In addition to the flat leather and fabric belts used in belt drives of the early 1900s, industry used hemp or wire rope running in grooved pulleys. These rope systems inspired development of the ...

The most common systems for transmitting power from a drive to a driven shaft are belt, gear, and chain drives. But V-belt drive systems, also called friction drives (because power is transmitted as a ...

Over-tensioning shortens not only the life of V-belts but also that of the sheaves, electric motor, and driven equipment bearings. In extreme cases, it can even bend or break a motor shaft.