There are several types of belt drives used to transmit power between parallel shafts rotating in the same or opposite directions, including open belt drives, crossed belt drives, belt drives using idler pulleys to increase the contact angle on smaller pulleys, and stepped pulley drives to change the speed of the driven shaft while keeping the driver shaft at a constant speed. Additionally, fast and loose pulley drives allow the driven shaft to disengage from the driver shaft using a loose pulley when needed.

5.  Open Belt Drive: The open belt drive is used
with shafts arranged parallel and rotating in
the same direction

7.  Crossed Belt Drive: The crossed belt drive is
used with shafts arranged parallel and
rotating in the opposite direction

9.  Belt Drive with Idler pulleys: is used with shafts
arranged parallel and when belt drive cannot be
used due to small angle of contact on the smaller
pulley.
 Idler pulley is a pulley which does not transmit
power but assist power transmission by increasing
angle of contact of smaller pulley

11.  Stepped or Cone pulley Drive: is used for
changing the speed of the driven shaft while
main shaft runs at constant speed.

12.  Fast and loose pulley
Drive:
◦ Fast pulley: pulley
keyed to the driven
shaft
◦ Loose pulley: pulley not
keyed to the driven
shaft. It can freely
rotate
When needed belt slided
over to the loose pulley.
Then driven shaft can be
stopped without stopping
driver shaft