Live Bottom Belt Lacing Guide

LACING A BELT Guide

Luke Hierlihy luke@troutriverindustries.ca

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Contents Safety ................................................................................................................................................2 Tools and supplies needed .................................................................................................................3 Step 1: Cut belt to length....................................................................................................................4 Step 1: (cont.) ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Step 2: Install belt lacing ....................................................................................................................6 Step 3: Install lacing hinge pin ............................................................................................................7 Contact us .........................................................................................................................................8

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Safety The Trout River Trailer is not “just a trailer”, it is also a powerful machine with various mechanisms that could be potentially dangerous, the following are some general safety rules pertaining to trout river trailers: • • • • • •

• •

Never enter trailer with conveyor in operation When conveyor is running be sure to keep all body parts, clothing, etc. clear of inspection doors, conveyor belt, or any other moving parts; failure to do so could result in serious injury Be aware of the tailgate position, and stand clear when opening or closing When trailer is unloading be sure to stand clear of the rear of the trailer, as to not get injured from load exiting the tub Ladder is designed for a maximum of 250 pounds; do not exceed this limit. Top ladder rung is not meant to be a step, it is only there as a “hand-hold”; do not use as a step Trailer hydraulic system is designed to run in access of 2500 psi, this amount of pressure could be very dangerous; always take care when connecting hydraulic lines, that it is done properly, and replace any damaged hydraulic components immediately. Always be sure system pressure is relieved before maintenance o Always connect return line first and disconnect last Air system can also be dangerous, be aware of air lines, that they are not damaged, and relieve system pressure before maintenance When working on the trailer, be sure all power systems are disconnected, unless otherwise instructed or needed, always be aware of present dangers

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Tools and supplies needed • • •

• • • • •

Hydraulic power source or truck with wetline Drill Impact driver o Phillips bit for lacing screws o Socket adapter with 1/2” socket C clamp vise grips (modified) Prybar (for keeping belt centered) Utility knife Grinder Straight edge for cutting belt

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Step 1: Cut belt to length •

The most important thing is that the belt is cut straight, square, and a 1” gap is left for lacing, the following is how we do it: o Have the area to be cut at the rear of the trailer, halfway rotated around the back shaft o Fold top half of belt back and focus on the bottom first o Push belt against 2” chain tab ahead of connector link and mark belt about halfway through tab on both sides o Use a straight edge to mark a line across the belt using the marks on each side as a guide o Use a utility knife to cut along straight line ▪ It is very important that this line is cut straight for lacing ▪ Be sure cut is not over a crossbar, must be between crossbars o Once bottom is cut, fold top down again o Push top belt up against the same tab as before, except this time mark on the top edge of the tab, mark both sides ▪ Once cut, this should leave approximately a 1” gap between the 2 ends of the belt o Use straight edge to mark this line as well and cut on line o Once both sides are cut, belt is ready for lacing

Middle of tab

Top of tab

Straight edge

Cutting belt

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Step 1: (cont.) •

Once cut, belt will look like this: o Although it looks like a big gap it will close up when rotated onto the flat

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Step 2: Install belt lacing • • • •

• • •

Lacing should be narrower than belt by about 1-1 ½” Using hydraulic power, move joint inside trailer, where work area is flat Insert a thin metal backing under joint to make process easier Install lace by centering, bending in tabs by hitting them with hammer, and screwing together o Tabs of lace should be screwed in a pattern of halfway points, to reduce belt warpage o Center each half of lace to ensure they line up Be sure both laces are square to the trailer, and parallel to each other Do not overtighten, as this can damage the belt, and cause premature failure Once lacing is screwed on, remove backing plate

Metal backing

Both halfs of lacing must be square and parallel

Halfway pattern - start at center, then outsides, then centers, etc.

Both halfs completed, ready for hinge pin

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Step 3: Install lacing hinge pin • •

• • •

Rotate belt joint halfway around the back shaft Use clamps to pull lacing together (modified clamps shown in picture) o We use pairs of c clamp vise grips with the tips cut on angles to do this step o If you chose to do this be sure to remove sharp edges, as to not damage the belt Once lacing is together insert hinge pin as far as possible by hand o Once it becomes too stiff to insert farther by hand, use a drill to insert the remainder Cut hinge pin to length Install bent washers to hold hinge pin from migrating side to side

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Contact us

I hope you found this helpful. For any questions regarding this procedure, or to request a different procedure, please contact me.

Luke Hierlihy Dealer support Representative luke@troutriverindustries.ca 902-853-1614 Troutriverindustries.ca