Improved Manufacture of Leather Laces for Connecting the Ends of Driving Belts and for similar purposes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Feb., 1900-Accepted, 26th May, 1900
Improved Manufacture of Leather Laces for Connecting the Ends of
Driving Belts and for similar purposes.
A communication from LOUIS ALFRED KLINGE, of Oststrasse 2, Dresden-Lobtau,
Empire of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows: -
In order to facilitate the passing through the belt of the cords or laces of
soft leather and used for sewing together the ends of belts, the laces are usually
cut to a point. In spite of this the passing of the laces so prepared through the
perforations made by the awl, is often very difficult, because the perforations
have a tendency, owing to the elasticity of the leather, to close up and the point
of the lace is soft and becomes softer each time it is drawn through, as well as
ragged. On the other hand the perforations must not be too great or they
would impair the strength of the belt and they must allow of a closed seam
being formed. Some saddlers or belt makers try to overcome these drawbacks
by submitting the point of the lace to a flame. By such treatment the leather
lace point becomes somewhat harder and stiffer, but rather thicker than thinner,
and without the sharp and smooth edges required. Further laces having their
ends provided with metal covers like boot laces have been used for this purpose.
According to the present invention the object may be attained in a simple and
certain manner by providing the soft leather lace with an elastic and hard point
which at the same time is of smaller dimensions than the rest of the lace.
This thin
The lace passes into a point which is thinner than the lace itself.
and hard point acts like a needle drawing after itself easily the body of the lace
through the narrow perforations in the belt.
The hard and thin point is produced by subjecting the end of the leather lace
to great pressure between two preferably moderately heated metal plates or
rollers.
By such treatment the end not only becomes thinner but also more compact,
hard and springy and the obliquely cut edges, cut either before or after pressing,
remain smooth and sharp and further a point so produced does not become
ragged.
As regards the temperature to be used in so treating the laces, the degree of
In some
heat depends upon the kind of tanning the leather has received.
tanned leathers such pressing can be carried out without any heating of the
pressing plates, still as a general rule 20° C. should be mentioned as the lower
limit of such heating, while above 60° to 70° C. could not be employed without
injuring the quality of the laces.
Dated this 20th day of are 1899
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improved Manufacture of Leather Laces for Connecting the Ends of
Driving Belts and for similar purposes.
A communication from LOUIS ALFRED KLINGE, of Oststrasse 2, Dresden-Lobtau,
Empire of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
In order to facilitate the passing through the belt of the cords or laces of
soft leather and used for sewing together the ends of belts, the laces are usually
cut to a point. In spite of this the passing of the laces so prepared through the
perforations made by the awl, is often very difficult, because the perforations
have a tendency, owing to the elasticity of the leather, to close up and the point
of the lace is soft and becomes softer each time it is drawn through, as well as
ragged. On the other hand the perforations must not be too great or they
would impair the strength of the belt and they must allow of a closed seam
being formed. Some saddlers or belt makers try to overcome these drawbacks
by submitting the point of the lace to a flame. By such treatment the leather
lace point becomes somewhat harder and stiffer, but rather thicker than thinner,
and without the sharp and smooth edges required. Further laces having their
ends provided with metal covers like boot laces have been used for this purpose.
According to the present invention the object may be attained in a simple and
certain manner by providing the soft leather lace with an elastic and hard point
which at ne same time is of smaller dimensions than the rest of the lace.
In the accompanying drawing:-
Figures 1 and 2 represent the end of a lace in plan and side view respectively.
The lace a passes at 6 into a point which as shown in Figure 2 is thinner
than the lace a itself. This thin and hard point acts like a needle drawing
after itself easily the body of the lace through the narrow perforations in the
belt.
The hard and thin point is produced by subjecting the end c of the leather
lace to great pressure between two preferably moderately heated metal plates
or rollers.
By such treatment the end not only becomes thinner but also more compact,
hard and springy and the obliquely cut edges, cut either before or after pressing,
remain smooth and sharp; and further a point so produced does not become
ragged.
As regards the temperature to be used in so treating the laces, the degree of
heat depends upon the kind of tanning the leather has received.
In some
tanned leather such pressing can be carried out without any heating of the
pressing plates, still as a general rule 20° C. should be mentioned as the lower
limit of such heating, while above 60° to 70° C. could not be employed without
injuring the quality of the laces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. A lace of soft leather for connecting the ends of transmission belts and
the like having a springy hard thin sharp edged point, substantially as and for
the purpose described.

page_text: 2. The method of imparting to leather laces of soft leather for connecting
the ends of belts and the like a springy hard thin and sharp edged point con-
sisting in subjecting the end of the leather lace to great pressure preferably
under a moderate amount of heat, substantially as described.
3. A leather lace substantially as described or illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of February 1900.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.