Emergency drive belt and method field of the invention

An emergency drive belt device comprising a belt-shaped flexible and stretchable member of polymeric material, said belt-shaped polymeric member having an aperture spaced closely adjacent to a first end thereof and a plurality of spaced apart apertures extending along the longitudinal axis of the belt-shaped polymeric member away from the other end thereof such that said belt-shaped polymeric member can be shortened by cutting between spaced apart apertures to provide a belt-shaped member length which is slightly less than that which is required to provide a complete loop around a drive pulley and preselected driven pulleys;

• coupling means comprising a flexible and deformable tie member of substantially lesser length than said belt-shaped polymeric member, said tie member having an integral ratchet means and said tie member being threadable serially through the two apertures which are adjacent respective ends of the belt-shaped polymeric member and through said ratchet means and being engageable therewith to form an adjustable loop coupling the respective ends of said belt-shaped polymeric member, said loop being adjustable to increasingly smaller size by pulling said tie member to increase the portion thereof which passes through said ratchet means and thus increase the tension in the belt-shaped polymeric member when said belt-shaped polymeric member is in-place and looped around, said drive pulley and one or more preselected driven pulleys.