AN IMPROVED MODE OF MAKING BELTS FOR DRIVING MACHINERY, TRACES, REINS, AND OTHER ARTICLES OF LEATHER, PELT, OR PARCHMENT, AND FOR AN IMPROVED APPARATUS OR MACHINE FOR THE SAME
Year: 1846

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
AIR FOSTER, of Glasgow, Leather Merchant and Bootmaker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of
August, One thousand eight hundred and forty-six, in the tenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Air Foster, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said William Air
Foster, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Air Foster, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"AN IMPROVED MODE OF MAKING BELTS FOR DRIVING MACHINERY, TRACES, REINS,
AND OTHER ARTICLES OF LEATHER, PELT, OR PARCHMENT, AND FOR AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS OR MACHINE FOR THE SAME;" in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso, that I, the said William Air Foster, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters

page_text: Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Air Foster, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and in. what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following description marked thereon, that is
to say:-
My Invention consists of a mode of making belts, straps, and thongs of
leather and other like material of considerable lengths, by cutting such ma
terial spirally from evolutes or circular discs of the material, and afterwards
when necessary submitting them to a process of stretching, for the purpose of
rendering the two edges of the straps straight, both of which processes I
perform by means of machinery or apparatus depicted in the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and particularly explained in the following description referring
to the same, and in which the same letters of reference are used to denote the
same parts of the machine or apparatus wherever they appear in the Drawings.
Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings contains a side elevation, marked
No. 1, of one arrangement of apparatus or machinery adapted to the making
of thick leather into straps for driving machinery and other purposes; also a
longitudinal section of the same in the direction of the red line drawn on the
plan in Sheet II. Sheet II. contains a general plan, marked No. 1, representing
also the same machine as adapted to the making of belts, as above stated.
Sheet III. contains a side elevation, marked No. 2, of the same machine, as
adapted to the cutting of straps. In this the gearing for communicating motion
to the part of the apparatus employed in stretching the straps after passing
from the cutting table is supposed to be removed, as it is only occasionally
required in this modified form of the machine, and is fully represented in the
corresponding Drawing of Sheet I. The same Sheet III. contains also two
end views of the machine; that marked No. 1 is a view of the machine as
seen from the left, and that marked No. 2 is a view of the same as seen from
the right. Sheet IV. contains a general plan, partially in section, marked
No. 2, of the machine as also adapted to the cutting of straps, corresponding
to the elevations in Sheet III.
I will now proceed to describe the several parts of the machine or apparatus
and their respective uses. The main framing consists of two sides, marked A,
which are bound together by three tie or stay rods, inserted and retained in their
places by nuts in the ordinary manner; on this framing all the moveable parts
and also the square table, marked B, called the cutting table, are sustained.
I will assume, for the purpose of rendering the connection of the parts more

page_text: intelligible, that the machine is arranged and adapted to the making of straps
of thick leather, as represented in the Drawings contained in Sheets I. and II.
The square table B is formed of wood. On this table the evolute of leather,
represented by the dotted line in the plan, No. 1, is supported while it is being
cut. A rectangular recess is formed in it, passing about twelve inches beyond
the centre, to receive a metal piece, marked (a), having a longitudinal dove-
tail-shaped groove formed in it to receive the correspondingly formed head of
a sliding centre pin, marked (6), which passes into the centre of the leather or
other material to be cut, is attached by a cord passing over small guide pulleys
to the weight C of about seven pounds. A hole being pierced in the centre of
the evolute of leather, the projecting pin of the slide (b) is passed through it,
and the nut on this pin being screwed down, the evolute is retained in its place,
and the weight C being allowed to act upon the slide (6), keeps the evolute
forward to pass against a stop at B¹, so as to be acted upon by the knife to cut
a piece of leather or other material of an uniform width. On the end of the
grooved piece (a), towards the side of the table B, is a small platform, which
serves the purpose of a sole for the sliding piece or carriage, marked (c),
which is guided laterally by bevelled cheeks, between which it is adjusted.
This slide (c) has a projecting nut on the under side, into which is passed a
screw, having a fixed bearing attached to the piece (a), and which can be
worked by a handle on its projecting end, thereby causing the slide (c) to move
in the direction of the length of the groove in the piece (a) either backwards
or forwards in relation to the centre of the table B, according as the handle is
turned towards the right or left. In a bearing attached to the inner end of
the slide (c) is carried the axis (d) of the cutting knife, which can therefore
be set at any distance within the required limits from the adjacent face of the
platform B', on which the slide is supported, and against which the outer edge
of the evolute of leather bears during the process of cutting, and therefore
the distance between the edge of the knife and that face determines the breadth
of the belt being cut off, and the slide carrying the axis of the knife being
adjustable at pleasure, any desired breadth within moderate limits may be
obtained. On the same slide (c) is carried a small worm or tangent screw,
which gears with a toothed arc on the axis (d) of the knife, and which can
he worked by the handle (e). The use of these parts, namely, the tangent
screw and toothed arc, is to enable the edge of the knife to be set at any
required angle for cutting. There is also, for the purpose of slightly compressing
the leather or other material to be cut (as it advances to the edge of the knife)
a piece of metal spring (f), fixed to the side of the platform on the end of the

page_text: piece (a). On the right of the knife and its adjusting appendages, above
described, is a small rectangular slit (g) in the table B, through which the
belt after being cut descends to the reel or bobbin (D). On that side of
the slit against which the belt would tend to rub in passing to the reel or
bobbin, and on the under side of the table, is a small roller, to diminish the
friction which would attend its rubbing over a fixed surface. The reel (D)
is provided with deep flanges to cover the whole diameter of the coil of
strap which may at any time be wound upon it, and is fixed upon an axis
protruding through a long bearing in the adjacent cheek of the frame of
the machine, and can be turned by a handle, marked E. In the table B are
formed six apertures, in which are placed a corresponding number of rollers,
marked (h), with bearing attached to the under side of the table; the surfaces
of theso rollers project very slightly above the upper surface of the table, and
serve partially to support the leather or other material to be cut, and diminish
the friction of its revolving motion. From this description of the several
parts of what I call the cutting table, the processes of cutting straps according
to my Invention will be easily understood. The leather is in the first place
cut preparatory to its being put upon the machine into an evolute of a circle
of the greatest diameter which can be obtained from the particular piece of
leather to be cut, either by hand, or by that modification of the machine
employed in the cutting of thongs, and hereafter to be described. In this
process care is taken to reserve a convenient portion adhering of the partial
involute thus cut off. A hole being then pierced in the centre of sufficient
diameter to admit the moveable stud (b) in the dovetail-shaped groove,
before described, it is placed on the table, and the nut on the stud (b) being
screwed over it, and the knife set at the proper angle to cut, and at a distance
from the face B¹ corresponding to the breadth of the strap to be cut, the
reserved portion of the partial involute or tail left attached to the evolute or
butt in the preparatory process is passed through the narrow slit in the table,
-and thence carried to the reel or bobbin (D), to which it is attached by passing
the end under a pin between the two flanges in the contrary direction to that
which the reel or bobbin is to be turned; the reel or bobbin being then put in
motion forces the evolute to advance against the edge of the knife, and the
weight (C) meantime keeping it pressed against the inner vertical face of the
platform supporting the slide (c), the evolute is cut into a continuous involute
or belt of a uniform breadth and lapped round the reel or bobbin, the flanges
of which prevent it from sliding laterally, which it would tend to do if it were
not thus prevented, on account of the difference of radius of the two sides. It

page_text: will be evident that straps thus cut will be longer at one edge than the other,
and therefore in order to obtain straight straps by making the edges of equal
length they are to be stretched as hereafter explained.
I will now proceed to describe the machine as adapted to the cutting of
light leather or other material into narrow straps. For this purpose the slide
frame (a) and its appendages are not required, and are therefore removed.
A circular table of wood, marked (O), provided with a square centre stud on its
under side is then placed over the table (B), and rests partially on the rollers (h),
but is mainly supported by its centre stud, which passes into a square socket
in the short vertical axis (v), supported in a suitable step formed in a cross
bracket (P), bolted to the sides of the framing (A) of the machine. On the
upper end of this vertical axis is keyed a bevel wheel Q, which gears with a
pinion (R) on a horizontal axis (w), which projects through the side frame of
the machine, and can be worked by the handle marked S. Upon the axis (w)
is fixed a pinion (a), which gears with the intermediate wheel (y) fast with the
pinion marked z, and moveable with it on the same centre or carrying stud.
This stud is adjustable in a moveable arm (T), by which the intermediate
wheels y and z are adapted to the various sizes of change wheels which it is
necessary to employ in the place of that marked (a'), to adapt the respective
motions to the particular breadth of thong to be cut. The arm (T) is placed
and moveable upon the axis (w), and is fixed in position by a pinching nut
upon a bolt inserted in the side frame (A), and which passes through a
circular slot formed at the extremity of the arm below the centre (w). The
pinion (2) gears with the wheel (a') on the projecting end of a screwed rod ('),
supported by bearings in two standards (U) bolted on the sides of the main
frame (A). The screw (6¹) carries a nut (c) to which is fixed the cutting
knife, and which is prevented from revolving with the screw by a guide rod (d')
placed parallel with the axis of the screw (6').
I will now describe the action of the machine as thus modified and adapted.
The piece of leather or other material to be cut being thoroughly wetted is
laid upon the surface of the circular table (0) as nearly concentric with it as
the form of the hide will admit, and being in a soft and pliant state it will lay
closely upon the table and partially adhere to it by the pressure of the atmo-
sphere on its upper surface. This being done, the handle (S) is put in motion,
giving motion through the axis (w) to the bevel wheel on the vertical socket
in which the centre stud of the table rests; by this means the table is made to
revolve, and at the same time motion is communicated through the wheels
x, y, z, a', to the screw (6'), upon which is the nut (c) carrying the cutting knife,
and the motion of the nut being towards the centre of the table, the hide is

page_text: gradually brought under the action of the knife and cut into a continuous
narrow strap, the breadth of which may be varied by altering the size of the
change wheel (a¹), and thereby regulating the velocity of the screw in relation
to that of the revolving table, and these straps may be stretched when wet in
the manner hereafter described.
I will now describe the part of the machine used for stretching the strap
straight, and the mode of performing the operation. The reel (D) with the
coil upon it is taken off the axis of the driving handle (E) and placed upon the
rod marked (i), which passes through its centre, and upon which it is free to
move endwise. The rod (i) is supported at the two ends by pivot screws
projecting inwards through nuts fixed in recesses formed in the cheeks of the
frame (A) of the machine, and can be withdrawn at pleasure by partially
unscrewing one of the centres. The object of placing the reel in this position
is to allow of the belt being wound from it conveniently upon the stretching
barrel (F). This barrel or cylinder is composed of six (or it might be other
number) equal segments of wood, laying longitudinally upon the similar
-segments of an internal cylinder (G), concentric with the first, on the surface
of which it is retained by two slip hoops removeable at pleasure. The
segments of the internal cylinder (G) are attached to the common axis (l) by
sets of oblique arms (j), two to each segment; the arms are jointed to the
inner surfaces of the segments, and to two nuts (k) upon screws, cut the one
right and the other left handed, so that the screwed axis being made to revolve,
the nuts will be made to recede from or approach each other, and the arms (j),
on account of their obliquity, will cause the circle of the diameter to increase
or diminish, according as the obliquity of the arms is increased or diminished
by the motion of the nuts. This operation can be performed at pleasure by a
handle (H) upon the projecting end of the axis (2) outside of the frame; but
when the cylinder is free to revolve, and not in any way obstructed, this effect
will not take place by turning the handle, for then the cylinder will simply
obey the movement of the handle, and the circumference will be carried round
with the same angular velocity as the axis. This is the condition required in
winding the belt upon the cylinder, and to facilitate this operation I prefer the
following arrangement and construction of parts:-On the axis (1) is placed
a spur wheel (I), which gears with a wheel (J) carried on a moveable
stud centre adjustable in a circular slot formed in one of the cheeks of
the frame A of the machine. This last-mentioned wheel (J) gears with
a third wheel (K) on the end of the leading screw (m), so that when
the handle (H) is turned, this last, namely, the leading screw (m), will
be put in motion.
On the screw (m) is placed a saddle (L), attached to the

page_text: screw by half a nut, marked (n), and which can therefore be made to move
along the length of the screw parrallel to the surface of the stretching barrel
(F). In a small frame (o) on this saddle are two small rollers, between which
the belt is passed from the reel (D) to the stretching barrel (F), to which it
may be attached by a small iron pin. The direction of the belt when being
wound on to the barrel is shewn by the double orange coloured line in the
elevation, Sheet II. The saddle is supported on the rod (p), and has a jointed
tail (9), which rests upon the rod (i), and serves to carry the reel or bobbin
(D) endways on its axis at the same rate of motion as the saddle, thereby
keeping the direction of the belt perpendicular to the surface of the rollers,
between which it passes to the stretching barrel F. When the saddle bas
traversed the length of the stretching barrel F it is disengaged from the screw
by a small eccentric upon an axis commanded by the small bandle (r); this
handle being turned through half a revolution withdraws the half nut (n) out
of gear with the screw, and the connection being thus removed, the saddle
may be slid back by hand to its position at the opposite end of the screw.
The mode of winding or lapping the belt round the stretching barrel F may be
easily comprehended from this arrangement of the parts; it consists simply in
turning the handle H, by which the barrel F and leading screw (m) are simul-
taneously put in motion, and the size of the wheel (K) on the axis of the
latter is so calculated, that the distance passed over by the saddle during one
revolution of the stretching barrel will be equal to half the breadth of the belt,
thereby causing every successive convolution of the belt to overlap half the
breadth of that which preceded it; and when the belt has been wholly wound
on the barrel, another reel is put in the place of the emptied one, and the ends
of the two straps being connected by a small pin, the handle H is again turned,
and thus as many straps as the stretching barrel can contain on its length
may be wound upon it. This being done, the barrel is forcibly expanded by
means of the oblique arms (j) and nuts (k, k,) before described, or it might
be by other convenient means. Preparatory to this operation, the two slip
hoops on the barrel are removed, and the end plates (M) of the internal
cylinder are relieved from the axis by withdrawing two small holding pins, by
which they are usually fixed during the process of winding. These discs have
on their inner surfaces six small rectangular pieces (s), which enter corres-
ponding recesses in the ends of the segments of the cylinder, for the purpose
of guiding their radial motions, and also for the purpose of connecting them
with the end plates or discs (M) in the process of stretching. In each of
these end plates, projecting outwards, is fixed a strong pin (t), and these being
caught by hooked arms suspended (when out of use) from the middle or

page_text: adjacent stay bolt of the frame A, prevents the cylinder from revolving when
the axis is revolved, by forcibly turning the handle II. This is the operation
of stretching or setting the straps, which may be continued to any desired
extent until the arms (j) come, by the motion of the nuts (k, k), into the
vertical position. When the barrel has been sufficiently expanded, it is fixed
at that diameter by a set of wedge rods (u) driven tightly into semicircular
grooves formed in the edges of the segments. The internal cylinder is then
contracted, by reversing the operation of expanding, and this being done, it is
lifted out of its place after first sliding back the two coupling boxes (N), by
which its axis is connected with the axis of the driving handle H at the one
end and with the projecting end of a stationary journal at the other. The
stretching barrel is then removed and replaced by an empty one, and the
cylinder is again restored to its position as before. For the purpose of facili-
tating the operation of setting, I prefer to soften the straps with water before
lapping them upon the stretching barrel, and I prefer also to allow them to
remain under stretch until they have attained their normal state of dryness.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the best means I
am acquainted with for carrying it into effect, I would have it understood that
I do not claim any part or parts of the mechanism separately, but only when
they are combined, nor do I confine myself to the precise details and par-
ticulars represented in the Drawings as herein described, so long as the peculiar
character of the mechanism be retained. And I would state, that I am aware
that it has before been proposed to cut discs or circular pieces of leather and
other material from the exterior edge progressing towards the centre thereof,
and machines have before been constructed for accomplishing such object; I
do not, therefore, claim the same generally. But what I claim is,-
First, the cutting straps from leather or other materials herein mentioned
on tables or surfaces in the manner herein described.
And, secondly, I claim the stretching of straps cut from discs or circular
pieces of leather, or other of the materials herein mentioned, upon an ex-
panding cylinder, so as to cause the straps to be rendered straight.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Air Foster, have hereunto set
.
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
W. A. (L.s.) FOSTER.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-sixth day of February,
in the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid William Air Foster came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.