In an aspect a tensioner is provided for a belt drive and includes a base, an arm with a pulley pivotally mounted to the base, and a biasing member. The pulley is rotatably mounted to the arm. The belt applies a hub load on the pulley and thereby applies a hub load moment on the arm along a first moment arm. The biasing member applies a biasing member moment on the arm along a second moment arm that is at least about 50 percent of the length of the first moment arm. The tensioner is mountable to an accessory frame via fasteners that each have a center distance from an accessory pulley axis, wherein the center distance is a value that is less than about 25 mm greater than the frame body diameter.

In an aspect, a V tensioner is provided and includes a first arm and a second arm. A damping structure and a damping system biasing member are provided. The damping system biasing member is positioned axially in between the first and second arms.

A tensioner comprising a base, a pivot arm pivotally engaged with the base, a pulley journalled to the pivot arm, a torsion spring engaged between the base and the pivot arm, the torsion spring comprising a planar cylindrical portion integrally formed into an end of the torsion spring, and a damping member engaged with the planar cylindrical portion, the damping member frictionally engaging the base and being loaded in an unwinding direction.

A belt tensioner having a tensioner base and a tensioning arm axially aligned about a pivot shaft defining a pivot axis, the tensioning arm pivotal in relation to the tensioner base about the pivot axis. The tensioner has a bearing positioned around and sealed against the pivot shaft, with the tensioning arm positioned around the bearing. The bearing forms a radial seal between the bearing and the tensioning arm and between the bearing and the pivot shaft. A torsion spring is positioned externally around a portion of the tensioning arm.

An engine timing tensioner including: a tensioner arm having a cylindrical protrusion extending from a first side of the tensioner arm; the cylindrical protrusion having at least one counter-bore disposed on a surface of the cylindrical protrusion and an inner bore extending through the cylindrical protrusion; an axle adapted to be received by the inner bore, the tensioner arm being adapted to rotate about the axle; a first spring disposed proximate a second side of the tensioner arm, opposite the first side, the first spring being adapted to bias the tensioner arm in a first direction; and a damping structure that includes a damping seat adapted to engage at least a portion of the axle; and a second spring, wherein a damping characteristic of the damping structure increased in responsive to the second spring limiting the tensioner arm in a second direction opposite the first direction.

A belt tensioner is disclosed that has a spring case defining a receptacle for a torsion spring and having an arm extending radially outward and axially rearward therefrom and terminating with a bore configured for fastening the spring case directly to an engine. The belt tensioner has a support base non-rotationally connected to the spring case through a pivot tube. The pivot tube defines a first axis of rotation, and a pulley mount of the support base defines a second axis of rotation. The support base includes at least one fastener bore for connection to the engine. An arm is coupled to the support base for rotation about the first axis in response to a spring force applied by a torsion spring seated within the spring case and has a free end that defines a pulley mount that defines a third axis of rotation.

A variable belt tensioner for an engine includes: a first damper; and a second damper connected to the first damper through a driver. The first damper, the second damper, and the driver causes a belt connected to a crankshaft pulley and a starter-generator pulley to have a first tensile strength when the engine including the crankshaft pulley starts, the first damper, the second damper, and the driver causes the belt to have a second tensile strength that is less than the first tensile strength when an electric power is generated by the starter-generator pulley, and the first damper, the second damper, and the driver causes the belt to have a third tensile strength that is less than the second tensile strength when the vehicle is accelerated by the engine.

A tensioner uses a low rate torsion spring in a first stage and a high rate torsion spring in a second stage to maintain tension in a chain or belt. The first stage is connected to the second stage by a torque coupling. The high rate torsion spring is maintained in an energized state between a ground and a dead stop to store energy and to provide tension under high loads. In some embodiments, the torque coupling is a damper. In other embodiments, the torque coupling is a clutch. A method stores energy in a high rate torsion spring of a tensioner.

A driving system for driving at least one auger of a snow removing device comprising at least one at least one self-adjusting chain tensioner. A first portion of the driving system is positioned within an auger housing and a second portion of the driving system is positioned outside the auger housing. The roller chain is adapted to move across a third opening provided in the auger housing. The first portion is covered by a front guard to prevent snow or debris contained in the auger housing to contact said first portion. The front guard is provided with an opening adapted to surround a portion of a shaft element of the auger with a play between periphery of the opening and the periphery of a corresponding portion the shaft element. The play is either small enough to prevent water and or debris to enter the first casing, or filled with a filling element and/or covered with a sealing element secured to the front guard or the corresponding portion of the shaft element of the at least one auger, to have the play small enough to prevent water and/or debris to enter the first casing. The second portion prevent snow or debris present around the snow removing device to contact the said second portion. A snow blower provided with the driving system, a kit comprising parts and/or components of the driving system, a method for assembling the driving system, and a method for manufacturing some components or parts of the driving system.

The present disclosure provides an automatic belt tensioner for an engine which automatically adjusts the tension of a belt for transmitting rotational force between an engine and an auxiliary machinery component. The automatic belt tensioner includes: a tensioner body mounted at the engine side and having an internal space; a tension spring installed in the internal space of the tensioner body; first and second damping shoes coupled by the tension spring; a first arm having a hinge portion coupled to the first damping shoe; a second arm having a hinge portion coupled to the second damping shoe; and idlers rotatably mounted on the first and second arms, respectively, and also supporting the belt. The first hinge portion which is a rotation center of the first arm and the second hinge portion which is a rotation center of the second arm are rotatably coupled to the tensioner body.