Apparatus to be used in the Manufacture of India Rubber Belting.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 17th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus to be used in the Manufacture of India Rubber Belting.
I ELLIS ROTHWELL of 151 Mill Street Bradford near Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of india rubber belting which is made
by doubling or folding a woven fabric coated with plastic india rubber and then
covering the doubled fabric with a strip or sheet of india rubber and vulcanizing
the whole.
This doubling and covering or "making up" is at present accomplished by hand,
and is a long process requiring many hands and much time; and my invention is
intended to reduce such labour and time, and consists of the following machine or
apparatus:-
In a suitable frame I mount a pair of doubling and calendering rollers (preferably
steam heated) the upper one of which runs in sliding bearings which can be
accurately adjusted to give any required pressure.
I prefer to adjust each of these bearings by a short vertical screw actuated by
worm or other gearing from a transverse shaft which is provided with a dial and
pointer or other indicator so that it can be moved with the greatest exactness to
raise or depress the sliding bearings.
These rollers are capable of being driven in both directions the upper one
being actuated from the lower by toothed gearing and the lower one by strap and
pulley from a shaft differentially driven, by cone pulleys or other known means,
from a main shaft actuated by either a crossed or open strap according as it is
desired to drive in one direction or the other.
At either side of these rollers close to and slightly below the nip thereof I fix a
doubling or folding table or plate and at or near the far edge of each table 1
mount a roller and beneath each table I mount the "batch" roller upon which the
length of rubber coated fabric to be folded or doubled is wound, and another roller
for winding up the fabric or "wrapper
"which is wound on the "batch" roller
with the said rubber coated fabric to prevent its laps from adhering together, and
which is unwound with and separated from the said coated fabric as the latter is
first passed through the machine. The batch roller is free to revolve as the
fabric is unwound, and the roller for the "wrapper" is driven therefrom by any
suitable means.
At each side of the calendering rollers before named and above the doubling
tables or plates I mount a tube or sleeve capable of sliding upon a bar rod or
shaft; upon this tube or sleeve I adjust a pair of guide arms or cheeks set at a
distance apart corresponding with the exact width of the fabric before it has been
folded, and between these cheeks I also mount upon the tube or sleeve an adjustable
marking point, capable of being set to any distance from one or other of the said
guide arms or cheeks; or more than one such marking point may be used if only
very narrow belts are being made.
The tube or sleeve is also capable of rocking on the rod or bar and the guide
arms or cheeks and marking point or points are so mounted thereon that when the
tube or sleeve is turned so that the former rest upon the doubling or folding table
the latter will mark a line or lines upon the rubber coated fabric as it is drawn by
and between the calender rollers and as the fabric will be guided accurately by the
plates or cheeks between which it passes the line or lines marked will be perfectly
straight

page_text: The action of this part of the apparatus is as follows:-
The attendant unwinds a short length of the rubber coated fabric from the
batch beneath one of the tables winding the end of the "wrapper" upon its
roller.
He then places the end of the coated fabric between the calender rollers
bringing down the guide arms or cheeks on each side of and the marking point
upon the said fabric. The rollers are set in motion and draw the fabric along under
the marker and traces a straight line thereon.
The fabric as it is marked passes over the table at the other side of the machine
and falls on the flooring beyond.
The marking point or points and the guide arms or cheeks are then raised up out
of the way by rocking the tube or sleeve on the bar rod or shaft on which they
are mounted.
The attendant then resets and reverses the motion of the calendering rollers,
takes one end of the marked fabric doubles or folds it at the line marked for a sbort
distance places the doubled ends in the nip of the said rollers and as the latter
again draw the folded fabric through the machine he folds the same as it passes
over the roller at the edge of and outo the folding table. The calendering rollers
cause the doubled fabric to adhere together very closely and the said fabric may
passed and repassed through the machine the attendant doubling or folding it afresh
each time as it goes between the said rollers which should be reset every time until
the whole width has been folded together or until the required number of folds or
'ply" have been formed.
66
be
When the folding is completed and the strap or belt is of the required width
and thickness it need not be calendered as is usual when such belt bas been folded
by hand but can be at once "made up" covered with a sheet of rubber by the
following means.
"
At a convenient distance at each side of the above apparatus and parallel with
the rollers thereof I mount in a suitable frame a "batch" roller and a wrapper
roller similar to those above described and on the "batch" roller is wound the
rubber coating for the belts and above these rollers and on a level (or nearly so)
with the folding table I mount a feed roller and a cutting roller.
The former is covered with card clothing or equivalent material and serves to
unwind the sheet rubber and feed it to the calenders as hereafter described, and
it is driven at the same surface speed as the said calender and the other is a plain
roller and near to it is a shaft provided with adjustable knives or blades pressed
by weights (or springs) and levers upon the cutting table with sufficient force to
cut the rubber strip to the desired width as it is fed to the folding table plate
above named.
The action of this part of the apparatus is as follows:
The attendant unwinds a short length of the rubber from the "batch" and
passes it over the card clothed feed roller between the knives on the cutting roller
and on to the folding table or plate; he then takes the end of the doubled belt to
be covered, which is on the flooring (or on a suitable platform or turntable) beyond
the feed roller and lays it over and in the centre of the strip or sheet of rubber,
which is then folded or wrapped over it, being cut to such a width as to entirely
cover or envelop it and slightly overlap at the edges. The covered end of the belt
is then passed between the calendering rollers which draw the belt and covering
through the machine and firmly compress and bind the two together the attendant
or attendants folding over the edges of the sheet rubber as it is drawn over the
folding table to the calendering rollers.
The speed of the calendering is as before mentioned regulated by differential
driving cones (or equivalent menus) according to the operation being performed by
the apparatus.
I propose also to apply a measuring and indicating apparatus to the calender
rollers to record the length of the belting made by the machine.
I may remark in conclusion that although I have herein described a double

page_text: apparatus with "batch" rollers for the coated fabric and the sheet rubber at either
end and corresponding marking and cutting apparatus I do not confine myself to
such double arrangement as the machine may be made single although such con-
struction would not be so desirable as that above described.
Dated this 16th day of March 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus to be used in the Manufacture of India Rubber Belting.
I ELLIS ROTHWELL of 82 (formerly of 151) Mill Street, Bradford, near
Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to the manufacture of india rubber belting which is made
by doubling or folding a woven fabric coated with plastic india rubber and then
covering the doubled fabric with a strip or sheet of india rubber and vulcanizing
the whole.
This doubling and covering or "making up" is at present accomplished by hand,
and is a long process requiring many hands and much time; and my invention is
intended to reduce such labour and time, and consists of the following machine or
apparatus; of which I have annexed hereto a sheet of drawings, Fig. 1 being an
elévation and Fig. 2 a plan view.
In a suitable frame a 1 mount a pair of doubling and calendering rollers b b'
(preferably steam heated) the upper one 6 of which runs in sliding bearings c
which can be accurately adjusted to give any required pressure.
I prefer to adjust each of these bearings c by a short vertical screw d actuated
by worm (or other) gearing d from a transverse shaft & which may be provided
with a dial and pointer d or other indicator so that it can be moved with the
greatest exactness to raise or depress the sliding bearings c.
These rollers bare capable of being driven in both directions the upper one b
being actuated from the lower by toothed gearing, or friction of contact as shewn,
and the lower one 61 by strap and pulley or toothed gearing 6 as shewn from a
shaft differentially driven by cone or graduated pulleys 6 (or other known
means) from a main shaft which may be actuated by either a crossed or open strap
according as it is desired to drive in one direction or the other. Or the shaft b
may be driven by a reversing clutch motion and bevel wheels 66 as shown, Fig. 2.
At either side of these rollers 6 6¹ close to and slightly below the nip thereof
I fix a doubling or folding table or plate ff and at or near the far edge of each
table I mount a roller g g' and beneath each table I mount the "batch"
roller upon which the length of rubber coated fabric to be folded or
doubled is wound and another roller k k' for winding up the fabric or "wrapper"!
which is wound on the "batch" roller h h' with the said rubber coated fabric i i¹
to prevent its laps from adhering together, and which is unwound with and
separated from the said coated fabric as the latter is first passed through the
machine. The batch roller is free to revolve as the fabric is unwound and the
roller k¹ for the "wrapper" is driven therefrom by any suitable means.
At each side of the calendering rollers 661 before named and above the
doubling tables or plates ff¹ I mount a tube or sleeve capable of sliding upon a bar
rod or shaft. Or I mount a rod or bar m m¹ capable of sliding in bearings n n².
Upon this tube or sleeve or on the bar m m' I adjust a pair of guide arms or
cheeks oo, o'o' set at a distance apart corresponding with the exact width of the
fabric before it has been folded and between these cheeks oo, o¹ o¹ I also mount
upon the tube or sleeve or the bar m m' an adjustable marking point pp³ capable
of being set to any distance from one or other of the said guide arms or

page_text: cheeks o o, o¹ o¹; or more than one such marking point may be used if only very
narrow belts are being made.
The tube or sleeve is also capable of rocking on the rod or bar or the rod. or
bar mm is capable of rocking in its bearings n n'; and the guide arms or
cheeks oo, o o¹ and marking point or points p p' are so mounted thereon that
when the tube or sleeve or the bar m'm' is turned so that the former rest upon
the doubling or folding table ff the latter will mark a line or lines upon the
rubber coated fabric as it is drawn by and between the calender rollers & b¹ and
as the fabric will be guided accurately by the plates or cheeks oo o'o', between
which it passes the line or lines marked will be perfectly straight.
The action of this part of the apparatus is as follows:
The attendant unwinds a short length of the rubber coated fabric (say) i from
- the batch h beneath the table f winding the end of the "wrapper" i
roller k.
upon its
He then places the end of the coated fabric between the calender rollers bb'¹
bringing down the guide arms or cheeks oo on each side of, and the marking
point pupon, the said fabric. The rollers are set in motion and draw the
fabric i along under the marker p which traces a straight line thereon.
The fabric i as it is marked passes over the table at the other side of the
machine and falls on the flooring beyond.
The marking point p (or points) and the guide arms or cheeks oo are then raised
up out of the way by rocking the bar m or the tube or sleeve on which they are
mounted.
The attendant then resets and reverses the motion of the calendering rollers b
takes one end of the marked fabric doubles or folds it at the line marked for a short
distance places the doubled ends in the nip of the said rollers bb¹ and as the latter
again draw the folded fabric through the machine he folds the same as it passes
over the roller g' at the edge of and onto the folding table f¹. The calendering
rollers cause the doubled fabric to adhere together very closely and the said
fabric may be passed and repassed through the machine the attendant doubling or
folding it afresh each time as it goes between the said rollers which should be
reset every time until the whole width has been folded together or until the required
number of folds or "ply" have been formed.
When the folding is completed and the strap or belt is of the required width and
thickness it need not be calendered as is usual when such belt has been folded by
hand but can be at once "made up" or covered with a sheet of rubber by the
following means.
"
At a convenient distance at each side of the above apparatus and parallel with
the rollers thereof I mount in a suitable frame 9 q¹ a "batch" roller rr¹ and a
wrapper" rollers s similar to those above described and on the "batch roller
is wound the rubber coating t t for the belt and above these rollers r s and s' and
on a level (or nearly so) with the folding table ff¹ I mount a feed roller u u' and
a cutting roller v v².
む
The former is covered with card clothing or equivalent material and serves to
unwind the sheet rubber t t' and feed it to the calenders bb' as hereafter described,
and it is driven by the pulleys 1, 2, 3 or otherwise) at the same surface speed as
the said calender rollers and the other v¹ is a plain roller and near to it is a
shaft to provided with adjustable knives or blades or rotary cutting discs
pressed by weights y y' (or springs) and levers za upon the cutting roller v v
with sufficient force to cut the rubber strip t t¹ to the desired width as it is fed to
the folding table or plate ff above named.
The action of this part of the apparatus is as follows:
The attendant unwinds a short length of the rubber from (say) the "batch” r
and passes it over the card clothed feed roller u' between the knives or cutters x¹ x¹
on the cutting roller v and on to the folding table or plate f¹; or the rubber
coating may pass directly from the batch roller to the cutting roller v', he
then takes the end of the doubled belt to be covered, which is on the flooring (or
!

page_text: on a suitable platform or turntable) beyond the feed roller u' and lays it over and
in the centre of the strip or sheet of rubber t' which is then folded or wrapped
over it, being cut to such a width as to entirely cover or envelop it and slightly
overlap at the edges. The covered end of the belt is then passed between the
calendering rollers 661 which draw the belt and covering through the machine and
firmly compress and bind the two together the attendant or attendants folding over
the edges of the sheet rubber t¹ as it is drawn over the folding table f' to the
calendering rollers 6 b'.
The speed of the calendering is as before mentioned regulated by differential
driving cones or graduated pulleys 64 (or equivalent means) according to the
operation being performed by the apparatus.
I propose also if desired to apply a measuring and indicating apparatus to the
calender rollers bb' to record the length of the belting made by the machine.
I may remark in conclusion that although I have herein described a double
apparatus with "batch" rollers h and h¹ for the coated fabric and r, r', for the
sheet rubber at either end and corresponding marking and cutting apparatus 1 do
not confine myself to such double arrangement as the machine may be made single,
although such construction would not be so desirable as that above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The construction and arrangement of apparatus for marking and folding
rubber coated fabric (for the manufacture of belting) substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
2. The combination of apparatus for the manufacture of india rubber belting
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the annexed drawings.
Dated this 15th day of December 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.