Bolt plate fastener assembly for conveyor belts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9316285-B2
Application number	US-201213631413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2012
Priority date	Sep 29, 2011
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A belt fastener is provided where, in one form, a washer is assembled on a bolt that extends through a recessed aperture in a lower plate of the belt fastener. An inclined cup wall of the lower plate extends toward the recessed aperture and is for seating of the bolt head thereagainst with the shank extending through the aperture. In accordance with one aspect, the washer is sized to fit into the area of the aperture so that when an upper plate is applied to the belt ends for clamping the belt ends between the upper plate and the lower plate, the washer can be shifted into the aperture area and, if necessary, into the recess formed by the cup. In this manner, the washer is not extruded over the lower cup in contrast to larger washers of prior belt fasteners.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A belt fastener for splicing conveyor belt ends together, the belt fastener comprising:
upper and lower plates for being secured to the belt ends;
at least one recessed aperture in one of the upper and lower plates;
a preassembly including the one plate and a bolt having a head and a shank that has threads and that extends through the at least one recessed aperture of the one plate;
an inclined cup wall of the one plate that extends upwardly and inwardly toward the at least one recessed aperture for seating of the bolt head thereagainst;
an end surface of the inclined cup wall that has a reverse incline relative thereto wherein the end surface has an upper, radially outer edge and a lower, radially inner edge;
a pocket of the recessed aperture about which the end surface extends; and
a washer having an annular body of plastic material including a central opening, a generally circular outer surface portion, and a generally circular inner surface portion extending about the central opening with the circular inner surface portion being free of threading, the washer received on the bolt shank so that the generally circular inner surface portion is in frictional engagement with the shank threads, the washer annular body having upper and lower annular flat faces with the generally circular outer surface portion having a constant outer diameter extending between the upper and lower faces and being sized to have a tolerance or clearance fit relative to the upper radially outer edge of the inclined cup wall end surface to fit into the pocket in an state of the washer body circular outer surface portion and also being sized to be in interference with the lower, radially inner edge of the inclined cup wall end surface so that the washer body engages but does not extend downwardly beyond the cup wall end surface for keeping the one plate and bolt together in the preassembly and so that when the other plate is applied to the belt ends for clamping the belt ends between the upper and lower plates, the washer is not extruded over the inclined cup wall outside the off,
wherein the washer annular body is prepositioned on the threads of the bolt shank to form the preassembly so that washer body including the outer surface portion thereof in the undeformed state is partially disposed in the pocket, the washer annular body including a lower portion in the pocket having a lower corner juncture between the lower, annular flat face and the circular outer surface portion that extend orthogonally to one another, the corner juncture bearing against the inclined cup wall end surface to form space in the pocket in a radial direction between the washer annular body lower portion and the inclined cup wall end surface allowing the bolt and washer thereon to be pivoted in the pocket for fitting the bolt shank through a hole in one of the belt ends, and the washer body further having an upper portion that projects upwardly out from the pocket with the plastic material allowing the washer body to be deformed as the washer body is forced downward along the shank threads to be pushed further into and take up the space in the pocket between the washer and the cup wall end surface with the upper and lower plates clamping the belt ends therebetween.

2. The belt fastener of claim 1 wherein the inclined cup wall comprises a pair of opposite inclined, arcuate wall portions having diametrically opposed notches therebetween, the end surface comprises end surface portions of the arcuate wall portions, the upper, radially outer edge comprises upper, radially outer edge portions of the end surface portions, and the lower, radially inner edge comprises lower, radially inner edge portions of the end surface portions.

3. The belt fastener of claim 1 wherein the end surface has an arcuate configuration and the upper, radially outer edge has a diameter that is approximately the same or slightly greater than the washer body outer diameter, and the lower, radially inner edge has a diameter that is less than the washer body outer diameter.

4. The belt fastener of claim 1 wherein the end surface has an arcuate configuration, and the pocket has a generally frustoconical configuration.

5. The belt fastener of claim 1 wherein the inclined cup wall has an outer, inclined surface and a top, flat surface extending between the reverse inclined end surface and the outer, inclined surface with the sizing of the washer being such that the washer is not extruded on and along the top, flat surface and the outer, inclined surface when the belt ends are clamped between the upper and lower plates.

6. The belt fastener of claim 1 wherein the one plate comprises the lower plate.

7. The belt fastener of claim 1 wherein the at least one recessed aperture comprises a pair of recessed apertures in the one plate, the inclined cup wall comprises a pair of inclined cup walls corresponding to the pair of recessed apertures, the bolt of the preassembly includes a pair of bolts having heads for being seated against the cup walls and shanks for extending through the recessed apertures, and the washer comprises a pair of washers received on the bolt shanks.

8. The belt fastener of claim 1 wherein the washer annular body upper portion has an upper corner juncture between the upper, annular flat face and the circular outer surface portion that extend orthogonal to one another, the upper corner juncture being in clearance with the upper, radially outer edge of the inclined cup wall end surface so that the washer is not extruded over the inclined cup wall outside the pocket when the belt ends are clamped between the upper and lower plates.

Assignees

• Demont Mark Alan
• Flexible Steel Lacing Co

Inventors

• Demont Mark Alan

Classifications

• Y10T403/5781

  Bolted · CPC title

• F16G3/08 Primary

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

• F16B43/00

  Washers or equivalent devices; Other devices for supporting bolt-heads or nuts (circlips F16B21/18; {for indicating tensile load F16B31/02; forming a whole with the bolt or nut F16B33/00; locking bolts or nuts by means of a fixed plate or ring, or washer-like resilient plates F16B39/10, F16B39/24}) · CPC title