AN IMPROVED CLASP OR FASTENING FOR JOINING THE ENDS OF BELTS OR BANDS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CLASP OR FASTENING FOR JOINING THE
ENDS OF BELTS OR BANDS."--A communication.
Sealed the 30th July 1858, and dated the 1st February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st February 1858.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED CLASP OR FASTENING FOR JOINING THE
ENDS OF BELTS OR BANDS," to be as follows:-
The improved clasp or fastening for belts or bands which constitutes the
present Invention consists of arms and fingers extending at right angles from
a bar or rod to which they are connected. The arms are curved, and this
curved or circular form may, if considered desirable, correspond to the circle
of the pulley or drum over which it is to pass, but for all ordinary purposes
it is not necessary, as the width of the clasp and its connection with the belt
will enable it to adapt itself readily to the various sized pullies and wheels it
may pass over. The ends of the arms are turned up and form fingers or
hooks, and the under side of the fingers are slightly curved, so as to prevent

page_text: them from striking and indenting the pulley. The fingers are the only parts
of the clasp that are brought in contact with the pulley, and these are soon
imbedded in the belt by the pressure in passing over the pulley or otherwise.
The belt is punched with holes to receive the fingers, and as the belt is put
on to the fingers the ends of the belt will be brought together, and can be cut,
if too long, so as to closely fit into the clasp of the fingers. The belt may
then be so compressed by hammering or otherwise that the fingers of the
clasp will then be imbedded in the leather, and will pass over the pulley
without moving it out of place, and without noise or slipping of the belt.
The ends of the fingers are square or blunt, and these square or faced ends
prevent the belt from moving laterally out of line, which would be liable to
be the case if the finger ends were rounded, and particularly so when a shifter
is used.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 31st July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office. for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
1. WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED CLASP OR FASTENING FOR JOINING THE ENDS OF BELTS
OR BANDS," being a communication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within

page_text: six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW. YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The improved clasp or fastening for belts or bands which constitutes the
present Invention consists of a bar or rod provided with arms or fingers,
extending at right angles from the bar or rod to which they are attached.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an improved
belt clasp constructed according to the present Invention; Fig. 2 is a view.
shewing the two ends of a belt connected by means of the clasp; Fig. 3 is a
sectional view of. Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view of the under side of the clasp, and
Fig. 5 is a top view of the same. This clasp or fastening may be of any
desirable size, its construction being such that it may be made the entire
width of the belt, or it may be made in two or more sections and the belt
connected thereby.
The arms a, a, are curved, as seen in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and this curved
or circular form may, if considered desirable, correspond to the circle of the
pulley or drum over which it is to pass, but for all ordinary purposes it is
not necessary, as the width of the clasp and its connection with the belt will'
enable it to adapt itself readily to the various sized pulleys and wheels it may
pass over. b. (Figures 4 and 5) represents a bar from which extends the
arms a, the ends of which form returns or fingers c, c, Fig. 1. The ends of
the arms are turned up and form fingers or hooks, and the under side of the
fingers are slightly curved so as to prevent them from striking and indenting
the pulley. The fingers are the only parts of the clasp that are brought in
contact with the pulley, and these fingers are soon imbedded in the belt by
the pressure in passing over the pulley or otherwise. The belt is punched
with holes to receive the fingers, and as the belt is put on to the fingers the
ends d, d', of the belt will be brought together, as seen in Figures 2 and 3.
The ends can be cut, if too long, so as to closely fit into the clasp of the
fingers, as seen in the Figures. The belt may be so compressed by hammering
or otherwise, that the fingers of the clasp will be imbedded in the leather,
and will pass over the pulley without moving the belt out of place and
without noise or slipping of the belt, which is liable to be the case when the
whole of one side of a clasp is brought in contact with the pulley. The
ends of the fingers are square or blunt, as indicated at e, (Figures 3 and 4,)

page_text: and these square or faced ends prevent the belt from moving laterally out of
line, which would be liable to be the case if the finger ends were rounded, and
particularly so when a shifter is used. As the clasp passes over the pulley
the belt vibrates on the finger ends, thus conforming to the circle of the pulley
without unnecessary strain, and preventing the tearing of the belt.
Having now described. the Invention of "An Improved Clasp or Fastening
for Joining the Ends of Belts or Bands," as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be new,
and therefore wish to claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent
as aforesaid, is the use of the curved arms a, provided with fingers c, c, and
extending from both sides of a bar or rod and at right angles thereto, as above
shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W: E. NEWTON. (L.S.)