Method for adjusting a braking torque and permanently excited magnetic hysteresis brake

1. Method for adjusting a braking torque of a permanently excited magnetic hysteresis brake by means of a mechanically acting actuator, characterised by providing only a single actuator ( 18 , 40 ) for adjustment of the braking torque and a cover ( 20 , 41 ) associated with the actuator, and by the steps of making both operational adjustment of the braking torque to a desired valued for the operation of the magnetic hysteresis brake ( 1 , 26 ) and fine calibrational adjustment of the braking torque when calibrating the magnetic hysteresis brake ( 1 , 26 ) via the single actuator ( 18 , 40 ), wherein the single actuator ( 18 , 40 ) entrains the cover ( 20 , 41 ) when the actuator ( 18 , 40 ) is rotated for fine calibrational adjustment of the braking torque and the actuator ( 18 , 40 ) rotates relative to the cover ( 20 , 41 ) for operational adjustment of the braking torque.

2. Permanently excited magnetic hysteresis brake, comprising a support roller ( 7 , 32 ) rotatable about a fixed axle ( 9 , 34 ), at least one magnetic element ( 3 , 29 ), at least one hysteresis element ( 2 , 28 ), the magnetic element ( 3 , 29 ) and the hysteresis element ( 2 , 28 ) being separated from one another by an air gap ( 4 , 30 ), an adjusting device for adjusting the position of the magnetic element ( 3 , 29 ) and hysteresis element ( 2 , 28 ) relative to one another to apply a correspondingly adjusted braking torque to the support roller ( 7 , 32 ), the adjusting device comprising an actuator ( 18 , 40 ) rotatable about the axle ( 9 , 34 ), characterised in that the magnetic hysteresis brake ( 1 , 26 ) has only a single actuator ( 18 , 40 ) for adjusting the braking torque both for operational adjustment of the braking torque to a desired valued for the operation of the magnetic hysteresis brake ( 1 , 26 ) and for fine calibrational adjustment of the braking torque during the calibration of the magnetic hysteresis brake ( 1 , 26 ), the magnetic hysteresis brake ( 1 , 26 ) comprising a cover ( 20 , 41 ) and a coupling ( 23 ) between the cover and the actuator ( 18 , 40 ), the coupling being operatively arranged for entraining the cover ( 20 , 41 ) to rotate with the actuator ( 18 , 40 ) when the actuator is rotated about the axle ( 9 , 34 ) for fine calibrational adjustment of the braking torque, and the coupling being operatively arranged for permitting the actuator ( 18 , 40 ) to rotate relative to the cover ( 20 , 41 ) for operational adjustment of the braking torque.

3. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 2 , characterised in that the actuator ( 18 , 40 ) has a scale ( 22 ) and in that the cover ( 20 , 41 ) carries a marking ( 25 ), and in that the scale ( 22 ) and the marking ( 25 ) are arranged to cooperate as a display device.

4. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 3 , characterised in that the magnetic hysteresis brake ( 1 , 26 ) has a releasably fixed connection between the cover ( 20 , 41 ) and the axle ( 9 , 34 ), for selective release or fixation as a function of the respective adjustment process.

5. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 4 , characterised in that the fixed connection between the cover ( 20 , 41 ) and axle ( 9 , 34 ) is a screw connection.

6. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 3 , characterised in that the coupling between the cover ( 20 , 41 ) and the actuator ( 18 , 40 ) is configured as a latching device.

7. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 2 , characterised in that the actuator ( 18 , 40 ) is an adjusting ring ( 18 , 40 ).

8. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 2 , characterised in that the hysteresis element ( 2 ) is rigidly connected to the support roller ( 7 ) and the magnetic element ( 3 ) is fastened to a holder ( 13 ), which is rotationally fixed with respect to the fixed axle ( 9 ) and displaceable relative to the hysteresis element ( 2 ) by means of the adjusting device in the axial direction of the fixed axle ( 9 ).

9. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 8 , characterised in that the actuator ( 18 ) and the holder ( 13 ) have threads which mesh with one another for axial displacement of the holder ( 13 ) via rotation of the actuator ( 18 ).

10. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 2 , characterised in that the hysteresis element ( 28 ) is rigidly connected to the support roller ( 32 ) and the magnetic element ( 29 ) is fastened to a holder ( 37 ), which is rotatable about the fixed axle ( 34 ) and rotationally coupled to the actuator ( 40 ) for displacement by means of the adjusting device relative to the hysteresis element ( 28 ) in the axial direction of the axle ( 34 ).

11. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 10 , characterised in that the adjusting device comprises a cam disc ( 27 ) carried by the axle ( 34 ), in that the cam disc ( 27 ) has at least one ramp ( 46 , 48 ), in that the holder ( 37 ) is supported on the ramp ( 46 , 48 ) and in that the cam disc ( 27 ) is configured and arranged for axial displacement of the holder ( 37 ) via-rotation of the holder ( 37 ).

12. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 11 , characterised in that the surface of the ramp ( 46 , 48 ) extends helically about the axle ( 34 ).

13. Magnetic hysteresis brake according to claim 2 , characterised in that the air gap ( 4 , 30 ) between the magnetic element ( 3 , 29 ) and the hysteresis element ( 2 , 28 ) lies in a plane transverse to the fixed axle ( 9 , 34 ).