Round belt pulleys

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

I am currently restoring a full size Robinson Hot air engine, I understand that these low power engines generally used round section leather belts or cycle chain to transmit power, currently the engine does not have a pulley or sprocket on the crankshaft, I intend to turn up a pulley from cast iron which may never drive anything I just want to get the restoration right, Does anyone know the correct shape of the groove in the pulley,not modern theory just what form of pulley would have been used on a circa 1900 engine, would the groove been half round or have a V groove or some other profile? The engine has the name Gardner stamped into two of the castings and a serial no793 stamped on the rim of the crank disc. Robinsons bought in complete engines from Gardners and apparently Gardners also had a licence from Robinsons to sell engines to the Robinson design direct to their own customers.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Anson Engine Museum might have some info, they have a lot of stuff about Gardner and other Manchester made engines

[DC31kParticipant @dc31k]

As above, ask someone who has one:

https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8406054/l-gardner-robinson-type-hot-air-engine-hot-air-engine

https://salterbros.com.au/robinson/

The pictures on the Salter Bros. site might tell you what you need to know without asking.

The Science Museum picture is not useful to answer the question as it is full frontal.

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