An Improvement in Strap Forks or Belt Guides.
Year: 1885

page_text: An Improvement in Strap Forks or Belt Guides.
WALTER WILLSON COBBETT 82 Southwark St. London, S.E. manufacturer of
Cotton driving bands do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVED
STRAP FORKS OR BELT GUIDES, to be as follows:―
By applying glazed porcelain or earthenware so fitted or mounted to the Strap
fork or Belt guide as to present a rounded surface to the belt, friction is reduced.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Strap-forks or Belt-guides.
I, WALTER WILLSON COBBETT, 82 Southwark St. London, S.E. manufacturer of
cotton driving bands 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:―
According to my invention by applying glazed porcelain or earthenware, or
glass, or any material which is a bad conductor & possesses a hard smooth surface
to the Strap-fork or Belt-guide as used at present, I obtain a smooth surface for
the belt to rub against, and thus greatly reduce friction & consequent production
of heat.

page_text: By the use of my improvement there is almost no wear and tear on the edges of
the belt or on the fork; there is almost an entire absence of heat and loss of
power and speed through friction, and there is almost no frictional resistance when
shifting.
As examples of the manner of using my improvement, I furnish illustrations
numbered and lettered, the same letters standing for corresponding parts in all
the figures. I do not however limit the application of my invention to these
examples.
Fig. 1 represents the Belt-fork at present in use made of iron or other strong
material.
A is the shank.
B B the forks which 1 perforate near the extremities with orifices C C.
Fig. 2 is the elevation of one form of glazed earthenware &c. used for covering B..
Through this runs a hole shown by dotted lines E E of suitable area to allow the
fork B to pass through. The earthenware &c. is made of such a size as to allow
the orifice C to appear within a groove D, which traverses diametrically the upper
surface of the earthenware &c.
F is a similar groove shown at the lower end of the earthenware &c.
Fig. 2a is a section through the line X-Y.
Fig. 26 is a section through the lines V-W or V¹-W'.
Fig. 3 represents the fork fitted with the cylinder of glazed earthenware &c.
Through the groove in the earthenware &c., and through the orifice C in the fork
is inserted a split pin serving to keep the covering cylinder fixed in position.
Fig. 4 shows a fork fitted with another mode of attachment for the porcelain &c.,
namely by means of nuts & bolts shown at G G G G.
Fig. 5 is the back elevation of one form of porcelain &c. adapted to this mode of
attachment. It is semi-circular in section.
H-His a groove running the whole length of the back of the porcelain &c. made
so as to fit the fork B of Fig. 4, and having holes at N N corresponding to the
position of the nuts and bolts G G.
Fig. 5a is the side elevation and Fig. 5b is the front elevation of the same
showing at N N holes and recesses for the bolt heads, which bolt heads are sunk
below the surface of the porcelain &c.
Fig. 5c is a section through line L-M.
Fig. 6 represents a form of guide suitable for positions where the preceding forms
may not be convenient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The use of glazed porcelain or earthenware, or glass, or any material which is
a bad conductor of heat and possesses a hard smooth surface as a covering for Belt-
guides in order to diminish friction as substantially set forth.
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for the Applicant.