IMPROVEMENTS IN BELT FASTENERS.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Sleep, of St. Germans, in the County of
Cornwall, Implement Manufacturer for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BELT FASTENERS.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Sleep at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th. December 1882.
WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP, of St. Germans, in the county of Cornwall, Implement
Manufacturer IMPROVEMENTS IN BELT FASTENERS
"
"
My said invention has reference to improvements in the construction of con-
nectors or fasteners for uniting the ends or intermediate lengths or sections of
driving and other straps, bands, belts or cords of any section, and whether composed
of one or more pieces, or lengths whereby the use of sewing, lacing riveting or
other such like methods of connecting and which methods besides occupying
considerable time also diminish the strength and durability of the belting material
of whatever kind owing to the necessity for piercing the same to retain the
fastener.
By my invention piercing being entirely dispensed with, the strength of the
material is fully maintained, while provision is also made for quickly, economically
and effectively securing the ends of the bands or belts by an arrangement which
is both self-acting and self-holding or which may be tightened, or held in position,
by means of screws, bolts or rivets.
In carrying out my invention I employ one or more eccentric rollers, tongues or
holders of suitable shape, and suitably held together at the ends by means of
straight edged or concavo-convex plates, which may be made with or without
bosses and in either case may be grooved or channeled for the reception of the
ends of the bands or belts and placed on their edge, rivets or screws passing through
the plates and bosses, and longitudinally through the rollers, tongues or holders or
may terminate a suitable distance from the ends of the rollers, tongues or holders,
such means being adopted for expanding or contracting the connector or fastener;
or such rollers, tongues or holders may be made with studs or rivets in the same
at each end to connect the plates, or the plates may be made with studs or rivets

page_text: in the same for connecting the rollers, tongues or holders, or I may construct a
frame, or part frame, of suitable shape to carry such rollers, tongues or holders and
instead of the two plates above mentioned I may use one only semi-tubular, with
internal rollers, tongues or holders and instead of the above mentioned channel
end plates I may use one of continuous channel form with one side perforated or
not and in the other side bosses suitably placed through which set screws pass the
ends of which press, or screw, against a false or portable plate of the same. length
and depth
as the channel; this plate when pressed against the band or belt will
with the opposite or perforated side of the channel hold the two ends of the belting
firmly together the belt taking its proper form when placed on the pulley. In the
arrangement of rollers, tongues or holders the ends of the band or belt are passed
up between and when the driving strain is brought upon the belt, the action of
the eccentric rollers, tongues or holders is of such a nature; that the. heavier the
strain on the belt the firmer will be the grip to the belt ends, while the belt ends
in the above mentioned continuous channel holder are held by set screws as
described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Henry Sleep in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th June 1883.
鬥
WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP. of. St Germans, in the county of Cornwall, Implement
Manufacturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN BELT FASTENERS
"
My said invention has reference to improvements in the construction of con-
nector's or fasteners for uniting the ends or intermediate lengths or sections of
driving and other straps, bands, belts or cords of any section, and whether composed
of one or more pieces, or lengths, whereby sewing, lacing, riveting or other such
like methods of connecting are dispensed with and which methods besides occupying
considerable time also diminish the strength and durability of the belting material
of whatever kind owing to the necessity for piercing the same to retain the
fastener.
By my invention piercing being entirely dispensed, with, the strength of the
material is fully maintained, while provision is also made for quickly, economically
and effectively securing the ends of the bands or belts by an arrangement which
when applied is both self acting and self holding or which may be tightened or held
in position by means of screws, bolts, or rivets.
In carrying out my invention I employ one or more eccentric rollers, tongues;
or holders of suitable shape and suitably held together at the ends by means of
straight edged or concavo-convex plates which may be made with or without
bosses and in either case may be grooved or channelled for the reception of the
ends of the bands or belts and placed on their edge, rivets or screws passing
through the plates and bosses and longitudinally through the rollers, tongues or
holders, or may terminate a suitable distance from the ends of the rollers, tongues
or holders, such means being adopted for expanding or contracting the connector or
fastener longitudinally; or such rollers, tongues or holders may be made with studs
or rivets in the same at each end to connect the plates, or the plates may be made
with studs or rivets in the same for connecting the rollers, tongues or holders, or I
may construct a frame or part frame of suitable shape to carry such rollers, tongues
or holders and instead of the two plates above mentioned I may use one only,
semi-tubular, with internal rollers, tongues or holders, and instead of the above
mentioned channel end plates, I may use one of continuous channel form, with one
side, perforated, or not, and in the other side, bosses suitably placed through which
set screws pass, the ends of which press or screw against. a false or portable plate
or eccentric tongue of the same length and depth as the channel.
"
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood and carried into practice
I will proceed to describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawing
which represents views of belt fasteners constructed according to my improvements.
Similar letters in all the figures represent similar parts.
Figure 1, is a plan of a belt fastener applied to a belt and shewing the
arrangement when two eccentric tongues or holders are employed; figure 2, is a
transverse section of same on line x, x, figure 1; figure 3, is a section on line A, B,
of figure 1, and figure 4, is a cross sction shewing the tongues opened the belt not
being shewn in figures 3, and 4.
In these figures a, a, are two eccentric tongues or holders formed or provided.
with projections or teeth b, b, as shewn and moving or rotating on. the rods or
bolts c, c, connected together by the end plates or pieces d, d; the inner lower edge
of each end piece is bevelled or cut away at e, e, for the purpose hereinafter
described.
:

page_text: To make use of a belt fastener of this construction the tongues a, a, are turned
on their rods or bolts c, c, in the direction of the arrows as shown at figure 4, and
the ends of the belt or strap or section of belt or strap f, to be connected or
fastened together are placed together flatwise and are passed up between the two
eccentric tongues or holders a, a; the belt or strap f, being then pulled downwards
and the driving strain being brought upon the belt the tongues. or holders a, a,
being eccentric to the rods or bolts c, c, on which they turn will be brought.
together and thereby grip the belt as shewn in figure 2, and the greater the strain
on the belt the firmer will the tongues or holders a, grip the ends of the belt and
by bevelling the end pieces as hereinbefore described and shewn at e, e, figure 3,
the ends of a belt practically of the same width as the outside length of the fastener
may be connected together so that the fastener does not project beyond the edges
of the belt and thereby presents no obstacle to the fork in moving the belt from
the fast to the loose pulley or vice versa.
The fastener shewn in plan and end view in figures 5, and 6, is substantially the
same as that. shewn in figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, except that one end of the rods or
bolts c, c, are screw threaded and screw into the bosses g, g, of one of the end
plates.d, d; this arrangement allows of the fastener being contracted longitudinally
by screwing up the bolts c, c, so as to bring the ends of the fastener within the
sides of the belt f, as shewn. The action is otherwise the same as that hereinbefore
described and therefore needs no further description,
.
Instead of the rods or bolts passing from end to end as 'hereinbefore described
each tongue or holder may be connected to the end plates d, d, by two screw
bolts c, c, c, c, as shewn in plan and end view at figures 7, and 8, the arrangement
being for the same purpose as above described when referring to figures 5. and 6.
In these figures the edges of the tongues are serrated to grip the belt.
The fastener shewn in plan and cross section at figures 9, and 10, is identical
with that shewn in figures 1, to 4, except that eccentric rollers a, a, instead of
tongues form the holders, being provided with points or teeth b, b, on them to grip
the ends of the belt.
'
For wide belts where it is advisable to employ a number of fasteners, I form the
end plates d, d, of a saddle or half moon shape as shewn in figures 11, and 12, the
hollow part h, passing over the turned up ends of the belts as shewn.
Figures 13, and 14, shew a plan and cross section of a fastener in which only
one moveable tongue or holder a, and one rod' or belt c, are employed, the end
plátes d, d, being connected together or formed in one piece by or with the cross
piece or fixed plate i, formed with serrations or teeth as shewn, the strain on the
belt causing the ends to be gripped between the tongue a, and the fixed plate i.
When only one tongue is employed I sometimes employ the arrangement shewn
in plan and cross section at figures 15, and 16, which is substantially the same as
that shewn in figures. 13 and 14, except that screws j, j, are employed to move the
tongue a, so as to grip the belt between the tongue a, and the fixed plate i, and
when once gripped is self holding..
Or where a fixed plate is employed instead of employing a tongue or holder a,
turning on a rod or bolt c, as shewn in figures 15, and 16, the holder may consist
of a loose plate k, shewn in figures 17, 18, and 19, screws j, j, serving to press the
holder or loose plate k, as in figures 15, and 16; so as to grip the ends of the
belt f, between the holder and the fixed plate i. Figure 17, is an end view of this
construction of belt fastener shewing the two ends of a belt; figure 18, a plan of
the underside of the same without the belt; figure 19, is a side view of figure 18,
without the loose plate k, and figure 20, is a side view of the loose plate k.
Having thus described my said invention and the best means with which I am
acquainted for carrying the same into effect I would have it understood that what
I claim is
Firstly. Constructing belt fasteners with two eccentric tongues, holders or
rollers capable of turning in a suitable frame so that when the ends of a belt
are placed between the tongues, holders or rollers and a strain is brought upon

page_text: the belt the said tongues, holders or rollers being eccentric are drawn towards
one another so as to firmly grip the ends of the belt substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in figures 1, to 12, of the accompanying drawing.
Secondly. The modified construction of belt fastener in which one eccentric
tongue or holder is used in combination with a fixed plate as herein before described
and illustrated in figures 13, and 14, of the accompanying drawing.
Thirdly. Bevelling or cutting away the end plates of the belt fastener as shewn
at e, e, figure 3, of the drawing in the manner and for the purpose above mentioned.
Fourthly. Forming the eccentric tongues, holders or rollers with screw threads
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in figures 5, 6, 7,
and 8 of the accompanying drawing.
Fifthly. The modified construction of belt fasteners in which a rotating tongue
or holder or a loose plate or holder is operated by set screws so as to grip the ends
of the belt between the holders and a fixed plate substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in figures 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of the accompanying
drawing.
Sixthly. Forming the end plates of belt fasteners of a saddle or half moon shape
as and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated in figure 12, of the
accompanying drawing.
Seventhly. The manufacture and use of the various belt fasteners herein before
described and illustrated in the several figures of the accompanying drawing.
In witness whereof I the said William Henry Sleep have hereto set my hand
and seal this fourth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty three
WILLIAM. HENRY, SLEEP (L.S.)