Belt drive cantilever tensioner
View Patent ↗A belt drive cantilever tensioner. The tensioner is particularly suited to belt drive systems having a high belt tension. The tensioner comprises a pulley journaled to a cantilever arm. The cantilever arm is pivotably attached to a mounting surface by a fastener at a pivot. The cantilever arm further comprises a hole disposed radially from the pivot for containing an embedded resilient member. A second fastener extends through the resilient member fixing it in a position relative to the first fastener. A load applied to the pulley causes the arm to pivot thereby causing a lever action to exert a force upon the resilient member. The resilient member has a limit of movement as well as an asymmetric force characteristic which increases in proportion to an arm rotation.
1. A cantilever tensioner comprising:
an arm;
a pulley journaled to the arm;
the arm having a pivot comprising a fastener for mounting the tensioner to a mounting surface, the pivot disposed a distance from the pulley;
the arm having a hole;
an elastomeric member disposed in the hole; and
a fastener engaged through the elastomeric member for mounting the tensioner to a mounting surface.
2. The cantilever tensioner as in claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric member is compressed in the hole.
3. The cantilever tensioner as in claim 1 , wherein a fastener center in the elastomeric member is displaced from a hole center.
4. The cantilever tensioner, as in claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric member comprises a Shore A durometer in the range of approximately 60 to 81.