Tensioning of belt drives

A belt drive comprising:

• a first pulley;
• at least one additional pulley;
• an elastic belt that is engageable over the first pulley and the at least one additional pulley;
• and
• an auxiliary unit connected to the first pulley;
• the auxiliary unit comprising a detent;
• the auxiliary unit being rotatable about a first pivot between an operating position and a belt changing position, wherein in the belt changing position, the first pulley is closer to the at least one additional pulley than in the operating position such that a tension of the elastic belt is less in the belt changing position than in the operating position;
• the belt drive further comprising a tensioning link being rotatable about a second pivot;
• the tensioning link comprising an open-ended slot for receiving the detent in a slidable manner;
• the open-ended slot having an open end and a closed end and being configured such that the closed end is located closer to the second pivot than the open end;
• in the operating position, the detent is locatable at the closed end of the open-ended slot and to obtain the belt changing position, the detent is movable along the open-ended slot towards, and preferably out of, the open end of the open-ended slot:
• wherein movement of the detent along the open-ended slot requires simultaneous rotation of the auxiliary unit about the first pivot.