Measuring and testing – Muscular force – Jaw or hand
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-04
2001-05-29
Oen, William (Department: 2855)
Measuring and testing
Muscular force
Jaw or hand
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237413
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring belt tension. More particularly this invention concerns a hand-held device for determining tension in a cargo or tie-down belt.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In order to check tension in a belt, for instance a cargo belt, it is known from German patent 4,100,245 for the apparatus to have a housing carrying a pair of longitudinally spaced abutments fixed on the housing. A transversely movable support is braced against a spring and the extent of compression of the spring can be read so that when a tensioned belt is engaged between the fixed supports and movable support the scale and indicator show how much the spring is compressed and therefore how much tension is in the belt.
This device has a U-shaped housing traversed by bolts forming the fixed supports. The spring-loaded support is guided on the housing sides and a ratchet or the like is coupled via a guide bolt to this spring-loaded support. Such a device can be incorporated right in a standard tensioning device.
While this system is relatively effective, it is not simple in construction or very easy to use. Fitting it to a belt to measure the belt's tension can be tricky.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for measuring longitudinal tension in a belt.
Another object is the provision of such an improved apparatus for measuring longitudinal tension in a belt which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and very easy to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus for measuring tension in a longitudinally extending belt has according to the invention a longitudinally extending housing formed with a transversely extending guide passage, a pair of longitudinally spaced abutments fixed on the housing and longitudinally flanking the passage, and a piston displaceable in the guide passage and having an end forming a support movable crosswise across a longitudinally extending line defined by the fixed supports. An abutment is displaceable crosswise in the passage between a pair of end positions. A spring in the passage is braced between the abutment and the piston. An actuating member mounted on the housing is connected to the abutment for displacing same crosswise between its end positions and thereby compressing the spring against the piston. An indicator and scale mounted on the piston and housing show the relative positions of the piston and housing so that when a tensioned belt is engaged between the fixed supports and movable support the scale and indicator show how much the spring is compressed and therefore how much tension is in the belt.
Such an apparatus is extremely easy to operate and simple to manufacture. It can easily be fitted to a belt to measure its tension. A single such device can readily be used to test all the belts securing a load. There is no need for the extra expense of building one such tension measurer into each ratchet tightener.
The housing according to the invention is provided with an upstanding rectangular-section collar forming the passage. In addition it is of L-section and has one leg provided with the passage-forming collar and another leg on which the fixed supports are mounted. The piston is a rectangular-section sleeve slidable in the collar and having a base plate forming the movable support and against which the spring is braced. This base plate has longitudinally spaced upturned ends.
The spring is a compression spring received in the sleeve and according to the invention the abutment is a pin extending transversely through the collar and sleeve. Thus this spring is well protected and unlikely to be damaged or come loose, as in the prior-art systems. The collar and sleeve are formed with aligned and transversely extending slots along which the abutment pin is slidable. In accordance with the invention the actuating member is pivotal on the housing and is formed with a cam engageable with the pin. More specifically the actuating member is a U-shaped lever pivoted on the housing and having a pair of cheeks engaging the pin. These cheeks are each formed with a spiral groove in which a respective end of the pin is engaged. The spiral can be constructed such that the lever is stable in both of its end positions. Thus the device is operated by simply swinging the lever from the rest to the use position and then looking at the scale to determine belt tension. A remote reader coupled to an electrical or electronic travel detector is also possible.
Most of the parts of the device according to the invention, in particular the housing and piston, are formed of sheet metal. Such parts can be stamped to the desired shape so that the device can be produced at relatively low cost.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4437352 (1984-03-01), Deborde et al.
patent: 5542798 (1996-08-01), Rawdon et al.
Dolezych Susanne
Sch{overscore (o)}bel Uwe
Aw-Musse Abdullahi
Dolezych Susanne
Dubno Herbert
Oen William
Wilford Andrew
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