AN IMPROVED MODE OF MANUFACTURING BELTS, BANDS, AND STRAPS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PLACE OF ROPES OR CHAINS, AND FOR OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
SMITH, of Princes Street, Leicester Square, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth,
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-sixth day of March, in the sixth year of His
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six,
did, for Ilimself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Andrew Smith and JOHN LIONEL HOOD, of the Town and County of the Town
of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gentleman, His especial license, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said John Lionel Hood and Andrew
Smith, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said John Lionel Hood and Andrew Smith, our executors, administrators,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all His Majesty's Colonies and
Plantations abroad, our Invention of "AN IMPROVED MODE OF MANUFACTURING
BELTS, BANDS, AND STRAPS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PLACE OF ROPES OR CHAINS, AND FOR
OTHER USEFUL PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
obliging us, the said John Lionel Hood and Andrew Smith, by an instrument
in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us,
particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled
in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
nnear

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that, in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Andrew Smith, on behalf of myself and of the said John Lionel Hood, do
hereby declare that the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, are particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following description thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
Our Invention of an improved mode of manufacturing belts, bands, and
straps to be employed in place of ropes or chains, and for other useful purposes,
has for its object the construction of belts, bands, and straps of a stronger and
more durable material; and, at the same time, they are lighter and of smaller
size or dimension than belts, bands, or straps of an equal strength composed
of the ordinary materials, as hempen yarn, leather, or other matters, and
consists in forming the said belts, bands, or straps of strands of metal wire,
properly combined and secured together either by weaving hempen or other
yarn therewith, or by binding, paying, or sewing them with string or spun yarn
of hemp, flax, or other fibrous material, or by sewing them together, as is
usually done in making flat hempen ropes, or by coating them with strong
canvass or other woven fabric, and sewing it on to and between the strands, so
as to combine them together and form one flat hand, strap, or belt, and which
improved belts, bands, or straps so manufactured are more particularly
applicable to the various purposes for which round or flat ropes or chains, or
leather straps have been heretofore used; for instance, bands or ropes for
mining purposes, large bands, belts, or straps for driving machinery or
millwork, ropes or chains for raising or moving heavy bodies, or for harness
for horses, as the traces, reins, and stirrup straps, which are more particularly
applicable for military purposes from their not being liable to be cut asunder
in battle; and further, these improved straps, belts, or bands may be used
in place of chains or rods for suspension piers, bridges, or viaducts, straps
for carriage springs, and various other purposes for which chains, ropes, straps,
bands, or belts hitherto composed of solid pieces of iron, hempen or flaxen
yarn, or leather, are commonly used for various purposes.
And in order that our improvements may be better understood. I shall
proceed to describe the mode of making or constructing these improved belts,
bands, or straps, and refer to the Diagrams or Figures or Drawings hereto
annexed. in order to illustrate the same, although we do not mean or intend
to confine ourselves to the precise mode or method described, or to any
particular number or quantity of wires, or any other details herein mentioned.
as the same must be varied to suit different sizes of belts, bands, or straps for
various purposes; (that is to say,) we first prepare any given number of lengths

page_text: or pieces of metal wire (iron or copper we prefer) of the required length for
the intended belt, band, or strap, which pieces or lengths may be straightened
and laid alongside of each other, or wound round reels or bobbins; we then
take any given number of lengths of wire, according to the size thereof, and
also according to the intended strength and dimensions of the belt, strap,
or band, and after laying the proper number of wires to form each strand
alongside of each other, we cover the lengths of wire with a solution of
dissolved india-rubber or caoutchouc and oil, asphaltum, pitch, tar or any
anti-corrosive mixture, compound, or solution which will prevent the lengths of
wire from rusting; we then slightly twist the number of lengths of wire
together into a strand, as shewn in the Diagram, Fig. 1, (which represents a
portion of a strand in this state) so as just to hold them together, the super-
fluous anti-corrosive compound being squeezed out of the strand by the twisting
thereof; we then take any number of these strands of metallic wire, according
to the width of the band, belt, or strap intended to be made, and connect them
together by binding, interweaving, "paying" or coating them with string,
spun yarn, or twisted strands of any proper fibrous material, also saturated with
solution of dissolved india-rubber and oil, asphaltum, pitch, tar, or other water-
proof and preserving composition, and thereby combine them together so as
to form a strap, band, or belt, as shewn in Fig. 2, which is a representation of
a portion of one of our improved bands, belts, or straps in this state. a, à, are
the strands of wire; b, b, the hempen or spun yarn interwoven therewith.
The spun yarn, string, or strands of hemp, flax, or other fibrous material, may
be interwoven with the strands of wire by placing the strands of wire as warp
in a power loom, and throwing or shooting the spun yarn of hemp or other
fibrous material between them as weft by means of a shuttle, as in the ordinary
process of weaving fabrics, the weft being beat up by the stroke of a heavy
reed; or the strands of metallic wire may be connected together by sewing.
them one to the other, as is usually done in making flat hempen ropes,
or by coating them with string, canvass, or other woven fabric, and sewing it
on to and between the strands, so as to combine them together and form one
flat band, strap, or belt. When it is required to connect the ends of these
improved belts, straps, or bands together, it may be done much in the usual
manner of connecting the ends of leather belts, bands, or straps, or flat ropes,
viz, by sewing, rivetting, or screwing them together, one end being
'laid over
the other, and the screws or rivets c, c, passed through them and also through
two or more pieces of metal d, d, as shewn in Fig. 3, which, Figure. I have
shewn only as an example; and when the ends of these metallic belts, bands,
or straps are to be connected to eyes or hooks, as in the straps of ships,
blocks, pit or shaft chains for mining purposes, or other such application,

page_text: it may be done, as shewn in Figures 4. 5. 6, and 7. by passing the ends of the
strands of wire a. a. into countersunk conical holes e. c. made in the butt of
the hook or eye g. and upsetting. rivetting, or beating out the ends of the
wire strands into the conical holes, and securing them by screw caps or by
braizing or soldering the ends of the wire strands into the conical holes, the
solder running among the wires and around them, and forming a solid mass
which cannot be drawn out of the conical countersunk holes. I would
here remark that, although we have described the strands of wire as being
slightly twisted or spun, so as to hold them together, yet they may be kept
quite straight, which will answer the purpose, but we prefer them to be
slightly twisted.
Having now described our improvements and manner of carrying the same
into effect, wish it to be understood that what we claim as our Invention.
secured to us by the above in part recited Letters Patent. is the improved
mode of making or manufacturing the bands. straps. or belts by forming them
of a number of lengths of metal wire, composing strands which are connected
together, so as to form belts, straps, or bands by means of spun yarn interwoven,
bound round, or combined therewith, or by sewing them together or covering
them with strong canvass or other woven fabric, as above mentioned, thereby
forming perfect belts, bands, or straps applicable for various useful purposes.
and more particularly for all purposes where flat ropes or chains or straps.
are now used.
In witness whereof. I, the said Andrew Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six