Power Transmission Guards
Take-up Bearing Covers
To enclose sliding bearing assemblies, tensioning shafts, and exposed rotating components.
Durable molded covers protect sliding take-up bearings and moving shafts from contact, entanglement, and debris exposure.
Take Up Bearing Covers enclose the bearing and adjustment mechanism on a conveyor's variable tension take up assembly, preventing accidental contact with the rotating shaft and bearing while still allowing the mechanism to move freely as tension is adjusted. Because take up bearing positions and travel distances vary by machine, these covers are made to order rather than sold as stock parts: Machine Guard & Cover Co. builds each one from measurements you provide, using either of two mounting approaches (directly on the bearing frame, or extending past it to the surrounding structure) depending on your equipment.
Key Features
- Made to order: built from your own measurements to fit the specific take up bearing, travel distance, and mounting style on your machine
- Encloses both the bearing housing and the adjustment mechanism, allowing full tensioning travel while keeping the assembly guarded
- Two mounting approaches available: directly on the bearing frame, or extending past the frame to the surrounding structure
- Mounting on the bearing frame requires holes to be cut in the guard to clear the frame's tightening bolts, so the take up mechanism can still be adjusted with the guard installed
- Mounting past the bearing frame requires careful sizing to avoid an oversized gap between the guard and the bearing, referencing ANSI B11.19, Table E.3 for guidance
- Machine Guard & Cover Co. recommends a minimum 1/2 inch tolerance gap between the guard and the machine, with additional clearance for larger parts
- 3D model requests available before ordering, to confirm fit against your equipment's dimensions
- Consistent with Machine Guard & Cover Co.'s other bearing covers, likely available in rigid molded plastic; confirm material and thickness directly when requesting your quote
Take-up Bearing Covers
To enclose sliding bearing assemblies, tensioning shafts, and exposed rotating components.
Durable molded covers protect sliding take-up bearings and moving shafts from contact, entanglement, and debris exposure.
Take Up Bearing Covers enclose the bearing and adjustment mechanism on a conveyor's variable tension take up assembly, preventing accidental contact with the rotating shaft and bearing while still allowing the mechanism to move freely as tension is adjusted. Because take up bearing positions and travel distances vary by machine, these covers are made to order rather than sold as stock parts: Machine Guard & Cover Co. builds each one from measurements you provide, using either of two mounting approaches (directly on the bearing frame, or extending past it to the surrounding structure) depending on your equipment.
Key Features
- Made to order: built from your own measurements to fit the specific take up bearing, travel distance, and mounting style on your machine
- Encloses both the bearing housing and the adjustment mechanism, allowing full tensioning travel while keeping the assembly guarded
- Two mounting approaches available: directly on the bearing frame, or extending past the frame to the surrounding structure
- Mounting on the bearing frame requires holes to be cut in the guard to clear the frame's tightening bolts, so the take up mechanism can still be adjusted with the guard installed
- Mounting past the bearing frame requires careful sizing to avoid an oversized gap between the guard and the bearing, referencing ANSI B11.19, Table E.3 for guidance
- Machine Guard & Cover Co. recommends a minimum 1/2 inch tolerance gap between the guard and the machine, with additional clearance for larger parts
- 3D model requests available before ordering, to confirm fit against your equipment's dimensions
- Consistent with Machine Guard & Cover Co.'s other bearing covers, likely available in rigid molded plastic; confirm material and thickness directly when requesting your quote
Assembly / What's Included
Each Take Up Bearing Cover is custom built to the measurements you submit, using Machine Guard & Cover Co.'s take up bearing cover sizing guide. You'll measure either from the bearing frame (for a guard that mounts directly to the frame) or past the bearing frame (for a guard that extends to the surrounding structure), and add a tolerance gap, at least 1/2 inch, between the guard and the machine. The take up bearing, frame, shaft, and conveyor components are not included; this is guarding only. Machine Guard & Cover Co. offers a 3D model request to confirm fit before you commit to an order.
Configuration Options
- Mounting style: directly on the bearing frame, or extending past the frame to the surrounding structure
- Tolerance/gap: minimum 1/2 inch recommended between guard and machine, more for larger parts
- Custom dimensions submitted using the manufacturer's sizing guide, which covers mounting type selection, measuring instructions, and final part dimension calculations
- Material and thickness: not restated on this specific product page; confirm with Machine Guard & Cover Co. whether their standard 3/16 inch heavyweight or 1/8 inch lightweight plastic options, used elsewhere in their bearing cover line, apply here
Materials & Construction
- Likely rigid molded plastic, consistent with Machine Guard & Cover Co.'s other bearing covers; confirm thickness and material directly when requesting a quote, since it isn't restated on this specific product page
- Sized with a tolerance gap between the guard and the machine to allow the take up mechanism to move freely
Applicable Safety Standards
Standards to be confirmed by PowerSafe. See: Machine Guard & Cover Co., Take Up Bearing Cover sizing guide, referencing ANSI B11.19, Table E.3 for guard to machine gap sizing when mounting past the bearing frame.
Guard Doesn't Fit / Wasn't Ordered to the Right Dimensions
Guard is too large, too small, or doesn't match the bearing frame
- Confirm which mounting approach was used when measuring: directly on the bearing frame, or extending past the frame
- Recheck submitted measurements against the sizing guide and confirm the tolerance added (at least 1/2 inch, more for larger parts) matches what was built
- Request a 3D model from Machine Guard & Cover Co. before reordering, to confirm fit against your specific equipment
- Do not attempt to modify a mis-sized guard in the field; request a correctly sized replacement instead
Gap Between Guard and Bearing Is Too Large (Mounting Past the Frame)
Guard doesn't adequately restrict access to the bearing or shaft
- Recheck the guard's size against the ANSI B11.19, Table E.3 guidance referenced in the manufacturer's sizing guide
- Confirm the tolerance added during measurement wasn't oversized; more tolerance isn't always safer if it creates too large a gap
- Contact Machine Guard & Cover Co. for a resized guard if the installed gap doesn't meet the referenced standard
Guard Interferes with Take Up Adjustment (Mounting on the Frame)
Can't tighten or adjust the take up mechanism with the guard installed
- Confirm mounting holes were correctly cut in the guard to clear the frame's tightening bolts
- Never mount directly on top of the plastic guard itself; the take up frame's bolts need to reach the underlying structure, not just the guard
- Recheck that the guard was ordered for frame mount rather than past frame mount, or vice versa, if adjustment access is still blocked
Guard Restricts Take Up Travel
Bearing contacts the guard before reaching full tensioning travel
- Confirm the full range of take up travel was included in the measurements submitted at order time
- Recheck the guard against the current tensioning position; a guard sized for a mid travel position may not clear full travel in either direction
- Contact Machine Guard & Cover Co. with updated travel measurements if the mechanism has since been adjusted or replaced
Material & Environmental Wear
Cracking, discoloration, or brittleness over time
- Inspect for UV exposure related brittleness if the cover is mounted outdoors or near direct sunlight for extended periods
- Replace any cover showing cracks or stress marks rather than continuing to use a compromised guard
- Confirm the correct material and thickness were specified for your environment when the guard was ordered
Preventive Maintenance
To keep these covers performing reliably:
- Recheck the guard's fit and gap sizing whenever the take up mechanism is adjusted or serviced
- Inspect mounting hardware for looseness at regular intervals
- Confirm the guard still clears the mechanism's full range of travel after any conveyor maintenance
- Replace any cracked, warped, or damaged cover promptly rather than reinstalling it
Fault Tracking & Continuous Improvement
- Log any fitment issue, replacement, or adjustment interference, including the machine and take up location
- Look for recurring patterns, such as repeated travel interference tied to a specific conveyor's tensioning range
- Use this history to refine the measurements submitted for future orders on similar equipment
