Camshaft drive system for internal combustion engine

1. A camshaft drive system for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a drive sprocket fixed upon a crankshaft of said engine;

a driven sprocket fixed upon a camshaft of said engine;

a flexible power transmission element extending between said drive sprocket and said driven sprocket, with said power transmission element having a slack side and a tight side; and

a tensioning device for said flexible power transmission element, with said tensioning device comprising:

a single linear actuator having an axis of operation which is parallel to a line extending from the center of said drive sprocket to the center of said driven sprocket;

a plurality of movable contactors for engaging and thereby tensioning said slack side and said tight side of said flexible power transmission element, with each of said plurality of contactors being connected with, a single bridge, slidingly movable by said single linear actuator in the direction of movement of said single linear actuator such that movement of said single bridge and said single linear actuator in a selected direction along said axis of operation will cause said slack side and said tight side of said flexible power transmission element to be displaced equally; and

a plurality of stationary contactors rigidly mounted adjacent to said flexible power transmission element, with at least one of said stationary contactors bearing upon said slack side of said power transmission element, and at least another one of said stationary contactors bearing upon said tight side of said power transmission element, such that the travel of said plurality of movable contactors needed to remove slack from said power transmission element is reduced.

2. A camshaft drive system according to claim 1 , wherein said linear actuator comprises a spring-loaded plunger.

3. A camshaft drive system according to claim 1 , wherein said linear actuator comprises a spring-loaded plunger slidably mounted within a cylinder furnished with a supply of oil under pressure from an engine lubrication system, such that the force exerted by said spring and said oil upon said plunger combine to urge said contactors in a direction tending to tighten said flexible power transmission element.

4. A camshaft drive system according to claim 3 , wherein said oil is admitted into said cylinder through a check valve which prevents oil from leaving said cylinder.

5. A camshaft drive system according to claim 1 , wherein said flexible power transmission element comprises a metallic chain.

6. A camshaft drive system according to claim 1 , wherein said flexible power transmission element comprises a nonmetallic belt.