Fastener for cable conveyor belt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11022197-B2
Application number	US-201916600293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2019
Priority date	Oct 11, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a fastener is provided for securing to an end of a conveyor belt having cables. The fastener comprises a crimp configured to be fixed to a conveyor belt cable and a connector. The connector has a unitary, one-piece fastener body with an upper portion for being disposed adjacent an upper surface of the conveyor belt end and a lower portion for being disposed adjacent a lower surface of the conveyor belt end. The upper and lower portions are spaced apart to receive the crimp therebetween and permit the conveyor belt cable to extend in an outboard direction between the upper and lower portions. The connector includes a stop arranged to block inboard movement of the crimp and the conveyor belt cable fixed thereto.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fastener for securing to an end of a conveyor belt having cables, the fastener comprising:
a crimp configured to be fixed to an end portion of a conveyor belt cable;
a connector having a unitary, one-piece fastener body distinct from the crimp, the fastener body having an upper portion for being disposed adjacent an upper surface of the conveyor belt end and a lower portion for being disposed adjacent a lower surface of the conveyor belt end;
the upper and lower portions of the fastener body spaced apart to receive the crimp therebetween and permit the conveyor belt cable to extend in an outboard direction between the upper and lower portions;
an outboard loop portion of the fastener body connecting the upper and lower portions; and
a stop of the connector configured to abut the crimp and form an abutment interface therebetween inboard of the outboard loop portion, the stop arranged to block inboard movement of the crimp and the conveyor belt cable end portion fixed thereto.

2. The fastener of claim 1 wherein the stop includes a stop body distinct from the fastener body.

3. The fastener of claim 2 wherein the upper and lower portions of the fastener body and the stop body include at least one mating projection and recess that engage to resist movement of the stop body relative to the fastener body.

4. The fastener of claim 1 wherein the connector further includes a rigid spacer configured to fit between the upper and lower portions of the fastener body and an attachment member configured to extend between the upper and lower portions and clamp the rigid spacer between the upper and lower portions.

5. The fastener of claim 1 wherein the stop includes a though opening for receiving the conveyor belt cable and a stop surface extending about the through opening configured to contact the crimp.

6. The fastener of claim 1 wherein the conveyor belt cable includes a pair of conveyor belt and the crimp includes a pair of crimps each configured to be fixed to a respective conveyor belt cable end portion; and
the stop is configured to contact the crimps and inhibit inboard movement of the crimps and conveyor belt cable end portions fixed thereto.

7. A fastener for securing to an end of a conveyor belt having cables, the fastener comprising:
a crimp configured to be fixed to a conveyor belt cable;
a connector having a unitary, one-piece fastener body with an upper portion for being disposed adjacent an upper surface of the conveyor belt end and a lower portion for being disposed adjacent a lower surface of the conveyor belt end;
the upper and lower portions of the fastener body spaced apart to receive the crimp therebetween and permit the conveyor belt cable to extend in an outboard direction between the upper and lower portions;
a stop of the connector arranged to block inboard movement of the crimp and the conveyor belt cable fixed thereto;
wherein the conveyor belt cable includes a pair of conveyor belt cables and the crimp includes a pair of crimps each configured to be fixed to a respective conveyor belt cable;
the stop is configured to contact the crimps and inhibit inboard movement of the crimps and conveyor belt cables fixed thereto;
wherein the crimps each include a tubular member having a central cable-receiving opening; and
wherein the stop of the connector is of a first material having a first hardness and the tubular members of the crimps are of a second material having a second hardness less than the first hardness to permit at least one of the tubular members to deform during conveyor belt operation so that both tubular members engage the stop.

8. A fastener for a conveyor belt end having a longitudinal cable embedded in belt material, the fastener comprising:
a crimp configured to be secured to the cable;
a connector including a fastener body having an upper member and a lower member;
ends of the upper and lower members for being positioned adjacent the belt material;
the upper and lower members of the fastener body having a gap therebetween that permits the cable to extend longitudinally between and spaced from the upper and lower members;
a stop of the connector arranged to block movement of the crimp and cable fixed thereto toward the ends of the upper and lower members in the gap between the upper and lower members; and
the upper and lower members of the fastener body are sized to provide a longitudinal spacing between the ends of the upper and lower members and the crimp so that the cable has a strain relief length between the ends of the upper and lower members and the crimp;
wherein the cable includes a plurality of wires having first portions fixed together by the crimp; and
wherein the strain relief length of the cable includes second portions of the wires, the second portions of the wires are shiftable about each other to relieve stress in the wires as the cable bends.

9. The fastener of claim 8 wherein the stop includes a through opening for receiving the cable and a stop surface configured to contact the crimp, the stop spaced from the cable to permit the cable to move in the through opening of the stop during conveyor belt operation.

10. The fastener body of claim 8 wherein the fastener body includes an outboard loop connecting the upper and lower members.

11. The fastener of claim 8 wherein the stop includes a stop body distinct from the fastener body.

12. The fastener of claim 8 wherein the connector further includes a rigid spacer sized to fit between the upper and lower members and an attachment member configured to extend the between the upper and lower members and clamp the rigid spacer between the upper and lower members.

13. The fastener of claim 8 wherein the upper and lower members each include an aperture; and
an attachment member configured to extend through the aperture of the upper and lower members.

14. A fastener for a conveyor belt end having a longitudinal cable embedded in belt material, the fastener comprising:
a crimp configured to be secured to the cable;
a connector including a fastener body having an upper member and a lower member;
ends of the upper and lower members for being positioned adjacent the belt material;
the upper and lower members of the fastener body having a gap therebetween that permits the cable to extend longitudinally between and spaced from the upper and lower members;
a stop of the connector arranged to block movement of the crimp and cable fixed thereto toward the ends of the upper and lower members in the gap between the upper and lower members; and
the upper and lower members of the fastener body are sized to provide a longitudinal spacing between the ends of the upper and lower members and the crimp so that the cable has a strain relief length between the ends of the upper and lower members and the crimp;
wherein the stop includes a stop body distinct from the fastener body;
wherein the upper and lower members of the fastener body are separated by a gap and include projections extending into the gap to inhibit longitudinal movement of the stop body relative to the fastener body toward the ends of the upper and lower members.

15. The fastener of claim 14 wherein fastener body includes a loop connecting the upper and lower members, the fastener body having a unitary, one-piece construction.

16. The fastener of claim 14 wherein the upper and lower members are elongated and the projections includes laterally extending ridges of the upper and lower members.

17. The fastener of claim 14 wherein the projections include countersinks of the upper a

Assignees

• Flexible Steel Lacing Co

Inventors

• Dailey Daniel W
• Devries Brett E
• Culbertson John Dale

Classifications

• F16G11/02

  with parts deformable to grip the cable or cables; Fastening means which engage a sleeve or the like fixed on the cable · CPC title

• F16G3/04 Primary

  in which the ends of separate U-shaped or like eyes are attached to the belt by parts penetrating into it · CPC title

• B65G15/32

  made of rubber or plastics · CPC title

• B65G15/50

  Endless load-carriers consisting of a series of parallel ropes or belt strips · CPC title

• F16G3/08

  consisting of plates and screw-bolts or rivets (F16G3/06 takes precedence) · CPC title