VARIABLE BELT TENSIONER FOR DRAIN CLEANING DEVICES
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A drain cleaning device comprising:
- a frame;
a motor and drive pulley, the motor secured to the frame and adapted for poweredly rotating the drive pulley about a first axis;
a rotatable drum rotatably secured to the frame, the drum rotatable about a second axis generally parallel to the first axis, the drum adapted to receive and administer a drain cleaning cable;
a belt extending between the drive pulley and the drum for rotating the drum upon rotation of the drive pulley;
an idler pulley assembly including a support arm and a positionable idler pulley affixed to the support arm and in contact with the belt, the support arm engaged with the frame;
a belt tensioning assembly including (i) a spool engaged with the frame, the spool being rotatable about a center axle and (ii) a biasing member having a first end affixed to the spool and a second end affixed to the support arm of the idler pulley assembly;
wherein tension of the belt can be changed by rotating the spool about the axle and displacing the first end of the biasing member through an arc also about the axle, such that the effective length of the biasing member is changed thereby resulting in the force applied to the support arm by the biasing member also being changed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An assembly for adjusting belt tension in a drain cleaning device is disclosed. The assembly includes an idler pulley assembly in which a pivotable idler pulley is urged against a belt by a tensioned spring. The tensile force exerted by the spring can be adjusted or otherwise changed by a rotatable spool engaged to the other end of the spring.
22 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A drain cleaning device comprising:
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a frame; a motor and drive pulley, the motor secured to the frame and adapted for poweredly rotating the drive pulley about a first axis; a rotatable drum rotatably secured to the frame, the drum rotatable about a second axis generally parallel to the first axis, the drum adapted to receive and administer a drain cleaning cable; a belt extending between the drive pulley and the drum for rotating the drum upon rotation of the drive pulley; an idler pulley assembly including a support arm and a positionable idler pulley affixed to the support arm and in contact with the belt, the support arm engaged with the frame; a belt tensioning assembly including (i) a spool engaged with the frame, the spool being rotatable about a center axle and (ii) a biasing member having a first end affixed to the spool and a second end affixed to the support arm of the idler pulley assembly; wherein tension of the belt can be changed by rotating the spool about the axle and displacing the first end of the biasing member through an arc also about the axle, such that the effective length of the biasing member is changed thereby resulting in the force applied to the support arm by the biasing member also being changed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A drain cleaning device comprising:
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a frame; a motor and drive pulley, the motor secured to the frame and adapted for poweredly rotating the drive pulley; a rotatable drum rotatably secured to the frame, the drum adapted to receive and administer a drain cleaning cable; a belt extending between the drive pulley and the drum for rotating the drum upon rotation of the drive pulley; an idler pulley assembly including a positionable support arm and an idler pulley rotatably attached to the support arm and in positionable contact with the belt, the support arm engaged with the frame; a belt tensioning assembly including (i) a spool rotatably mounted to the frame, the spool including a centrally disposed hub, and (ii) an elongate biasing member having a first end affixed to the spool, a second end affixed to the support arm of the idler pulley assembly, and an intermediate region defined between the first and second ends, wherein upon rotating the spool, at least a portion of the intermediate region of the biasing member contacts the hub of the spool. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A drain cleaning device comprising:
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a frame; a motor and drive pulley, the motor secured to the frame and adapted for poweredly rotating the drive pulley; a rotatable drum rotatably secured to the frame, the drum adapted to receive and administer a drain cleaning cable; a belt extending between the drive pulley and the drum for rotating the drum upon rotation of the drive pulley; an idler pulley assembly including a support arm and a positionable idler pulley rotatably attached to the support arm and in positionable contact with the belt, the support arm engaged with the frame; an assembly for adjusting tension of the belt applied by the idler pulley, the assembly comprising (i) a rotatable spool including a cylindrical hub extending between a pair of end walls, the spool defining a passage extending through the hub and the pair of end walls, the spool movably engaged to the frame by an axle member, and (ii) an elongate biasing member having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion extending between the first and the second ends, the first end being affixed to one of the end walls of the spool, the second end being affixed to the support arm of the idler pulley assembly, the elongate biasing member exerting a tension force on the support arm. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification