Driving Machinery.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1886.
Complete Left, 11th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 11th Jan., 1887.
Driving Machinery.
I GEORGE JAMES BOOTH of Oakenrod Rochdale in the County of Lancaster
Leather Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Leather or other ropes, belts or bands (of. round or other sections) to work in
grooved pulleys for driving machinery are at present made by building up a number
of longitudinal layers on each other and sewing, rivetting or otherwise connecting
them together so as to form practically one piece, the result of which method of
manufacture is a considerable stiffness and want of flexibility, and the setting up of a
counter strain in the rope, belt or band when working, as the natural tendency of the
upper or outer surface is to travel quicker than the under or inner side, and it is
restrained from doing so, by the rivetting or other fastening, which secures the inner,
intermediate, and outer layers together and thus an unequal strain is put upon the
different layers.
Now if, instead of being so secured together the various layers were independent of
each other, then each layer would travel at its own proportionate speed, and would
carry its due amount of the strain, and the whole combined layers would perform their
duty more effectually than is possible under the present system.
The object of my invention is to secure this independent action, and I propose to do
this by taking straps or bands of such number and width as are necessary to make the
required section or strength of rope belt, or band, and I hold them in their proper
position in relation to each other by rings of leather or other suitable material, and of
such internal form as will fit on the exterior of the layers described and of such forin
externally as will fit or be suitable for the section of the groove in which the rope belt
or band is intended to work.
These rings are strung close together upon the layers and by this means the various
layers or strips forming the body of the rope, belt or band are held firmly together in
such a manner that they are kept in their proper position relatively to the groove in
which they are to work, but they are not so fastened together that they cannot travel
or creep over each other in the manner required to preserve a proper flexibility, but
they will on the contrary so travel or creep when required, thereby avoiding the

page_text: counter strain which as before described is unavoidable in belts wherein the
longitudinal layers or strips are rivetted or otherwise rigidly fastened together, and
thus much greater pliability and consequently much better adhesion or cling" to the
pulleys is obtained than is possible by ropes belts or bands.as heretofore made.
The rings of leather or other material holding the layers or strips together form a
medium between the rope, belt or band, and the surface of the pulley but in no way
affect the capacity of the whole to transmit power.
These rings can be formed in a variety of ways varying somewhat in form according
to the section required, but I prefer to make them without piecing by stamping or
cutting them out of leather, more especially so in the case of round ropes; they may
however be made of straight strips, with the ends joined in a suitable manner or in the
case of triangular or square ropes they may be made partially (preferably on the side
or sides which do not come in contact with the pulley) of wood, metal or other
suitable material.
In making these ropes, belts or bands I do not observe one fixed method of
-arranging the strips, strands or layers, but arrange them in such manner and numbers
as I think best suited to the section required, and I make the ropes belts or bands
either solid or hollow as may be preferred.
I thread the rings closely together onto the core thus made leaving the ends
uncovered to a sufficient length to form the splice or final joint when putting it round
or onto the pulleys.
.When the splice is made I cover the short un-ringed space by winding round it
narrow leather or other flat thongs, or cord, or I employ rings of leather or other
similar material like that covering the rest of the rope, belt, or band, but instead of
their being solid I cut them so as to pass them round the rope after splicing and
I secure the ends together in any suitable manner.

page_text: Driving Machinery.
I, GEORGE JAMES BOOTH of Oakenrod Rochdale in the County of Lancaster
Leather Merchant do hiceby 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 :-
Leather or other thick ropes belts or bands to work in grooved or on flat faced
pulleys for driving machinery are at present made by building up a number of
longitudinal strands or layers upon each other so as to form the required thickness or
section, and sewing rivetting or otherwise connecting them together so as to form
practically one piece. The result of this method of manufacture is a considerable
stiffness and want of flexibility and the setting up of a counter strain when working
as the natural tendency of the upper or outer surface is to travel quicker than the
under or inner side, but is restrained from doing so by the sewing rivetting or other
fastening which secures the inner, intermediate and outer. layers together. It is
evident also that when a rope belt or band of large diameter or thickness is passed
round 2 pulleys the outer strand or layer must as it then occupies a greater
circumference be considerably longer than the inner strand or layer; if therefore all
the strands or layers are made of one length, and rivetted or otherwise secured
together, the outer one must, in order to assume that position, be much more severely
strained than the inner ones. Take for example the case of a rope, belt, or band of
say 14 inches thickness; when in working position round 2 pulleys of any diameter,
the outer strand or layer must either be stretched about 9 inches longer than the
inner one, or else the inner strand or layer must "buckle," crumple-up, or otherwise
contract itself as much as the outer one stretches less than 9 inches, and as such
contracting action cannot be simultaneous with any pulling or driving strain on the
same strand it is obvious that such pulling or driving strain must be very unequally
distributed through the section of the rope belt or band and that the strain on each
strand or layer varies according to its circumferential position in relation to the
pulleys, the outer layers bearing the greatest strain; and also that such inequality of
strain is inseperable from all ropes belts or bands where the strands or layers are
secured together in any form, as, being so secured, it is impossible to make any
allowance by varying length for the relatively different positions of the several strands
or layers. Now if instead of being secured together as described the various strands
or layers were independent of each other and made of slightly different lengths varying
according to their number and position, the outer layers being of course the longest,
then each strand or layer would travel at its own proportionate speed and would carry
its own due proportion of the whole driving strain or load whilst the whole strands or

page_text: layers combined would perform their duty much more effectually than is possible
under the method of manufacture before described.
The object of my invention is to secure this independent action of each strand or
layer, and I propose to do this by taking strands or layers of leather or other suitable
material, and of such number width thickness and form as are necessary to make the
required section or strength of rope, belt, or band, and of slightly different lengths,
varying according to their number and position, the outer layer being the longest and
the inner one the shortest; and I hold them in their proper positions in relation to
each other by rings of leather or other suitable material, of such internal form as will
fit on the exterior of the combined strands or layers described, and of such form
externally as will fit or be suitable for the grooved or flat faced pulleys in or on which
the rope, belt or band is intended to work.
In the drawing annexed to this specification Figs. 1. 2 and 3 illustrate my improved
method of manufacturing a belt of a section suitable for working in a V grooved
pulley a a being the longitudinal strands or layers, and b. b. the rings.
These rings b. b. (one of which is shown detachod at Fig. 2) are strung closely
together upon the strands or layers a a so as to form a continuous covering and by
this means the said strands or layers a. a. forming the body or core of the rope, belt,
or band are held together (see also section Fig. 3.) in such a manner that they are
kept in their proper positions, but they are not so firmly held together that they
cannot travel or creep over each other in the manner required to preserve a proper
flexibility and equality of strain; but they will on the contrary so travel or creep
thereby avoiding the counter strain which as before described is unavoidable in all
ropes belts or bands wherein the strands or layers are rivetted or otherwise fastened
together, and consequently much better adhesion or "cling" to the pulleys is obtained,
and the life or durability of the rope belt or band is very materially increased.
The covering rings b. b. may be formed in a variety of ways or of more pieces and
materials than one but I prefer to make them without piecing by stamping or cutting
them out of leather.
In making the body or core of these ropes belts or bands, I do not observe one fixed
method of arranging the strands or layers a. a. but arrange them in such manner and
numbers as I think best suited to the section required; I prefer however to place
thom one above the other, each layer being of suitable width, and in one piece, and I
then shape the edges or sides so as to fit the form of ring or pulley required, as shown
by the examples Figs. 4. 5. 6 and 7; each layer may however consist of several
narrower pieces or strands and the pieces or strands may be arranged diagonally as
shewn in section at Fig. 8 especially in the case of square ropes working corner-wise,
so as to avoid having to shape the edges as is necessary when single horizontal layers
are used.
I thread the rings b. b. closely together upon the core thus prepared, leaving
however the ends of the strands a. a. uncovered to a sufficient length to form the
splices or final joints in the several strands or layers after being passed round the
pulleys. When the strands or layers a. a. are spliced (each end to the corresponding
one of the same strand or layer) I cover the short unringed space with rings similar
to those covering the rest of the rope belt or band (see Fig. 2.) but instead of their
being solid or endless I cut them so as to pass them round the body or core of the
rope belt or band after splicing and I then secure the ends of the rings together in any
suitable manner. Fig. 9 is a section of a flat belt manufactured upon the same
principle.
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,
First. The manufacture of ropes belts or bands for driving machinery by arranging
together a number of loose or detached longitudinal layers or strands of leather or
other material and binding the same together by means of external rings of leather or

page_text: other suitable material threaded thereon substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Secondly. In the manufacture of ropes belts or bands for driving Machinery
composed of 2 or more loose or detached longitudinal strands or layers of leather or
material bound together by external rings of leather or other material, making the
said longitudinal strands or layers of different lengths so graduated as to distribute
the tensile strain equally over the whole substantially in the manner and for the
purpose hereinbefore described.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.