US657301A - Belt-tightener. - Google Patents

Description

No. 657,30l.

G. E. TRAVIS.

BELT TIGHTENER.

(Application filed Ian. 8, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

n4: Nonm's Pit-Ens co. mom-Luna w summon. D. c.

- Patented Sept. 4, 1900. G. E. TRAVIS.

BELT TIGHTENE R.

(Application filed Jan. 8, 1900.!

2 Sheets-Shad 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

GEORGE E. TRAVIS, OF HENRY, ILLINOIS.

BELT-TIGHTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,301, dated September 4, 1900. Application filed January 3, 1900. Serial No. 753. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concernfi Be it known that I, GEORGE E. TRAvIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Henry, in the county of Marshall and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt-Tighteners, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to belt-tighteners for traction-engines, and has for one object to provide improved and simple means for tightening the belt of a thresher-traction, while the engine is at work and maintaining the belt taut.

It also has for its object to providea safety device that will effectually operate to prevent breakage or damage should the belt-tightening mechanism be accidentally thrown into operation while the engine is being propelled as a traction-engine.

It has for a further object to provide a friction-clutch attachment operating in such manner that the clutch-lever holds the clutch out of operation while the belt-tightener is in gear. y

To these ends my invention consists in the features and in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the engine connected to a threshing-machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the means for throwing the parts into and out of operation. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken through the frame,.

idler-wheel, and ratchet. Fig. 4isadetailperspective view of the frame and the pawl and dog operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a view.

in elevation of the latch-lever and link mechanism, and Fig.- dis a plan view of the clutchoperating hook. A

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a traction-engine of any suitable construction, 2 a drive-Wheel driven by the engine, and 3 a drive-belt for transmitting power from the engine to the threshing-machine. The drive-wheel 2 may consist of a friction clutch-wheel of any of the well-known types employed for the purpose and adapted to be thrown into and out of operation by a axle of the ground-wheels 6.

clutch-lever 4 to engage and disengage the engine-shaft 5 with and from the train of gearing leading to the ground-wheels 6. Said train of gearing is shown as consisting of the idler gear-wheel 7, which meshes with and transfers the movement of the engine-shaft to a gear-wheel 8. The gear-wheel 8 rotates a smaller gear-wheel 9,.which in turn gears with and rotates a gear-wheel 10, fixed on the Fixed concentrically on the gear-wheel 7 is an annular casing 11, which is preferably bolted to said gear-wheel and is provided with two circumferential grooves 12 and 13, in the former of which is seated a ratchet-wheel l4 and in the latter one'end of a frame 15, the other end of which is fixed to the engineframe or any suitable fixed support. One or more break-pins 16 pass transversely through the casing 11 and ratchet-wheel 14,.so that the latter normally rotates with the gearwheel 7 for the purpose hereinafter explained. Fulcrumed on a pivot 17 on the frame 15 is a hand-lever 18, carrying a gravity-pawl l9, pivoted to said lever near its fulcrum and normally swinging by gravity into engagement with the ratchet-wheel 14. A gravitydog is pivotally mounted on the pivot-pin 17 and operates to engage the ratchet-wheel 14 and hold the latter against backward movement. an upward extension 21, by means of which the dog may be thrown out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel 14 in the manner hereinafter explained, and when the dog is so thrown out of engagementit strikes the pawl 19 and throws it also out of engagement with said ratchet-wheel.

If the'driving-belt 3 becomes loose, it is only necessary to depress the free end of the handto give the proper tension to the belt, and

after this has been accomplished the lockingdog 20 will hold the" engine stationary and the belt taut.

The locking-dog 20 isprovided with,

I lever 25, to which is pivotally connected one end of a link 26,.the other end of which is in like manner connected to the" end of the arm 22" As shown, the pivotal connection 27 between the link and trip-lever is such that when the latter is swung toward the rear of the engine the pivotal point 27 will bein alinementwith the fulcrum of the trip-lever and the latter and the link will be held against movement, and the same is true when thetrip-lever is swung in the opposite direction. trip-lever is swung toward the front of the engine, the link 26 is moved forward andos-. cillates the arm 22 in the same direction,

thereby causing the lug 23 to bear against the extension 21 of the locking-dog and mov' ing said. dog and pawl out of alinement with the ratchet-wheel 14:. When the trip-lever is swung in the opposite direction, the arm 22 is drawn outof engagement with the lock.- ing-dog and the latter and the pawl drop by gravity into engagement with the. ratchetwheel. The trip-lever and link are held in their adjusted positions in the followingmanner: Formed on the tail of the trip-lever is a laterally-projecting lug. 28, which. when thesaid. trip -'lever is in the position shown in Fig. 1 engages the under side of thelink 26 and is caused to press thereag'ainst by a coiled spring29, one end of whichis attached to the said link and the other end to the frame 1.5 or other suitable fixture, said spring. operating to draw the link downward. Formed on the handle end of the trip-leveris-a cone 2 sponding lug 30, which in. like. mannerbears against the uppenside of the lever when the trip-lever is swung for-ward to throw the dog and pawl out of engagement. The. parts arethus positively locked-when in either of the adjusted-positions. i

If. the well-known friction-clutch bev em.- ployed, as before described, for throwing the: engine shaft into gear with thetrain of gearing for propelling the engine, I provide a safety attachment that operatesto hold. the clutch-controlling lever in such manner that the clutch cannot be put ingear while the dog and pawl are in engagement withv the.

' ratchet-wheel. The safety attachment is constructed as follows: I The numeral 31 indicates a hook that engages the controlling-lever of the frictionclutch, the shank. of said hook being 'provided with a longitudinal slot 32. Fitted in the slot 32. isa'bolt 33, that extends through, and on. its end is fitted a corrugated. washer 33, that engages corresponding corrugations When the formed on the-shank of the hook; Said washer is held in placeby a nut 33. these means the length 'of'the" hook may be altered. The arrangement is such that when [thelink' 26 is drawn rearward by the triplever to throw the dog and pawl into ongagement witlLthe ratchet-wheel the pin 33 draws the hook 31 towardthe rear of the engine, thereby drawing the clutch-controlling =lever 4 in the same direction and throwing .the clutch out of operation. The clutch will be positively held out of operation as long as the dog and pawl are in engagementwith the ratchet-wheel. When, however, the link 26 is thrust forward by the trip-lever to throw :the dog and pawl out of engagement, -the pin 3 33 rides forward in the slot 32 of the safetyhook, thereby releasing the latter, after which I the controlling-lever can be operated at will to propel the engine. w While the engine is being moved over the road should the pawl and dog he accidentally thrown into engagement withthe ratchet [wheel or should an abnormal strainibe suddenly thrown onto the ratchet wheel the break-pin 16,. beforereferred to, will break, thereby preventing damage to the gearing, as

i then free to rotate independently. The-break 'pins maybe readily replaced when broken.

, If preferred, the ratchet-wheel 14 may be to engage directly with the cog-teeth of the gear-wheel 7. V

a ,By means of the dog and pawl described @thebelt canbe put. onthe drive-whe'eLan-d g tightened at ease. The beltcanbe positively ti'ghtened to any desired: tensionlittle by l little and at will and will be held inits gtightened condition, thereby holding. the on g gine stationary without the use of blocks for checking the wheels and holding the engine steady without vibration.

The improvements he-rein. shown and do scribedv maybe placed on. the engine when %the latter is built in the factory or maybe placed :on. engines-built.- and in use; 7' Having described my invention, what I claim is l. 1. In a belt-tightener of. the; character described, the combination with the tractionidler geanwheels, the pawl and dog. engaging aa ratchet-wheel fixed on said idler-wheel, the i link and. arm. for throwing said pawl and dog actuating said link and holding it locked ,against accidental movement, substantially jas described. V V

2.; Ina belt-tightener of the'class described, the'com-bination with the traction-engine and 1 its trainof driving-gearing, of theidler gear.- wheel, the pawl and dog engaging a ratchetwheel fixed. on saididler-wheel, an oscillating arm for throwing the pawl and dog into and the ratchet-wheel 14 and gear-wheel 7 are E dispensedwith and the dog and pawl caused.

; engine and its train otdriving-gearing, of the {into and out of gear, and. the trip-lever for .out-of. engagement,, a link connected'tosaid arm, atrip-lever pivoted'intermediateits ends IIO to a fixed support and pivoted on one side of its fulcrum to said link, said trip-lever being provided at its opposite ends with lugs arranged to respectively engage the upper and under side of the link, and a coiled spring operating to draw the link down, substantially as described. a

3. In a belt-t-ightener, of the character described, the combination with the tractionengine, its train of driving-gearing and a friction-clutch on the engine-shaft for throwing said gearing into and out of gear, of the-idler gear-wheel, the pawl and dog. engaging a ratchet-Wheel fixed on said idler-wheel, the link and arm for throwing said pawl and dog into and out of engagement, the trip-lever for actuating said link and holding it locked against accidental displacement, a pin on the link, anda safety-hook engaging the controlling-lever of the friction-clutch and having a slotted shank engaged by said pin, substantially as described.

4. In a belt-tightener of the character de scribed, the combination with the tractionengine and its train of driving-gearing, of the idler gear-wheel, the ratchet-wheel, a break- 'pin connecting said ratchet and gear wheel

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