IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH LACES FOR MACHINE BELTS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Paton of Johnstone in the County of Renfrew
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH LACES FOR
MACHINE BELTS ”
39.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Paton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd April 1883.
ROBERT PATON, of Johnstone, in the county of Renfrew,
AND CONNECTED WITH LACES FOR MACHINE BELTS,"
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
The object of this Invention is to render laces for machine belts more convenient
in use, by making or fitting them with metal tags or points of improved form,
which admit of the lace being readily passed through the holes in the belt when
lacing or joining together the ends of the belt.
The improved tag or point is, according to one modification, made of a short
length of flat or half round wire, which is passed through a slit or slot in the end
of the leather thong or other material forming the lace, and doubled over so that
the two ends of the wire lie close against each other and form a short flat strip or
stiff point to the flexible lace. The slit or slot in the lace is, by preference, formed
longitudinally, so as not to weaken the lace at the part where the tag is fixed,
and the doubled end of the tag is cut away or formed to fit a slot in the lace.
The ends of the metal tag are made to terminate close together, and the point is
dipped in hot solder, block-tin, or similar material, to join the ends, so that they
may not present a barbed or jagged point. Or the one end of the folded metal
strip forming the tag, may be made longer than the other, and the longer end bent
or folded over the shorter end, so that the point of the tag is doubled. In
this form the tag may be readily removed from the lace, and be retained for
future use.
In a modified form the tag is made of a short length of thin wire of round or
other section, which is passed through a slit or holo near the end of the lace,
doubled and afterwards twisted. To give rigidity to such a tag and to present a
smooth point the tag is dipped in solder or similar material, or two or more lengths
of wire may be passed together through the lace, and be doubled and twisted to
form the tag.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Paton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st October 1883.
ROBERT PATON, of Johnstone, in the County of Renfrew,
AND CONNECTED WITH LACES FOR MACHINE BELTS
"
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
The object of my said Invention is to render laces for machine belts more con-
venient in use by making or fitting them with metal tags or points of improved
form, which admit of the lace being readily passed through the holes in the belt
when lacing or joining together the ends of the belt.
The accompanying drawings illustrate various modifications of the improved
tag attached to belt laces.
According to the modification shown in plan and edge view in figures 1 and 2,
the improved tag or point A is made of a short length of flat or half-round wire
(as indicated in the cross section figure 3) which is passed through a slit or slot b
in the end of the leather thong or other material forming the lace B, and doubled
over so that the two ends of the wire lie close against each other and form a short
flat strip or stiff point to the flexible lace. The slit or slot in the lace is by
preference formed longitudinally, so as not to weaken the lace at the part where
the tag is fixed; and the doubled end of the tag is cut or ground away at a and
formed to fit the slot in the lace. The ends of the metal tag are made to terminate
close together, and the point is dipped in hot solder, block-tin, or similar material,
to join the ends, as indicated at A', so that they may not present a barbed or
jagged point.
In the modification shown in edge view in figure 4, the one end of the folded
metal strip forming the tag, is made longer than the other, and the longer end is
bent or folded over the shorter end, so that the point of the tag is doubled. In
this form the tag may be readily removed from the lace, and be retained for
future use.
In the modified form shown in figure 5, the tag is made of a short length of
thin wire A of round or other section, which is passed through a slit or slot b
near the end of the lace B is doubled and afterwards twisted. To give rigidity to
such a tag, and to present a smooth point, the tag is dipped in solder or similar
material, as indicated at A'; or two or more length of wire may be passed together
through the lace, and be doubled and twisted to form the tag. I am aware that a
single twisted wire has been used as a tag for shoe-laces for which a rigid tag is
not essential, and I therefore make no claim to the use of a twisted wire tag
except when combined with a coating of solder or similar material used to
stiffen it.
In a further modification of the flat of half round wire tag shown in figures 6
and 7, the tag is attached to the belt lace by barbed edges a¹ formed at the ends
of the doubled wire. The ends of the tag are fitted over the lace as shown in
figure 6, and the barbed edges then forced into the thong or lace by pressure, which
is applied partly for the purpose of flattening the tag.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
First. A metal tag or point for belt laces made and applied according to any of
the modifications herein described and illustrated.

page_text: Second. A belt lace fitted with a metal tag or point in any of the forms herein
described and illustrated.
In Witness Whereof, I the said Robert Paton have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twenty sixth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
Witness
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER Ɑ.E.
Fel. Inst. Patent Agents
Glasgow,
ROBERT PATON
(LS)