Pulley Setup

[skisolitude]

Hello everyone, I am trying to set up a v-belt system to drive a moving arm/axle. The idea is to get a pulley from a motor to a set pulley, then from that pulley to a arm, so that the arm can move without the distance from the motor to the end of the arm changing. Does anyone know the most effective way to set this up? I was thinking an idle pulley at the midpoint would work best but do they make that with 2 groves?
Any comments would be helpful

 

[drawoh]

skisolitude,

This sounds like a two stage mechanism of some sort, and you are trying to transmit power through a moving part. Could you include a sketch?

JHG

 

[skisolitude]

Attached is an image of what the system will look like. The idea is to transmit power from two motors, to each of the midpoints and then from the midpoints to two shafts that will each be located on the outer arms. To do this, I was thinking of mounting a double grooved v-belt with a bearing on the fixed shaft but I have had trouble verifying that something like this exists.

 

[MikeHalloran]

The image elucidates the structure well enough, but it doesn't include _any_ of the components about which you inquired. I'm particularly puzzled by what you refer to as 'midpoints'.

I suggest your next step should be acquiring catalogs, from at least W.W.Grainger and McMaster-Carr. Both also sell online, but print catalogs are easier to study.

I'll give you a design hint: Inexpensive pillow blocks with bronze bushings make good machinery pivots.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[Compositepro]

Google "turret winders" and you will see many examples of this type of drive arrangement, where shaft mounted on a pivoting arm must be driven. The double pulley on the pivot shaft will work. The pulley just needs free wheeling bearings in the bore. I've never seen V-belts used but usually roller chain or synchronous belts. V-belts will need a belt tensioner.