Adjustable endless belt for use in power transmission

A belt assembly for forming an endless belt of a desired size for use in power transmission, said assembly comprising:

• an outer length of flexible tear-resistant material defining an outer surface, an inner surface substantially parallel to said outer surface, a first end, a second end, an interior channel extending longitudinally therethrough and being spaced distance from said inner surface, and a slit extending the length thereof from said outer surface to said channel;
• and a reinforcing ribbon of a flexible tear-resistant material disposed within and along said channel, one end of said ribbon being proximate said first end of said outer length of tear resistant material and a second end of said ribbon being proximate said second end of said outer length of material, a portion of said ribbon adjacent said second end thereof being adopted to be pulled from said outer length of tear-resistant material through said slit therein intermediary of the ends of said outer length of material such that upon cutting said outer length of material to a desired length having mating ends, applying an adhesive to said portion of said ribbon pulled from said outer length of material, placing said mating ends of said outer length of material in an abutting relationship and drawing said portion of said ribbon about said outer length of material and into said channel through said slit such that said portion of said ribbon overlaps said first end of said ribbon and a second portion thereof and is secured thereto by said adhesive, a continuous belt of substantially uniform construction is defined.

An apparatus for forming a reinforced endless belt of a desired size for use in power transmission from a finite length of belt material having an interior channel extending longitudinally therethrough and a slit extending between an outer surface of the belt material and the interior channel, a supply of reinforcing ribbon and an adhesive, said apparatus comprising:

• a drive assembly for moving the length of belt material through said apparatus;
• a generally V-shaped spreader for widening the slit in the length of the belt material as the drive assembly moves the material thereby;
• a dispenser for continuously and selectively injecting the adhesive into the channel in the length of belt material through the widened slit therein as the drive assembly moves the material thereby;
• an arm for holding a supply for reinforcing ribbon;
• a guide for directing reinforcing ribbon from the holding arm into the channel in the length of belt material through the widened slit therein in a flat disposition in contact with the adhesive in the channel as the drive assembly moves the length of belt material by the guide such that a leading edge of the ribbon is disposed proximate a leading edge of the length of belt material and the ribbon extends in a flat disposition throughout the length of the channel and, upon bringing the leading end of the length of belt material into abutment with the other end thereof so as to form a closed loop, said guide and said drive assembly cooperate to cause the ribbon to extend across the abutting ends of said length of belt material and controllably overlap a desired length of the reinforcing ribbon previously disposed in the channel by said ribbon guide whereby upon deactivating the drive assembly, severing the reinforcing ribbon between said holding arm and said ribbon guide and reactivating said drive assembly, the trailing end of said ribbon is disposed in a flat disposition within the channel and upon removing the form closed loop of belt material and reinforcing ribbon from said apparatus and holding said ends of belt material in an abutting relationship as said adhesive sets, a continuous belt of substantially uniform construction is formed.