Part I: SolidWorks Basics
FIGURE 3.45
Creating a block
- The items in the block now turn gray. Click anywhere on the block and drag it out of
the way. Then drag the center of the circle and drop it on the part Origin.
- Click the Insert Block tool on the Blocks toolbar. Place the block on the opposite
sharp corner of the layout sketch.
- Create another block that is identical to the first one, except that it has a diameter
of 3 inches instead of 6 inches. You can do this by selecting the first block, clicking
Edit Block from the toolbar, and copying (Window select and Ctrl+C). Then exit the Edit
Block and paste (Ctrl+V) in the regular sketch. Make sure to also change the insertion
point for this second block to the center of the circle.
- Insert a second instance of this second block, and make sure that both of them have
the center of the circle at the two remaining intersection points of the four-sided
shape of the layout sketch. At this point, your sketch should look like Figure 3.46.
- Click the Belt/Chain tool on the Blocks toolbar. Select the blocks in counterclockwise
order, starting at the Origin. On the last pulley, you will have to click the arrow to get the
belt to go the correct way around the pulley.
- Make sure that the Engage Belt option is selected. This enables you to make the pul-
leys move in the same way that they would in a real belt-driven mechanism.
- Click the Use Belt Thickness option and assign .25 inches for the thickness. The belt
should be offset from the pulleys.
- Click the green check mark icon.
- Click and drag one of the corners of the square in a pulley. All the pulleys should
turn as if this were a real mechanism. The ratios are also observed because the small
pulleys rotate faster than the large ones.
- Save this part as Blocks and Belts Tutorial.sldprt. Exit the part.
