IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF: LEATHER STRAPS. AND DRIVING. BANDS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael John Haines, of Bath, in the County of
Somerset, for the Invention of." IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF:
LEATHER STRAPS. AND DRIVING. BANDS."
Sealed the 9th April 1867, and dated the 8th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael John Haines at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th February 1867.
I, MICHAEL JOHN HAINES, of Bath, in the County of Somerset, do hereby
declare the nature of the, said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
PACTURE OF LEATHER STRAPS AND DRIVING BANDS," to be as follows:-
In joining or connecting the several pieces of leather necessary to produce
the requisite length for driving straps or bands by any of the modes hitherto
adopted certain serious defects which materially deteriorate from the strength
and efficacy of the straps or bands have always attended such articles so.
manufactured. By means of the present Invention these evils are avoided in
a simple and efficient manner. The respective ends of the pieces of leather
which it is desired to unite are cut with tongues and corresponding recesses of:
a deep vandyke or V form, the number of tongues and recesses being deter-
mined by the width of the leather. The respective tongues and recesses are.
so proportioned that they will fit accurately into each other, the surfaces of the
Jeather when thus connected being perfectly smooth and level. The several:
edges of the tongues and recesses are then secured to each other by sewing:

page_text: the same together with thread or threads of any suitable material, the
stitches being made in the thickness of the leather, and not passing through
from one side thereof to the other. A slight channel is cut parallel to the
edges of the respective tongues and recesses to receive the stitches, in order
that the thread or threads employed may not project above the surface of the
strap or band.
In the manufacture of single straps or bands, that is, those formed of one
thickness of leather only, the several parts are by preference sewed on the
outer or hair side of the leather, but in double straps or bands the parts
forming the band, which constitutes the outer portion thereof, may be sewed on
the under or flesh side of the leather, whilst the band which forms the inner
portion or that part which is to be subject to the friction of the machinery
may be sewed on the hair side, the latter being placed next the flesh side of
the outer band. The two bands are connected by means of seams of the
ordinary character, in which the stitches pass through the whole thickness of
the leather from one side to the other. Care should of course be taken that
the joinings of the respective bands do. not..come in close proximity to
each other.
The driving straps or bands thus manufactured in accordance with this
Invention are of great strength, and also possess the important quality of
being perfectly equal in thickness throughout their entire length, thus avoiding
the objections which apply to leather driving straps or bands connected by any
of the methods previously in use.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael John Haines in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
JOHN HAINES, of Bath, in the County of Somerset, send greeting.
: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Michael John Haines, Her special licence. that I, the said Michael John
Haines, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the.
said Michael John Haines, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times,

page_text: 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LEATHER STRAPS AND DRIVING, BANDS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Michael John Haines, 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 per-
formed, 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 Michael John Haines, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
Figures marked thereon, that is to say :-*
My said Invention consists in certain improvements in the manufacture of
leather straps and driving bands, whereby the serious defects and disadvantages
which have by the modes hitherto adopted attended the jointing or connecting.
the several pieces of leather necessary to produce the requisite length, and
which have materially deteriorated from the strength and efficiency of such
articles so manufactured, are avoided in a simple and effectual manner. The
pieces of leather of which the straps or bands are to be constructed; and which
it is desired to unite having been prepared of the requisite width, the re-
spective ends thereof are cut with tongues and corresponding recesses of a,
deep vandyke or V form, the number of tongues and recesses being determined
by the width of the leather. The respective tongues and recesses are so pro-
portioned that they will fit accurately into each other, the surfaces of the
leather when thus connected being perfectly smooth and level. The several
edges of the tongues and recesses are then secured to each other by sewing
the same together with thread or threads of any suitable material, the same
being carried through and the stitches made in the thickness of the leather,
and not passing through the same from one side thereof to the other. A slight
channel is cut parallel to the edges of the respective tongues and recesses to
receive the stitches, in order that the thread or threads employed may not
project above the surface of the strap or band..
In the manufacture of single straps or bands, that is to say, those formed of
one thickness of leather only, the several parts are by preference sewed on the
outer or hair side of the leather, but in double straps or bands the pieces

page_text: forming the parts which constitute the outer portion thereof may be sewed on
the under or flesh side of the leather, whilst the pieces of leather which form
the inner portion of the strap or band, or that part which is to be subject to
the friction of the machinery, may be sewed on the hair side, the latter being
placed next the flesh side of the outer band. The two bands are connected
by means of seams of the ordinary character, in which the stitches pass
through the whole thickness of the leather from one side to the other. In
the construction of double straps or bands care should of course be taken that
the joinings of the respective bands of leather of which the same are formed
do not come in close proximity to each other.
The straps or driving bands thus manufactured in accordance with my said
Invention are of great strength, and also possess the important quality of
being perfectly equal in thickness throughout their entire length, thus avoiding
the objections which apply to leather driving straps or bands the several parts
of which are connected by any of the methods previously in use.
I will now proceed to refer to the annexed Drawings, and from which the
nature of my said Invention will be more clearly understood.
Figures 1 and 2 represent single straps or bands, and the mode of con-
necting the pieces of which the same are formed, by means of tongues and
recesses, as before described; Figure 8 is a double strap or band formed of
two thicknesses of leather. In these Drawings the stitches are indicated in
dotted lines.
Having thus fully declared and ascertained the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, I would observe in
conclusion that what I consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the said herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is, the method of manufacturing leather driving straps and bands, and of con-
necting the several parts of which the same are formed, substantially herein-
before set forth and described, or any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael John Haines, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
:
M. J. HAINES. (L.S.)