Tensioning assembly for conveying belt cleaning blade

A tensioning system for a cleaning blade for a conveyor belt, the tensioning system comprising:

• a frame;
• a blade support that is movable around a first axis in a first direction to increase cleaning blade pressure and a second direction oppositely to the first direction to decrease cleaning blade pressure, and
• a ratchet system through which a position of the blade support can be maintained against pivoting in the second direction,
• the ratchet system comprising (a) a first ratchet assembly on one of the frame and blade support with at least one ratchet surface facing in a first circumferential direction relative to the first axis and (b) a second ratchet assembly on the other of the frame and blade support and comprising a first plurality of ratchet surfaces facing in a second circumferential direction oppositely to the first circumferential direction,
• wherein at least one of the ratchet surfaces on one of the first and second ratchet assemblies is defined by a first tooth that deforms from a first state into a second state as the blade support pivots in the first direction, whereby the ratchet surface on the first tooth is thereby allowed to move circumferentially up to and past a first ratchet surface on the other of the first and second ratchet assemblies, whereupon the first tooth changes back towards its first state such that the ratchet surface on the first tooth circumferentially confronts the first ratchet surface to prevent the blade support from moving in the second direction relative to the first axis.

A tensioning system for a cleaning blade for a conveying belt, the tensioning system comprising:

• a frame;
• a blade support that is movable in a path in first and second opposite directions to respectively increase and decease cleaning blade pressure;
• and
• a ratchet system through which movement of the blade support in the second direction can be blocked,
• the ratchet system comprising (a) a first ratchet assembly on one of the frame and blade support with a first plurality of ratchet surfaces facing in a first circumferential direction relative to a first axis and (b) a second ratchet assembly on the other of the frame and blade support and comprising a second plurality of ratchet surfaces facing in a second circumferential direction oppositely to the first circumferential direction,
• wherein at least one of the ratchet surfaces on one of the first and second ratchet assemblies is defined by a first tooth that is deformable and deforms from a first state into a second state as the first plurality of ratchet surfaces move up to and sequentially past each of the ratchet surfaces in the second plurality of ratchet surfaces as the first and second ratchet assemblies move relative to each other around the first axis as an incident of which the blade support is caused to be moved in the path in the first direction,
• whereupon the ratchet surface on the first tooth moves circumferentially up to and past a first ratchet surface on the other of the first and second ratchet assemblies whereupon the first tooth changes back towards its first state such that the ratchet surface on the first tooth circumferentially confronts the first ratchet surface to prevent the blade support from moving in the second direction relative to the first axis.