Method and Apparatus for Transferring Auxiliary Power from an Engine Crankshaft Output to a Supercharger Input That Circumvents Belt Path Obstacles

A supercharged engine having an engine block, a crankshaft pulley at one end of the engine block for transferring power to auxiliary devices, a main drive belt connected to the crankshaft pulley and to the auxiliary devices, a supercharger having a housing that is mounted on the top of the engine block, the supercharger having a pulley for transferring power to the supercharger, the engine having an obstructive engine component extending from the same end of the engine block as the crankshaft pulley and lying in the same plane as the main drive belt, and a drive path transfer apparatus comprising:

• a bracket attached to the engine block in a location away from the obstructive engine component,
• a coupling shaft carried for rotation by the bracket and having an input pulley at one end that is in the plane of and coupled to the main drive belt to be rotated by it, and having an output pulley at the other end that is located inboard of the input pulley and in a space positioned away from both the obstructive engine component and the supercharger housing,
• the supercharger pulley being located in the same plane as the output pulley and coupled thereto with a secondary drive belt, the bracket, the main drive belt, the input pulley, the output pulley, the secondary belt and the supercharger pulley all being positioned away from the obstructive engine component for operation free of obstruction by it,
• whereby the supercharger is powered by the crankshaft through a primary drive path comprising the main drive belt, and the input pulley, and then through a secondary drive path comprising the output pulley, the secondary belt and the supercharger pulley, the primary drive path transferring power to the secondary drive path through the coupling shaft without interference from the obstructive engine component.