Fabric Couplings: The Good and the bad

[Bob Culver]

Not too difficult to make from an old one but the material the problem. Conveyor belting is similar but directional.

[Dave Wortley]

Just looked on the internet for fabric Hardy flex discs. I assume this is one company  which has supplied A7 couplings in the past as it shows photo of A7 in their blurb. www.gmspolymer.co.uk.
Cheers,
Dave.
It’s a Birmingham company.

[Dave Mann]

GMS never replied to my e mail enquiry Dave.

[Tony Griffiths]

I've just phoned them and spoke to "Derek". They have the dimensions for an A7 and can make batches, with a discount for quantities of five and over. Prices are being emailed - I'll report as soon as Derek hits the keyboard.

[Dave Wortley]

Good un Tony. Hope your's is OK. Was new in 2011.
Dave.

[Tony Griffiths]

It was looking a little tired, so I replaced it with a Hardey Spicer a few months ao. Well, Robin very kindly did the job for me, as my right arm was still not back to strength. I can't tell any difference in the smoothness, or otherwise, of running - but it did go straight on with no need for any mucking about.

[Tony Griffiths]

I've just phoned them and spoke to "Derek". They have the dimensions for an A7 and can make batches, with a discount for quantities of five and over. Prices are being emailed - I'll report as soon as Derek hits the keyboard.

I've heard back from them and the news is that they use the original materials as supplied to them for many years. They tell me that their units are the ones supplied to David Cochrane - but did not know if other suppliers of A7 parts were using theirs - or from other makers - as they occasionally receive orders for small batches and where these end up is not known. So, you can buy one or more from them as needed, or direct from David.
A previous quotation from this thread:  "I've done about 15,000 on my last fabric coupling (and still ok). When I bought it, David Cochrane pointed out that the smaller metal plates improved the life. The bigger plates left very little fabric in between them, so not so flexible."
So, there we have it. You pays your money, etc.

[GK5268]

Just to follow up on the comments about failures of the fabric coupling, those that failed were they fitted with new double-ended bolts?

I ask this as a cherished supplier provided me with new double-ended bolts and these were WRONG!

Had I fitted these, I am sure that the fabric coupling would have been seriously stressed.

The main problem with the double-ended bolt is that there is a radius on the shaft where it meets the mating flange - this is not as per the original, they are also too long and the flange itself is too thick! The hole for the split pin was too far down the threaded stud to be of any use.

In fact nothing like a replacement part should be!

   

Disappointingly, the cherished supplier has not bothered to respond when I raised this with him, I am not at all impressed at a lack of a response.

I had to have the double-ended bolts re-machined by a proper engineer so that the deficiences are corrected - quite why this was not done in the first place is beyond me, so perhaps look at your double-ended bolts.

   

Next time I will just return the defective parts rather than to try to sort something out with the cherished supplier, as it is I have now overpaid for a part that should have been right in the first place!

[Tony Griffiths]

I ask this as a cherished supplier provided me with new double-ended bolts and these were WRONG!
Had I fitted these, I am sure that the fabric coupling would have been seriously stressed.
The main problem with the double-ended bolt is that there is a radius on the shaft where it meets the mating flange - this is not as per the original, they are also too long and the flange itself is too thick! The hole for the split pin was too far down the threaded stud to be of any use.

If you could prepare a sketch showing that dimensions of an original bolt, that would be very helful indeed.

[GK5268]

If you could PM your address I will pop an original bolt into the post to you!