IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Keil Tullis and James Thomson Tullis,.
both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Belt
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING
"
ealed the 16th April 1872, and dated the 4th November 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Keil Tullis
and James, Thomson Tullis at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with their Petition, on the 4th November 1871.
We, JOHN KEIL TULLIS and JAMES THOMSON TULLIS, both of
Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Belt Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FINISHING BELTS, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOB,"
to be as follows (that is to say) :-
:-
This Invention, which relates to finishing the edges of belts, such as
those which are used for driving or communicating motion to machinery,
has for its object the rounding of the edges of the same and polishing

page_text: such rounded parts with the view of avoiding the necessity of effecting
these operations by manual labour.
The machinery by which these operations are performed consists of a
set of drawing rollers or a winding roller, which in revolving draw (or
draws) forward the belt, it having previously passed through one or more
pairs of knives or cutters of the form necessary to round off the edges.
These knives or cutters are carried in adjustable guides, and their
distance apart is regulated by screws to suit various widths of belts.
The guides carrying the cutters are situated on a table placed horizontally
or at any suitable angle near to the drawing rollers or winding roller.
In order to polish the edges of the materials rounded by the cutters
herein-before described, sponges, brushes, or their equivalent are placed
on one or both sides of the drawing rollers or winding roller, which, as
the belt is drawn through them or wound on the winding roller, imparts
size to the edges, and these being afterwards submitted to friction assume
the degree of finish or polish required.
The polishers .consist of rubbers of metal, wood, leather, or other
suitable hard material, placed also on one or both sides of the drawing
rollers or winding roller.
The apparatus herein-before described may either be used alone as a
complete machine or in combination with a machine for rolling up the
belts after they have been treated in the manner herein set forth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Keil Tullis and James Thomson Tullis
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, John
KEIL TULLIS and JAMES THOMSON TULLIS, both of Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, North Britain, Belt Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the 36th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and

page_text: successors, give and grant unto us, the said John Keil Tullis and
James Thomson Tullis, Her special license that we, the said John
Keil Tullis and James Thomson Tullis, our executors, administrators;
and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Keil Tullis and
James Thomson Tullis, our executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN FINISHING BELTS, AND IN THE
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Keil Tullis and James Thomson Tullis,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and scals, should par-
ticularly 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 we, the said John Keil Tullis and James
Thomson Tullis, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawings and to the letters and figures
marked thereon, that is to say :—
Our said Invention, which relates to finishing the edges of belts, such
as those which are used for driving or communicating motion to
machinery, has for its object the rounding of the edges of the same and
polishing such rounded parts with the view of avoiding the necessity of
effecting these operations by manual labour.
The machinery by which these operations are performed consists of a
set of drawing rollers or a winding roller, which in revolving draw (or
draws) forward the belt, it having previously passed through one or more
pairs of knives or cutters of the form necessary to round off the edges.
These knives or cutters are carried in adjustable guides, and their
distance apart is regulated by screws to suit various widths of belts.
The guides carrying the cutters are situated on a table placed horizontally
or at any suitable angle near to the drawing rollers or winding roller.
In order to polish the edges of the materials rounded by the cutters

page_text: hercin-before described, sponges, brushes, or their equivalents are placed
on one or both sides of the drawing rollers or winding roller, which, as
the belt is drawn through them or wound on the winding roller, impart
size to the edges, and these being afterwards submitted to friction
assume the degree of finish or polish required.
The polishers consist of rubbers of metal, wood, leather, or other
suitable hard material placed also on one or both sides of the drawing
rollers or winding roller.
The apparatus herein-before described may either be used alone as
a complete machine or in combination with a machine for rolling up the
belts after they have been treated in the manner herein set forth.
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :-
On the Sheet of Drawings hercunto appended, Figure 1 is a front
clevation shewing those parts of our improved machine for rounding and
finishing the edges of belts; Figure 2 is a plan thereof, whilst Figure 3
is a side elevation of the same.
As shewn by Figures 1 and 3 of the Drawings the machine is con-
structed with three horizontal drawing rollers A, B, and C, respectively,
supported in the jaws D, which are attached to a strong vertical
framing E forming part of an ordinary belt coiling or winding machine.
The rollers A and B revolve within slots in the jaws D, the roller A
resting on the roller B, which in its turn rests on the roller O; this
latter revolves in fixed bearings. The vertical framing E is provided
with snugs t, to which are attached the levers V, in connection with
which are links u, shewn in dotted lines at Figure 3, the said links u
passing round the axles of the rollers A and B respectively. When
the levers V (which pass through openings to, formed in the jaws D,
shewn at Figure 1) are elevated, the links u come in contact with the
axles of the rollers A and B, thereby separating the rollers A, B, and C
from each other to allow of belts of different thicknesses being passed
between them previous to being attached to the winding machine.
Brackets F are attached to the vertical framing E, which support the
horizontal table G, in which are placed adjustable guides a for carrying
the knives or cutters 6 and 6' respectively, which operate on the edges of

page_text: the belt H. The horizontal table G is constructed with three 1 shaped or
dovetailed grooves c, d, and e, respectively, extending in parallel lines
as shewn more particularly at Figure 2, in which are placed right and
left handed screws f, actuated by means of the operator turning in a
3 right or left hand direction a handle g, which fits on the square heads h
formed at the extremities of the right and left hand screws.
The right
and left handed screws fpass through corresponding nuts situated in the
grooves c, d, and e, respectively; the said nuts are attached to bolts i,
which pass up through the adjustable guides a for carrying the knives
or cutters 6 and 6' respectively, and are secured thereto by means of the
nuts. It is obvious on referring to the Drawing that when the right
or left-handed screws fare turned in a right or left hand direction by
means of the handle g, the guides a can be adjusted closer together or
further apart from each other as may be required to suit the width of
the belt to be operated on. Situated in the groove c are a pair of
adjustable guides ; without the knives or cutters they are used for
guiding the belt to be operated upon, and through which it must first
pass before coming in contact with the knives or cutters b. In front of
the horizontal table G is placed an antifriction roller I supported in
) bearing blocks ' attached to the brackets F. On the opposite side of
the drawing rollers A, B, and C, as shown by Figures 2 and 3 of the
Drawings, is placed a second table G' supported in brackets F' attached
to the vertical framing E. Above the table Gis a horizontal shaft J
carried in bearing blocks m, which are situated in the race K formed on
the table G. The extremities of the shaft J are coupled by the con-
necting rods L to cranks n on the crank shaft M, which is supported in
brackets N attached to the vertical framing E. The shaft M is revolved
by means of a belt passing round a pulley O placed at one end of the
said shaft M, thereby causing the shaft J by means of the cranks n and
connecting rods L to reciprocate backwards and forwards in the race K.
The reciprocating horizontal shaft J is furnished with two movable
collars o provided with feathers which slide in a groove p formed in the
reciprocating shaft J. The collars o are provided with arms r, to which
are attached a pair of brushes P or their equivalent, and a pair of
polishers R, shewn more particularly at Figure 2 of the Drawings. The
brushes P or their equivalent and the polishers R can be regulated to
suit the width of the belt operated on by means of the movable
collar o, which can be adjusted closer together or further apart as may
be required, and then firmly secured on the reciprocating shaft J by

page_text: means of pinching screws 8. The horizontal table G is provided with a
carrying roller T, which is arranged similar to the roller I, hiercin-before
described, in connection with the table G.
In the operation of rounding and finishing the edges of the belts H,
shewn at Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings, it is passed between the 5
drawing rollers B and C and attached to the winding mechanism; tho
cutting and polishing apparatus is adjusted to suit the width of the
belt H when the winding machine is set in motion. The belt H travels
first over the carrying roller I, through the guides k, from thence passing
through the guides a, carrying the first cutting knives or cutters into 1
the guides a carrying the finishing knives or cutters 6'; it is then drawn
through the drawing rollers B and C, when the newly cut rounded
edges come in contact with the reciprocating brushes P or their equivalent,
which deposit size thereon by the combined action of the brushes and
reciprocating polishers R, or by that of the brushes alone, the edges 1
of the belt are polished to the required degree. The belt then passes
over the carrying roller T to the winding machine.
The travel of the brushes P and polishers R in reciprocating is shewn
in dotted lines at Figure 2 of the Drawings; the pressure of the drawing
rollers A, B, and C, upon the belt is regulated by weights W suspended
to the levers V.
In exceptional cases where an unusual amount of tension is required
for rolling or winding the belt, the belt is first passed between the
rollers B and C, then back between the rollers A and B, and finally over
the top of the roller A previous to attaching it to the winding machine.
Figure 4 is a full-sized front elevation of the guide a, in which is
carried the knife or cutter b; Figure 5 is a full-sized plan thereof,
whilst Figure 6 is a full sized side elevation of the same.
As shewn by Figures 4, 5, and 6, the knife or cutter is secured at the
proper angle for cutting within the knife holder x by means of the bolts
or nuts Y, the cutting part y of the knife or cutter being formed of a
semicircular shape, in order to round the edges of the belt when
operating on it. The edge of the belt passes into a semicircular
groove w¹ formed in the face of the guide a previous to coming in contact
with the knife or cutter b. In the guide a a bolt hole Z is situated,
through which the bolt i passes for securing it to the adjusting screw f; it
is also provided with a projection Z', in which a semicircular recess is