Belt tensioning device

A belt tensioning device for tensioning an endless belt entrained over pulleys on an apparatus, the tensioning device comprising, a mounting bracket having a pair of laterally spaced side walls, a pulley support arm having a pair of laterally spaced side walls, one end portion of the pulley support arm being disposed between said side walls of said mounting bracket, pivot pin means mounting said one end portion of pulley support arm on said mounting bracket for pivotal movement relative thereto about a pivot axis, bracket mounting means for attaching the mounting bracket on the apparatus, an idler pulley disposed between the side walls of the support arm and mounted on the free end of the support arm for rotation about an axis spaced from and parallel to said pivot axis, a first spring abutment means disposed between said side walls of said support arm adjacent said one end portion thereof and spaced outwardly from said pivot axis, a second spring abutment means disposed between said side walls of said mounting bracket and spaced outwardly from said pivot axis, compression spring means interposed between said first and second spring abutment means for yieldably biasing said support arm in a direction to press the idler pulley against the belt, a pair of vibration dampening pads formed of resilient material and each having a pad face, means fixedly mounting the pads on the side walls of one of the items comprising the support arm and mounting bracket at locations spaced outwardly from the pivot axis with the pad faces slidably engaging respective ones of the side walls of the other of said items and with the pads compressed in a direction perpendicular to the side walls on said other of said items to pressurize the pad faces into engagement therewith.

A belt tensioning device for tensioning an endless belt entrained over pulleys on an apparatus, the tensioning device comprising a mounting bracket having a pair of laterally spaced side walls and a connecting wall extending between the side walls along a portion of the periphery thereof and aligned openings in the side walls at locations spaced from the connecting wall, a pulley support arm having a pair of laterally spaced side walls and a connecting wall extending between the side walls adjacent one end portion thereof and aligned openings in the side walls adjacent said one end portion thereof, said one end portion of the pulley support arm being disposed between said side walls of said mounting bracket, mounting pin means extending through the aligned openings in the side walls of the mounting bracket and through the aligned openings in the side walls of the pulley support arm for mounting said pulley support arm on said mounting bracket for pivotal movement relative thereto about a pivot axis, bracket mounting means for attaching the mounting bracket to the apparatus, an idler pulley disposed between the side walls of the support arm and mounted for rotation about an axis spaced from and parallel to said pivot axis, a first spring abutment means on said connecting wall of the support arm and spaced outwardly from said pivot axis, a second spring abutment means disposed between said side walls of said mounting bracket and spaced outwardly from said pivot axis, compression spring means interposed between said first and second spring abutment means for yieldably biasing said support arm in a direction to press the idler pulley against the belt, a pair of vibration dampening pads formed of resilient material each interposed between a respective side wall on the pulley support arm and the adjacent side wall of the housing and each having a thickness when unloaded which is greater than the clearance between each side wall on the pulley support arm and the adjacent side walls on the housing so that the pads are compressed therebetween, means connecting the pads to side walls on one of the items comprising the pulley support arm and the housing, the pads each having a smooth pad face slidably engaging the side walls in the other of the items.