An Improvement in Driving-belts.
Year: 1896

page_text: An Improvement in Driving-belts.
I, SAMUEL BEACH COCHRANE, Mechanician, of 94 Lyndhurst Road in the Parish of
Camberwell, London, S.E. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My improvement consists in manufacturing driving-belts or driving-bands of two
or more materials; one or more of the strips of which the bands or belts are made
up being of metal rigid or flexible, and the other or others being pliable, as leather
or canvas or other pliable material, the several strips boing superimposed upon one
another and perforated at determinate distances for the purpose of allowing pins or
metallic points or their equivalents to enter or pass through so as to prevent the
bands or belts from slipping on the wheels they are intended to drive. The great
advantage of such bands is that adjustment is maintained between the working-
parts of any machine upon which they are used and a positive and continuous pull
ensured.
I am aware that mill-bands have been manufactured of rigid and pliable materials,
but not in the same manner or for a like purpose as I propose. Whereas mill-bands
or driving-belts heretofore have been made of leather, canvas, india-rubber or other
materials with wire interwoven, I propose to use one or more strips of leather, canvas,
or other pliable material and one or more strips of rigid or flexible metal, the whole
forming one band. By this means I obtain a soft and noiseless action and maintain
the original size and shape of the band. Belts ruade as I propose to make them
may be used as a substitute for gear and chains in Bicycles and Sewing Machines
and in all classes of machines in which adjustment must be maintained between
working-parts.

page_text: what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My improvement consists in manufacturing composite driving bands or belts
consisting of two or more materials that is to say of two or more layers or strips of
different materials one or more of the strips or layers being of metal or other rigid
character made up of links of suitable shape, or in the forin of a thin flexiblo
unstretchable band, and the other strip or strips or layers being of pliable and
yielding material such for instance as leather canvas or other suitable pliable fabric,
the several strips or layers being superimposed upon another and perforated at
determinate perfectly equal distances for the purpose of allowing pins or metallic
points such as the sprockets of so called sprocket wheels to enter or pass through or
generally having its links made to conform with the contour of the sprocket wheels;
by this means prevent the bands from slipping on the wheels they are intended to
drive or connect. The great advantage of such belts or bands is that adjustinent or
accurate relative position is maintained between the working parts or wheels of any
machine upon which they are used, and a positive and continuous pull ensured,
combined with soft and noiseless working.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a plan and Fig. 2 a side view of a part of
one form of driving belt or band. The strip or layer A next to the surface of the
sprocket wheel is made of leather, canvas or other suitable pliable yielding material
or fabric such as is used or may be suitable for the purpose, and the outer strip B is
of flat jointed links made for instance of sheet steel doubled upon itself. Holes C
of slightly oblong or of round form or of other suitable form to suit the shape of the
sprockets or teeth are punched through both layers after they have been united by
rivets D or it may be by small eyelets. Or I may unite the two layers by eyeletting
the holes C.
Fig. 3 is a plan view of another form of belting consisting as shown in the
side view Fig. 4 of a layer A of leather or other suitable pliable material and a
layer B of thin flexible not stretchable sheet metal such for instance as sheet steel;
or consisting as shewn in Fig 5 of upper and lower layers A' and A of leather or
other suitable pliable material or fabric and an intermediate layer B of thin flexible
sheet metal or a flat linked chain. This form has the additional advantage of
increased safety in use, because even if the metal strip B should break or become
undone at one of the points, the outer layer A' will keep the ends from flying off.
Fig. 6 is a side view of another form of band in which the metal layer B consists
of links of the curved form shewn, the sprocket wheels being provided with
corresponding curved projections. Or every other link may be flat."
I am aware that composite driving belts or bands have been manufactured of hard
or rigid material and of pliable material but not in the same manner or for a like
purpose as I propose; driving belts have thus been made of leather, canvas, india
rubber or other pliable material with wire interwoven. By my invention I obtain
a soft and noiseless action and maintain the original size and shape of the belt; such
belts may be advantageously used as substitute for tooth gearing and chain gearing
in cycles, sewing machines and other machines where accurate adjustment or relative
position of the working parts must be maintained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. Composite driving belts or bands for sprocket wheel gearing consisting of layers
of flexible or jointed metal and of leather or other pliable material or fabric and
adapted to conform to the projections on or contour of the sprocket wheels.

page_text: 2. The composite driving belts described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this Twenty-fourth day of May 1807
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.