Abstract: A belt tensioning apparatus for tensioning a belt that extends between a driving shaft and driven shaft which are immovably supported with respect to one another. There is a flat spring, the free end of which bears against one run of the belt at a point between the two shafts. The opposite end of the spring is rigidly fixed so as to orient the spring within the plane of the belt such that the spring elastically deflects the belt run into a taut condition. A second leaf spring supported for cooperation with another belt run. Plural flat springs backing up the first mentioned springs for increasing the force applied thereby to the belt runs.

Abstract: A transducer mount for wheel balancing machines of the type having a rotatively driven shaft on which a wheel/tire assembly is mounted. There are two spaced apart bearing blocks that have bearings in which the shaft is supported. The bearing blocks are mounted within a square passageway formed by a rigid structural member. The bearing blocks are dimensioned so that there is a gap between their respective peripheries and the walls forming the passageway. A passive support member extends between the passageway and each of the bearing blocks. An active support also extends between the passageway and each of the bearing blocks, the active spacer including a piezoelectric element which generates a voltage representative of the imbalanced forces in the wheel/tire assembly.

Abstract: A transducer mount for a wheel balancer having a shaft and a drive belt which approaches the shaft from a given direction. A bearing block for the end of the shaft adjacent the drive belt is supported by a passive mount aligned with the given direction and an active mount spaced from the passive mount so that vibrations in the belt drive produce no moments about the passive mount that are sensed by the active mount. The wheel/tire assembly is attached to the end of the shaft remote from the belt drive, and there is a bearing block adjacent the wheel/tire assembly which is supported by an active mount and a passive mount that are spaced from one another by a distance greater than the space between the active mount and the passive mount for the bearing block adjacent the belt drive, thereby to increase the amplitude of forces applied to the active mount that is spaced farther from the wheel/tire assembly.

Abstract: A gauge for use in a wheel balancing machine for ascertaining the location of the plane of the inner edge of the wheel rim. The gauge includes a flat resiliently flexible plate which has an edge that is graduated in units of distance. Extending from the plate remote from the edge is a support bar and there is means for mounting the support bar for slidable movement along its longitudinal axis to permit positioning of the graduated edge adjacent to the inner edge of the wheel rim so that the position of the rim can be ascertained by comparing its location with that of the graduations.