2O4 SCIENCE OF SUCCESSFUL THRESHING. 



Lacing a Belt. Many make a mistake in thinking that 

 the heavier and stronger a lacing is made, the more durable 

 it will be. This leads them to make the lacing so thick and 

 clumsy that the belt is strained in going around the pulleys, 

 causing the lace to wear out in a short time and probably the 

 belt to be torn between the holes. A good lacing is as sim- 

 ilar as possible to the rest of the belt, so that it passes over 

 the pulleys without shock or jar. To lace a belt begin by 

 cutting off the ends of the belt square, using a try-square for 

 this purpose on the wider belts. Use a punch small enough 

 so that the lacing will fill the holes, but will not pull in so 

 tightly as to tear the belt. Space the holes equally across 

 the belt, leaving the outside holes far enough (about one- 

 half inch), from the edge of the belt to prevent the possibility 

 of their tearing out. The cuts at top of page 206 show the 

 position of the holes for the common widths of belts. In a 

 leather belt the holes may be quite near the end (/4 to fys 

 inches), without tearing out, and when so placed the belt will 

 pass smoothly over the pulleys. A belt is much more apt 

 to break or tear between the holes than it is to tear from the 

 holes to the end. 



The belt of a stacker-web laced by turning up the ends of 

 the belt is shown by A and B of Fig. 50. Any rubber or 

 stitched canvas belt that does not run over idler or tightener 

 pulleys, causing both sides of the belt to be in contact with 

 pulleys, may be laced in this way. For these this lacing has 

 the advantage of lasting two or three times as long as the 



