Apparatus for curing power transmission belts

An apparatus for curing an endless cross-linkable elastomeric belt comprising

• a rectangularly shaped base member having opposite side edges and opposite end edges,
• a generally box-shaped housing having a bottom member, an opposite top member spaced above the bottom member, and a substantially vertical side member secured along one edge to the bottom member and along its opposite edge to the top member thereby supporting the top member above the bottom member, said housing having an open side opposite its said side member and having two open ends,
• a first heated plate supported on the bottom member and facing said top member, laterally spaced longitudinally extending grooves in said first heated plate having a cross-section conforming to the cross-section of the belt to be cured,
• a plurality of piston and cylinder assemblies secured to said top member and depended therefrom towards said first heated plate,
• a second heated plate fixed to said pistons between the top member and the first heated plate, hydraulic means for moving the pistons in the cylinders and thereby moving said second heated plate to and from the first heated plate,
• pairs of laterally extending rails longitudinally spaced on the said base member,
• an upstanding panel secured to the base member and supporting the box-like housing above the base member,
• means comprising wheels rotatably disposed on said rails and supporting posts secured to the box-like housing and supported by said wheels for moving said box-like housing towards and away from said panel,
• a pair of longitudinally spaced cylindrically shaped members extending outwardly from said box-like housing and having grooves in the surface thereof adapted for insertion of a belt to be cured therein to support a belt looped about said cylindrically shaped members with an upper reach and a lower reach whereby the upper reach becomes disposed in the grooves in said first heated plate when the box-like housing is moved towards said upstanding panel, said box-like housing being rotatable into a position whereby it shields the belt from heat when the belt is outside the enclosure of the box-like housing after curing, and
• means for moving said cylindrically shaped members towards and away from each other to place a belt looped thereabout under tension.