IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING THE JUNCTIONS OF DRIVING BANDS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Bernard Peard Walker, of North Road House,
Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN EFFECTING THE JUNCTIONS OF DRIVING
BANDS."
Sealed the 5th January 1869, and dated the 7th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Bernard Peard Walker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th July 1868.
I, BERNARD PEARD WALKER, of North Road House, Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN EPPECTING THE JUNCTIONS OF DRIVING
BANDS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved mode of joining driving bands
of leather, india-rubber, or other materials whereby the objectionable
overlapping which is now necessary in the ordinary mode of joining
belts of that description is avoided, and the belts are as strong at the
junctions as in any other part.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention I form two clips of steel or other
suitable material, space being left between the inner surfaces of such
clips sufficient to receive the ends of the belts to be joined, each clip
having cut out of it the part where the bend occurs for the reception
of part of the end of another similar clip. The band or belt is so
placed within each clip as to leave space for a pin to pass through
the bends of both clips (which thus form a 'hinge) and so fasten the
two clips which unite the band firmly together. The clips are formed
with holes in them to receive the pins or screws necessary to hold
the bands.
Another mode of making such junctions is by forming separate plates
of steel or other suitable material perforated for screws or pins, as
above described, the ends of the bands are placed between these two
plates, and when the plates are pinned or screwed together and the
band fastened up the plates will be flush with the surface of the
driving bands. The ends of the plates should be slightly curved in
for the purpose of more effectually holding or nipping the band, and
the under surface of the plates may be roughened for effecting the same
purpose.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Bernard Peard Walker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BERNARD
PEARD WALKER, of North Road House, Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Bernard Peard Walker, Her special
license that I, the said Bernard Peard Walker, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Bernard Peard
Walker, my executors, administrators, or 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

page_text: 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. EFFECTING THE JUNCTIONS OF DRIVING
BANDS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Bernard
Peard Walker, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 Bernard Peard Walker,. do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked. thereon, that is
to say :-
My said Invention: relates to an improved mode of joining driving
bands of leather,. india-rubber,. or other materials whereby the objec-
tionable overlapping which is now necessary in the ordinary. mode of
joining belts of that description is avoided, and the belts are as strong
at the junctions as in any other part..
In carrying out my Invention I form- two clips of steel or other
suitable material; space being left between the inner surfaces of such
clips sufficient to receive the ends of the belts to be joined, each clip.
having cut out of it the part where the bend occurs for the reception
of part of the end of another similar clip; the band or belt is so placed"
within each clip as to leave space for a pin to pass through the
bends of both clips (which then form a hinge) and so fasten- the two-
clips which unite the band firmly together. The clips are formed.
with holes in them to receive the pins or screws necessary to hold the
bands.
Another mode of making such junctions is by forming separate plates.
of steel or other suitable material perforated for screws or pins, as
above described, the ends of the bands are placed between these two
plates, and when the plates are pinned or screwed together and the
band fastened up the plates will be flush with the surface of the
driving bands. The ends of the plates should be slightly curved in
for the purpose of more effectually holding or nipping the band,. and

page_text: purpose.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawing annexed represents a full-sized sectional
elevation of a portion of a 4-inch driving strap, the ends of which
are joined according to one modification of my Invention; Figure 2 is
a corresponding plan of the same; and Figure 3 is a perspective view
of one of the metal clips employed in making the junction. The
same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all these
Figures.
A represents a portion of a leather or other similar driving belt or
strap, and B, B, are a series of sheet metal clips which I prefer to make
by punching out a flat piece of sheet steel or other metal, of the form
shewn at Figure 4, from a large sheet, and then bending the piece so
punched out into the form shown at Figure 3; holes being perforated
therein for the reception of rivets, screws, or other fastenings. These
clips are secured by rivets, screws, or otherwise on to the ends
of the strap or belt to be joined, the clips on one end of the belt
being placed opposite the spaces between the clips on the opposite
end of the belt, so that when the two ends are brought together the
clips (which are caused to project beyond the ends of the strap or belt)
will interlock, as shown clearly in the plan, Figure 2. By passing a
hinge pin a through the loops or openings in the several clips the two
ends of the belt will be securely joined together, such join being
perfectly flexible or possessing the properties of a hinge of which the
pin a forms the hinge pin. It is obvious that by having a number of
loose clips B and a length of wire of such thickness as to fit the clips
with some degree of accuracy, driving straps or belts of any width may
be joined in this manner by simply securing more or less clips to
the belt according to its width, and passing a suitable length of wire
through them.
If found desirable special provision may be made for preventing the
wire or pin a from working out; as, for example, by bending or rivetting
the ends, or by providing a head at one end and a small screwed nut on

page_text: the other end, which is to be screwed on after the pin has been inserted
or passed through the clips.
In place of using several separate clips the joint may be made of a
single pair of plates B, B, properly perforated so as when bent to
enclose the ends of the belt A and form interlocking joints, as shewn
at Figure 5.
In cases where the necessity for flexibility in the joint is not great,
as in the case of large driving pullics, the joint or hinge pin a may be
dispensed with, and the junction effected by rivetting one or more pairs
of straight flat links B (Figure 4) of the same or similar shape as those
from which the first-described clips are made, or of any other suitable
shape on either side of the strap or belt A, using so many as may be
required according to the width of the strap or belt, as shown in
Figures 6 and 7.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent
is,―
First. The joining the ends of driving bands by the aid of clips and a
transverse pin, substantially in the manner herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings.
Second. Joining the ends of driving bands by means of flat thin metal
plates between which the ends of the band or strap are placed and
secured by rivets or screws passing through the two plates, and through
the enclosed leather or other material of which the band or strap is
formed, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Bernard Peard Walker, have to
this my Specification, set my hand and seal, the Fifth day of
January, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.