Abstract:
A tool for installation and removal of power transmission belts from fixed center pulleys in a power transmission system. The tool consists of a principal member for attaching to a pulley, thus absorbing forces created during installing and removing belts, and simplifying the process. Separate installing and removing devices are secured to the principal member and all configured to support and maneuver the belt while installing onto, or removing from, the selected pulley.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to a tool for installing and removing power transmission belts from fixed center pulleys. It is particularly directed to continuous belts having an inner multi-rib construction adapted to engage pulleys which have a matching set of V-grooves. A typical v-ribbed belt system is shown, for example in Fisher et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,006. In this system, pulleys are coupled to the engine drive shaft and to such accessory drives as the alternator, water pump, power steering pump, or air conditioning compressor. The belt is operated over the drive shaft pulley and drives the accessories provided in the system. Although the above referenced patent also utilizes a tensioner applied to the outer surface of the belt, such a device is not always required. The term “multi-rib” is understood to mean a belt having its inner drive surface formed of a plurality of V-shaped or trapezoidal members shaped driving members designed to inter-fit with associated pulley grooves.  
           [0003]    Tools of this type are necessary to install the belt over the various pulleys in the system, and also to remove the belt, and must be capable of accomplishing this with minimum effort and damage to the belt. The tool may also be used to test special accessory drive configurations, such as during a routine hot test after engine assembly. For example, it may be desired to test a water pump, in which case only the water pump is installed and the tool is applied only to the pulley which is attached to this pump.  
           [0004]    2. Prior Art Statement  
           [0005]    It is been known to utilize simple hand tools for the purpose of installing a conventional power transmission V-belt having a single trapezoidal drive section. This is done by the use of a wedging tool such as shown in Engard et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,470,810 and Hawkins, U.S. Pat. No. 2,621,529. A variation of these wedging devices is shown in Simmons et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,505,216 wherein a tool having a curved cam surface is used to permit the single section belt to slide over this surface onto the pulley.  
           [0006]    It is an entirely different problem to install a multi-rib belt, however, and one such device is shown in Winninger, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,331, wherein a similar wedging tool is used to position a multi-rib belt onto a pulley. In all of the above patents the tool is not secured to any member of the drive system, and must be operated without any support, making the operation more difficult.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    The present invention is an improvement over the prior art and provides for a tool which has a principal member to be mounted directly on one of the accessory drive pulleys and secured thereto, thereby providing a secure support for the tool. This makes it easier to operate and to control the belt. The principal member has a plurality of circular openings for insertion of either an installing device which allows the belt to be stretched and installed on the selected pulley; or a removal device which enables a belt to be stretched and removed from the pulley. The principal member also comprises a control member, such as a pair of handles, which are used to rotate and manipulate the principal member into the desired installing and removal positions of the belt. To install the belt around the pulleys, the installing device is first inserted into one of the circular openings by utilizing an integral pin on the device. This is inserted into whichever of the openings that provides clearance in the drive system. At the same time, other members will lock the installing tool in place so that it will not fall out. The principal member has an external cylindrical shaft which is inserted into the inner circular opening of the pulley. In order to lock the cylindrical shaft in place within the pulley, a bolt in the principal member is tightened, this bolt being connected via a wedging nut to locking members within the surface of the principal member. This rotation expands the locking members to lock them in place within the pulley. The belt is placed loosely around the other pulleys in the drive, then around the installing tool surface, which is designed with a curved cam configuration. At this point the belt is located outwardly of the pulley flanges.  
           [0008]    The handles are rotated and manipulated so that the belt is slid over the ramp surface of the installing tool and onto the belt-engaging surface of the pulley. The ramp provides support to the inner surface of the belt, while simultaneously wrapping the belt around the installation pulley. This insures inter-engagement of the ribs of the belt and the grooves of the pulley. The tool is then disengaged by loosening the bolt to release the locking members which will then no longer be locked within the inner pulley surface. The power transmission system is then in condition for operation.  
           [0009]    The removal of the belt is accomplished by placing the belt removal attachment in the same manner as the installing device. This device also has an integral cylindrical pin which is inserted into one of the circular openings in the principal member. This device has a belt-supporting surface which is similar to that of the installing device, with a concave surface acting as a cam or ramp. The configuration of this surface is slightly different than that of the installing device, in order to facilitate removal of the belt. To remove the belt, the principal member is again placed within the pulley, and the bolt is tightened to lock the principal member with the pulley as before. The principal member is rotated, using the handles, forcing the cam surface under the belt, so that the belt is twisted and stretched during this manipulation and the belt is slid from the pulley onto the removal device, thus removing it from pulley contact.  
           [0010]    It is a principal object of this invention to provide a tool for installing and removing a power transmission belt without damaging the belt or other components.  
           [0011]    It is a further object to operate the tool in a simple manner without other tools.  
           [0012]    It is a further object to provide the tool with a secure mounting base to accomplish its purpose.  
           [0013]    It is another object to provide the tool with separate installation and removal devices which may be locked in place.  
           [0014]    These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from viewing the principal embodiment shown and described herein. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a partial view of a typical power transmission system.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tool with the installation device mounted on the principal member.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a view of the control member for the tool.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the tool with the removal device mounted on the principal member of the tool.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 is another perspective view showing the installing device mounted on the tool, and the locking members therefor.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines  6 - 6  of FIG. 4.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 is a view in partial section showing the installing device and means locking to the principal member.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the means for locking the removal device to the principal member.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 9 is an elevation illustrating the installation of the belt from the installing device onto the pulley.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 10 is a view of the installation of FIG. 9 looking in the direction of the line  10 - 10 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 11 is an elevational view showing the first step in removing the belt from the pulley to the removal device.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11, showing a further step in removing the belt.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 13 is a view of the removal step of FIG. 12, looking in the direction of line  13 - 13 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0028]    As shown in FIG. 1, a power transmission system  11  comprises a power drive source  12  having a pulley  13  coupled thereto. An accessory drive  14  having a pulley  15  coupled thereto is representative of one type of accessory drive which may be used in the system; in this instance the accessory is a water pump. A continuous power transmission belt  16  has an inner surface operably connected to the pulleys so that the power drive source  12  is able to drive the accessory drive  14 . In the system shown herein, the belt  16  is of the multi-rib type, meaning one having its inner drive surface formed of a plurality of ribs which are V-shaped or trapezoidal in cross-section, such as shown in the above-referenced Fisher patent. These ribs are designed to inter-fit with associated grooves in the pulleys. However, it should be understood that other types of belts, such as conventional trapezoidal cross-section belts, referred to as V-belts, may also be utilized in practicing this invention.  
         [0029]    The belt  16  is installed onto the pulley  15 , or removed therefrom by means of the novel tool  17 , consisting of a principal member  18 , best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and having a control member  19  secured thereto for the purpose of rotating the tool as will be further described below. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the principal member  18  comprises a generally cylindrical boss  20  having an outwardly facing surface directed away from the power transmission system having tapered section  21  terminating in a smaller diameter cylindrical shaft  22 . An opening  23  extends into the shaft  22  the opposite or inwardly directed boss has a shoulder  24  which defines a smaller diameter cylindrical segment  25 . Three circular cross-section holes  26  extend through the boss  20 , so that the installing and removal devices may be inserted into a selected one of these holes. A hex-headed bolt  27  is inserted into the opening  23  and passes through the principal member and into the interior of shaft  22 , as best shown in FIG. 6. At the end of the bolt a nut  28  is threadedly attached. When the bolt is tightened clockwise, the nut is drawn forward and bears against three locking members  29  which contact and push against the retaining plates  30 . The smaller segment  25  is adapted to be placed within an opening transversely located in the central shaft of the pulley, the locking members  29  are pushed against the surfaces  31  which define the opening, to enable the tool to be locked against the inner surface  31  of the opening. The handle  19  is secured to the shaft  22  by either welding or by forming it of two separate members and screwing them into the shaft. The principal member and the shaft may be made of a metal such as steel or aluminum, or of a high impact plastic such as ABS.  
         [0030]    The installing device is designated by reference numeral  32  and is shown in detail FIGS. 2, 5, and  7 . This consists of the belt-supporting ramp segment  33  and an integral cylindrical pin  34  extending inwardly from the segment  33 , and adapted to fit into the holes  26 . This device may also be made of metal or high impact plastic. The pin  34  has a notch  35  in its outer surface, and when the pin is inserted into one of the holes, this notch acts as a locking member by use of a spring-loaded pin  36  as shown in FIG. 7 which is urged into the notch by the force of the spring. The ramps segment  33  has a curved arcuate surface  37  for supporting the belt during installation, and a wall  38  extending radially outwardly therefrom and located on that portion of the surface which is away from the pulley on which the principal member is mounted. The inner surface  39  of the wall has a ramp configuration that changes from concave to convex to facilitate the operation, as will be explained below. A pin  40  is mounted adjacent the wall and extends in a transverse direction outwardly of the wall to further facilitate installation of the belt.  
         [0031]    The removal device which is installed into the principal member  18  is shown in detail in FIGS. 4, 5,  6 , and  8 . This device is similar to the installing device, and can be made of the same material, but has a different ramp configuration to facilitate removal of the belt from the pulley. The device consists of a belt-supporting ramp segment  42  and an integral cylindrical pin  43  extending inwardly from segment  42  and adapted to fit into the holes  26 . The pin  43  has a groove  44  extending around the peripheral surface of the pin and when it is inserted into one of the holes, the spring-loaded pin  36  locks into the groove, as shown in FIG. 8. The ramp segment  42  has a curved arcuate surface  45  for supporting the belt during removal, and a wall  46  extends radially outward therefrom and is located on that portion of the surface which is toward the pulley on which the tool is mounted. The inner surface  47  of the wall also has a compound curved configuration to facilitate removal, as will be described below.  
         [0032]    Installing Operation  
         [0033]    This is shown in sequence in FIGS. 9 and 10. The installing device  32  is inserted into the principal member by inserting the pin member  34  into one of the three holes  26 , depending on required clearance in the system. The spring-loaded pin  36  locks this in place by insertion into the notch  35 ; the use of a notch instead of a groove permits more freedom of movement of this device on the principal member. As shown, the wall  38  is longitudinally outward of the pulley. The tool is attached by inserting the cylindrical segment  25  into the central pulley opening defined by surface  31 , using the handle  19  for this purpose. The bolt  27  is tightened by rotating it clockwise, which simultaneously moves the wedging nut  28 . This in turn pushes the locking members  29  outward against the pulley surface  31  to lock the principal member into the pulley opening. By manually grasping the handle, the entire tool is rotated in a clockwise direction to force the ramp support surface  37  over the belt  16  and maneuvered so that the inner drive surface of the belt contacts the pulley grooves. The inner surface  39  of the wall  38  and the pin  40  assist in this maneuver so that the belt clears the outer pulley flange. The wall keeps the belt on the support surface  37 . The belt is stretched during this procedure and the forces created thereby are transmitted through the locking members  29  into the pulley. The tool is then removed for operation of the system.  
         [0034]    Removal Operation  
         [0035]    This is shown in sequence in FIGS. 11, 12 and  13 . The removal device  41  is installed in the same manner as the installing device, by inserting the pin member  43  into a selected one of the holes  26  depending on the clearance in the system. The pin member is locked in place by means of the spring loaded pin  36  which drops into the groove  44 . The tool is attached to the pulley in the same manner as described above with respect to the installing tool. The relationship of these parts is shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. The handles are rotated clockwise to place the ramp support surface  45  under the inner surface of the belt and the belt is then stretched out by this maneuver, and moved away from the pulley while being forced in this direction by the surface  47  of the wall  46 . The belt is then removed from the ramp surface. As before, the stretching forces are absorbed through the locking members into the pulley.  
         [0036]    It can thus be seen that this tool provides proper support during installing and removing the belt into or from the power transmission system, utilizing the necessary devices in a convenient manner.