US1452900A - Locking means for belt-tightening mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Apr. 24, 1923. 1,452,900

cv H. TURNER LOCKING MEANS FOR BELT TIGHTENING' MECHANISM Filed July 29 1921 3 rum whom W 0/4/17 5 6 fdi/Vff atto: we 1 Patented Apr. 24, 1923.

UNITED STATES? insane CHARLES H. TURNER, F STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

LOCKING MEANS FOR BELT-TIGHTENING MECHANISM.

Application filed July 29, 1921. Serial No. 488,348.

To all to iwm it may concern Be it konwn that I, CHARLES H. TURNER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Statesville, in the county of Iredell and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Locking Means for Belt-Tightening Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a locking means for a belt tightening mechanism and has for its principal object to provide simple and eliicient means for holding the controlling lever thereof in a neutral position.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the belt from buckling or otherwise sticking to the pulley wheel after the tension has been relieved therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide improvements of this nature which will be durable and of inexpensive construction and which will be eificient and reliable in operation and well adapted to the purpose for which they are designed.

With these and numerous other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is an elevational view of a conventional form of belt tightening mechanismshowing my invention attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view showing the holding mechanism for the operating lever,

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the belt guard,

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the 4 plunger bracket and Figure 5 is a plan view of the plate attached to the operating lever.

Referring to the drawing in detail it will be seen that 1 designates a support of any preferred construction having suitably mounted thereon a belt tightening mechanism which is of conventional construction and in the present instance it consists of the rocking frame 2 which is controlled by the lever 3 inthe usual manner. My invention for holding this lever 3 in a neutral position consists of the bracket 4: which is suitably mounted on the support 1 and is provided with a cylindrical portion 5 which is open at end 6 and partially closed at end 7. A latch element 8 having a reduced shank 9 is slidably mounted in the cylinder 5 and a compression coil spring 10 is disposed about the reduced shank within the cylinder 5 so as to normally hold the latch element or nose 8 in the extended position such as shown in Figure 2. A. suitable cotter pin or other element 11 is provided in the end of the reduced shank 9 and acts as a stop. When it is desired to disassemble the spring and the latch element this cotter pin 11 is re moved and these parts may be then pulled from the cylinder 5 as will be readily seen from an inspection of the drawing. A plate 13 is suitably attached to the lever 3 and is provided with the projecting cars 14: which extend laterally from the side portions of the lever as shown to advantage in Figure 1. Intermediate the ends of the plate 13 there is provided an ind'enture 15 for receiving the latch element or nose 8 and thus when the nose 8 is in engagement with this indenture 15 the lever 3 will be held in a neutral position. When it is desired to move the lever 13 either to the right or left as shown in Figure 1 a little additional pressure will be necessary so as to overcome the friction caused by the latch element 8 engaging the indenture 15 and this latch element 18 will ride over the surface of the plate and the ears 14 are provided so as to accommodate this latch element when the lever is positioned so as to place the mechanism in a tightened position. vAs is well known in the art when the belting of a tightening mechanism such as disclosed in Figure 1 is actuated or adjusted so as to place too much tension on the belt the same has a tendency to stick to the pulley wheel. When the tension is released this sticking tendency causes the belt to buckle or tend to fold on the pulley and often is the cause of great destruction and injuries to pulley constructions of various natures. In order to overcome this I have provided a guard for the pulley which will prevent the belt from buckling thereon. This guard consists of a foot 17 having alug 18 extending therefrom and an aperture 19 extending therethrough so that this foot may be attached to the support 1 by means of a screw and the lug 18 will be driven into the support so as to prevent any rotation of this foot 17 A finger 20extends from the Lil foot 17 so as to be positioned below the belt and adjacent the pulley wheel and thus as the tension is relieved from the belt it will engage this finger and prevent the same trom buckling on the pulley wheel. lhis finger 20 extending" from the foot 17 is preferably curved throughout its length as shown to advantage in Figure 3 so that as the finger is engaged by the belt it will not have a tendecy to cut the same or in any way injure it.

The above description and the accompanying drawings show the preferred construction of my invention and as numerous changes in form, proportion, and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of this invention i do, not wish to be limited to the construction herein shown and de scribed other than as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new is in combination, a control lever for a belt tightening;- mechanism, a plate mounted on the control lever and provided with a centrally disposed indenture arcuate ears extending in opposite directions from each other and laterally from the sides of the lever, and a seconil pair of ears extending from the plate in opposite directions and aligned at substantial right angles to the first mentioned ears, means passing; through the second mentioned ears for fastening the plate to the lever; and a spring ")IQSSGCl latch element engageable. with the plate and the arouate ears and the indenture all in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES H. TURNER.

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