Tensioning roller or winder device and method of manufacture

A method of manufacturing a tensioning roller or winder device, the method comprising steps of:

• obtaining a rolling bearing, the rolling bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring and at least one row of rolling elements disposed between the inner and outer ring, the inner ring defining a bore concentrically located about a central axis thereof;
• forming a pulley using an overmolding process, wherein the pulley is formed about and extends radially outward from the outer ring and the overmolding process cohesively affixes a bore of the pulley with the outer ring, wherein the overmolding process enables fabrication of tension rollers or winder devices having pulleys of any of a variety of different dimensions while utilizing the same rolling bearing, wherein the overmolding process enables fabrication of tension rollers or winder devices having pulleys of any of a variety of different dimensions while utilizing the same rolling bearing;
• selecting a fixing screw from a variety of fixing screws having differing diameters and thread formations,
• forming a sleeve using an overmolding process, wherein the sleeve is formed including a tubular cylindrical section having an axial end and an overmolded end, the overmolded end being formed over an inner ring of the rolling bearing and the overmolding process cohesively affixing a exterior surface of the sleeve with the inner ring, wherein overmolding process enables fabrication of the sleeve having a specific sleeve size and configuration of an interior bore selected from any of a series of sleeve interior bore sizes and configurations, while utilizing the same rolling bearing, wherein the specific sleeve size and configuration adapts the inner ring bore to support any of the variety of fixing screws having differing diameters and thread formations;
• locating a spacer piece at the axial end;
• inserting the sleeve within the inner ring bore;
• positioning the spacer piece against the inner ring of the rolling bearing to bear an axial load against the inner ring to axially retain the sleeve in position;
• providing an axial retaining feature within the sleeve, wherein the axial retaining feature retains the fixing screw inside the through-bore of the sleeve;
• and
• assembling the fixing screw through the sleeve through-bore, wherein the fixing screw is axially immovable with respect to the rolling bearing.