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US 12,259,035 B2Granted
Drive belt wear indication
AssigneeCaterpillar Paving Products Inc.
InventorCraig Hedstrom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A belt drive for a work machine is disclosed. The belt drive has a drive belt that is wound around an input pulley and an out put pulley. The input pulley is rotated by a motor, and when rotated, transfers rotational motion to the output pulley by the drive belt. A controller is in communication with an input speed sensor that measures the input pulley and an output speed sensor that measures the output pulley. The controller calculates an input speed from the measurement of the input pulley, and an output speed from the measurement of the output pulley. The controller also sends a damaged belt signal to an operator control of the work machine when the output speed is lower by a predetermined threshold than the input speed.
Claims19
A belt drive for a work machine, the belt drive comprising:
- a motor configured to rotate an input pulley;
- an output pulley;
- a drive belt wound around the input pulley and output pulley, the input pulley configured to transmit rotational motion to the output pulley via the drive belt when the input pulley is rotated;
- a belt tensioner having an arm pivotably connected to a belt tensioner base at a first end of the arm, the belt tensioner further having a belt tensioner roller attached to a second end of the arm;
- an arm flange protruding outward from the arm between the first end and the second end;
- a cylinder actuator connected to a belt tensioner base at a first end and to the arm flange at a second end, the cylinder actuator having a cylinder sensor and the cylinder actuator is configured to:
- extend to rotate the arm flange and arm until drive belt is under tension;
- and
- retract to rotate the arm flange and arm to decrease tension on the drive belt;
- an input sensor configured to make a measurement of the input pulley;
- an output sensor configured to make a measurement of the output pulley, the output sensor being a non-contact sensor that detects two or more teeth that are evenly spaced around the circumference of the output pulley as they pass in front of the output sensor when the output pulley is rotated;
- a controller in operative communication with the input sensor and the output sensor, the controller configured to receive the measurement of the input pulley and the measurement of the output pulley, calculate an input speed from the measurement of the input pulley, calculate an output speed from the measurement of the output pulley, and send a damaged belt signal to an operator control of the work machine when the output speed is lower by a predetermined threshold than the input speed;
- and
- the controller further configured to receive an extension signal from the cylinder sensor when the cylinder actuator extends beyond a predetermined threshold, and the controller configured to send the damaged belt signal to the operator control of the work machine when the extension signal is received.
11 more elements
A belt drive system for a work machine, the belt drive system comprising:
- a motor configured to rotate an input pulley;
- an output pulley;
- a drive belt wound around the input pulley and output pulley, the input pulley configured to transmit rotational motion to the output pulley via the drive belt when the input pulley is rotated;
- a belt tensioner having an arm pivotably connected to a belt tensioner base at a first end of the arm, the belt tensioner further having a belt tensioner roller attached to a second end of the arm;
- an arm flange protruding outward from the arm between the first end and the second end;
- a cylinder actuator connected to a belt tensioner base at a first end and to the arm flange at a second end, the cylinder actuator having a cylinder sensor and the cylinder actuator is configured to extend and retract to rotate the arm;
- the cylinder actuator configured to extend to rotate the arm flange and arm until the roller is in communication with the drive belt and the drive belt is under tension;
- a controller in operative communication with the cylinder sensor, the controller configured to receive an extension signal from the cylinder sensor when the cylinder actuator extends beyond a predetermined threshold, and the controller configured to send a damaged belt signal to an operator control of the work machine when the extension signal is received.
5 more elements
A method for detecting damage in a drive belt, the method comprising:
- providing a belt drive having a motor configured to rotate an input pulley, an output pulley, and the drive belt wound around the input pulley and output pulley, the input pulley configured to transmit rotational motion to the output pulley via the drive belt when the input pulley is rotated, a belt tensioner having an arm pivotably connected to a belt tensioner base at a first end of the arm, the belt tensioner further having a belt tensioner roller attached to a second end of the arm, an arm flange protruding outward from the arm between the first end and the second end, a cylinder actuator connected to a belt tensioner base at a first end and to the arm flange at a second end, the cylinder actuator having a cylinder sensor, and the cylinder actuator is configured to extend and retract to rotate the arm;
- utilizing an input sensor to make a measurement of the input pulley and an output sensor to make a measurement of the output pulley, the output sensor being a non-contact sensor that detects two or more teeth that are evenly spaced around the circumference of the output pulley as they pass in front of the output sensor when the output pulley is rotated;
- receiving at a controller the measurement of the input pulley and the measurement of the output pulley;
- calculating with the controller an input speed from the measurement of the input pulley and an output speed from the measurement of the output pulley;
- extending the cylinder actuator to rotate the arm flange and arm until the roller is in communication with the drive belt and the drive belt is under tension;
- and
- sending a damaged belt signal to an operator control of a work machine when the output speed is lower by a predetermined threshold than the input speed and an extension signal is received from the cylinder sensor communicated when the cylinder actuator extends beyond a predetermined threshold.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.