Take-up pulley

Claim 2

An idler take-up pulley comprising a bearing support fork, a bearing and a pulley wheel, the bearing support fork being adapted for attachment to a frame and including biasing means for urging the pulley wheel toward a maximum slack take-up position against the action of a belt member passing over the pulley, the bi-ended, one-piece, cylindrical bearing being carried between the fork tines, each bearing end including at least one finger for engaging a slot in an abutting fork tine to mount the bearing on the fork and to immobilize the bearing from rotational motion relative to the fork tine, and at least one recessed surface for abutting the fork tine to immobilize the bearing from axial motion relative to the fork tine, and a groove medially disposed around the bearing surface, the pulley wheel having an annular radially inwardly extending ring mating with the bearing groove to axially locate the pulley on the bearing.

Claim 3

An idler take-up pulley according to claim 1 wherein said bearing comprises a hollow tube provided with a peripheral slit oriented parallel to the bearing axis to permit resilient expansion and contraction of the bearing diameter and resilient engagement of the bearing with an annular inner pulley wheel surface.

Claim 4

An idler take-up pulley according to claim 1 wherein said slot formed in the bearing support fork tine is extending in a radial direction to permit limited radial motion of the bearing finger and limited radial expansion and contraction of the bearing.

Claim 5

An idler take-up pulley according to claim 3 including two diametrically opposed radially elongated slots formed in said bearing support fork tine, and a bearing finger disposed in each of said slots at diametrically opposed locations upon the bearing.

Claim 6

An idler take-up pulley according to claim 1 wherein said biasing means are integrally included in said bearing support means.

Claim 7

An idler take-up pulley according to claim 1 wherein said bearing support fork is provided with two tine members urged away from one another into generally parallel positions by the length of the bearing member disposed between the tine members.

Claim 8

An idler take-up pulley according to claim 1 wherein said bearing member is provided with a plurality of fingers adapted to engage, in shoulder-like manner, curved surfaces formed upon the pulley tine for radially locating said bearing on said bearing support member.

Claim 9

An idler take-up pulley according to claim 1 including a finger terminating in a lip having depending shoes for engaging an outer bearing surface to assist in radiallY locating the bearing upon the bearing support member.

Claim 10

An idler take-up pulley comprising a bearing support fork, a bearing and a pulley wheel, the bearing support fork being adapted for attachment to a frame and including biasing means for urging the pulley wheel toward a maximum slack take-up position against the action of a belt member passing over the pulley, the bi-ended one-piece cylindrical bearing being carried between the fork tines, each bearing end including at least one finger for engaging an elongated slot formed in an abutting fork tine end, the elongated slot being oriented radially relative to the bearing to mount the bearing on the fork and to immobilize the bearing from rotational motion relative to the fork tine, yet permitting resilient radial expansion and contraction of the bearing, and at least one recess formed upon the bearing for abutting the fork tine to immobilize the bearing from axial motion relative to the fork tine, the pulley being journaled upon the bearing for engaging a belt member.

Claim 11

An idler take-up pulley comprising a bearing support fork, a bearing and a pulley wheel, the bearing support fork being adapted for attachment to a frame and including biasing means for urging the pulley wheel toward a maximum slack take-up position against the action of a belt member passing over the pulley, the bi-ended one-piece cylindrical bearing being carried between the fork tines, each bearing end including at least one finger for engaging an elongated slot formed in an abutting fork tine end, the elongated slot being oriented radially relative to the bearing to mount the bearing on the fork and to immobilize the bearing from rotational motion relative to the fork tine, yet permitting resilient radial expansion and contraction of the bearing, and at least one recess formed upon the bearing for abutting the fork tine to immobilize the bearing from axial motion relative to the fork tine, the pulley being journaled upon the bearing for engaging a belt member.

Claim 12

An idler take-up pulley according to claim 9 wherein said bearing member is a hollow tube provided with a slot extending completely through one bearing side and oriented parallel to the bearing axis to permit resilient radial extension and contraction of the bearing within the pulley.

Claim 13

An idler take-up pulley according to claim 9 wherein one of said bearing and pulley wheel members is provided with a medially disposed radially inwardly extending ring, and said other member is provided with a medially disposed groove adapted to mate with said ring to axially locate the pulley wheel on the bearing.

Claim 14

An idler take-up pulley according to claim 11 wherein said groove is adapted to accommodate at least small portions of flash material formed upon the pulley wheel.