Clamp for flat belts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12038066-B2
Application number	US-202217588996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2022
Priority date	Jan 31, 2022
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

A clamp for open ended flat belts. The clamp has a tapered housing with an aperture at a first end providing access to the housing interior and a second open end also providing access to the interior. A tapered wedge is removable and replaceable from the interior of the housing, the wedge having a first end and a radiused second end and having a surface comprising alternating ribs and lands. The clamp includes a lock having a concave surface similar to the radiused second end of the tapered wedge. The housing may have a removeable and replaceable side wall providing access to the interior.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of clamping an open-ended flat belt having a free end, the method comprising:
inserting the free end of the flat belt through an aperture in a first end of a clamp housing, and passing the free end of the flat belt through the clamp housing to and through a second end of the clamp housing;
doubling back the free end of the flat belt through the clamp housing and through the aperture to form a loop in the flat belt;
inserting a wedge into the loop;
applying tension to the flat belt to pull the wedge and the loop toward the aperture in the first end of the clamp housing;
after inserting the wedge, placing a lock against the loop; and
after placing the lock against the loop, installing a side wall on the clamp housing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the wedge comprises inserting a wedge having a surface comprising alternating ribs and lands.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein doubling back the free end of the flat belt to form a loop comprises doubling back the free end of the flat belt so that teeth of the flat belt are in an interior of the loop.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
inserting the wedge into the loop comprises inserting the wedge having a first end and a second radiused end; and
placing the lock against the loop comprises placing the lock against the loop proximate the second radiused end of the wedge.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein inserting the wedge having the first end and the second radiused end comprises inserting the first end proximate the first end of the clamp housing and the second radiused end proximate the second end of the clamp housing.

6. A clamp comprising:
a tapered housing having a first end with an aperture providing access to an interior of the housing and a second open end providing access to the interior, the second end larger than the first end, wherein the housing has a removeable and replaceable side wall providing access to the interior;
a tapered wedge removable and replaceable from the interior of the housing, the wedge having a first end and a radiused second end and having a surface comprising alternating ribs and lands; and
a lock removable and replaceable from the interior of the housing, the lock having a concave surface similar to the radiused second end of the tapered wedge.

7. A clamp comprising:
an asymmetrical housing having a top wall, an opposite bottom wall, a first end with an aperture providing access to an interior of the housing and a second open end providing access to the interior, wherein the housing has a removeable and replaceable side wall providing access to the interior;

an inner surface of the top wall and an inner surface of the bottom wall forming an angle in the range of 30 to 60 degrees at the first end; and
an asymmetrical tapered wedge removable and replaceable from the interior of the housing, the wedge having a first end having an angle in the range of 30 to 60 degrees and a radiused second end and having a surface comprising alternating ribs and lands.

8. The clamp of claim 7 , wherein the housing is asymmetrical about an axis from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing.

9. The clamp of claim 7 , wherein the wedge is asymmetrical about an axis from the first end of the wedge to the second end of the wedge.

10. The clamp of claim 7 , wherein the inner surface of the top wall and the inner surface of the bottom wall form an angle of about 45 degrees at the first end, and the first end of the wedge has an angle of about 45 degrees.

11. The clamp of claim 7 , wherein a distance between the top wall and the bottom wall is adjustable.

Assignees

• Gates Corp

Inventors

• Uslu Binyamin

Classifications

• B66C1/18

  Band-type slings · CPC title

• B66B7/085

  Belt termination devices · CPC title

• F16B2/14 Primary

  using wedges · CPC title

• F16G3/08

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

• F16G3/07 Primary

  Friction clamps, e.g. of grommet-thimble type · CPC title