Method and apparatus for controlling the tension of drive belts

A floating apparatus for controlling the tension of flexible drive belts connecting a drive pulley to a driven pulley, said drive pulley and said driven pulley having a series of sheaves thereon for receipt of said belts, said floating apparatus being supportable solely by said belts, comprising:

• a. first rotatable means for frictionally engaging the slack run of said drive belts including a series of first idler pulley means equal in number to the number of said drive belts connecting said drive pulley to said driven pulley, said first idler pulley means being adapted to ride on the outside of the slack run of said drive belts,
• b. second rotatable means for frictionally engaging the drive run of said drive belts including a second idler pulley means, said second idler pulley means being adapted to ride on the outside of the drive run on said drive belts, said second idler pulley means having an axis of rotation parallel to the axes of rotation of said first idler pulley means,
• c. means for connecting said first rotatable means to said second rotatable means,
• d. adjustable tension imposing means connected to said first rotatable means for urging said drive run of said drive belts and said slack run of said drive belts toward each other to maintain the tension in said belts sufficiently to prevent substantial slippage of said drive belts about said drive pulley and said driven pulley.