Dayco IP Holdings, LLC

Dayco Products, Inc.

Robert J Crist

Anthony Eugene Lannutti

Kevin Gerard Dutil

James Kevin Lindstrom

Robert C Joslyn

Stephen G Webb

Steve E Scott

Jeffrey A Swane

Earl E McShane

Zachary Fittro

Donald B Brown

Chester E Duffield, Iii

Terrence R Quick

Randall R Diefenderfer

Douglas G Gerring

Matthew J Leis

Chester E Duffield

Zed-type belt tensioners are described that include an arm having a first end rotatable about a first axis to move a second end of the arm into engagement with a belt, a tensioner component coupled to the first end of the arm, and a supplemental force element positioned between the arm and the tensioner component. The second end of the arm while tensioning a belt experiences a hub load applied by the belt and the supplemental force element is positioned at a point to apply a force that counteracts the hub load thereby reducing cocking of the arm. Also described herein are methods of counteracting the hub load using such belt tensioners and methods of assembly of such belt tensioners.

Belt tensioner with supplemental force element

Low-noise pulleys and methods of constructing low-noise pulleys are disclosed. In a first aspect, first and second pluralities of arms extending radially outward from the outer hub to the outer rim are angularly offset from each other about the axis of rotation to eliminate symmetry across the lateral midline of the pulley. In a second aspect, the radially outermost ends of a plurality of arms are arcuately spaced apart according to a pitch sequence describing a pseudo-random pattern of relative spacings so as to reduce or eliminate rotational symmetry of the pulley. In a third aspect, features of the first and second aspects are combined, and in one embodiment, first and second pluralities of arms are, respectively, approximately oppositely canted so as to vary the arcuate spacings of the laterally outermost ends of the arms.

Low noise pulley

Disclosed is a pulley assembly including a pulley having an axis of rotation a pulley shell, and a bearing; a shaft having a pulley-receiving end that receives the pulley; and a first bearing shield disposed at the pulley-receiving end of the shaft. The pulley shell includes an annular wall that defines an opening for housing the bearing. The bearing is housed therein and has an inner race, outer race, and a rolling element. The first bearing shield includes a deflected sealing member biases against at least one of the outer race of the bearing and the pulley shell as a first contact seal to protect the bearing from contaminants.

Deflected bearing shield as a bearing seal for a pulley assembly and method of assembly

A tensioner for a power transmitting element in a drive system is disclosed. The tensioner comprises a threaded shaft that includes threading and at least one non-threaded end and defines a pivot axis, an arm rotatable about the pivot axis on the non-threaded end of the threaded shaft, a torsion element biasing the arm to rotate about the pivot axis, a threaded nut threadedly connected to the threaded shaft. The threaded nut has a first surface in frictional engagement with the arm and is rotatable about the threading. The threaded nut acts as a one-way limited slip clutch to provide asymmetric damping to the arm and controlled resisting torque in a variable relative proportion compared to the mean torque and returning torque.

One-way damped over-arm tensioner

A tensioner may be part of a power system to tension an endless power transmitting element. The tensioner includes an arm having an arm arbor with a slot therethrough that is rotatable about a first axis, a bushing having a sleeve that includes a cut-out and a removable sleeve-segment that has a protrusion thereon, the sleeve-segment being receivable in the cut-out with the protrusion in the slot, and a spring coupled to the arm for rotation of the arm about the first axis into tensioning engagement with a power transmitting element. The spring is positioned where it can radially expand into contact with the protrusion of the bushing, at least the protrusion on the sleeve-segment, as the arm is rotated in a direction opposite the direction of tensioning engagement such that the bushing is urged radially outward relative to the arm arbor to provide frictional damping.

Tensioner with expanding spring for radial frictional asymmetric damping

A belt tensioner includes an arm, a spring case, and a helical spring having inwardly projecting first and second end portions. Another belt tensioner includes a spring, an arm, a spring case, and a pivot bushing surrounding the spring. An additional belt tensioner includes an idler pulley having a bearing with a mounting hole and includes an arm having a post. The post is positioned in the mounting hole, and an annular rim of the post is deformed radially outward and over the bearing. A method for manufacturing an arm and a spring case of a belt-tensioner includes obtaining a belt-tensioner-arm casting mold including a first section and a second section and obtaining a belt-tensioner-spring-case casting mold including a first segment and a second segment.

Belt tensioner and method for making a belt-tensioner arm and a spring case

A vibration damper and/or isolator for a rotating shaft is provided comprising a hub, an inertia element, a magneto-rheological elastic element interposed between the hub and the inertia element to non-rigidly couple the inertia element to the hub, and an electromagnet operable to produce a magnetic field across the elastic element when energized. The magneto-rheological elastic element, which may comprise a composite of magnetic-responsive particles dispersed within an elastic material, possesses a variable shear modulus that is dependent, at least in part, on the strength of a magnetic field applied to the elastic element.

Active vibrational damper

A vibration damper for controlling the torsional and bending vibrations in a rotating shaft is provided. The vibration damper includes a hub, an inertia element, and an elastic element that possess a first shear modulus in a first direction and a second shear modulus in a second direction. The hub is adapted to be coupled to the shaft for rotational movement. The inertia element is concentric with the hub and has a mass. The elastic element is adapted to non-rigidly couple the hub and the inertia element. The elastic element may be a non-isotropic composite material having a plurality of fibers dispersed therein.

Single inertia bending damper

A first belt tensioner includes an arm, spring case, coil spring, and arm plate. The arm is adapted to support an idler pulley and has a hook portion. The spring case is disposed in the arm and has a first spring seat. The spring is disposed in the spring case. The arm plate has a second spring seat. The spring is longitudinally compressed between the arm plate and the spring case. The spring is in torsion with the end portions of the spring seated against a corresponding spring seat and with the arm plate rotationally positioned under the hook portion. A method for assembling the first belt tensioner includes using the arm plate to longitudinally compress the spring and rotating the arm plate. A second belt tensioner includes an arm, spring case, coil spring, arm plate, and pivot bushing.

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Bentonville, AR, United States of America

Robert J Crist