TODAY’S PATENT – DRIVING, STEERING AND TENSIONING ROLL FOR BELT LOOPS

The “Driving, steering and tensioning roll for belt loops” was invented by Lam F. Wong and was assigned to xerox corporation on 11^th January 1996 which was later granted patent on 10^th February 1998 by the USPTO bearing the patent grant number. US5717984A. this is an apparatus for driving, steering, and maintaining tension on a moving web, particularly in an electrophotographic printing machine with an endless photoreceptor belt supported by multiple rolls.

The belt utility roll is used for driving, steering, and maintaining tension on the belt. The belt utility roll is adapted for rotational movement about a first axis and tilting movement about a second axis transverse to the first axis. The drive motor & transmission are built into the utility roll unit and tilt with it. An actuator tilts the roll in one of two directions, causing the belt to walk laterally along the roll in order to keep the predetermined belt path. A belt edge sensor can be used to track the position which will then steer the actuator to tilt the roll and for the duration required to maintain the proper belt tracking pattern on the roll.