Method of making a power transmission belt/belt sleeve and a power transmission belt
AssigneeMitsuboshi Belting Ltd.
InventorsHirotaka Hara, Akihiro Nagata, Yoshihiro Kanayama, Eisuke Kitamura
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of making a power transmission belt/belt sleeve by bias cutting sides thereof using a cutter. A belt/belt sleeve preform is trained around at least two spaced shafts and driven as the sides are reconfigured by the cutter. The cutter may reside within a cutting space bounded by an inner circumference of the traveling belt/belt sleeve preform. The belt/belt sleeve preform has a starting shape wherein spaced sides thereof are parallel to each other. Parts of the sides may be maintained parallel after the bias cutting is performed. A power transmission belt with bias cut side surfaces is also contemplated.
Claims24
A method of making a power transmission belt/belt sleeve, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an endless belt/belt sleeve preform having an inside, an outside, and spaced sides and comprising a compression rubber layer, a tension rubber layer, and at least one load carrying member between the inside and outside of the belt/belt sleeve preform and having an inside and an outside and wherein a distance from the outside of the belt/belt sleeve preform to the outside of the load carrying member is defined as L;
- and
- bias cutting the spaced sides relative to a plane bisecting the belt/belt sleeve preform between the spaced sides from a boundary location that is spaced from the outside of the belt/belt sleeve preform by 90-100% of the distance L to the inside of the belt/belt sleeve perform,
- wherein the step of bias cutting comprises moving a cutter:
- a) in one direction through one of the inside and outside of the belt/belt sleeve perform to and through the other of the inside and outside of the belt/belt sleeve preform to reconfigure one of the spaced sides of the belt/belt sleeve preform;
- and b) generally oppositely to the one direction to reconfigure the other of the spaced sides of the belt/belt sleeve preform.
A method of making a power transmission belt/belt sleeve, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an endless belt/belt sleeve preform having an inside, an outside, and spaced sides and comprising a compression rubber layer, a tension rubber layer, and at least one load carrying member between the inside and outside of the belt/belt sleeve preform;
- training the belt/belt sleeve preform around at least first and second shafts having first and second axes;
- driving at least one of the shafts to thereby cause the belt/belt sleeve preform to travel in an endless path;
- providing a pushing component at one of the inside and outside of the belt/belt sleeve preform at a first location;
- providing at least one guide element to bear against at least one of the sides of the belt/belt sleeve preform to confine movement of the belt/belt sleeve preform;
- providing a cutter;
- and
- directing the cutter against the belt/belt sleeve preform from the other of the inside and outside of the belt/belt sleeve preform at or adjacent to the first location so that:
- a) the one of the inside and outside of the belt/belt sleeve preform is supported by the pushing component;
- and b) the cutter moves in a direction through the other of the inside and outside of the belt/belt sleeve preform and thereafter through the one of the inside and outside of the belt/belt sleeve preform, to thereby reconfigure the belt/belt sleeve preform,
- wherein the step of training the belt/belt sleeve preform comprises training the belt/belt sleeve preform to define an inner circumference within which a cutting space is defined and the step of directing the cutter comprises moving the cutter (a) in one direction within the cutting space to reconfigure one of the spaced sides of the belt/belt sleeve preform and (b) generally oppositely to the one direction within the cutting space to reconfigure the other of the spaced sides of the belt/belt sleeve preform.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.