Belt wear detection system and method
AssigneeThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
InventorMichael John William Gregg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for detecting wear and the beginning of the mechanism of belt failure. A sensor (5) detects when a self tracking drive belt (1) tracks off center due to the asymmetrical wear (3) of the belt (1). The sensor (5) may be a simple mechanical or optical switch which is activated upon contact or a complex system which can detect the relative movement of the belt (1) when the belt (1) tracks to either side of the pulley (4). An audible or electrical signal indicates that the belt (1) needs to be changed.
Claims6
A system for detecting wear in a self-tracking toothed belt (1) when being driven by a mating pulley (4), the system comprising a self-tracking toothed belt (1) mounted on and being driven by at least one mating pulley (4), and at least one sensor (5) mounted in alignment with the belt (1), the system being characterized by:
- the at least one sensor (5) being activated when there is an axial displacement of the belt (1) upon the mating pulley (4) as the result of belt wear (3).
A method for detecting wear in a self-tracking toothed belt (1) when being driven by a mating pulley (4), the method comprising mounting and driving a self-tracking toothed belt (1) on at least one mating pulley (4), and mounting at least one sensor (5) in alignment with the belt (1), the system being characterized by:
- activating the at least one sensor (5) when there is an axial displacement of the belt (1) upon the mating pulley (4) as a result of belt wear (3).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.