US 4,642,081 AGranted

Adjustable drive belt

OwnerRobert J. Balomenosinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A flexible drive belt for coupling at least two pulleys such as those found on a motor vehicle engine. The belt is manually installable without adjusting the distance between the pulleys and is particularly useful for temporary or emergency installation in place of a broken drive belt. The belt includes first and second ends which are fastened together to form an endless drive belt. The first end of the belt is provided with a series of openings which accept a corresponding number of projections which extend perpendicular to an intermediate surface of the second belt end. Both the first and second belt ends are provided with intermediate surfaces such that when joined a smooth inner surface is formed. For a permanent installation, locking pins may be disposed within throughbores extending through the sides of the projections such that the projections are prevented from unmating with the openings of the first end. The overall length of the belt may be varied by shortening the ends of the belt to shorten the belt or by varying the placement of the projections with respect to the openings to lengthen the belt.

Claims14

Dependent claims

An adjustable drive belt comprising:

a main belt having spaced apart elongated inner and outer surfaces, said main belt having a first end and a second end, said first end having an intermediate lower surface spaced a first predetermined distance from said outer surface and at least one aperture extending from said outer surface to said intermediate lower surface, said at least one aperture having a predetermined diameter, said second end having an intermediate upper surface spaced a second predetermined distance from said inner surface;
and
means for fastening said first end of said belt to said second end of said belt to form an endless drive belt, said means for fastening comprising;
at least one projection extending outwardly from said intermediate upper surface of said second end in a direction away from said inner surface, said at least one projection having a cylindrical base extending from said intermediate upper surface and a head portion formed at an end of said cylindrical base and adapted to be received in said at least one aperture of said first end, said head portion having a predetermined maximum diameter greater than said predetermined diameter of said at least one aperture such that said head portion extends through said at least one aperture to securely connect said first end to said second end to form said endless drive belt.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.