Abstract: A bench testing apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprises a rotary belt assembly including a pair of rotary drums arranged in parallel and spaced apart relationship to each other, a metallic endless belt extending over the drums and wrapped therearound, and a supporting structure disposed at a tread mounting section of the belt and oriented between the drums, the supporting structure including a rigid and stationary support base and a non-compressible fluid layer formed between the supporting base and the belt for acting as hydrodynamic bearing for the belt. A dummy load simulating vehicular traveling resistance, is associated with at least one of the drums. Also, a measuring apparatus is provided for measuring driving torque exerted on the belt via a vehicular driving wheel. The tread mounting section being oriented for receiving a vehicular wheel tread for forming a testing surface to receive the driving torque.

Abstract: A bench testing apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprises a rotary belt assembly including a pair of rotary drums arranged in parallel and spaced apart relationship to each other, a metallic endless belt extending over the drums and wrapped therearound, and a supporting structure disposed at a tread mounting section of the belt and oriented between the drums, the supporting structure including a rigid and stationary support base and a non-compressible fluid layer formed between the supporting base and the belt for acting as hydrodynamic bearing for the belt. A dummy load simulating vehicular traveling resistance, is associated with at least one of the drums. Also, a measuring device is provided for measuring driving torque exerted on the belt via a vehicular driving wheel. The tread mounting section being oriented for receiving a vehicular wheel tread for forming a testing surface to receive the driving torque.

Abstract: An endless belt type bench testing apparatus includes a pair of rotary drums, a flexible endless belt wound over the rotary drums and extending therebetween, and a supporting base disposed between the rotary drums and including an operating surface which faces a portion of the belt with a predetermined clearance gap therebetween. The operating surface is formed with a plurality of discharge ports which communicate with a liquid medium supply source for establishing a hydraulic pressure in a form of a liquid medium layer at the clearance gap. An improved structure is included for ensuring effective generation of a dynamic pressure in a form of the liquid medium layer at the clearance gap.

Abstract: An endless belt type bench testing apparatus has a flexible metallic endless belt wound over a pair of rotary drums for rotation therewith. The apparatus has a hydraulic belt lubricating and support structure, in which a liquidus lubricating medium layer, such as a water layer, between the belt and a supporting structural member at an intermediate portion between the rotary drums. A seal structure for preventing the liquidus lubricating medium from leaking from a drain circuit, is provided at least at the downstream end of the clearance with respect to a direction of the belt motion. The seal structure includes a porous seal member associated with a resilient member to be resiliently biased toward an endless belt for establishing liquid-tight seal. The porous seal member is designed for absorbing part of drained liquidus lubricating medium.