Improvements in Belt Fasteners.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1890-Accepted, 23rd Aug., 1890
Improvements in Belt Fasteners.
I. JAMES SNOW a Citizen of the United States residing at Cleveland in the County
of Cuyahoga in the State of Ohio one of the United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
:-
My invention relates to belt fasteners having detachable teeth at the one end
thereof by removing which detachable teeth the belt may be taken apart at the spiice,
leaving the one end of the belt and its connection with the fastener intact.
My invention also relates to details of construction hereinafter described, and
pointed out in the claim.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan of the face side of the fastener with one tooth removed.
Figure 2 is a plan of the back or reverse side with one end of the belt secured to
the fastener.
Figure 3 is an elevation in section on line xx Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an elevation, of a tooth detached.
Figure 5 is an elevation, partly in section shewing a riveted tooth.
Figure 6 is a plan of a portion of the back side of plate A.
A represents a metal plate constituting the body of the belt fastener, the same at
the one end thereof having a series of integral teeth B, and at the other end having
one or more detachable teeth B¹, both sets of teeth projecting from the same side of
the plate. The general form of each tooth is conical, with the side of the tooth next
the adjacent end of the fastener that is, on the side of the tooth opposite where the
draft of the belt comes chamfered off, as shown at B', such chamfering commencing,
say, a quarter of an inch, more or less, from the bottom or root of the tooth and
extending to and cutting away the conical point, leaving a chisel-edge B³, instead of
a conical point. The advantages of the chisel edge are well known, to wit. They
make a clean cut through the belt without tearing the fibre thereof, and clinch down
easily with the flat side flush and smooth with the surface of the belt, the rounded
side of the tooth being embedded in the belt.
The peculiar form of tooth caused by the chamfering commencing part way down
the tooth has marked advantages, to wit, the tooth, being left full size at the base
and far enough to extend nearly through the belt, is consequently so large and strong
at this part that in clinching the tooth is not bent or strained below the chamfer,
and consequently there is no liability of the tooth breaking from the plate; also, in
clinching the short bend of the tooth approximately at right angles at or near the
surface of the belt injures the belt much less than the long bend extending nearly
through the thickness of the belt, as is the case where a tooth is not stiff and strong at
the base. The detachable teeth B' have reduced shanks with square sections and
rounded sections 6', that fit in corresponding holes of plate A. The shoulder b², of
course abuts the face of the plate when the tooth is in position and fastened. Section 6¹
of the shank may he screw threaded and have a nut c to hold the tooth in place; or
this section of the shank may be riveted in. in which case section should only be
long enough to extend through the plate and rivet a trifle, as shown in Fig. 5, so
that with a punch and a light blow of a hammer the tooth may be driven out of the
plate.
It is frequently necessary for various purposes to take the belt apart at the splice,
sometimes to tak up or shorten the belt, and at other times for other purposes where
the belt does not require shortening. The teeth having been clinched, it is difficult

page_text: or impracticable to withdraw the teeth from the belt without tearing or injuring the
latter but with the teeth detachable from the plate these removable teeth may be
punched out in case they have been rivetted, or the nuts may be removed in case the
teeth are held by nuts, and the one end of the belt having thus been released from
the fastener. the teeth may he pushed on through the belt with injuring the latter,
in case the belt is not to be taken up. If the belt requires shortening, of course the
end having the clinched teeth therein is cut off. In either case, by supplying new
teeth to this end of the plate the loose end of the belt may be again fastened. If
the belt has been taken up, of course the new teeth puncture new holes in the belt;
otherwise the new teeth enter the old holes in the belt.
In making the splice, in the first instance, the two ends of the belt are abutted
together and the fastener is placed centrally over the joint and driven down until the
teeth pass through the belt and the belt rests firmly against plate A. The teeth are
then clinched and hammered down flush with the face of the belt, the teeth in
clinching being always bent inward or towards the centre line of the helt fastener.
Points or marks a, on the back of plate A serve as guides in placing the plate
over the splice or joint of the belt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is,
ог
In a belt fastener, a plate having one or more teeth integral therewith and pro-
jecting from one side thereof, and one more detachable teeth each having an
angular portion adapted to be removably secured in an angular opening formed in
the plate, the rigid and detachable teeth each having a chamferod side, the said
chamfer commencing midway of a tooth and extending to the point thereof, and
located on the side of the tooth opposite to where the draft of the belt comes,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 19th day of July 1890.
GEO.
DOWNING,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C., Agent for Applicant.