What are the tensioning methods for belt transmission?

Belt drive can be said to be essential in our daily design. Although it is relatively ordinary, almost everyone can design it. One issue that cannot be avoided in the design process is tension. The way of tension can be said to be diverse and can achieve basic functions.

The main reason for designing tension is due to the elasticity of the belt. If it cannot be tightened, there is a possibility of transmission slippage and inability to transport items. Another reason is the problem of the belt running off center.

Usually, there are ways to tighten, such as using an idler wheel, which adds a movable shaft driven wheel and a driven drum. This method is commonly used, which involves using the shaft end to top the screw and pulling the screw. This is mainly aimed at the problem of deviation. Another method is to make the transmission wheel into a hammer shape with a large center and small ends, which is free to correct deviation. Springs are also used to pull the two ends of the shaft, which can also play a role in tightening and correcting deviation.

During the tensioning process, the magnitude of the tension must also be considered. If the tension is too high, it will force the belt to be continuously stretched, even deformed. When the tension is insufficient, it will slip, which must be based on experience.
Of course, regardless of the above method, if there are large and small edges on both sides of the belt, the correction will still fail.