IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING THE ENDS OF STRAPS OR BELTS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Eli Howarth, of Rochdale, in the County of
Lancaster, Joiner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING
THE ENDS OF STRAPS OR BELTS."
Sealed the 28th February 1871, and dated the 16th September 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Eli Howarth at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th September 1870.
I, ELI HOWARTH, of Rochdale; in the County of Lancaster, Joiner,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN CONNECTING THE ENDS OF STRAPS OR BELTS," to be as follows:-
:-
My Invention consists in making two or more slots with rounded
ends near one end of the strap, and in the other end of the strap other
slots are made rounded at one end and square at the other, the strap
being cut through from the square end of the slot to the end of the
strap, thereby dividing the end of the strap into two or more T shaped
parts. In connecting the ends of the strap the T shaped parts. are

page_text: twisted partly round and passed through the slots in the other end; by
this means the ends of the strap are securely connected together without
the aid of laces, or metal clips, or buckles, as now customary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Eli Howarth in the Great Seal Patent Office on 5
the 2nd March 1871.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her. heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Eli Howarth, Her special licence that
I, the said Eli Howarth, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Eli Howarth, 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, excrcise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING THE ENDS
OF STRAPS OR BELTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Eli Howarth, my exccutors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Eli Howarth, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):―
My Invention consists in making two or more slots with rounded
ends near one end of the strap, and in the other end of the strap other

page_text: .
slots are made rounded at one end and square at the other, the strap
being cut through from the square end of the slot to the end of the
strap, thereby dividing the end of the strap into two or more T shaped
parts. In connecting the ends of the strap the T shaped parts are
twisted partly round and passed through the slots in the other end; by
this means the ends of the strap are securely connected together without
the aid of laces, or metal clips, or buckles, as now customary.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into operation, I will proceed to describe the accompanying
Drawing, in which several modes of carrying my Invention into operation
are shewn:
Fig. 1 represents the end of a strap or belt in which six or other
convenient number of round-ended slots a are punched; the number of
slots may be varied according to the width of the strap. Fig. 2
represents the other end of the same strap, in which other slots b are
punched, but these slots bare square at one end and round at the other,
the end of the strap being cut through from the square end of the slot b,
thereby dividing the end of the strap into as many T shaped parts as
there are slots u. In connecting the two ends of the strap the T shaped
parts are twisted one-fourth round by a pair of pincers or by hand, and
passed through the slots a, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, which represent
a plan and edge view of my improved mode of connecting the ends of
straps together without the aid of laces, or metal clips, or buckles, as
now customary. Before punching the slots it is desirable to chamfer off
one edge of the end of the strap to allow the strap to fit closer on the
pulley over which it passes.
Figs. 5 and 6 represent a modification of my Invention. In this case
the ends of the strap are connected by a double joint, that is to say, in
each end of the strap two rows of slots are punched, one row like those
marked a in Fig. 1, and the other row like b in Fig. 2; both ends of the
strap are divided into T shaped parts, and the ends are connected
together, as shewn in Fig. 6.
Figs. 7 and 8 are two views of another modification of my Invention.
This forms a treble connection, that is to say, the ends of the strap are
first prepared as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, and then a row of slots a is
punched in each end of the strap; an additional short piece of strap c is
then prepared, each end being stamped and cut as shewn in Fig. 2;

page_text: the T shaped ends of the strap c are then twisted into the slots a of the
main strap, thereby completing the connection.
Figs. 9 and 10 represent another mode of connecting the ends of a
strap. In this case a row of slots like a, in Fig. 1, are punched in each
end, and an intermediate piece d of any required length is prepared.
with slots band T shaped parts at each end. This mode of connecting
is particularly useful when the strap requires lengthening.
Fig. 11 is an elevation, and Fig. 12 a plan of a convenient apparatus
for punching the requisite slots in the ends of straps to be coupled
according to my improvements; but I wish to remark here that any
other suitable apparatus may be used. The apparatus shewn in Figs-11-
and 12 consists-of-a-foundation plate e, screwed to a strong bench or
table; and fis a plate connected to the plate e by the screws g and wing
heads h. Between the plates e and fis a space to admit the strap to be
punched; and these plates are provided with slots corresponding in
shape to those to be punched; the end of the strap is secured between
the plates by tightening the wing heads h, and the holes are punched in
succession by cutting punches of the proper shape, one of which is shewn
at i in Fig. 11.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described several
modes of performing the same, I wish to remark that I do not intend to
limit myself to the details given, as the same may be varied; but what
I claim is, the improvements in connecting the ends of straps or belts
whereby the usual laces, clips, buckles, or other equivalents are dispensed
as shewn and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Eli Howarth, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of February, One thou-
sand eight hundred and seventy-one.