Tension gauge apparatus and systems and methods for measuring belt tension
A return container for a sensor device and methods of forming a sensor device return container are disclosed. Generally, the apparatus may include a deflecting blade, a handle, and an indicator. The deflecting blade has a shaft and planar portion extending from respective ends. The planar portion can be placed proximate a working surface associated with a conveyor bearing and movable to provide the tension force on the belt. The handle is connected to the shaft and provides a torque when the handle is moved about an axis of the shaft. As an initial torque is applied to the shaft, the planar portion applies a first force against the working surface. The indicator is on the handle and measures the tension force on the belt when the handle provides a sufficiently increased torque such that the planar portion minimally deflects the working surface to a predetermined position.
1. A tension gauge apparatus for measuring belt tension on a conveyor bearing providing a tension force on a conveyor belt, the conveyor bearing having a fixed surface and a working surface, comprising:
a deflecting blade having
a planar portion configured to be placed between the fixed surface and the working surface of the conveyor bearing, and
a shaft disposed in a fixed relationship relative to the planar portion;
a handle connected to the shaft, the handle being configured to provide a torque relative to an axis of the shaft when the handle is moved about the axis of the shaft, such that as an initial torque is applied to the shaft, the planar portion applies a first force against the working surface; and
an indicator coupled to the handle and configured to measure the tension force on the conveyor belt when the handle provides a sufficiently increased torque such that the planar portion minimally deflects the working surface to a desired position indicative of substantially all of the tension force being applied to the planar portion.
2. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the planar portion further comprises a first planar surface and a second opposing planar surface, the first surface and the second opposing surface substantially forming a planar wedge configured to be placed between the fixed surface and the working surface of the conveyor bearing.
3. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is in a removable configuration with the handle.
4. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the deflecting blade is removably attached to the handle such that the deflecting blade can be replaced with an alternative deflecting blade having a different characteristic relative to the deflecting blade.
5. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the different characteristic of the alternative deflecting blade is at least one from a group comprising width, thickness, material, hardness, stiffness, and blade shape.
6. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the desired position of the working surface is when the tension force of the conveyor belt is substantially supported by a deflection force on the working surface from the planar portion.
7. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the desired position of the working surface allows for a visible gap between at least part of the planar portion and the fixed surface or the working surface.
8. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the desired position of the working surface allows for passing a predetermined thickness gauge between at least a part of the planar portion and the fixed surface or the working surface.
9. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indicator further comprises a plurality of scales corresponding to a plurality of different deflecting blades.
10. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of scales corresponds to a different mechanical leverage factor associated with a respective one of the different deflecting blades.
11. A system for measuring conveyor belt tension, comprising:
a conveyor system having a plurality of conveyor belt sections, each of the conveyor belt sections including a conveyor belt;
a plurality of conveyor bearings respectively coupled to each of the conveyor belt sections, each of the conveyor bearings having a fixed surface and a working surface, each of the conveyor bearings providing a tension force on the conveyor belt;
a deflecting blade having
a planar portion configured to be placed between the fixed surface and the working surface of at least one of the conveyor bearings, and
a shaft in a fixed relationship relative to the planar portion;
a handle connected to the shaft, the handle being configured to provide a torque relative to an axis of the shaft when the handle is moved about the axis of the shaft, such that as an initial torque is applied to the shaft, the planar portion applies a first force against the working surface of the eat least one of the conveyor bearings; and
an indicator coupled to the handle and configured to measure the tension force on the conveyor belt when the handle provides a sufficiently increased torque such that the planar portion minimally deflects the working surface to a desired position indicative of substantially all of the tension force being applied to the planar portion.
12. The system for measuring conveyor belt tension of claim 11 , wherein the deflecting blade is removably attached to the handle such that the deflecting blade can be replaced with an alternative deflecting blade having a different characteristic relative to the deflecting blade.
13. The system for measuring conveyor belt tension of claim 12 , wherein the different characteristic of the alternative deflecting blade is at least one from a group comprising width, thickness, material, hardness, stiffness, and blade shape.
14. The system for measuring conveyor belt tension of claim 12 , wherein the indicator further comprises a plurality of scales, a first of the plurality of scales associated with the deflecting blade and a second of the plurality of scales associated with the alternative deflecting blade.
15. A tension gauge apparatus for measuring belt tension on a bearing providing a tension force on a belt, comprising:
a deflecting blade having a shaft extending from a first end of the blade and a planar portion extending from the opposite end of the blade, the planar portion configured to be placed proximate a working surface associated with the bearing, the working surface being movable to provide the tension force on the belt;
a handle connected to the shaft, the handle being configured to provide a torque relative to a longitudinal axis of the shaft when the handle is moved about the longitudinal axis of the shaft, such that as an initial torque is applied to the shaft, the planar portion applies a first force against the working surface; and
an indicator provided on the handle and configured to measure the tension force on the belt when the handle provides a sufficiently increased torque such that the planar portion minimally deflects the working surface to a predetermined position.
16. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the working surface is removable relative to the bearing and configured to be placed on the bearing to provide a temporary bias point from which to externally measure belt tension.
17. The tension gauge apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the planar portion further comprises a first planar surface and a second opposing planar surface, the first planar surface and the second opposing planar surface substantially forming a planar wedge configured to be placed proximate the working surface of the bearing.
18. A method for measuring belt tension on a conveyor belt, comprising:
a. accessing a working surface of a conveyor bearing;
b. placing a planar portion of a deflecting blade proximate the working surface;
c. applying a torque relative to a longitudinal axis of the deflecting blade such that the deflecting blade provides an initial force against the working surface; and
d. applying a sufficiently increased torque relative to the longitudinal axis of the deflecting blade such that the blade minimally deflects the working surface to a desired position indicative of substantially all of the belt tension on the conveyor belt being applied by the deflecting blade.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the step of accessing the working surface further comprises placing the working surface relative to the conveyor bearing to provide a temporary bias point from which to externally measure belt tension of the conveyor belt.
20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of measuring the belt tension on the conveyor with a predetermined one of a plurality of scales on an indicator associated with the deflecting blade when the blade minimally deflects the working surface to the desired position.
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of recording the belt tension measurement when the desired position of the working surface allows for a visible gap between at least part of the blade portion and the working surface.
22. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of recording the belt tension measurement when the desired position of the working surface allows for passing a predetermined thickness gauge between at least a part of the blade and working surface.
23. The method of claim 20 , further comprising the steps of:
recording the belt tension measurement as an initial belt tension;
after a predetermined period, applying a second increased torque relative to the longitudinal axis of the deflecting blade such that the blade minimally deflects the working surface to the desired position indicative of substantially all of the belt tension on the conveyor belt after the predetermined period;
re-measuring the belt tension on the conveyor with the predetermined one of the plurality of scales as a second belt tension; and
determining if there is a service issue related to the conveyor based upon a level of tension drop after the predetermined period associated with a change between the initial belt tension and the second belt tension.
24. The method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of;
recording the belt tension measurement as an initial belt tension on a first side of the conveyor;
measuring belt tension on a second side of the conveyer by repeating steps (a)-(d) on a second side of the conveyor; and
determining if there is an imbalance of belt tension on the conveyor belt based upon the measured belt tension on the first side of the conveyor and the measured belt tension on the second side of the conveyor.
25. A system for measuring conveyor belt tension, comprising:
a frame;
a bearing housing movably mounted within the frame;
a conveyor bearing rotationally mounted within the bearing housing, the conveyor bearing providing a tension force on a conveyor belt;
an integrated tension measuring device disposed between the frame and the bearing housing, the integrated tension measuring device providing a reading on an output, the reading being associated with the tension force provided by the conveyor bearing;
an actuator disposed between the integrated tension measuring device disposed between the frame and the bearing housing, the actuator providing an adjustable linear force on the conveyor bearing through the bearing housing; and
a controller coupled to the integrated tension measuring device and the actuator, the controller being operatively configured to:
store an initial measure of the tension force based upon an initial reading from the integrated tension measuring device,
identify a change in the tension force on the conveyor belt based upon a subsequent reading from the integrated tension measuring device,
if the subsequent reading is greater than a predetermined threshold, issue a notification indicating the subsequent reading exceeded the predetermined threshold, and
alter the adjustable linear force on the conveyor bearing by sending an adjustment signal to the actuator, which causes the actuator to move relative to the bearing housing.
26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the controller is further operatively configured to compare the subsequent reading to a history of readings associated with one or more other conveyor bearings.
27. The system of claim 25 , wherein the controller is further operative to alter the adjustable linear force on the conveyor bearing in response to an alternative configuration signal sent to the actuator.
28. A system for measuring conveyor belt tension, comprising:
a set of frame rails;
a bearing housing movably mounted on the set of frame rails;
a conveyor bearing rotationally mounted within the bearing housing, the conveyor bearing providing a tension force on a conveyor belt;
a pivoting linkage having a first end and a second end, the linking having a pivot point disposed substantially near the first end, wherein the pivot point is stationary with respect to the set of frame rails, the pivoting linkage in a responsive configuration with the bearing housing to cause the bearing housing to move on the set of rails when the pivoting linkage is pivoted about the pivot point;
a tensioning member disposed substantially near the another end of the pivoting linkage, the tensioning member providing a torque on the pivoting linkage associated with a compression force on the tensioning member; and
an indicator disposed substantially near the another end of the pivoting linkage, the indicator configured to measure the tension force on the conveyor belt when the tensioning member provides a sufficiently increased torque to the pivoting linkage at the another end of the pivoting linkage.
29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the indicator further comprises a plurality of scales, a first of the plurality of scales associated with the tensioning member and a second of the plurality of scales associated with an alternative tensioning member having a different compression characteristic.