Patent ID: 7824286

Claim:
A device for placing a looped belt under tension, the device comprising: a tension arm for mounting on a base, said tension arm lying substantially in a first plane; a pulley mounted on the tension arm for engaging the belt; the pulley mounted for rotation about an axis substantially perpendicular to said first plane such that said belt extends within in a second plane substantially parallel to said first plane; said pulley being located and extending above the tension arm at a location and position wherein the belt may engage the pulley from any angle within said second plane without contacting any tension arm structure or any structure which mounts the tension arm for operative use; and means for selecting a static mode wherein the tension arm is held stationary relative to the base, or a dynamic mode wherein, in response to a changing force applied between the pulley and the belt, the tension arm moves relative to the base in such a manner as to maintain the force substantially constant; and wherein the tension arm is formed with a slot, the base is formed with a screw hole, and further wherein said means for selecting includes a screw passing through the slot and into the screw hole and formed with a screw head, and first and second mounting bushings either of which can be interposed between the screw head and the tension arm, the first mounting bushing being interposed in the first configuration and enabling the screw head to clamp the first mounting bushing onto the tension arm, thereby establishing the static mode, and the second mounting bushing being interposed in the second configuration and preventing the screw head from clamping the second mounting bushing onto the tension arm, thereby establishing the dynamic mode.