US 4,934,989 AGranted

Belt transmission

AssigneeKubots, Ltd.

InventorsKazuo Furukawa, Keiichi Sampei, Yoshihiro Kato, Yosihito Dei, Katsumi Fukumoto

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Abstract

A belt transmission in which a transmission belt is reeved around each of a reversible drive pulley and a driven pulley and which includes a pair of tension pulleys provided respectively on the taut side and the slack side of the belt in contact therewith. The two tension pulleys are biased by an elastic body to tension the belt. A first link is connected to one of the tension pulleys, and a second link to the other tension pulley. The two links are each pivotally movable in a direction for the corresponding tension pulley to tension the belt and in a direction for the tension pulley to relieve the tension. The two links are pivotally movable about a common axis. When the direction of rotation of the drive pulley is changed, reversing the taut side and the slack side of the belt, the tension imparted to the belt by the tension pulleys is automatically adjusted properly by the pivotal movement of the two links.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A belt transmission including a transmission belt reeved around a reversible drive pulley and a reversible driven pulley, said transmission system comprising:

a tension pulley provided in contact with a taut side of the transmission belt to be movable in a first direction to tension the transmission belt and in a second direction to relieve the transmission belt from the tension;
a tension pulley provided in contact with a slack side of the transmission belt and movable in a first direction to tension the transmission belt and in a second direction to relieve the transmission belt from the tension;
an elastic body biasing the two tension pulleys each in the belt tensioning direction;
a first link connected to one of the tension pulleys;
a second link connected to the other tension pulley, each of the two links being pivotally movable in a direction corresponding to the tension pulley to tension the transmission belt and in a direction corresponding to the tension pulley to relieve the tension, wherein the two links are pivotally movable about a common axis;
and
means for concurrently and selectively tensioning or relieving tension on the two tension pulleys.

4 more elements

A belt transmission including a transmission belt reeved around a reversible drive pulley and a reversible driven pulley, said transmission system comprising:

a tension pulley provided in contact with a taut side of the transmission belt to be movable in a first direction to tension the transmission belt and in a second direction to relieve the transmission belt from the tension;
a tension pulley provided in contact with a slack side of the transmission belt and movable in a first direction to tension the transmission belt and in a second direction to relieve the transmission belt from the tension;
an elastic body biasing the two tension pulleys each in the belt tensioning direction;
a first link connected to one of the tension pulleys;
a second link connected to the other tension pulley, each of the two links being pivotally movable in a direction corresponding to the tension pulley to tension the transmission belt and in a direction corresponding to the tension pulley to relieve the tension, wherein the two links are pivotally movable about a common axis;
and
means for concurrently and selectively tensioning or relieving tension on the two tension pulleys;
wherein the driven pulley is operatively connected to drive a rear wheel of a mower of the walk-behind type, the mower having front wheels serving as gauge wheels and a handle provided at its rear portion for an operator, the drive pulley being positioned above the driven pulley.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.