Drive belt loading system

A system for automatically loading and unloading a drive belt onto a driven pulley which is permanently associated with a replaceable device which is removable in a non-horizontal direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said driven pulley,

• said system comprising:
• (1) means for supporting said device with the axis of rotation of said driven pulley substantially parallel to said direction and in a non-horizontal plane;
• (2) means positioned between said device supporting means and the said driven pulley and non-removably attached to said supporting means for guiding a drive belt from a first untensioned position to a second tensioned position on said driven pulley, said guide means including at least one surface sloping towards said driven pulley from said supporting means defining a portion of a conical frustum having its axis positioned coaxially with the axis of rotation of said driven pulley and a belt support surface extending normal to the axis of said frustum;
• (3) a driving pulley having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to said axis of rotation of said driven pulley and positioned in substantially the same plane as said driven pulley;
• (4) means permanently associated with said driving pulley for preventing gravity from disengaging said belt completely from said driving pulley when the belt is not under tension;
• and
• (5) means for applying tension to said belt when said belt is in said first position to cause said guide means to automatically transfer said belt to said driven pulley as said driving pulley is rotated and to transfer said belt to said guiding surface by gravity when said tension is released and said driving pulley stops.