Friction drive belt composed of two cables and a plurality of spacers
OwnerRanald O. Whitakerinventor
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Abstract
Rubberized V-belts used in early friction drives suffered from excessive losses and short wear life. Chains composed of links and pins used in later drives generate excessive noise and develop maldistribution of stress among the several links. The present invention overcomes these shortcomings by providing a belt having a cable along each edge and spacers for holding the two cables apart. The cables form the "rails of a ladder". The spacers form the "rungs"--but are much closer together. The cables carry the circumferential load. The spacers carry the axial load developed by the sheaves on the cables.
Claims2
A continuously variable friction drive having a pair of driving sheaves, a pair of driven sheaves, and a belt operatively associated with said sheaves;
- said belt comprising two parallel cables and a plurality of spacers;
- each of said cables having an inner surface in contact with said spacer and an outer surface diametrically opposed said inner surface;
- and
- said drive being adapted for causing said outer surfaces of said cables to engage said sheaves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.