The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 03, 1979
Filed:
Sep. 15, 1977
Stephen L McMillan, Louisville, KY (US);
General Electric Company, Louisville, KY (US);
Abstract
An automatic belt tightener for use in a belt drive mechanism for transmitting torque between a driving rotatable member and a driven rotatable member through a flat drive belt. Included is a roller assembly pivotable about the driving member and including a first, second and third roller, the driving member and the three rollers each having outside diameter grooves formed respectively by a pair of flanges, reduced interior diameters, and having their longitudinal axes of rotation parallel and spaced a fixed distance apart during operation of the mechanism. The flanges of only the first and third roller being in contact with the driving member and the second roller being driven by the first and third rollers. A drive belt passes between and in contact with reduced interior diameter of the first and second rollers and between and in contact with the reduced diameters of the second and third rollers and partially around the third roller and exiting the mechanism. When torque is applied to the driving member the roller assembly will pivot about the driving member and the respective rollers will automatically exert forces against the belt effecting driving engagement therebetween. There is also provided a first set of spaced parallel rings each having an interior diameter in rolling contact with the grooves of the driving member and the second roller and a second set of spaced parallel rings each having an interior diameter in rolling contact with the grooves of the first and third rollers.