Belt driven implements

[paccorti]

I suppose I should post this to the agricultural section but I felt like showing my affiliation. In my never ending desire to ask the most obscure tractor questions here goes.

I have two books on old tractors. Many of these tractors in these books have a belt drive pully for driving implements. Those big flat belts that appear to be 80 feet long and really dangerous! So here is the question. The belts always appear with a twist between the tractor and the implement. For example, if you stretched a rubberband between your index fingers and then rotated one hand 180 degrees you would get and "X" in the middle of the belt. Why is this done? Does it keep the belts from falling off the pullies? Does it serve some other purpose?

Peter

 

[Bird]

Peter, you did mean "affliction" instead of "affiliation" didn't you?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif And I don't know, but I always thought those belts were twisted that way to reverse the direction of rotation of whatever they were powering.

Bird

 

[paccorti]

Bird,

Perhaps you are right! That is a good answer. Still I wonder, I ALWAYS see that twist. If nothing else seems like the belt would incur more wear (through rubbing). BTW I must say you are a frequent (and valued) poster. Do you ever sleep? You are everywhere...

Peter

 

[Bird]

Peter, I'm usually in and out of the house all day and when I have to print an invoice, order a part, etc., I log in while I'm waiting. But for the past two months, it's been too hot and dry to do much outside (tractor tires may get dry rot from just sitting there/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif), so I've spent even more time on here.

Bird

 

[ERNIEB]

Peter, I think Bird has been cloned. But I also think he's right. Just a thought, Were not the old Corvair engines originally designed to be aircraft engines, and did'nt they run backwards? If I remember right the belts on that had to be Xed .

 

[Thomas]

Peter,
the only to problems I have w/ belt driven,chopping leaves..mowing high grass.
Both get caught in the pullies and do to the heat from the belt and pull sometimes there smoke,/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gifalso trying to clean the deck after/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif
Just be careful when install the belt,for if the come off it cost $$$ most of the times.
Does your tractor have a idle pully,if so keep it well lube and the rest of your pullies.

Take care and stay /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

Thomas..NH