Fastener for cable conveyor belt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11713796-B2
Application number	US-202117331326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2021
Priority date	Oct 11, 2018
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

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 being secured to an end of a conveyor belt having cables, the fastener comprising:
a tubular member to be secured to an end portion of a conveyor belt cable;
a connector having a unitary, one-piece fastener body distinct from the tubular member, the fastener body having an upper plate for being disposed on and adjacent an upper surface of the conveyor belt end and a lower plate for being disposed on and adjacent a lower surface of the conveyor belt end;
the upper and lower plates of the fastener body spaced apart to receive the tubular member therebetween, and permit the conveyor belt cable to extend in an outboard direction from the conveyor belt end between the upper and lower plates; and
a stop of the connector configured to abut the tubular member, the stop arranged to block inboard movement of the tubular member and the conveyor belt cable end portion relative to the connector.

2. The fastener of claim 1 wherein the fastener body includes an outboard loop portion connecting the upper and lower plates.

3. A fastener for being secured to an end of a conveyor belt having cables, the fastener comprising:
a tubular member to be secured to an end portion of a conveyor belt cable;
a connector having a unitary, one-piece fastener body distinct from the tubular member, 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 tubular member therebetween, and permit the conveyor belt cable to extend in an outboard direction from the conveyor belt end between the upper and lower portions; and
a stop of the connector configured to abut the tubular member, the stop arranged to block inboard movement of the tubular member and the conveyor belt cable end portion relative to the connector,
wherein the stop includes a stop body distinct from the fastener body.

4. The fastener of claim 3 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.

5. The fastener of claim 3
wherein the upper and lower portions of the fastener body include projections extending into the gap to inhibit longitudinal movement of the stop body relative to the fastener body.

6. The fastener of claim 3 wherein the conveyor belt cable includes a pair of conveyor belt cables and the tubular member includes a pair of tubular members each configured to be secured to a respective conveyor belt cable; and
the stop is configured to contact the tubular members and inhibit inboard movement of the tubular members and conveyor belt cable end portion secured thereto.

7. The fastener of claim 3 further comprising:
a spacer distinct from the stop body and the fastener body, the spacer configured to fit between the upper and lower portions of the fastener body and inhibit movement of the upper and lower portions of the fastener body toward each other.

8. The fastener of claim 3 wherein the tubular member is configured to be crimped onto the cable end portion.

9. A fastener for being secured to an end of a conveyor belt having cables, the fastener comprising:
a tubular member to be secured to an end portion of a conveyor belt cable;
a connector having a unitary, one-piece fastener body distinct from the tubular member, 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 tubular member therebetween, and permit the conveyor belt cable to extend in an outboard direction from the conveyor belt end between the upper and lower portions; and
a stop of the connector configured to abut the tubular member, the stop arranged to block inboard movement of the tubular member and the conveyor belt cable end portion relative to the connector,
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 tubular member.

10. The fastener of claim 9 wherein the stop includes a support portion of a body distinct from the fastener body, the body having a spacer portion configured to fit between the upper and lower portions of the fastener body and inhibit movement of the upper and lower portions toward each other.

11. The fastener of claim 10 wherein the upper and lower portions include apertures;
wherein the body includes at least one opening to be aligned with the apertures of the upper and lower portions of the fastener body; and
at least one attachment member sized to extend through the apertures of the upper and lower portions of the fastener body and the at least one opening of the body.

12. A fastener for being secured to an end of a conveyor belt having cables, the fastener comprising:
a tubular member to be secured to an end portion of a conveyor belt cable;
a connector having a unitary, one-piece fastener body distinct from the tubular member, 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 tubular member therebetween, and permit the conveyor belt cable to extend in an outboard direction from the conveyor belt end between the upper and lower portions;
a stop of the connector configured to abut the tubular member, the stop arranged to block inboard movement of the tubular member and the conveyor belt cable end portion relative to the connector;
wherein the stop includes a stop body distinct from the fastener body;
wherein the upper and lower portions of the fastener bodies include apertures; and
at least one attachment member configured to extend through the apertures of the upper and lower portions of the fastener body.

13. A fastener for a conveyor belt end having a longitudinal cable embedded in belt material, the longitudinal cable including a plurality of wires each having a first portion and a second portion, the fastener comprising:
a tubular member to be secured to the first portions of the wires of 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 tubular member and cable secured 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 tubular member so that the cable has a strain relief length including the second portions of the wires of the cable between the ends of the upper and lower members and the tubular member that permits the second portions of the wires to shift about each other to relieve stress in the wires as the cable bends.

14. The fastener of claim 13 wherein the stop includes a through opening for receiving the cable and a stop surfa

Assignees

• Flexible Steel Lacing Co

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• B65G15/50

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

• B65G15/32

  made of rubber or plastics · CPC title

• F16G3/08

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

• 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