IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS OR COUPLINGS FOR DRIVING BELTS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FASTENERS OR COUPLINGS FOR DRIVING
BELTS" 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 means for securely and permanently connecting the two
ends of a pulley-belt, so as to dispense with the usual belt-lacing (which soon wears
out) and at the same time to enable the belt to fit snugly to the face of the pulley
when the latter is curved.
The said invention is more especially designed as an improvement in the belt-
fastening described in the specification of former Letters Patent dated March 12
A.D. 1884, N° 4746, and which consists of double plates forming a hinge, which
said plates are rivetted to the adjacent ends of the belt, thereby securely connecting
the latter.
In the said belt-hinge, both the upper and lower plates are made continuous, or
each in one piece, and the rigidity of the metal of which they are made prevents
them from adapting themselves to the face of the pulley when the latter is curved.
The object of this improvement is to obviate this difficulty by constructing the
hinge in such manner that it will readily adapt itself to the curved face of the
pulley when passing over the same.
In order to effect this result, I form either the upper or lower plate of the hinge,
or both, in two or more sections or parts, and pivot the whole on a continuous rod
or pintle as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing:
Figure 1 represents the improved fastening applied to a belt upon a pulley
having a curved face.
Figure 2 is an isometrical view of my belt hinge, detached from the belt; and
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the same on the line x, x.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A and A' are the adjacent ends of a belt which are to be connected, and B is a
portion of a pulley having a curved face.

page_text: C and C are thin metal plates (preferably of steel) cut out to form a hinge and
bent centrally over a longitudinal and continuous rod or pintle D, alternate
The ends of the
portions a and a¹ being passed over opposite sides of said rod D.
belt are inserted respectively between the upper and lower plates thus formed on
each side of the rod D, and are rivetted thereto by means of suitable rivets passed
through rivet holes b, b¹, set opposite to each other on the upper and lower plates.
This construction is shown, substantially as in the specification above referred to.
The present improvement consists in making either the upper plate C or the
lower plate C¹ (or both the upper and lower plates) in sections, which sectious are
pivotted, or hinged on the rod D, so that whenever the hinge passes over the
crown c of the pulley, it will readily conform, and adapt itself, to the curved
surface of the face of said pulley.
In the drawing, I have shewn the upper plate divided into two sections, or parts,
and the lower plate made continuous, but the upper plate may be made continuous
and the lower plate divided into sections; or, if preferred, both the upper and lower
plates may be divided into two or more sections as desired, all of the sections being
hinged on the rod D as before described.
The hinge is made somewhat shorter than the width of the belt, so that, when
the latter becomes stretched by use, it will not project over the sides thereof, and
the ends and corners of the plates may be rounded, so as not to chafe the belt. The
surfaces of the plates which lie against the leather may also be roughened, so as to
take a firmer hold thereon, and, for the same purpose, the rivet-holes may be
punched so as to leave a burr on the inside of the plate next to the leather.
I do not broadly claim a belt-fastener composed of two plates hinged together
and attached to the meeting ends of a belt, as that has already been used. My
present improvement consists in adapting such a hinge to conform to the curvature
of the face of the pulley by dividing said plates into sections.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign Correspondent I declare that what I claim is
A belt-fastening or hinge composed of two double plates C and C¹ each turned
over and hinged upon a continuous central rod or pintle D, as described, one or
both of said plates being divided into sections and thereby made capable of flexure
transversely and longitudinally, and said plates being provided with rivet-holes b, b¹
set opposite to each other on opposite plates, as, and for the purpose, set forth.
1
TI
1002
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.