Belt loading method and device for material removal tool

A belt loading device, comprising:

• an abrasive belt having a closed loop configuration, the abrasive belt configured to be loaded onto a machining tool;
• a base support defining a slot extending lengthwise along a longitudinal axis, the slot having an open top along the longitudinal axis, the abrasive belt longitudinally received in the slot along the longitudinal axis and accessible via the open top of the slot;
• a movable part engaged in the slot of the base support, the movable part movable relative to the base support towards and away from the open top of the slot in a direction transversal to longitudinal axis between a biased position and a belt releasing position in which the movable part is retracted into the slot at least partly below plateaued surfaces facing upwardly along opposed longitudinal sides of the slot for providing a bottom support to the abrasive belt inside the slot, the base support and the movable part, while in the biased position, cooperating to maintain the abrasive belt in a fixed position defining a tool engaging area circumscribed by an inner surface of the abrasive belt;
• and
• a biasing member interfacing between the base support and the movable part to bias the movable part along the transversal direction into the biased position towards the open top of the slot of the base support;
• wherein the slot has an open-ended end along the longitudinal axis, a portion of the movable part extends beyond a side of the base support, beyond the open-ended end of the slot, the portion of the movable part includes outer support walls facing an outer surface of the abrasive belt when the movable part is in the biased position.