Patent ID: 7594462

Claim:
A blade tension gauge on a band saw having a moveable wheel, a blade, and a frame, where movement of the moveable wheel in relation to the frame tensions the blade, comprising: a wheel positioning assembly rigidly connected to the moveable wheel and connected to the frame to be moveable relative to the frame, the wheel positioning assembly including: a positioning member including a guide having a passageway, the positioning member rigidly connected to the moveable wheel and connected to the frame to be moveable relative to the frame; a rod extending through the passageway of the guide, the rod includes a threaded portion; a spring positioned around the rod; and a threaded nut that engages the threaded portion of the rod, and rotation of the rod forces the nut to travel along the rod thereby forcing the wheel positioning assembly to move relative to the frame; a load element positioned to receive a load existing between the wheel positioning assembly and the frame, the load element including a sensor configured to measure the load; a circuit in communication with the sensor and configured to analyze the measure of the load to determine a tension value; and a display in communication with the circuit and configured to display the tension value.