Big drive belt needed

[dukeoflove]

I'm trying to make a grader to sort charcoal into sizes. It consists of two oil drums welded together turning around a fixed scaffold pole. My idea to drive this is to have a large belt attached to a wiper motor. The belt needs to be about 300cm or more. Does anyone know where I can find one or improve on my design

 

[crazycanuck]

if your talking about a large flat belt, you might try (1) a junk yard with old electrical equipment. (2) industrial electrical suppliers. (3)farm equipment suppliers, better if they have old equipment.

 

[Symptoms]

duke - use sprocket & chain (bike parts would do). Easy to fit your sprockets to your drums = spacers for clearance then bolt or weld to the drums. The main advantage of using a chain drive is you don't have to worry about drive-belt tension and slipping. Chain can be lengthened/shortened to suit (remember split-links) & guards would be the same as for belt drive. If you used a belt system you'd have to introduce an intermediate, or jockey, wheel to allow for belt adjustment; how would you mount this bit? So easiest (& more efficient) method is chain drive. Your local council tip (now called recyling centres) would be a good source for the bits.

 

[TicklyT]

Vee belts are available as sections a bit like chain links, held together with rivets. You can buy it by the metre, and it clips together to make the length you need from bearing and transmission parts stockists. ('Brammer' belting IIRC). They sell flat belting and belt connectors to make up your own length belts too.

Or how about friction drive? Motor on pivoted base, rubber roller (skateboard wheel etc?) on the motor shaft, and a spring to push it up to the drum to drive it. That system is good enough to make the London Eye go round.....