A New or Improved Manufacture of Driving Belt.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Manufacture of Driving Belt.
I, HARRY ELLIS, of St. Catherine's, Ontario, Dominion of Canada, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:―
This invention has reference to woven leather belts, and to means connected
with the weaving or manufacturing of same; and it has mainly for its object to
provide a particular manufacture of woven belt, or mode of weaving, by which the
belt, in the act of weaving, does not tend to weave crookedly or unevenly, and
when at work, does not tend to work sidewise or unevenly, and is also capable of
being used in cases where belts are switched on and off pullies by belt forks
without liability of becoming frayed or damaged thereby.
According to this invention, a woven leather belt comprises different kinds or
types of weaving or stitching at the selvedges or edges and in the portion between
the selvedges, that is the body of the belt. The body of the belt is of a type of
weaving wherein the warps are carried over two wefts, then under two
wefts, or over two wefts and under one weft, throughout the belt ;
the alternate or adjacent warps being carried from one side of the
fabric to the other, through or between the two wefts which are bridged or .
spanned by the warps next them. Then the edges or selvedges of the belt are
made of a different stitch; that is to say, the warps at the edges are woven or
interwoven with the weft through and through in uniform way, crossing each
other at the top and bottom between the same wefts, each top and bottom weft
passing over two warps, then through between two wefts and again over two warps,
and so on throughout the belt. By this structure or arrangement of stitch or
species of weaving, a strong, well packed, and firmly woven belt can be produced.
In cases where extra thick and strong belts have to be produced, I use more
warps, as for instance double warps; and also, in some cases, double or multiple
wefts are employed.
By the above structure of belt, and mode of weaving, the belts, while pliable and
giving great grip and power on the pulley, are firm, laterally and diagonally, and
thoroughly serviceable, and moreover, they will work evenly and truly on the
pullies, and are not liable to wring, stretch unevenly, or work out of shape.
In carrying out the manufacture of this belt, i.e. in the production of the belt
having the differential weaving or stitching at the selvedges and at the body,
the heddles of the loom are arranged and combined in a special manner, namely, I
employ four heddles, Nos. 1 and 2 of which, say, are adapted to form the selvedge
or edge at the left hand side of the belt; while numbers 3 and 4 are adapted to
form the selvedge or edge at the right hand side of the belt. And then for forming
the body of the belt, Nos. 1 and 3, and Nos. 2 and 4 are arranged to work alternately
and produce the weaving as described at the centre or body of the belt.
As a means of joining the ends of the belt, I provide a special splicing joint;
this joint is made by cutting the warps on one side of the end of the belt away
for the length of the splice, and cutting away those of the opposite side at the
other end of the belt; so that when one end is placed upon the other, the remaining

page_text: warps at one end would lie in the space of the removed warps at the other end;
and these warps are intertwined or spliced together and a joint is made.
A further improvement or characteristic according to this invention,. consists
in comprising or combining in a woven leather belt, a woven body such as of the
kind referred to, and a continuous or practically continuous special strip or strand
at each edge. In one case, a woven belt comprising this improvement or character-
istic will consist of a woven body--such as hereinabove described, and an edging
consisting of a leather stranded cord interwoven with the leather strings or thongs
of the belt, and forming in substance an article of manufacture comprising the
body and edgings integral with one another. In the manufacture of this,
according to one mode, the machinery employed will be a loom having the ordinary
parts adapted to weave the body of the belt with warp and weft of leather thongs
or strings, and a stranding mechanism adapted to lay up say three or more thongs
or strings of leather into the form of a twisted rope or cord, and adapted to work
in connection with the picking and other necessary motions of the machinery, so
as to have one or more of its thongs or strings interwoven with the weft of the
body, and so as to make the edgings integral therewith, and leaving on the outside
a plain and even outside surface without crossing or projecting thongs or strings,
giving the belt.thereby a smooth and even outside edge against which belt forks,
Hanges, or the like, can rub or act without liability of fraying or damaging the belt.
In another case of a woven leather belt having continuous even edges, there is
combined with the woven body, a continuous strip of solid leather, or practically
solid leather at the edges, these strips being interwoven with the belt or body
portion proper. In this case, each strip would be previously to its use in the loom,
punched with holes at points along its length at a pitch equal to the pitch of the
picks or wefts of the body, and these holes should be diagonally punched one in
one direction, and the other in the opposite direction, alternately and successively
throughout the strip. In the belt the wefts would lie in these holes, they being
passed into them while the belt is being woven, through slits connecting them with
the outer edge of the belt edge strips. The strips when thus prepared, are coiled
up or stored on suitable storing rollers or reels and they are fed and led along the
edges of the warps on either side in the loom, as the belt is being woven, and they
are fastened and woven integral with the body in the actual weaving action.
Dated this 15th day of Marcb 1897.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.
A New or Improved Manufacture of Driving Belt.
I, HARRY ELLIS, of St. Catherine's, Ontario, Dominion of Canada, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention has reference to woven leather belts, and to means connected
with the weaving or manufacturing of same; and it has, mainly, for its object to
provide a particular manufacture of woven belt, or mode of weaving, by which the
belt, in the act of weaving, does not tend to weave crookedly or unevenly, and,
when at work, does not tend to work sidewise or unevenly, and is also capable of
being used, in cases where belts are switched on and off pullies by belt forks,
without liability of becoming frayed or damaged thereby.
According to this invention, a woven leather belt comprises different kinds or

page_text: types of weaving or stitching at the selvedges or edges, and in the portion between
the selvedges, that is the body of the belt. The body of the belt is of a type of
weaving wherein the warps are carried over two wefts, then under two wefts,
throughout the belt; the alternate or adjacent warps being carried from one side
of the fabric to the other, through or between the two wefts which are bridged or
spanned by the warps next them. Then the edges or selvedges of the belt are
made of a different stitch; that is to say, the warps at the edges are woven or
interwoven with the weft through and through in uniform way, crossing each
other at the top and bottom between the same wefts, each top and bottom weft
passing over two warps, then through between two wefts and again over two warps,
and so on throughout the belt. By this structure or arrangement of stitch or
species of weaving, a strong, well packed, and firmly woven belt can be produced.
In cases where extra thick and strong belts have to be produced, I use more
warps, as, for instance, double warps; and also, in some cases, double or multiple
wefts are employed.
By the above structure of belt, and mode of weaving, the belts, while pliable and
giving great grip and power on the pulley, are firm, laterally and diagonally, and
thoroughly serviceable; and, moreover, they will work evenly and truly on the
pullies, and are not liable to wring, stretch unevenly, or work out of shape.
In carrying out the manufacture of this belt, i.e. in the production of the belt
having the differential weaving or stitching at the selvedges and at the body,
the heddles of the loom are arranged and combined in a special manner, namely, I
employ four heddles, Nos. 1 and 2 of which, say, are adapted to form the selvedge.
or edge at the left hand side of the belt; while numbers 3 and 4 are adapted to
form the selvedge or edge at the right hand side of the belt. And then for forming
the body of the belt, Nos. 1 and 3, and Nos. 2 and 4 are arranged to work alternately,
and produce the weaving, as described, at the centre or body.
As a means of joining the ends of the belt, I provide an ordinary splicing joint.
namely, by cutting the warps on one side of the end of the belt away for the
length of the splice, and cutting away those of the opposite side at the other
end of the belt so that when one end is placed upon the other, the remaining
warps at one end would lie in the space of the removed warps at the other end;
and these warps are intertwined or spliced together and a joint is made as usual.
A further improvement or characteristic, according to this invention, consists
in comprising or combining in a woven leather belt, a woven body such as of the.
kind referred to, and a continuous, or practically continuous, special strip or strand
at each edge. In one case, a woven belt comprising this improvement or character-
istic will consist of a woven body-such as hereinabove described, and an edging
consisting of a leather stranded cord interwoven with the leather strips or thongs
of the belt, and forming, in substance, an article of manufacture, comprising the
body and edgings integral with one another. In the manufacture of this,
according to one mode, the machinery employed will be a loom having the ordinary
parts adapted to weave the body of the belt, with warp and weft of leather thongs
or strings, and a stranding mechanism adapted to lay up say, three or more thongs
or strings of leather into the form of a twisted rope or cord, and adapted to work
in connection with the picking and other necessary motions of the machinery, so
as to have one or more of its thongs or strings interwoven with the weft of the
body, and so as to make the edgings integral therewith, and leaving on the outside
a plain and even outside surface, without crossing or projecting thongs or strings;
giving the belt thereby a smooth and even outside edge, against which belt forks,
Hanges, or the like, can rub or act without liability of fraying or damaging the belt.
In another case of a woven leather belt having continuous even edges, there is
combined with the woven body, a continuous strip of solid leather, or practically
solid leather at the edges, these strips being interwoven with the belt or body
portion proper. In this case, each strip would be, previously to its use in the loom,
punched with holes at points along its length at a pitch equal to the pitch of the
picks or wefts of the body, and these holes should be diagonally punched one in

page_text: one direction, and the other in the opposite direction, alternately and successively
throughout the strip. In the belt, the wefts would lie in these holes, they being
passed into them while the belt is being woven, through slits connecting them with
the outer edge of the belt edge strips. The strips when thus prepared, are coiled
up or stored on suitable storing rollers or reels; and they are fed and led along the
edges of the warps on either side in the loom, as the belt is being woven, and they
are fastened and woven integral with the body in the actual weaving action.
The drawings hereto annexed illustrate this invention. In Figures 1 to 3, a
belt having differential weaving on its body and selvedges, is shewn; and in
Figure 4 the arrangement of heddles for weaving same. Figure 5 shews a belt
having stranded or corded interwoven edging or selvedges, and Figure 6 is a plan
of a loom constructed and adapted to produce the belt. Figure 7 shews a belt
having edges or selvedges of solid strips.
Referring in the first instance to the belt shewn in Figures 1 to 3, and to means
for effecting the differential weaving therein, the weft is designated a, the body
warps b, and the selvedge or edging warps c.
The body warps pass under two
wefts, and over two wefts, alternately, throughout the belt; whilst the adjacent
or alternate warps throughout the body pass through the pair of wefts which are
spanned by the warps next them,-see Figures 1 and 3.
The warps c constituting the selvedge or edging warps pass through between the
wefts a together, and in opposite directions-as shewn in Figure 2, and the weft
is returned directly round outside these crossing warps. By this structure or.
character of weaving belts with the differential weaving or stitching at the selvedges
and in the body, the belt does not tend either in weaving, or subsequently in use
in running over pullies, to stretch or wring or work out of shape or truth, but is
held and knitted well together and works evenly and truly on the pullies. And
the result, generally, of the belt having the body woven as described, with the
special differential weaving at the selvedges, is the production of a belt, in which
the warps are well packed together, and which is strong longitudinally, and stiff
laterally while in the plane of the belt it is highly supple, and furthermore
presents a large area of leather upon its surface; providing thereby a large surface
which comes in contact with and bears upon the pulley on which it works. In
the example given, the general appearance of the surface is a diagonal twill, but
in some cases the twill may be of zig-zag form, where the twills meet in the centre,
as in a herringbone pattern.
With regard to the arrangement of heddles of a loom suitable for weaving this
belt, this is shewn diagrammatically in Figure 4. The heddles marked 1, 2, 3
and 4, are arranged in pairs, by flexible connections o, connected to, and winding
over rollers p, 1 and 2 constituting a couple and 3 and 4 another couple; they
being arranged so that when 1 is down, 2 is up, and vice versa; and the same
arrangement exists with regard to heddles 3 and 4. The two selvedge warps c on
one side of the belt are taken through heddles 1 and 2, respectively, and on the
other side the two warps forming the selvedge are taken through heddles 3 and 4,
respectively. Thus, in action, the weft is passed through the shed from one side
to the other, and the heddles 1 and 2, and 3 and 4, work alternately, and operate
the warps c in the manner required. Then as regards the body warps b, the
alternate warps will pass through heddles 1 and 3, and heddles 2 and 4, respec-
tively, throughout the body, producing the structure and character of belt and
weaving described.
With regard to the belt shewn in Figure 5, having the stranded or corded
selvedges or edges, it will be seen that the body, generally, is of the character
shewn in the previous figures; but that the edges consist of stranded leather cords
or ropes, substantially of the same diameter as the thickness of the belt, and com-
posed of three double strands of leather thongs or strings, laid up in the manner
of an ordinary rope, and that the wefts a are carried through the strands of the
cord or rope which lie innermost, i.e. next the body warps. The pitch of the
strands will be such that at each return of the weft, a strand will lie at the inside

page_text: to the position of return, and which will be engaged by and interwoven with the
wefts at these points. By this means, an edging or selvedge is provided, which is
of the character that, in practical use in machinery, when running past forks or
flanged pullies, or under other like conditions, works with little friction, and with
little or no tendency to fray or chafe. That is, the direction of movement of the
belt, and the direction of position of the leather strings or thongs of which the
selvedges of the belt are composed, are substantially coincident, and the wefts are
entirely enclosed and protected and are not subject to friction or wear.
structure of the belt is thus protected. But, irrespective of this, this improved
feature in the belt improves its character generally, and renders it more fit for most
of the purposes for which it is intended; and for practical and commercial purposes
the belt is superior to the other forms of belt described.
The
A loom or machine for producing this belt, with the stranded or corded edges or
selvedges, and the woven body, is one in which the warps and weft are woven in
the manner of ordinary hand weaving, but with the difference as to the special
modes of, or means for manipulating the warps, and operating the machinery, as
set forth in the Specification of Application for Patent No. 6708 of 1897; and
having, in addition to this, on each side of the loom, machinery for laying up the
strands for the production of the corded selvedges, as the belt, or body of the belt,
is being woven, and at the point of interweaving; that is, where the wefts are
beaten up into the woven fabric at the end of the shed. This mechanism is shewn
in Figure 6 in plan, from which, and the following description, the mode of pro-
duction, operation, and arrangement of parts, will be clearly understood by those
skilled in the knowledge and practices to which this invention relates, or is most
'nearly connected. a designates the frame of the loom or machinery. b are the
body warps, from which the belt is produced prior to interweaving. d represents
cords or selvedge ropes in the completed portion o of the belt. are the rollers
over which the heddle supports pass, and by which they are carried. q represents
the upper end of the sley, and r are the taking off rollers. These parts, and others
connected with the loom, will be preferably operated according to the manner, and
by the forms of mechanisms set forth in my said Specification of Application for
Patent No. 6708 of 1897.
The machinery or mechanism and mode of producing the stranded edges d is
as follows:-It consists of cord or rope making or stranding mechanism, com-
prising reels e, containing strands of leather strings or thongs, represented by the
lines v, and mounted upon a tube f, carried in a swivel bearing gat one end, and
another swivel bearing h at the other; this latter bearing being supported by a
transverse rod or bar on the frame, on which they are adapted to be adjusted to
any position transversely in the loom, so as to render the mechanisms adaptable to
the production of stranded or corded edges or selvedges in belts of different-widths,
in the loom. The tube f is driven, that is rotated, by any suitable means, as by
ordinary belt wheels f¹; and the leather strands are carried from the reels e
down the tube f and out of the forward end thereof, at which point they are passed
over a guide (fixed upon the outer end of the tube), adapted to separate and
expand them. From this end of the tube there is also carried a rod or tube j,
having upon its end a coned head ¹, with grooves in it, through which the strands
pass as the belt body, and its stranded edges or selvedges, are interwoven and
produced. In action, as the tubes f are revolved, the reels e, and also the
guides ; and the cones 1 are revolved; with the result, that the strands v
are twisted and laid one upon the other in the manner of making a rope or cord;
and as the weft is beaten up in the weaving action, the shuttle is passed through
that strand or strands, as the case may be, of the cord or selvedge d, which will
become the inside strand or strands at the points at which each weft is returned
through the shed. As already stated, these operations can be advantageously
performed by mechanisms, and in machinery operating according to that set forth
in the Specification of my Application for Patent No. 6708 of 1897; but it is to be
stated, that so far as the actual mechanisms for the production of the belt, herein

page_text: described, are concerned, the invention is not restricted to these specifically herein
set forth and shewn.
The belt shewn in Figure 7 comprises a body of interwoven leather warps and
wefts a, and a selvedge k consisting of a solid leather strip, with diagonal holes
through it through which the wefts are passed, the holes being connected with
the outside of the strip k by slits k². This edging strip k will, at each side of the
loom, be coiled up on a reel, from which it will be drawn in the act of weaving the
belt, as will be understood; and the wefts, as they are beaten up, will be passed
through the slit into the holes in the strip by opening the slits, the shuttle being
hand operated, as before described. It will be seen that in actual practice,
although the strips are slit, and are not in fact unbroken at the edges, they are
for all practical purposes continuous, and are substantially equivalent to a con-
tinuous and solid leather edging.
In the term "leather" herein used, it is intended that the word shall be read to
include both natural, i.e. animal, leather, and substitutes for leather; or material
which for the present purpose of its application, would be practically analogous,
or equivalent to it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The herein before described new or improved belt, namely, a belt composed of
strings or thongs of leather in continuous pieces, and comprising body warps,
selvedge warps, and wefts, interwoven, the warps at the selvedges or edges being
of different weaving, all as set forth, for the purposes specified.
2. The woven leather belt, comprising the body warps b, selvedge warps c, and
weft a, the body and selvedge warps, and wefts, being woven particularly as shewn
in and set forth with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings.
3. The manufacture or production of woven leather belts from warps and wefts,
with the weaving in the warps in the body, and in the selvedges, of a differential
kind, as described, by means substantially as set forth with reference to and shewn
in Figure 4 of the drawings.
4. A woven leather belt, comprising interwoven warps and wefts in the body
thereof, and stranded or corded selvedges interconnected or woven, as described,
with the wefts.
5. The manufacture and production of woven leather belts having a woven body,
and stranded or corded selvedges, interwoven or connected with the body, in the
mode or manner, substantially as herein set forth.
6. In the manufacture or production of a belt having a woven body of warps
and wefts, and stranded or corded selvedges interconnected with the body, the
employment of the means substantially as described, for the simultaneous manu-
facture of the body and selvedges, and their interconnection.
7. The woven leather belt, comprising the body made up of warps and wefts, as
described, and selvedges, consisting of solid leather selvedge strips, interconnected
and woven with the body of the weft; substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 14th day of December 1897.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicant's Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.