Device for placing looped belt under tension

A device for placing a looped belt under tension, the device comprising:

• a base;
• a tension arm mounted on said base and adj able within a limited range of movement relative to said base;
• a slot formed in the tension arm, said slot defining said limited range of movement;
• a pulley mounted on said tension arm for engaging the looped belt;
• biasing means for applying a force to said tension arm;
• a fastener engaged with said tension arm and extending through said slot and into said base;
• and
• a bushing interposed between said fastener and said tension arm, extending through said slot and into engagement with said base such that said fastener is prevented from clamping said tension arm to said base, thereby permitting movement of said tension arm relative to said base within said limited range of movement in response to changing forces applied between said pulley and the belt.

A device for placing a looped belt under tension, the device comprising:

• a tension arm moveably mounted on a base, said tension arm lying substantially in a first plane;
• a pulley mounted on said tension arm for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to said first plane, said pulley adapted to be engaged by the looped belt;
• wherein said tension arm is formed with a slot and said base is formed with a threaded hole;
• a screw passing through said slot and into said threaded hole and formed with a screw head;
• and
• first and second interchangeable bushings having different axial lengths, either of which can be interposed between said screw head and said tension arm such that said screw passes through a selected one of said first and second bushings and into said base, wherein, upon tightening said screw, said first bushing enables said screw head to clamp said tension arm to said base, thereby establishing a static mode wherein said tension arm is held stationary relative to said base, and said second mounting bushing prevents said screw head from clamping said tension arm to said base, thereby establishing a dynamic mode wherein, in response to a changing force applied between said pulley and the looped belt, said tension arm moves relative to said base in such a manner as to maintain the force substantially constant.

A device for placing a belt under tension, the device comprising:

• a tension arm movably mounted on a base for rotation about a first axis;
• a pulley mounted on the tension arm for rotation about a second axis extending substantially parallel to said first axis and substantially perpendicular to said tension arm and adapted to be engaged by the belt;
• a fastener extending through an arcuate slot in said tension arm and into said base;
• and
• plural selectively interchangeable bushings of different axial lengths, one of which is adapted to be interposed between said fastener and said tension arm so as to enable said fastener to clamp said tension arm to said base;
• and another of which is adapted to be interposed between said fastener and the tension arm so as to permit rotation of said tension arm relative to said base in response to a changing force applied between said pulley and the looped belt.