Industrial Belt Pulling Tool for Safe Sheave Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Maintenance of belt-driven industrial machinery poses a risk of severe hand injuries due to the large rotational mass of components, as existing methods require manual handling and alignment of belts, which can lead to pinch points between the belt and sheave.
Innovation Solution
A belt pulling tool with a handle and orthogonal prongs allows for hands-free rotation and alignment of belts by forming a gap to engage with the belt, enabling the belt to seat properly without manual contact with rotating components, using a method that involves inserting the belt into the gap, rotating the tool to initiate belt movement, and disengaging to align sheaves and set tension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual handling and alignment of belts is used, then the alignment and seating of belts can be achieved, but the risk of severe hand injuries increases due to pinch points between the belt and sheave
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a belt alignment tool as an intermediary device between the operator and the belt/sheave system. The tool includes a body with two jaws that can be positioned on opposite sides of the belt, allowing the operator to apply controlled force to rotate the sheaves and seat the belt without direct hand contact with the pinch points. This mediator eliminates the harmful direct contact while maintaining the ability to perform alignment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment tool is designed to be self-contained with all necessary alignment functions integrated into the tool itself. The jaws can grip the belt, and the tool body provides leverage to rotate the sheaves, allowing the tool to perform the alignment function autonomously once positioned, reducing the need for continuous manual intervention near dangerous areas.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If hands are kept away from rotating components to avoid injury, then safety is improved, but the ability to manually align and seat the belt is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The belt alignment tool serves as a mechanical intermediary that transfers the operator's input force to the belt and sheave system without requiring direct hand contact with rotating components. The tool's body acts as a lever arm, and the jaws provide gripping contact with the belt, enabling alignment operations to be performed from a safe distance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the direct manual mechanical interaction (hands pushing or pulling the belt) with an indirect mechanical system involving the alignment tool. The tool incorporates a lever mechanism where force applied to the handle is mechanically amplified and directed through the jaws to the belt, substituting the operator's hands with a mechanical interface that maintains safety while preserving alignment capability.
3Device complexity
If existing manual methods are used for belt alignment, then no special tool is needed, but the process is time-consuming and dangerous
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment tool is designed to prepare the system for safe alignment by first positioning the jaws on the belt and establishing the mechanical connection before any rotation occurs. This preliminary setup creates a controlled interface that enables subsequent alignment operations to proceed quickly and safely without repeated adjustments or safety interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing the alignment tool as a standardized intermediary device, the patent creates a repeatable and efficient process. The tool's design with movable jaws and a lever handle provides a consistent mechanical interface that reduces the time required for alignment compared to ad-hoc manual methods, while the intermediary nature ensures safety throughout the operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A belt pulling tool is comprised of a handle, a body and two prongs, the handle and body each having two ends with one end of each being attached to the other forming a longitudinal length and the two prongs being attached to the body orthogonal to the length, wherein at least one prong is configured to be moved and fixed along a portion of the length of the body. The belt pulling tool is useful for aligning, seating and setting the tension of belts for industrially belt driven machinery. In performing the method, the belt is inserted between the gap between the prongs of the tool and the tool is rotated about an axis centered in the gap and running parallel to the prongs projecting from the body of the tool to engage the belt and cause the rotation of the sheaves, thus allowing the sheaves to be aligned using alignment tools and allowing the belt to properly seat. Once seated and aligned, the tension may be set using a belt tension gauge.