Abstract: A sewing machine drive assembly having one or more pulleys and drive belts also includes a mechanism for enhancing traction between a belt and a pulley to resist slippage under maximum power to be coupled through the drive assembly from a motor to the crankshaft of the sewing machine. The traction enhancing mechanism includes a support member and belt engagement members connected to the support member at respective locations so that the belt mounted on the pulley with which the mechanism is associated is deflected inwardly.

Abstract: An articulated drive system for an articulated motor vehicle having a motor and a steerable drive wheel on opposite sides of a pivot axis. The system comprises a drive belt connecting a drive pulley and a load pulley. Idler pulleys and a belt tensioning pulley are located within the circuit of the drive belt. The idler pulleys and belt tensioning device provide for self-centering of the steerable drive wheel when the pivoted vehicle is in a pivoted state.

Abstract: A device for adjusting a mutual phase relationship of respective rotational angles of two drive wheels, which are mounted on drive shafts parallel to one another and connected by a continuous transmission drive member to one another, the transmission drive member being deflectable so that the drive wheels are angularly set relative to one another, a first spanner being engageable with a slack strand of the transmission drive member, includes an adjusting lever for deflecting the tight strand of the transmission drive member, the adjusting lever being mounted swivellably with respect to a swivelling axis, and carrying the first spanner, and an adjusting device for swivelling the adjusting lever with respect to the swivelling axis and a spreading device including a guiding system for the second spaner, a spinning device for pressing the second spanner against the slack strand of the transmission drive member, and a counter-bearing for the spring device, the spreading device being braced against the adjusting le

Abstract: A dual tension clutch comprising a drive pulley, a driven pulley, and a transmission belt wound around the drive and driven pulleys. Opposite runs of the transmission belt are pressed inwardly by two spring-loaded tension pulleys supported by tension arms pivoted to each other. A triangular frame, as guided by a fixed pin, acts on the tension arms to spread the tension pulleys apart to relax the transmission belt. In the declutching state so established, the tension pulleys are opposed across and equidistant to a line extending through centers of the drive and driven pulleys.

Abstract: In a wrapping type transmission structure for internal combustion engines, provided with a first wrapping type transmission system which includes a first tensioner urged into press contact with a first endless power-transmitting belt and which is disposed on a side wall of an engine body, and a second wrapping type transmission system which includes a second tensioner urged into press contact with a second endless power-transmitting belt and which is disposed at a location remoter from the engine body than the first wrapping type transmission system, a support shaft is fixed to the engine body and is inserted through the first and second tensioners which are relatively movable in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the support shaft, while permitting the movements of the tensioners in directions of press contact with the first and second transmitting belts. This enables the tensioner arrangement to be compact and permits an increase in freedom for disposition of the transmission systems.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine which includes an apparatus for wrapping a belt more than 180 degrees around a wheel of the engine.

Abstract: Auxiliary mechanisms for an engine are arranged in the order of rotational inertia force so that the rotational inertia force of the auxiliary mechanism nearest to the crankshaft pulley as seen toward the tight side of auxiliary mechanism driving belt from the crankshaft pulley is the largest.

Abstract: A valve operating mechanism for a high performance internal combustion engine including a flexible transmitter drive for the camshaft that includes a toothed belt. A timing retention sprocket is juxtaposed to one of the sprockets that is interengaged with the belt and which provides a positive drive therebetween in such a location as to prevent the teeth of the sprocket and belt from coming out of engagement.

Abstract: A novel rope tension damper device is adapted to be installed, for example, on the deck of a ship at a location between the winch that controls the effective length of the rope and the fairlead that guides the rope so that it does not snag or tangle as it is wound and unwound from the winch. The device comprises a co-planar pair of sheaves respectively mounted at opposite ends of a rotatable arm.

Abstract: A single tensioner is used to tension a double belt. A spring biased, swinging primary arm has a secondary arm freely pivoted to the end thereof. One idler pulley on the secondary arm pushes on a run of one of the belts, while another idler pulley pulls on a run of the second belt. Thus, the two idler pulleys can tension both belts simultaneously, and the free pivoting of the secondary arm relative to the primary arm as the primary arm swings compensates for differential belt stretch.

Abstract: A belt tensioner assembly for a vehicle combined starter generator uses the shifting reaction torque incident to a change from generating to cranking mode or back to automatically select one of a pair of tensioner arms to tension the shifting slack side of a belt.

Abstract: A modular hitch unit is attached to a lawn and garden tractor and then to a tiller. The hitch unit includes hitching mechanisms as well as hand-operable belt adjustment mechanisms for positioning and adjusting the tension of a drive belt. A lever is operated to pivot a countersprung idler pulley to allow the belt to be placed in its operating position. A knob is then turned to adjust the pivotable position of a second idler pulley to control the tension of the belt. The idler pulleys can be switched and the belt remounted to change the direction in which a set of tiller tines are driven.

Abstract: A door operated drive assembly comprising an electric drive motor mechanically connected to a door pulling device by a transmission in the form of a belt drive or the like, utilizes an extension of a plate that is swingable in response to deviations of application pressure of the drive belt on belt guide pulleys carried thereby to trigger a switching arrangement utilized to trigger stopping or reversal of the drive motor. In order to make actuation of the switching arrangement a function of the degree of pressure applied by the drive belt, the plate is elastically loaded toward a middle position of its range of swingable movement. The elastic loading of the plate in accordance with a first embodiment is by way of two-arm springs positioned at opposite sides thereof, and in a second embodiment is produced by helical springs which act via actuators, on opposite sides of the plate extension.

Abstract: A timing adjustment mechanism in a wrapping connector driving device includes a first pulley fixedly mounted on a first revolving shaft; a second pulley fixedly mounted on a second revolving shaft, the second pulley tightly fitting on the second shaft and being seated on an end surface of the second shaft; an intermediary wrapping connector wound on the first and second pulleys and extending therebetween; an idle pulley lever swingable about the axis of rotation of the second revolving shaft; a first idle pulley disposed near the second pulley on the tension side of the intermediary wrapping connector and rotatably secured to one end of said pulley holding lever; and an idle pulley rotatably secured to the other end of said pulley holding lever near said second pulley on the slack side of said intermediary wrapping connector, wherein all of the central portions of swing of the first and second pulleys, the tension and slack side pulleys and the pulley holding lever lie in the same plane.

Abstract: A tensioning apparatus for a power transfer mechanism utilizing an endless flexible member having a normally slack run and a normally taut run is disclosed wherein the tensioning apparatus is operable to take up the slack in the endless member under both normal operating conditions and reverse power conditions during which the normally slack run becomes taut and vice-versa. The tensioning apparatus varies the amount of tensioning force applied to each run of the endless member in response to the amount of tension within the respective run. A constant biasing force is applied to a pair of tensioning idlers through an elongated rod which positionally changes relative to the tensioning idler pivots to vary the amount of tensioning force applied by the tensioning idlers.

Abstract: A two wheel, synchronously driven bicycle is disclosed as comprising a frame, a rear wheel, a front wheel, a foot powered drive unit for said rear and front wheels, a fork member whereby the front wheel is rotatably mounted on the frame, the foot power drive unit mounted on the frame having first and second sprockets coupled to be rotatably driven by the foot powered unit, the rear wheel having a third sprocket connected thereto, the front wheel having a fourth sprocket connected thereto, first and second endless belts or chains respectively interconnecting the first sprocket and the third sprocket of the rear wheel, and the second sprocket and the fourth sprocket of the front wheel, and a pair of pulleys mounted on a steering post of the fork member for receiving leading and trailing portions of the second belt and for directing the belt from the second sprocket to the fourth sprocket of said front wheel in a manner to permit steering of the front wheel and to avoid interference of the second belt with the f

Abstract: A chain guide for a derailleur for a bicycle, which switches a driving chain to one of multi-stage sprockets and has pulleys meshing with the chain and guiding it to a desired one of the multi-stage sprockets, the pulleys each being divided into a pulley toothed member having a number of teeth and a pulley body having a shaft bore, the pulley body being formed of an elastic material.

Abstract: A tensioner for an endless power transmission belt is provided wherein such belt is employed in driving a sheave comprising at least one accessory which upon being driven creates a slack side and a tight side in the belt on opposite sides of the sheave and the tensioner comprises, a first support arm having pivot means, a first idler pulley rotatably carried by the arm, and a pivot pin extending through the pivot means and supporting the first arm adjacent the sheave with the first pulley engaging the slack side to enable tensioning thereof; and, the tensioner further comprises a second support arm supported by the pivot pin, a second idler pulley rotatably carried by the second arm and engaging the tight side of the belt, and means connecting the second arm to the first arm to thereby move the first arm and its pulley into belt tensioning and dampening engagement against the slack side once the tight side of the belt moves the second pulley and second arm.

Abstract: A rear derailleur for a bicycle, which comprises a derailleur body and a changeover frame having a guide pulley and a tension pulley, and guard plates for preventing a driving chain from escaping meshing with each pulley. The front edge of the guard plate corresponding to the tension pulley is positioned radially inwardly from the outer periphery of the tension pulley and close to the center thereof, and a pulley cap is interposed between the tension pulley and the guard plate.

Abstract: A belt drive system preferably for a clothes dryer has a high ratio of diameters between driving and driven members and has a pair of idler pulleys positioned close to the smaller member and mounted on a tensioning member to keep the belt in tension, and the closer adjacent faces of the idler pulleys are spaced apart by a distance not materially different from the diameter of the smaller member.

Abstract: An idler recoil device (10) is utilized for track-type vehicles. The idler recoil device (10) protects a crawler track system (11) from damage when some foreign object, such as a rock, is trapped between an endless chain link assembly (28) and a chain supporting element (20,22,24,26) of the crawler track system (11). An idler link (30) is pivotally connected to a track frame (12) of the crawler track system (11) and a recoilable rear idler (24) is rotatably positioned on an idler hub (54) itself pivotally connected to said idler link (30). An increase in tension on said endless chain link assembly (28) causes said idler hub (54) to rotate away from said endless chain link assembly (28) decreasing track path length and, consequently, tension. This rotation is resiliently resisted by a recoil pad (66) mounted between said idler hub (54) and said idler link (30). A tensile link (68) prevents any recoil up to a preselected endless chain link assembly (28) tension.

Abstract: An adjustable turning ratio rotary positioning mechanism has rotary drive and driven members coupled by a flexible drive band, such as a sprocket chain, with oppositely movable runs between the members which are laterally displaceable during rotation of the drive member in such a way as to selectively provide the positioning mechanisms with different predetermined turning ratios, i.e., the turning angle(s) of the driven member(s) per unit turning angle of the drive member. A camera dolly steering mechanism embodying a rotary positioning mechanism according to the invention actuated by a single cam on the dolly steering shaft for selectively steering the dolly in round, crab, and conventional steering modes.

Abstract: A rear derailleur for a bicycle, which comprises a base member, two linkage members and a movable member, the movable member supporting one pulley plate having a guide pulley and tension pulley. The guide and tension pulleys provide separate guard plates respectively so that a gap is formed therebetween for allowing a driving chain to pass through the gap closed by the use of a tension spring.

Abstract: A bicycle rear derailleur which comprises a first shaft on which a guide pulley guard is pivotally mounted and resiliently urged in one direction, a second shaft supported by the guide pulley guard, an inner pulley rotatably mounted on the second shaft, a guide pulley rotatably mounted on the inner pulley, a tension link mounted at its upper end to the second shaft so as to be coaxially movable with the inner pulley and resiliently urged so as to be swingable in one direction, a tension pulley rotatably mounted on a third shaft which is supported by the tension link and a tension pulley guard.