AN IMPROVED. CONNECTION FOR DRIVING STRAPS, BANDS, OR BELTS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eugène Hippolyte Rascol, of Catherine Street,
Strand, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED.
CONNECTION FOR DRIVING STRAPS, BANDS, OR BELTS."-A communication from
Madlle. Maria Conventz, of Nancy, France.
Sealed the 31st October 1854, and dated the 3rd May 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eugene Hippolyte Rascol
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
3rd May 1854.
I, EUGENE HIPPOLYTE RASCOL, of Catherine Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Air
IMPROVED CONNECTION FOR DRIVING STRAPS, BANDS, OR BELTS," to be as follows:-
The Invention communicated to me, of an improved connection for driving
straps, belts, or bands, consists of a small hoop of a rectangular form, of such size
as will encircle the two ends of the strap when placed with their broad sides in
close contact. The two ends of a strap when so placed in contact are both pushed
through the hoop together in the same direction. The ends having been projected
about an inch, a wedge is introduced between the ends of the leather or other
strap. A strain is applied to withdraw the ends of strap from the hoop, but which
is prevented by the additional thickness of the wedge piece interposed. The
strain consequent on the working of an endless strap always keeps sufficient.

page_text: tension on the connection to keep the wedge piece in its place, and the greater
the strain, the tighter the wedge will be held.
The ends of a strap are thus readily united, and the absence of all projection
on the interior of the strap (the hoop and wedge being on the outside) causes
the strap to work smoothly over the drums or pullies on which it works.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Eugène Hippolyte Rascol in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd November 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EUGENE
HIPPOLYTE RASCOL, of Catherine Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year. of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Eugéne Hippolyte Rascol, Her special licence that I, the said
Eugéne Hippolyte Rascol, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Eugéne Hippolyte Rascol, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,
an Invention for "AN IMPROVED CONNECTION FOR DRIVING STRAPS, BANDS, OR
BELTS," a communication from Madlle. Maria Conventz, of Nancy, France,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Eugéne Hippolyte
Rascol, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Eugéne Hippolyte Rascol, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-

page_text: The Invention of an improved connection for driving straps, belts, or bands,
consists of a small hoop of a rectangular form, of such size as will encircle the
two ends of the strap when placed with their broad sides in close contact. The,
two ends of a strap when so placed in contact are both pushed through the
hoop together in the same direction. The ends having been projected about
an inch, a wedge is introduced between the ends of the leather or other strap.
A strain is applied to withdraw the ends of strap from the hoop, but which is
prevented by the additional thickness of the wedge piece interposed. The
strain consequent on the working of an endless strap always keeps sufficient
tension on the connection to keep the wedge piece in its place, and the
greater the strain, the tighter the wedge will be held. The ends of a strap
are thus readily united, and the absence of all projection on the interior of, the
strap (the hoop and wedge being on the outside) causes the strap to pass.
smoothly over the drums or pullies on which it works. The Sheet of Draw-
ings hereunto annexed represents in detail the improved tie or connection;
Fig. 1 being a plan of the hoop, which forms the principal part of the tie,
while Fig. 2 represents an end view,, and Fig. 3 a transverse section, of the
same; Fig. 4 shows an end view, and Fig. 5 a side view, of the wedge piece,
which binds the ends of the strap within the hoop; Fig. 6 represents in plan
the two ends of a strap connected by this improved tie, and Fig. 7 an edge
view of the same. The hoop, Fig. 1, which is somewhat in the form of a
buckle frame, has two parallel sides a, a, of a length equal to the width of the
strap to be united; these are permanently connected at either end by the bars
b; b, the whole being cast or forged in one piece, or otherwise formed of
sufficient strength and rigidity, to resist the strain on the strap without
yielding. On examining the cross sections, Figs. 3 and 7, it will be seen that
the lower part of sides a, a, are rounded, so that the terminals of the strap are
easily introduced within the tie, and may be strained in opposite directions
without injury. The ends, having been passed through the wedge piece,
Fig. 5, which may be of wood or other suitable material, is introduced
between the ends, and by it separated and held in the position exhibited at
Fig. 7. It will be observed that the opening between the sides a, a, is
narrowest near the lower part of the frame, and opens upwards, to make room
for the wedge in addition to the thicknesses of leather or other material
5 of the strap, the passage being little more than sufficient for the passage of
the ends of the strap. When the wedge c is introduced between the projected
ends of the strap and a strain applied to draw them back, the wedge advances
and becomes compressed between the sides a, a, of the frame, and so also

page_text: compressing the ends of the strap, that it is impossible to withdraw them from.
the tie. The greater the strain applied to the strap, the greater will be the
compression on its ends, and consequently an increased tenacity of hold. The
absence of all projection at the junction renders this connection specially
applicable for driving straps; the flush side being placed next the pullies, that
part of the strap will pass as smoothly over the pullics as any other part of
the strap, and thereby transmit a smooth uniform motion. Another great
advantage in this improved tie is that the strength of the strap is not at all
reduced, as is the case with the ordinary laced and other connections used.
Fig. 8 represents a modified arrangement of this improved tie. Instead of
two fixed sides a, a, as before, this arrangement has two rollers d, d, fitted to
revolve on two bars or rods e, e, which tic and sustain the two sides b, b, firmly
together, these rods e, e, being screwed at the ends or otherwise fitted to have
that effect. The ends of the strap are introduced and wedged open, as before
explained and exhibited at Fig. 9; the backward strain or tension having the
like effect, in holding the ends of the strap by the compression caused by the
wedge piece, and this in a greater degree in proportion to the strain, by reason
of the absence of friction on roilers d, d, which is otherwise due to the contact
of strap with the fixed sides a, a, Fig. 7. For connections where the strap
will be subject to little strain, the frame may be readily made in the manner
shown at Fig. 10, which is simply a piece of plate metal in which I cut one
longitudinal slit f, and two transverse slits g, g; I then turn up the parts
h, h, in manner represented at Fig. 11, which form the cheeks to receive the
pressure of the ends of strap. The strap is introduced and fixed by means of
the wedge, in the manner before described and shown at Fig. 11. In order
to render the frame, Fig. 11, capable of resisting greater strain, the cheeks h, h,
may be further strengthened by supports i, i, soldered to the back and to the
flat part of the frame. Instead of using a wooden wedge, as before described,
I sometimes sew a piece of leather, cut of a wedge form, to one of the ends to
be united, as represented at Fig. 12 in edge view, Fig. 13 being a side view
of the same.
This leather wedge will have the same effect in preventing the withdrawal
of the ends of straps after it is once properly applied and subjected to
tension. In applying this, it is simply necessary to push the thickened end
through first till it is clear of the frame, and then the other end of strap, and
subsequently, when properly adjusted, in reference to length and otherwise,
drawing both back together till the tension produces the desired grip. In
some instances I insert the wedge piece slightly into the substance of the strap,

page_text: as represented at Figs. 14 and 15, introducing a wedge of leather, wood, or
other suitable material to the strap, having first removed a small portion of
its substance, as shown. In this mode of applying the wedge pieces they are
less liable to be lost, and it is equally impossible to draw the ends through the
frame, or disconnect them by tension applied in opposite directions to it, in the
manner of a driving strap or belt.
Having described the nature of the Invention communicated to me, I
desire it to be understood that I claim the exclusive use of the methods of
connecting driving straps, bands, or belts, herein-before described and shown
in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eugéne Hippolyte Rascol, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
WILLIAM CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane.
London.
EUGENE RASCOL. (L.S.)