Vee belts - continued

Tom said >>

This is a belt that we would recognise as a modern style vee belt? > Interesting, as any "vee belts" of that era consisted of blocks > connected by flat links & pins, the majority having leather blocks. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yes, certainly a vee belt within the "meaning of the act" so to speak. It is red in colour and whilst to the modern eye it is rather broad in relation to its depth, has sloping sides that snug down into the groove on both rear wheel and engine.

I have seen the seperate-block belts you refer to and always had the impression they were an expensive after-market replacement rather than the rubber and canvas belts supplied by the manufacturer. I might well be wrong about that, but the belt *did* come with the bike, unused and stored in the back room of a shop for fifty years before I bought it in 1970 and now it lives in the loft just above my head! I'll try and get a photo, but it won't be this week, I fancy .........

Regards,

J. Kim Siddorn,

Kim Siddorn wrote: > > > > Vee belts were certainly in use before the First War. My Sun-Vitesse has > > one that connects the rear wheel to the engine shaft ;o)). It is not the > > same size as later vee belts, but the profile is certainly V shaped. > > > > Hot fog enthusiasts will know more than I, but were not stationary steam > > engine rope drive pulleys V shaped with the expectation that the heavily > > doped rope would take on the shape of the groove? > > > > -- > > Regards, > > > > J. Kim Siddorn, > > > > > > > > > > > > I'd certainly be interested to know. No V belts as such in 1913 > > > mechanical > > > > > world yearbook, BUT, it does show round rope drives running in V > > grooved > > > > > pulleys. Unfortunately next edition I have is 1954 by which time > > > "moulded V > > > > > rope drives" as they term them, were clearly well established. > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > NHH > > > > > > > > Walter Geist of Allis Chalmers, in Jan 1925, applied for the patent > > > > of what, later became known as the "Vee belt drive". His successful > > > > patent was #1662511, granted in March 1928. > > > > By 1933, AC had licensed 11 power transmission companies to manufacture > > > > the belts & drives.. Apparently provided welcome financial returns > > > > during the Depression. > > > > > > > > However in the UK, R & J Dick Ltd had a patent, #235657, granted in > > > > June, > > > > 1925 for a belt with vee shaped blocks riveted to a flexible band. > > > > This is advertised in Kempe's 1928 Engineering Year Book, which by > > > > then, has a section of Vee Belt drives of the AC patent. > > > > > > > > Tom > > > > > > > > > > Thanks Tom, > > > > > > An excellent piece of work! > > > > > > Mark > > This is a belt that we would recognise as a modern style vee belt? > Interesting, as any "vee belts" of that era consisted of blocks > connected > by flat links & pins, the majority having leather blocks. > > Tom
Reply to
Kim Siddorn
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Kim, The name for the multi link belt is Brammer and they were created for ease of use not after market, easy to adjust i.e. remove a link. You can now get or use to a plastic version. look at this link

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P

Reply to
Campingstoveman

The Brammer belt are a later development, the block & link Kim is referring to look like this, for the Whittles type:

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For an American version:
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Tom

Reply to
Tom

New thread - good idea. But mind if I splice Tom's original response in here for reference purposes as it appears to give a definitive answer for the origins of the 'modern' V belt:-

"Walter Geist of Allis Chalmers, in Jan 1925, applied for the patent of what, later became known as the "Vee belt drive". His successful patent was #1662511, granted in March 1928. By 1933, AC had licensed 11 power transmission companies to manufacture the belts & drives.. Apparently provided welcome financial returns during the Depression.

However in the UK, R & J Dick Ltd had a patent, #235657, granted in June,

1925 for a belt with vee shaped blocks riveted to a flexible band. This is advertised in Kempe's 1928 Engineering Year Book, which by then, has a section of Vee Belt drives of the AC patent.

Tom"

Reply to
Nick H

"Kim Siddorn" wrote (sinp):-

This sounds like a fascinating survival - these 'time warp' machines can tell us far more than any number of concours restorations.

Reply to
Nick H

Further to Brammer belts, Harry Brammer patented quite a few different types of belts between 1917 & 1956, but the style that was specific to running in vee pulleys as we know it today, even though of more modern materials, was patented in Dec 1930: #340065

Tom

Reply to
Tom

I'm pretty sure that the earliest motorcycles used a nominally round twisted leather belt running in V groove pulleys. These were notably troublesome in terms of stretching slipping etc and pretty soon various patented 'composition' belts appeared on the market, each offering it's own promise of a trouble free life! Whether any of these would resemble the moulded rubber/fabric affair that we recognise as a V belt, I don't know.

Reply to
Nick H

I actually bought some of this type from Whittles in Warrington, probably 30 years ago, to fit to a 1926/7 Leyland Lioness coach. I took in a sample expecting to come away with the Brammer type (which they sold), but they found a piece of the original type on a dusty shelf. My recollection is, though that the leather links were shorter than shown there relative to depth.

Cheers Tim

Reply to
Tim Leech

Large snip

Hi Tim, when visiting my cousin in Rose & Crown street we sometimes went to the Bank Street side of Whittles where you could look over the wall & see them checking the folding boats they made in a large tank of water. Knowing your other interest I wondered if you knew if any still existed? Dave Croft Warrington

Reply to
Dave Croft

Probably a bit before my time, Dave? I first came to work around here in 1966 or67, knew nothing of these boats. I thought Whittles moved into a new building when their area was redeveloped, but don't seem to have stayed long. I wonder if it's the same people (Whittle Brothers (Curriers) Ltd) who are now in Litherland, Liverpool?

Cheers Tim

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Reply to
Tim Leech

Thanks for that Tim. Whittles did move to the other side of Mersey street. I will pursue the link you gave tommorrow.

Reply to
Dave Croft

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