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:
Jan. 05, 1982
Filed:
Feb. 08, 1980
Nolte V Sproul, Canton, OH (US);
Dyneer Corporation, Canton, OH (US);
Abstract
A belt tensioning device for an endless drive belt for a vehicle accessories drive system. A bracket, which terminates in a pair of outwardly extending end flanges, is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle engine adjacent the drive belt. A cylindrical cup-shaped housing is mounted on each of the bracket flanges and contains a pair of volute springs. A plunger is operatively engaged by each of the volute spring pairs and is biased outwardly from an open end of the housing toward the oppositely mounted spring housing. The axes of the plungers are parallel to each other and spaced apart. A lever is pivotally mounted on the bracket intermediate the spring housings and extends from the bracket perpendicularly with respect to the axes of the plungers. The plungers are connected to the lever, one on each side of the lever pivot point. An idler pulley is rotatably mounted on the extended end of the lever and is moved in a belt tensioning direction for engagement with the drive belt by the biasing actions of the volute springs. The volute springs provide and maintain a generally constant tensioning force on the drive belt, and also provide a damping effect due to the unequal load rate deflection of each spring coil and due to the sliding friction between the individual spring coils.