AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS OR BANDS FOR MACHINERY
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Holmes, of Hull, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS OR BANDS FOR
MACHINERY."
Sealed the 6th June 1856, and dated the 29th December 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Holmes. at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
December 1855.
I, THOMAS HOLMES, of Hull, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS OR BANDS FOR
MACHINERY" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the application of walrus hides for driving
bands for machinery, and consists of stretching and pressing such hides, and
treating them with alum, with or without oil, and thus making driving straps
and bands for machinery.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Holmes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th June 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
HOLMES, of Hull, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent. Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Holmes, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Holmes, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Holmes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF DRIVING STRAPS OR BANDS FOR MACHINERY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Holmes, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Holmes, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object the application of walrus hides for driving
bands for machinery, and consists of stretching and pressing such hides, and
treating them with alum, with or without oil, and thus making driving straps
and bands for machinery.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
The object of this Invention is to prepare walrus or sea-horse hides in such
manner as to fit them for and to apply them in the manufacture of driving
straps and bands for machinery. The walrus hides are to be unbaired by lime
in the usual manner, as is well understood, or otherwise. The hides are then
to be saturated with water, mixed with alum and salt, well handling the hides

page_text: during the process of saturating them, as heretofore practised. When the
hides have been thus treated and are taken out to be dried, oil and tallow are
to be rubbed on as when preparing such hides for other purposes. The hides
whilst still damp are then subjected to rolling and stretching processes. For
these purposes I employ smooth brass rollers; and for stretching I prefer to
fix one end of a hide by clamping it between two clamping surfaces fixed to a
frame or table; the other end of the hide is fixed between two other clamping
surfaces, which are capable of being moved away from the fixed clamping
surfaces. Under the hide when being stretched I place three or more rollers,
which are free to roll or move along the surface of the frame; these rollers are
of different diameters; the central one is of largest diameter, whilst the others
decrease in diameter as they come nearer to the clamping instruments, so that
the hide is supported, yet bent out of a straight line by the rollers. The
clamping instruments are caused to separate by two screws put simultaneously
into motion.
I would however remark, that other forms of stretching apparatus may be
used, and I make no claim to such stretching apparatus or instruments.
These rolling and stretching processes are to be repeated till the desired
extension and consolidation have been accomplished. The hides are then to
be cut to the widths desired, and made up into driving bands or straps.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Holmes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
5 Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
THO HOLMES. (L.S.)