of that machine the band or belt is held firmly in
clams, which are fixed on to a travelling slide and sewing only the
length of the clam at each time. The machine proceeds until the clams
have travelled the length of the slide, when it is necessary to stop it,
bring the slide to its original position, open the clams to fix into them
a further length of belt, which is then rivetted by the machine. Now
in order to rivet continuously any given length of belt we dispense with
the clams and slide altogether, and instead of them we adapt to each
side of the table a pair of fluted rollers pressed one on to the other with
springs. These rollers are actuated by the catch shaft at present used in
the machine or by some similar means, so that after each stitch they are
made to move any given distance required to form the interval from one
stitch to another. The belt to be rivetted is fed by these rollers, and is
kept in its proper line by guides suitably adjusted. When a row of
sewing is thus performed from one end to the other of the belt, whatever
its length may be, the table carrying the rollers and guides is moved by
a screw to the required place for the next row of rivets. When the
catch is reversed the band is brought back and sewn as it advances, the
operation being repeated backwards and forwards for as many rows of
sewing as the band may require.
Our improvements on the Invention of Thomas White consist further
in dispensing with the blast of air used for the purpose of driving away
the waste bits cut. out of the wire to form the points or rivets. We
perform this by adjusting under the cutters a piece of sheet steel or tin
in such a manner that the waste bits which fall are prevented from
falling on to the leather, being caught by the plate described, from which
they are shaken into a suitable receptacle by the motion of the
machine.
The means just described to dispense with the blast of air are
adaptable to the existing action of the machine, but we can also
dispense with the blast by cutting the wire in a different way. In the
existing arrangement a double cut is made into the wire, in consequence
of which a waste bit is formed for each rivet used. Our improvement
consists in making only a single cut into the wire; and as in this
manner no waste bits are formed, neither is any blast required to blow
them away.

page_text: Our improvements consist, secondly, in a novel way of fastening
together the ends of driving bands. For this purpose we use metal
plates of the same width as the belt for which they are intended. These
plates are cast or formed with little bosses from " to " in diameter
projecting beneath the plate about the thickness of the belt. Holes
having been punched into the belt corresponding with these bosses, the
ends of the belt are driven onto the plate, which by means of the bosses
bears the strain of the belt. To prevent the bosses from coming out of
the leather and thus prevent the ends of the band leaving the plate they
(the bosses) may be drilled through and tapped to receive screws, the
heads of which are placed on the inner side of the belt. Instead of screws
rivets may be used in a similar way, or the plate may be screwed or
rivetted on to the leather without the screws or rivets passing through
the bosses. Where necessary steel pins may be driven into the plate,
which penetrating into the leather as well as the bosses equalize the
strain. For broad belts where a deeper plate is required the plate should
be in two parts with a joint like a common door hinge to give the plate
sufficient pliability to adapt itself and the band to the curve of the
pullies over which they travel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Richards Harding and Thomas Walter
Harding in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th March 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
RICHARDS HARDING and THOMAS WALTER HARDING, both of Leeds, in
the County of York, Driving Strap Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Thomas Richard Harding and Thomas
Walter Harding, Her special licence, that we, the said Thomas Richard
Harding and Thomas Walter Harding, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Richard Harding
and Thomas Walter Harding, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and

page_text: 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 LEATHER DRIVING BANDS, AND
IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Richard Harding and
Thomas Walter Harding, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Thomas Richards Harding, on
behalf of myself and the said Thomas Walter Harding, do hereby declare
the nature of our 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) :-
-
Our Invention relates principally to certain improvements on a machine
patented by Thomas White, of Leeds, Twelfth February One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four, for uniting the soles and upper of boots
and shoes and similar coverings for the feet, applicable also for uniting
hose, pipes, harness, mill straps, and other like purposes. These objects
are effected by rivetting together the two parts by means of rivets cut
from a continuous coil of wire.
Our first improvement consists in an arrangement by which we are
enabled to rivet together thicknesses of leather or other material to form
straps or bands continuously, instead of intermittently as proposed by
Mr. White. In the existing arrangement of this machine the band to
be rivetted is held firmly in clams fixed onto a travelling slide, which by
means of a ratchet wheel is moved on the required distance for each
stitch or rivet after each rivet has been put in. The machine continues
this operation until the clams have travelled the whole length of the
slide, when it will be necessary to stop the machine and wind back the
slide to its original position, then open the clams in order to fix onto
them a further length of belt. The rivetting operation then commences
again, so that the machine can only rivet a length of band or strap equal

page_text: to the length of the slide without stopping. Now in order to rivet any
length of band or strap continuously we dispense with the clams and
slide altogether, and we adapt to each side of the table a pair of plain or
fluted rollers, which are pressed one onto the other with springs or
otherwise. The band to be rivetted is passed between these two pairs of
rollers which are actuated by a ratchet wheel arrangement, so that
after cach stroke of the machine they are made to move the band
forward the distance required to form the interval between the rivets.
The band is kept in its proper line of motion by means of guides capable
of suitable adjustment. When a row of rivets has been completed from
one end to the other of the belt (whatever its length may be) the table
with the belt and feeding rollers and guides is moved laterally by means
of a screw to the required distance for the next row of rivetting. The
band is then brought back again to the beginning, and the operation of
rivetting a second or any number of rows may then be repeated.
In the accompanying. Drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine
complete; Fig. 2 is a front elevation, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the
machine constructed according to our improvements.
a is the table carrying the guides a¹ and the rollers for holding and
propelling the band to be rivetted. This table a is fitted onto a slide,
upon which it is capable of being moved laterally by the action of the
screw b, so as to adjust the band for the various rows of rivets. c, c¹, c³, c³,
are the two pairs of rollers, of which the upper ones are pressed onto the
lower ones by the springs and screws, as shewn best in Fig. 2. The band
B to be operated upon is introduced between the rollers c and is moved
on after each stroke of the rivetting head by the action of the ratchet
wheel d and the toothed wheels e, e, e, as shewn best in Fig. 2. The
belt or band B is kept in its proper line by the adjustable guides f, f.
On each side of the machine are rollers g, g, upon which the band B is
wound, one of which is actuated by the pulley h driven from the main
driving shaft, or in any other convenient way. By this arrangement we
are able to rivet continuously from one end to the other of any length of
band or belt which may be required to be rivetted in continuous rows of
rivets as is the case in bands formed of two or more thicknesses of leather.
The machine is equally applicable to the rivetting of the joints of singlo
bands, the only alteration required being that by means of a handle on
the ratchet wheel shaft the band may be capable of being moved ou
without being rivetted until the next joint to bo sewn is reached, and so

page_text: on till a row has been put in the joints from one end to the other, when
it is brought back, and the table is moved on for another row as described
above for the rivetting of double belts.
Our second improvement consists in dispensing with the blast of air
hitherto used to blow away the waste bits of metal as they are cut out of
the wire in order to form the pointed rivets. These bits of metal (if
allowed to fall on the work) would be liable to injure it by being crushed
into the leather by the rivetting head. We effect the removal of these
waste bits of metal by adjusting round the fixed cutter a little square
box i, consisting of a piece of sheet steel or other suitable material, which
also projects under the moveable cutter, so that the waste bits of metal
drop into this box and are shaken out into a vibrating trough ³, from
whence the bits of metal are conveyed out of the machine, and are
dropped into any suitable receptacle.
is made of tin or other suitable
(just described,) and is kept in its
opposite or outer end of this trough
Figures 4 are detached views of the box i which receives the waste
bits of metal from the cutters. The form of this box may of course be
varied according to the size and shape of the cutters. The waste bits
may be made to shake out of the box i into the trough i, either in front
or behind as may be most convenient, by making the box (as shewn at
Figures 4) with a ledge at that side where it is desired that the bits
should not drop out. The trough
material, and is fitted to the box
place by a spring or elastic band; the
is connected to a fixed pivot or hinge . The vibrating trough is raised
and lowered with the cutters by the action of the machine, and the bits
of metal are thereby shaken out, and are conducted by it into any suit-
able receptacle. In Figures 1, 2, and 3 we have shewn this arrangement
adapted to deliver the bits of metal in front. The same arrangement
may be used to shake the bits out at the back, or the steel box i itself
may be made to project sufficiently far back to shake out the bits into a
box or onto the band itself out of the path of the rivetting head.
Our third improvement relates to the use of cutting devices whereby
we avoid altogether the formation of the waste bits of metals just referred
to. We accomplish this by making only a single cross cut into the
wire. The cutters hitherto used are shewn at Fig. 5, and in order to
form what is called the C rivet, shewn at Fig. 9, a waste bit is cut out of
the wire, whereas by our improvement the cutters shewn at Fig. 6 only
make a simple cut to detach the livet from the length of wire. These

page_text: cutters are fixed into holders as at present, and are fastened by means
of a set screw 1, Fig. 7, which represents in two views the mechanism
for working the cutters according to our Invention. A is the rocking
arm carrying the moveable cutter n, which is similar to that already.
in use except that it has a groove, as shewn in Fig. 6, in which the wire
is held. This groove causes the wire to move backwards and forwards
with the moveable cutter, the forward motion cutting the rivet from the
coil of wire, and the backward motion bringing back the wire to opposite
the corresponding groove in the fixed cutter ready to be fed down for
the next rivet. The rivet thus formed has the shape shewn at Fig. 8,
and when clenched in the leather takes the form of the letter S, as shewn
at Fig. 8.
In order with the single cut arrangement to make C rivet of the
usual shape as shewn at Fig. 9 (and which when clenched will take the
form of the letter C) it is necessary between each cut to give a half turn
to the wire either always in one direction (when it will be necessary
that the coil of wire should also revolve), or alternately first in one
direction and then in the other, in which case the coil of wire may remain
stationary, the lower end only being turned. This being the most con-
venient arrangement, we will proceed to describe the means we employ
to give to the wire between each cut the half turn alternately to the
right and left.
In Figures 7, which represent front and side views of this part of the
mechanism drawn half the real size, o is a spindle with a groove down
its axis, through which the wire passes and which for the square wire
ordinarily used would also be made square, so that by turning the spindle
a corresponding turn of the wire may also be obtained. On the spindle o
are fixed two small bevil wheels o' and o³, which gear into the large
bevil wheel p, the teeth of which are intermittent it being divided into
six parts, three of which are bare of teeth, while the other three parts
are provided with teeth, so that as the wheel p revolves (always in one
direction) first the wheel o' and then the wheel o³ will come into gear
with the wheel p, so that the spindle o will be turned alternately first in
one direction and then in the other. The bevil wheels o' and o' are of
such size that one-sixth revolution of the wheel p will turn the wheels o¹
and o half a revolution so as to give the necessary half turn to the wire.
At the back of the slide q (which carries the spindle o and the cutters n)
is a small cog wheel r, to which (by means of tho-racks on the fixed part

page_text: .
of the machine, as shewn by dots in the Figure,) is imparted an alternating
motion corresponding to the up and down stroke of the slide. The
wheel is keyed onto the shaft or spindle p¹ on which is mounted the
ratchet wheel t. The size of the wheel r is so proportioned to the
length of stroke of the slide as that at each up stroke it will cause the
wheel p to move forward one-sixth of a revolution, and therefore will give
to the spindle o half a turn, as already described. To prevent the wheel.p
from being carried back again in the down stroke (of the slide) it is fitted
loose on the spindle p³, and by the arrangement of catch and ratchet
shewn can only be turned in one direction. When the cutters arc
intended to operate without turning the wire (so as to form what we have
called an S rivet) any of the existing modes of feeding in the wire may
be employed, or that shewn on Figures 1, 2, 3. The nippers u, u³, there
shown (but seen best in the enlarged view Fig. 7) allow the wire to
pass down freely, but prevent it from moving back. Thus the lower pair
of nippers u¹ are fastened onto the slide q, and will slip loose up the
wire during the up stroke and while it is being held by the upper
nippers u, whereas at the down stroke of the slide the nippers u¹ will
nip the wire (by the action of the spring attached to them) and will drag
the wire down through the upper nippers u, which will now offer no
resistance. In order to regulate the length of the rivets an adjustable
set screw is adapted to the top of the slide, so that in its up stroke the
screw v will lift with it the upper nippers when a sufficient length of
wire has been fed down. If the cutting device is not required to rotate
half a turn (as would be required to form the C rivet) the upper nippers u
will be carried by a square spindle working in a fixed bearing and kept
down by a spiral spring, as shewn in Fig. 7, except when lifted by the
slide as just described. This arrangement is shewn in Figures 7 drawn
on a larger scale, only in this case the nippers are made to revolve half
a turn with the spindle o. Any other convenient arrangement of nipper
however may be employed which will allow the wire to pass freely
down, but will prevent it from being pushed back.
The next part of our Invention relates to an improved mode of fasten-
ing together the ends of driving bands, and is applicable to all kinds of
bands or straps, and especially so to the double leather bands rivetted
by the apparatus already described under the first head of our Invention.
For this purpose we use metal plates of about the same width as the
bands or straps for which they are intended. The plates are either in

page_text: one piece or in two parts jointed together, in which latter case they
resemble a common door hinge. This latter mode of construction is the
best because it gives the plate sufficient pliability to adapt itself and the
band to the curve of the pulleys over which they travel. The plates or
hinges are cast or formed with bosses varying in diameter according to
the strength required, and projecting beneath the plate about the
thickness of the belt or strap. Holes having been punched into the
belt (corresponding with the bosses), the ends of the belt are driven onto
the plate or hinge, which by means of the bosses bears the strain of the
belt. To prevent the bosses from coming out of the leather they may be
drilled through and tapped to receive screws, the heads of which are
placed on the inner side of the belt. Instead of screws rivets may be
used in a similar manner, or the plate may be rivetted or screwed onto
the leather without the screws or rivets passing through the bosses,
or again the plates may be made without bosses and fastened to the
band by screws or rivets alone. In some cases steel pins may be driven
into the plate, which by penetrating into the band will help to equalize
the strain.
Fig. 10 shows a solid single plate constructed according to our In-
vention, and Fig. 11 is a hinge or plate in two parts jointed together.
The part A of the solid plate Fig. 10 is shewn with the screws to passing
through the bosses; the other half B shews the screws to¹ in the band
instead of through the bosses. That half O of the hinge joint, Fig. 11,
shews the plate fastened by rivets and provided with steel pins. The
other half D shews the plate secured to the band by screws alone.
From the above description of our improved mode of connecting the ends
of straps or driving bands it will be seen that we obtain a perfectly flat
and even joint and have no metal plate underneath to rattle on the iron
pulley as is the case with many flat joint connections.
Having now described our Invention of "Improvements in Leather
Driving Bands, and in Machinery employed in the Manufacture thereof,"
and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we
claim as the Invention secured to us by Letters Patent as aforesaid,―
First. The arrangement or construction of parts herein set forth,
or any mere modification thereof, whereby the straps or bands to be
operated upon may be fed forward continuously during the process of
rivetting.
Second. We claim the adaptation to the rivetting head of a box or

page_text: trough for receiving the wasto bits cut out of the wire, and preventing
them from falling beneath the rivetting head, as herein set forth.
Third. The cutting devices herein shewn and described, or any
mere modification thereof, whereby rivets of the S, C, or other suitable
form may be cut from the coil of wire without waste, as herein set
forth.
Fourth. We claim the modes herein shewn and described of uniting
the ends of bands of leather as other material, so as to form a flat and
even joint.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Richards Harding, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of March,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.