IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING TEXTILE BELTS
Year: 1885

page_text: In een or manufacturing Textile Belts.
I, MAURICE GANDY, of No. 5, Ansdell street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF MANUFACTURING TEXTILE BELTS" and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings are outline drawings of
machinery and devices used in the practice of my said invention, as hereinafter
described.
The object of my invention is to take the tensile elasticity out of textile belts
and to render them proof against shrinkage and the absorption of moisture, and
my invention consists of the treatment of the belt, or the textile material used in
its construction, during the fabrication of the belt, first, with heat sufficient to
drive the moisture out of the texture, and then with oil sufficient to keep it out;
the belt being stretched during heating and oiling to its maximum tensile elasticity,
by which the completed belt is rendered inert: that is, its tendency to draw back
or shrink after being stretched is removed.
In the manufacture of textile belts it has been the practice to stretch them while
in their normal state as to temperature and moisture, no attempt having been made
of which I have any knowledge to heat the belt to drive out the moisture and to
stretch and oil it while it is still dry and hot. These belts, as heretofore manu-
factured by myself and others, stretched and oiled while in their natural condition
as to temperature and moisture, have a tendency to draw back or shrink to their
normal length after the tensile strain is relaxed. While this does not injure the
belt it is nevertheless the source of no little inconvenience, necessitating, as it does,
cutting and taking up the belt. Now, I have discovered that by thoroughly.
heating the belt sufficient to drive out the natural moisture of the fabric, and by
stretching and oiling it while in such heated and dry state, the belt is not only
much more thoroughly stretched, but its tendency to shrink or draw back is
removed, the moisture in this case being driven out and the tensile strain applied
Price 8d1

page_text: while the fibre is hot and dry and the fabric soft and pliable, the fibres and threads
under the stretching strain become permanently set, at the same time they readily
absorb the oil, thus preventing the subsequent absorption of moisture, making the
belt non-elastic and inert in the direction of its length.
In the practice of my invention I proceed substantially as follows: I take the
belt as it comes from the loom or sewing machine and coil it into a tank, fig. 2,
inclosed in a steam or hot-air chamber A. In this chamber I apply the heat and
continue it until the belt is well heated and the moisture driven out of the texture.
I then pass one end of the belt under the nipper B, at the left of fig. 1, and pass it
on between the rollers 6, 6, 6 and under the nipper D at the right of fig. 1. The
nipper B is then screwed down hard on the belt and the rollers put in motion,
the nipper D being left open. By theso means the belt is drawn by the rollers
through the open nipper D into the tank, fig. 4, also inclosed by a heated chamber
the same as in fig. 2. The nipper B is then opened and the nipper D closed down
hard on the belt. The rollers are then again put in motion, but in the opposite
direction, by which means the belt is drawn through the nipper D and delivered
again in the tank, tig. 2; and so on from one tank to the other until it is thoroughly
stretched and the moisture driven out of it. The operation is very much expedited
by introducing steain to the interior of the rollers 6, 6, 6 and the nippers D and B.
The belt after it has been passed-and repassed between the rollers and.nippers until
it is thoroughly dried and stretched is led directly from the stretching machine
into the oil-tank, fig. 3, which may, or may not be kept hot. I prefer to keep it
heated, although I do not consider it essential to the success of the operation.
Instead of the tanks, figs. 2 and 4, the belt may be heated by passing it over one
or more heated rollers, as shown in fig. 5, but this is merely a modified method of
practising the invention, differing nowise in principle from that already described.
After the belt has been left long enough in the oil-tank to become sufficiently
saturated with oil it is again led through the stretching machine, or a machine
substantially the same, for the purpose of expelling the surplus oil, after which it
is dried and finished in the usual way.
It will of course be understood that fig. 1 of the drawing is a mere diagram of
the stretching machine, it being intended merely as an illustration of the manner
of stretching the belt and to indicate the kind of machine suitable for that
purpose and one that can be readily adapted thereto by any skilful mechanic.
It will also be understood that this invention is applicable not only to the
stretching of laminated belts, such as are folded and stitched together, but also to
what are known as woven belts: that is, belts that are woven in the loom to the
desired width and thickness.
A modified form of practising my invention is to heat the textile belting until
it is in a fit state to be operated upon as aforesaid, and by then placing it in a
suitable stretching frame, such as now used by me in the manufacture of textile
belts, or such as can be readily adapted by any skilful mechanic acquainted with
the art of belt-stretching, the stretching being continued until the fibres and threads
are permanently set, and by then again heating the belt before passing it into the
oil or other suitable saturating compound or material, or the belt may be put into
the saturating liquid without reheating it, but that is not so effectual as to heat
it with the saturant while warm.
Another modification is to put the machinery in a chamber of proper size and
construction and heat the chamber up to a temperature sufficient to evaporate the
moisture and soften the texture and perform the whole operation in said chamber.
But this plan is objectionable because it is inconvenient.
Instead of heating and drying the belt, stretching and saturating it with oil
while hot, the canvas of which the belt is to be composed may be treated in the
same way and the belt then folded. This, however, is a mere substitute for the
method first described and is included in my claim.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The method substantially herein described of treating textile belts, or the
material composing them, which method consists of, first, heating and drying the
belt, or cloth, substantially as set forth, of then stretching it in a suitable apparatus
and saturating it with oil or other suitable saturant while it is still hot and dry,
substantially as described for the purpose specified.