INPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS OR BANDS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael John Haines, of Dursley, in the County of
Gloucester, Strap Maker, for the Invention of "INPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS OR BANDS."
Sealed the 4th November 1859, and dated the 10th June 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael John Haines at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th June 1859.
I, MICHAEL JOHN HAINES, of Dursley, in the County of Gloucester, Strap
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS OR BANDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
driving straps or bands. For these purposes, in place of cutting the hides of
leather into pieces of the width of the driving strap desired, and joining up the
pieces by numerous seams or joints transversely, so as to form the driving
straps or bands, the hides are cut spirally in such manner as to obtain a great
length of a comparatively narrow strap or band, and the same are stretched
when damp, so as to cause it to become straight, and a number of these are
sewed or joined longitudinally edge to edge till the desired width of strap or
band is obtained, and when a driving strap or band is required to be of a
greater substance than one thickness of leather, then when two or more
thicknesses are used the longitudinal seams or joins are so made as not to

page_text: come opposite each other. By these means great lengths of driving straps or
bands may be made without transverse seams or joints. And in the joining
up the two ends of a driving strap or band, I sometimes use a strong leather
eye of a width suitable for the passage of the two ends of the strap or band.
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 3rd December 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
JOHN HAINES, of Dursley, in the County of Gloucester; Strap Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-second 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 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 THE
MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS OR BANDS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Michael John Haines, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 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 Michael John Haines, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
drivings straps or bands. In constructing driving straps or bands it has here-
tofore been usual to cut from suitable hides straight pieces of the width of the
strap or band to be manufactured, and to sew or connect these pieces together

page_text: end to end to make up the length required. Now, according to my Invention,
I cut the hides spirally, as has commonly been practiced in cutting hides for
reins and for other purposes. The strips thus cut are stretched out straight
whilst they are moist; these strips are then sewed together side by side longi-
tudinally to obtain a driving strap or band of the width desired. The strips
cut from the hide should not exceed an inch and a half in width, as otherwise
when straightened their strength will be impaired. When a driving strap or
band of considerable strength is required, I employ two or more thicknesses of
leather, each layer or thickness being formed by sewing narrow strips together
longitudinally, as already described, and the two layers or thicknesses are then
connected together either by pegs or sewing, or otherwise. In placing one
layer or thickness on the other in making a driving strap or band of more than
one thickness the longitudinal seams of one layer or thickness should be made
to fall midway between the longitudinal seams of the layer or layers next
to it.
Figure 1 is a plan of part of a strap constructed according to my Inven-
tion, and Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same; this strap is made of
two thicknesses of leather; the upper surface of the strap consists of two strips
sewed side by side with twine, and the lower surface consists of three strips
similarly connected; the upper and lower surfaces of this strap are connected
by wooden pins.
Figures 3 and 4 show similar views of another strap constructed according
to my Invention, in which the strips are held together by lacings of white
leather, as the Drawing clearly shows.
The strips of leather should in all cases be sewed together whilst moist, and
also whilst held distended by a strong longitudinal strain, which should not be
removed until the strap or band is dry.
In witness whereof, 1, the said Michael John Haines, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
MICHLARI JOHN ITAINLES
MICHAEL
JOHN HAINES
INES. (..)