1830-11-01 Improved Mode Of Coupling Machine Bands Or Straps
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BY W. NEWTON,
CIVIL ENGINEER AND MECHANICAL DRAFTSMAN.
Assisted by several Scientific Gentlemen.
VOL. VI.
[SECOND SERIES.]
London:
PUBLISHED BY SHERWOOD, GILBERT AND PIPER, PATERNOSTER ROW; SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL, STATIONERS' COURT; AND W. NEWTON, OFFICE FOR PATENTS, 66, CHANCERY LANE,
1831.
Improved mode of coupling Machine Bands or Straps.
MR. E. Budding, of Stroud, Gloucester, the recent Patentee of an ingenious machine for mowing lawns, has lately invented a new mode of uniting the ends of leather straps or bands, employed in driving machinery, which, from its simplicity and perfect security, will beyond all doubt, be adopted in every mill and manufactory where leather strapping is made use of, instead of lacing, thongs, rivets, or buckles.
In some mills where very long bands or straps are used, it is customary to secure the several pieces together by rivets, to form the whole length of strap; and to attach the two extreme ends by lacings, so as to allow of adjustment. This mode of fastening is objectionable, as the hammering of the rivet, unless very carefully done, is liable to bruise and injure the leather, and frequently causes them to break at such parts when in use; beside to make a secure joint, many rivets must be used, which is both expensive and troublesome.
Fastening straps with lacings or thongs is also objectionable, as they require many holes to be pierced through the straps, which weakens them, and when they require adjusting, a considerable time is lost in unlacing and relacing them again, to take up a hole; during which time the machinery must stand still:' and the lacings, in passing over the drums, are often cut, and very soon wear through; thus producing delay and expence, and injury to the machinery. These disadvantages are so well known to all practical men, who have the superintendance of machinery, that we feel convinced any attempt to obviate them will be acceptable to our readers.
Mr. Budding's plan consists in employing studs, or metallic buttons, the shanks or stems of which are hollow sockets, having a female screw cut in them.
The stem or shank is as long as the thickness of the two pieces of strap when combined, and is made truly cylindrical, fitting the holes punched in the straps at the proper places of union. When the holes in the ends of the strap are brought together, the socket or shank of the stud is introduced through them, with the button or disk on the underside, and a screw with a large flat head is screwed tightly into the socket of the button, which compresses the leather between the button, and the screw head, as it becomes tightened up, and keeps the two peices in close contact, producing a tight and secure joint; the strap being as pliable at the junction as at any other part.
Plate VII, fig. 8, to a view of the two pieces of strap fastened together, as seen on the upperside; fig, 9, is an edge view of the same; fig. 10, is a representation of the button or disk with its socket, rim, and the top screw seperated from each other: fig. 11, a representation of them when put together.
When two pieces of strap are to be united, it is only necessary to punch the holes of the proper size, to suit the stem of the button intended to be used, and on bringing them together, the socket is to be introduced through them, and then the large headed screw introduced into the socket and screwed tight up.
It is obvious that this operation will take but little time, and a strap can be unfastened and a hole let out, or taken up and fastened again in a few seconds.
Straps of considerable strength and thickness, will require different sized buttons and stems, according to the rate at which are have intended to work. They are generally used three together for securing one junction of the straps, for all ordinary purposes of machinery; but for a steam engine strap perhaps five may be required: more than five is seldom necessary, unless to an engine of very great power.
The operation of attaching the straps by these studs is greatly facilitated by the use of a punch of a rather novel construction, likewise invented by Mr. Budding, the form of which is shewn in fig. 12. It consists of a clamp a, through which is passed the thumb screw b on the lower end of which is the punch c. When the straps are adjusted, they are held between the clamp as at d, and the thumb screw turned round, when the punch will cut a perfectly clean hole through both straps at once.
On the band of the clamp is the concave piece of steel e, which is file cut on its surface; when the socket of the button has been introduced into the hole, this concave piece is placed against the button, at the underside of the strap, and held in contact with it, while the screw is driven up tight, the rough file cut surface preventing the button from slipping round. Different sized punches may be fitted to the thumb screw or clamp, to suit the sockets of the different sized buttons, some of which are made small enough to connect the leather straps of carriage harness, and it would be very desirable if stage coachmen and guards were to carry a few of these buttons in their waistcoat pockets, in case of accident, These studs are sold from 3s. to 4s. 6d. per dozen, according to the size.