IMPROVEMENTS IN BELTING MADE OF FABRIC
Year: 1885

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I, JOHN VAN DUSSEN REED of 28 Gt James Street, Bedford Row in the County
of Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN BELTING MADE OF FABRIC a communication to me from
abroad by Benjamin L. Stowe of Brooklyn in the County of Kings and State of
New York, United States of America and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This Invention has relation to fabric belting.
The principal objections to the use of belts of this class with machinery are their
extensibility, the transverse ribs caused by weaving, and the liability of the plies to
separate while in use.
With a view to overcome these objections I substitute for woven fabric, solid
knitted fabric of the width required having a selvedge on each edge. Whatever rib
there may be on the acting surface of the belt-i.e. that surface which is next to the
pulley or band wheel--is longitudinal and not transverse, and as the knit fabric is
a solid fabric-such as produced in a "straight" knitting machine for making a
selvedged fabric-there are no plies to separate as in the case of a multiply woven
belt, or of a belt, (such as has heretofore been proposed) consisting of a tubular knit
fabric flattened and cemented together. Two of the objections above stated are
thus entirely eliminated by making the belt of a solid knit selvedged fabric of the
width required for the belt. The third objection-viz: extensibility is obviated by
incorporating into such a knit fabric during the process of its manufacture straight
longitudinal strands or cords which effectually prevent the belt from stretching
lengthwise.
The belt thus knitted may be faced or saturated with rubber or oil or other
similar or suitable material for giving it a frictional surface.
Figure 1 is a very much enlarged representation in plan of a portion of a fabric
belt knit in accordance with iny invention. In the actual web or fabric the strands
are of course packed closely together. They are represented in the drawing
Price 6d1

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enlarged and widely separated in order that the structure of the fabric may be
more readily understood.
Figure 2 is an edge view of a portion of the complete belt.
Figure 3 illustrates diagrammatically the manner of constructing the fabric.
Figure 4 is an enlarged representation of one of the numerous modified con-
structions of knit fabric that may be used.
Figure 5 is a similar representation of still another modification.
Figure 6 is a section on line x x Figure 5.
The fabric shown in Figure 1 is a solid knit selvedged fabric of the desired width
for the belt having incorporated with it however the longitudinal strands, and also
a weft if desired.
The knitted warp threads are shown at A the longitudinal strands at D and the
weft at E. The longitudinal strands or cords D are laid in the spaces between the
longitudinal rows of interlocked warp thread loops, and are held in the fabric in
this instance between the weft and those portions of the warp which extend
diagonally from one loop to the next.
The knitting elements of a machine for making such a fabric are such as indicated
in Figure 3. In this Figure F represents one of a series of vertically reciprocating
needles. G is a horizontal warp yarn guide which has a longitudinal reciprocating
motion equal to the distance from one needle to the second one from it, said guide
supplying a separate warp thread to each needle, and each warp thread being fed
alternately to one or the other of two contiguous needles. H is the stationary guide
bar which guides the longitudinal strands or cords into the fabric-usually one
strand for each space between the needles. I is the reciprocatory weft supplying
bar consisting of a bar having a longitudinal motion exceeding the width of the
fabric to be made. The weft thread passes through the tube d which is carried by
the bar, and the bar moves only when the needles are in their lowest positions;
letters A, D, E indicate the warp, longitudinal strands and weft respectively. Tho
needle is represented with one loop on it, and in position to take another loop.
The fabric produced by this organisation is, as seen in Figure 1, a solid selvedged
knit fabric of width desired for the belt, containing a weft or filling, the longi-
tudinal strands or cords and with whatever rib there may be on its acting surface
extending longitudinally instead of transversely of it. The longitudinal cords
which may be of any desired material-even wire if desired-enhance generally the
strength of the fabric and particularly prevent it effectually from stretching
longitudinally. Figure 2 is an edge view of a portion of the completed belt, which,
as shown, is provided on its acting face with a facing of rubber e, applied and
secured thereto in well known manner.
A convenient way of applying the rubber, is to first give the acting face of the
belt a slight friction coat by running the belt with rubber between cylinders which
force a slight coating of rubber on or into the face of the belt and then to apply the
rubber stripe which is cemented and vulcanized to the prepared face. Both faces
can be coated if desired.
The knitted fabric shown in Figure 4, contains as before the longitudinal
strands D and weft E. It differs from the fabric already described in the manner
of knitting together its warp threads the warp threads marked A being worked by
a set of vertical needles, and those marked B being worked by a set of horizontal
needles, the longitudinal strands D in this fabric are laid along the rows of loops
formed by the warp threads B..
The knitted fabrics shown in Figures 5 and 6 in the main is similar as to that
represented in Figure 4, the difference being the dissimilarity in the manner of
forming the selvedge and the addition of the binding warps C. The looped stitches
of these warps are formed upon the horizontal needles by which. the loops B are
formed, but these yarns C are led alternately to go and the other of two contiguous
needles thereby acting to bind the loops or stitches B and to prevent possibility of
the latter unravelling.

page_text: The outermost row of stitches B on each edge of the belt in Figures 5 and 6, is
not interlaced with the adjoining row of stitches A as in Figure 4; but they are
interlooped simply with the weft E and binders C, thus forming an edge which can
be worn away without impairing the integrity of the body of the belt. This feature
however is not here claimed specifically inasmuch as it forms the subject in part of
another application in my name for Letters Patent. In the face view of the belt
(Figure 5) the fabric is represented as developed or spread out for convenience of
illustration but in reality each edge is rolled up partly onto itself as indicated in
Figure 6, being caused to assume this position by draft or tension which is applied
to the requisite extent to the weft E.
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 Belting composed of a solid knit selvedged fabric of the width required
for the belt having incorporated in it straight longitudinal strands substantially as
and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.
Second A solid knit selvedged fabric belt having incorporated in it straight
longitudinal strands and weft, and formed or provided with a frictional facing
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Third-A solid knit selvedged fabric belt in which the warp threads are combined
with straight longitudinal strands, a weft and binding strands as and for the
purposes hereiubefore set forth.