Belt tensioner in a food processing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9950869-B1
Application number	US-201715398666-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 4, 2017
Priority date	Jan 4, 2017
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A belt tensioner for a food processing machine includes a base member, a nose member, a belt member, and a driving member. The nose member is pivotally connected with the base member. The belt member is moveably disposed around the base member and the nose member. The driving device is configured to pivotally move the nose member relative to the base member. As the nose member pivotally moves relative to the base member the nose member applies variable levels of tension on the belt member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A belt tensioner for a food processing machine comprising:
a base member;
a nose member pivotally connected with the base member;
a belt member moveably disposed around the base member and the nose member;
a driving device configured to pivotally move the nose member relative to the base member, wherein as the nose member pivotally moves relative to the base member the nose member applies variable levels of tension on the belt member; and
at least one of the following: (1) the belt tensioner further comprises a rod connected with and between the nose member and the base member, wherein the rod is pivotally connected with the base member to provide pivotal movement of the nose member relative to the base member as the rod pivotally moves relative to the base member; (2) the nose member is passively rotatably connected with the base member around a first axis which is perpendicular to a second axis around which the nose member pivots relative to the base member; or (3) the base member further comprises a plurality of parallel holes extending through opposed sides of the base member which are configured to connect the base member with the food processing machine.

2. The belt tensioner of claim 1 wherein the driving device comprises a pneumatic cylinder.

3. The belt tensioner of claim 1 further comprising (1) the rod connected with and between the nose member and the base member, wherein the rod is pivotally connected with the base member to provide pivotal movement of the nose member relative to the base member as the rod pivotally moves relative to the base member.

4. The belt tensioner of claim 3 wherein the driving device is connected with the rod.

5. The belt tensioner of claim 1 wherein the nose member comprises a plurality of springs disposed within the nose member.

6. The belt tensioner of claim 1 wherein (2) the nose member is passively rotatably connected with the base member around the first axis which is perpendicular to the second axis around which the nose member pivots relative to the base member.

7. The belt tensioner of claim 6 further comprising a rod connected with and between the nose member and the base member, wherein the rod is pivotally connected with the base member to provide pivotal movement of the nose member relative to the base member as the rod pivotally moves relative to the base member, wherein the nose member is passively rotatably connected with the rod around the first axis.

8. The belt tensioner of claim 1 wherein the base member further comprises opposed rails, extending perpendicular to the belt member along a length of the belt member, with the belt member disposed between the opposed rails.

9. The belt tensioner of claim 1 wherein (3) the base member further comprises the plurality of parallel holes extending through the opposed sides of the base member which are configured to connect the base member with the food processing machine.

10. A belt tensioner for a food processing machine comprising:
a base member;
a nose member pivotally connected with the base member, the nose member comprising a plurality of springs disposed within the nose member, wherein the nose member is passively rotatably connected with the base member around a first axis which is perpendicular to a second axis around which the nose member pivots relative to the base member;
a belt member moveably disposed around the base member and the nose member; and
a driving device configured to pivotally move the nose member relative to the base member around the second axis, wherein as the nose member pivotally moves relative to the base member the nose member applies variable levels of tension on the belt member.

11. The belt tensioner of claim 10 wherein the base member further comprises opposed rails with the belt member disposed between the opposed rails.

12. A method of operating a belt tensioner of a food processing machine comprising:
pivoting a nose member, with a driving device, relative to a base member connected with the nose member to apply varying levels of tension on a belt member disposed around the base member and the nose member;
moving the belt member around the base member and the nose member with a motor; and
at least one of the following: (1) wherein the pivoting the nose member relative to the base member comprises pivoting the nose member and a rod, connected with and between the nose member and the base member, relative to the base member; (2) further comprising passively rotating the nose member relative to the base member around a first axis, wherein the pivoting the nose member relative to the base member comprises pivoting the nose member relative to the base member around a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis; or (3) further comprising connecting a plurality of parallel holes extending through opposed sides of the base member with the food processing machine.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the pivoting the nose member relative to the base member comprises pivoting the nose member relative to the base member with a pneumatic cylinder.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein (1) the pivoting the nose member relative to the base member comprises pivoting the nose member and the rod, connected with and between the nose member and the base member, relative to the base member.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the pivoting the nose member and the rod relative to the base member comprises the driving device pivoting the rod, which is connected with the driving device, to pivot the nose member connected with the rod.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising compressing the nose member to compress a plurality of springs disposed within the nose member.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising (2) passively rotating the nose member relative to the base member around the first axis, wherein the pivoting the nose member relative to the base member comprises pivoting the nose member relative to the base member around the second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the pivoting the nose member relative to the base member comprises pivoting the nose member and a rod, connected with and between the nose member and the base member, relative to the base member around the second axis, and wherein the rotating the nose member relative to the base member around the first axis comprises passively rotating the nose member connected with the rod around the first axis.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the moving the belt member around the base member and the nose member with the motor comprises moving the belt member between opposed rails of the base member, the opposed rails extending perpendicular to the belt member along a length of the belt member.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising (3) connecting the plurality of parallel holes extending through the opposed sides of the base member with the food processing machine.

Assignees

• Provisur Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Pryor Glen F
• O'Connor Ryan J

Classifications

• B65G23/44 Primary

  Belt or chain tensioning arrangements · CPC title

• A22C17/002

  Producing portions of meat with predetermined characteristics, e.g. weight or particular dimensions · CPC title

• A22C11/00

  Sausage making {(chemical aspects A23L13/00); Apparatus for handling or conveying sausage products during manufacture} · CPC title