CHAPTER VI 

 METHODS OF FASTENING BELTS 



JOINTS in belts are made generally by one of four proc- 

 esses, namely, cementing or glueing (endless belts), rawhide 

 lacing, metal lacing, and wire hinge joints. Of these, the 

 cemented or glued joint is probably the least troublesome in 

 service, but it is difficult to readjust the tension in the belt 

 unless the pulleys on which the belt runs are adjustable and 

 can be moved apart as the belt stretches. Rawhide lacing 

 has been and probably is the most common method of making 

 joints in belts, but it is rapidly giving way to the wire hinge 

 joint. Metallic lacing is but comparatively little used, and 

 it is not especially suited to belts running on small diameter 

 pulleys. 



Endless Belts. In endless belts the length of the splice 

 should not be less than 9 in. in the case of a double belt. If 

 the belts are more than 9 in. wide the splice should be made 

 equal in length to the width of the belt up to 1 8 in., which is 

 the maximum length necessary for any splice. In making the 

 splice, one end of the belt is beveled with a small block plane. 

 Care should be taken to see that the lap runs in the same 

 direction as the other laps in the belt. The position of the 

 lap is then marked off on the other end of the belt and it is 

 also beveled. The surfaces of the two laps are then scraped 

 smooth. 



After sizing the laps with thin belt glue, a thin coating 

 of belt glue should be applied as rapidly as possible to the 

 entire surface of both laps. The laps are then brought 

 together and hammered all over with a broad-faced hammer 

 to ensure contact throughout the splice, after which the joint 

 is squeezed in a press or between handscrews for about 

 fifteen minutes until the glue has set. Rubber-faced shoes 



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