US2257796A - Belt tightening and loosening driving connection - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 7, 1941. H. HEINEKE BELT TIGHTENING AND LOOSENING DRIVING CONNECTION Filed March 1, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Oct. 7, 1941. H. HEINEKE 2,257,795

BELT TIGHTENING AND LOOSENING DRIVING CONNECTION Filed March 1, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 7,

BELT TIGHTENING AND LOOSENING DRIVING CONNECTION Henry L. Heineke, Springfield, 111.

Application March 1, 1941, Serial No. 381,366

3 Claims.

The present invention pertains to improved and novel means to control and govern the operation of power-actuated lawn-mowers, whereby to cause the internal-combustion engine with which the mower is fitted to rotate the carryingwheels and the blade-shaft and its cuttingblades or to terminate such driving action, the device in its preferred form constituting a new style and type of belt tightening and loosening mechanism.

To enable those acquainted with this art to fully understand the invention, from both structural and functional standpoints, in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication and to which reference should be had, a present preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in detail, and, for simpllcity, like reference numerals have been used to designate the same mechanical parts throughout the several views, and from such an understanding it will be clear that the new character of driving-connection is simple in structure, is eflicient and effective in service,- is easily operated, is of relatively low cost, and is unlikely to become damaged or injured in ordinary service.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a lawnmower incorporating the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows in detail the handle-operated means for rendering the novel driving-connection operative and inoperative;

Figure 3 illustrates in' end-elevation the pivoted bearing for the intermediate-shaft of the mower;

Figure 4 is a plan view showing such intermediate-shaft and the details of the driving-connection; and

Figure 5 is an elevation of the right-hand end of the structure depicted in Figure 4.

Referring to these drawings, it will be noted 49 that, as is shown in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, the power-operated lawn-mower includes a platform ll mounted on carrying-wheels I2, I2 (Figure 1), and a blade-shaft on which the cuttingblades l3 are carried, such shaft through a sprocket-wheel M, a sprocket-chain l5 and a sprocket-wheel It; being connected to an intermediate-shaft I! which, near the sprocket-wheel I6, is mounted for rotation in a bearing [8 supported at l9, IS on a fixed vertical pivot mounted in a yoke 2| carried on the platform, so that the shaft may rock substantially-horizontally around a. fixed axis or pivot at a right-angle to the axis of the shaft.

modated in a bearing 22 (shown somewhat broken off in Figure 4) constituting part of a housing 23 over a V-grooved pulley 24 fastened on the shaft, 9. V-belt 25 passing around pulley 24 and a smaller similarly-grooved pulley 26 on the shaft 27 of an internal-combustion engine 28 on the platform H.

Thus, by the means described, the engine may operate the mower through power rotation of the carrying-wheels in the usual way and of the cutting-blades, provided however, that the intermediate shaft [1 and its pulley 24 are maintained in their operative positions by means hereinafter described,

Such means includes a flat block 3| bearing on platform II and pivoted thereto at 32 so that it may swing on the top surface of the platform in minor degree about its pivot in the general direction of the length or axis of shaft H, the underside of such shiftable block having an elongated recess 33 of the shape depicted in dotted lines in Figure 4, one reduced end portion of such cavity accommodating a coiled-spring 34 one end of which bears against the terminal wall of the recess.

The wall of the block above such recess is slotted at 35 in a direction transverse to, or laterally of, shaft l1 and such slot has a bolt 36 extended upwardly therethrough with its head 3'! in the recess and bearing against the other end of spring 34, the shank of the bolt extending up through a hole in a flat projection or lip 38 outstanding from the side of and integral with housing 23 and bearing and slidable on the member 3|, the top protruding end of the bolt having a securing nut 39 supplemented by a locknut 40.

Another apertured ear 4| projecting from the housing is connected by a rod 42 to a relativelysmall rock-handle 43 to which it is pivotally or hingedly connected at 44, such handle being rockingly mounted at 45 on the main handle 46 of the lawn-mower.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that whenhandle43 is in its released position, the parts are in the dotted-line positions shown in Figure 4, the spring 34 having forced them into, and maintaining them in, such locations, with the pulley 24 sufliciently close to its companion pulley 26 to slacken the belt 25 enough to render it inoperative'to turn shaft l1 and the members con- The opposite end portion of shaft I1 is accomnected therewith.

To tighten the belt and thus render the beltdriving connection operative so that the engine will revolve both the carrying-wheels and the cutting-blades, the operator merely shifts handle 43 to cause the connection 44 to pass slightly beyond dead-center (Figure 2) and the parts are then positively maintained in such operative re lation with the belt tight on its pulleys until the operator voluntarily swings the handle to release rod 42 and associated parts.

when the operator swings handle 43 to tighten the belt-drive, this is done with ease and facility, and it will be understood that in making either movement of such handle to shift the intermediate-shaft toward or from its drive-shaft. the block or element 33 swings in slight degree and the bolt 36 travels in the slot 35 as the housing and its associated shaft are moved.

When the parts are in the positions indicated in Figure 4, the pulleys are held separated sufliciently to tauten the belt and when the drive is rendered inactive, the parts are maintained in such relation by the spring 34.

To be sure, when the belt is loosened as indicated, the pulley 24 is at a slight angle to its companion pulley 26, but this factor is of no moment, it being understood that when the belt is tight and operative the two pulleys are in the same plane and the two shafts i1 and 21 are parallel.

The various elements or members of the mechanism when in active cooperative association are shown in full lines in Figure 4 and when in nondriving relation are illustrated in dotted lines, all as will be readily perceived.

To those acquainted with this art, it will be appreciated that the invention, as defined by the appended claims, is not necessarily limited and restricted to the precise and exact details of structure and that various modifications may be resorted to without departure from the heart and essence of the invention and without the loss or sacrifice of any of its material benefits and advantages.

1 claim:

1. In a belt tightening and loosening drivingconnection having a first suitably-journalled rotary-shaft, a second rotary-shaft approximately parallel to said first shaft, a pair of bearings for said second shaft, a pulley on each shaft, and

a belt connecting said pulleys, the novel features being that one of said bearings for said. second shaft has a fixed pivot the axis of which is at a right-angle to the axis of such bearing to permit said second shaft and its pulley to swing about the axis of said pivot toward and from said first shaft, in combination with a housing for said second-shaft pulley incorporating said other bearing for said second shaft, means mounting said housing and said bearing slidable toward and from said first shaft transversely of the latter, and means to manually shift said housing and its said bearing and through the latter said second shaft and its pulley to operatively tighten and inoperatively loosen said belt with relation to said pulleys.

2. The novel features set forth in claim 1 in I which said manually-operated means includes a block slotted and recessed in the general direction transverse to said second shaft and pivoted to swing in the general direction of the length of said second shaft, a member connected to said housing occupying said ,slot and extending into said recess, a spring in said recess tending to press said member and second shaft and its housing toward said first shaft, and means to releasably maintain said manually-operated means in position to render said belt operatively tight.

3. In a belt tightening and loosening drivingconnection having a first suitably-journaled rotary-shaft, a second rotary-shaft approximately parallel to said first shaft, 9. pair of bearings for said second shaft, a pulley on each shaft, and

a belt connecting said pulleys, the novel features being that one of said bearings for said second shaft has a fixed pivot the axis of which is at a right-angle to the axis of such bearing to permit said second shaft and its pulley to swing about the axis of said pivot toward and from said first shaft, in combination with a mounting for said second bearing for said second shaft for movement toward and from said first shaft, and manually-operated means to swing said second shaft and its pulley toward and from said first shaft to operatively tighten and inoperatively loosen said belt with relation to said pulleys.

HENRY L. HEINEKE.

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