Belt Drive Mechanism
- Title:
- Belt Drive Mechanism
- Title (German):
- Riementrieb mit Fest- und Losscheibe
- Collection:
- Reuleaux Kinematic Mechanisms Collection
- Set:
- V. Belt Drive Mechanisms
- Designer:
- Reuleaux, F. (Franz), 1829-1905
- Manufacturer:
- Gustav Voigt Werkstatt
- Date:
- 1882
- Country:
- Germany
- Voigt Catalog Model:
- V1
- File Name:
- V01.jpg
- Work Type:
- Mechanical model
- Materials/Techniques:
- cast iron and brass on wood pedestal
- Subject:
- Kinematics of Machinery
- Measurement:
- 396 x 138 (millimeters, width x depth)
396 x 138 x 179 (millimeters, width x depth x height) - Description:
- This class of mechanisms uses leather belts to transmit motion from one wheeled axis or pulley to another. Reuleaux called belts, tension organs, in a class with rope, wire and chain drives. To help keep the belts on the pulley, the surface of the outer rim would be designed to take the shape of a cylindrical, conical or toroidal surface. Such belt mechanisms were called "self guiding". Willis (1841, 1870) called them "wrapping connectors" The use of belting for the transmission of power was universal in the factories of the 19th century when the source of power was centralized as in a steam engine. The development of small motors in the late 19th century meant that each machine could have its own power source and obviated the need for belting. However some machine shops in the middle 20th century could still be found with extensive belting with the power source a large electric motor replacing the steam engine. Belt drives are still used in modern vehicle engines to drive water and fuel pumps, and the alternator. [Francis Moon, 2001-00-00]
The 220 models in Cornell University’s Reuleaux Collection were built in the late 19th century to demonstrate the elements of machine motion, as theorized by the German engineer Franz Reuleaux. The University acquired the models in 1882 for use in teaching and research. The Reuleaux models are classified according to the alphanumeric schema employed in the catalog of the manufacturer, Gustav Voigt. The letter in a model's ID (e.g., B14 or S35) refers to a class of mechanism; the number is a specific instance of the class. This classification scheme is a simplified version of the taxonomy of machine elements elaborated in Reuleaux's work. - Repository:
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University
- Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- Photography credit: Jon Reis (www.jonreis.com). Jon Reis Photography grants Cornell University Libraries and the Cornell College of Engineering the rights to display copyrighted images of the Reuleux collection of kinetic machines on the Cornell University and National Science Digital Library web sites and for unlimited use in Cornell University Library publications for education purposes only. Rights for all other uses, including but not limited to, editorial, commercial, advertising, web use and display by third parties not affiliated with Cornell University are reserved by the photographer. The written permission of any copyright and other rights holders is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use that extends beyond what is authorized by fair use and other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. For questions about this item or other items please contact the Physical Sciences Librarians at pslref@cornell.edu.