Welding apparatus for conveyor belts and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9486971-B2
Application number	US-201314142490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2013
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

A belt welding apparatus is provided for joining together the ends of one or more monolithic conveyor belts. In one form, a belt support is configured to support the belt ends in spaced relation to each other and a non-contact heating device is provided for being disposed between the belt ends to generate thermal radiation for joining the belt ends together. In one form, the non-contact heating device is a ribbon heating device. In another form, a drive mechanism is operable to cause relative movement of a pair of platens, for supporting belt ends, toward and away from each other and a heating device between heating and stowed positions. An actuator of the drive mechanism is movable by an operator between at least three operation positions corresponding to three different operation positions of the platens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A belt welding apparatus for joining monolithic belt ends, the belt welding apparatus comprising:
an elongate frame;
a pair of elongate platens mounted to the frame with at least one of the platens being laterally movable toward and away from the other platen, the pair of elongate platens being configured for supporting belt ends thereon; and
a non-contact ribbon heating device having an elongate ribbon heating element for generating thermal radiation, the elongate ribbon heating element having opposite ends and opposite side faces with the elongate ribbon heating element extending linearly between the opposite ends thereof, the non-contact ribbon heating device being mounted to the frame to be vertically movable between a lowered, stowed position below the platens and a raised, heating position with the elongate ribbon heating element exposed in an elongate air gap between the platens with the opposite side faces oriented to face corresponding belt ends with only air therebetween so that thermal radiation is emitted from the elongate ribbon heating element across the air gap for melting material of the belt ends supported on the platens.

2. The belt welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elongate ribbon heating element has a width of approximately 0.5 mm to minimize space requirements therefor.

3. The belt welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-contact heating device has a tension maintenance device configured to be operable to keep the ribbon heating element under tension despite thermal expansion of the ribbon heating element as the ribbon heating element generates thermal radiation therefrom.

4. The belt welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-contact heating device includes a pair of end mounts for the elongate ribbon heating element with at least one of the end mounts configured to apply tension to the elongate ribbon heating element.

5. The belt welding apparatus of claim 4 wherein the at least one end mount is configured to urge one end of the elongate ribbon heating element associated therewith away from the opposite end of the elongate ribbon heating element associated with the other end mount.

6. The belt welding apparatus of claim 5 wherein the other end mount is fixed to fix the opposite end of the ribbon heating element associated therewith, and the at least one end mount includes a pivotable bracket and spring assembly for urging the one end of the ribbon heating element associated therewith away from the fixed, opposite end thereof.

7. The belt welding apparatus of claim 4 wherein both of the end mounts are configured to apply tension to the elongate ribbon heating element.

8. The belt welding apparatus of claim 4 wherein the end mounts are insulated from the frame.

9. The belt welding apparatus of claim 4 wherein the non-contact heating device includes an intermediate, non-conductive support member disposed between the end mounts and under the elongate ribbon heating element for providing support thereto.

10. The belt welding apparatus of claim 1 including a power supply mounted to the frame and having a fan, and the frame including air inlet and outlet openings and ductwork arranged and configured to form air flow paths that direct air flow in directions parallel to and away from the elongate ribbon heating element.

11. The belt welding apparatus of claim 1 including a safety interlock arranged and configured to disable operation of the ribbon heating element with the ribbon heating device in the lowered, stowed position thereof.

12. The belt welding apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elongate ribbon heating element includes upper and lower edges that extend linearly from one end of the elongate ribbon heating element to the other end thereof.

13. A belt welding apparatus for joining monolithic belt ends, the belt welding apparatus comprising:
an elongate frame;
a pair of elongate platens mounted to the frame with at least one of the platens being laterally movable toward and away from the other platen, the pair of elongate platens being configured for supporting belt ends thereon; and
a non-contact ribbon heating device having an elongate ribbon heating element for generating thermal radiation, the non-contact ribbon heating device being mounted to the frame to be vertically movable between a lowered, stowed position below the platens and a raised, heating position with the elongate ribbon heating element exposed in an elongate gap between the platens,
wherein the non-contact heating device includes a pair of end mounts for the elongate ribbon heating element with at least one of the end mounts configured to apply tension to the elongate ribbon heating element, the non-contact heating device includes an intermediate, non-conductive support member disposed between the end mounts and under the elongate ribbon heating element for providing support thereto, and the intermediate, non-conductive support member comprises one of (1) a top, peaked edge extending transversely under the ribbon heating element to minimize contact therewith, and (2) a roller member for rolling engagement with the ribbon heating element during movement thereof due to thermal expansion.

14. A method of welding conveyor belt ends together, the method comprising:
supporting the belt ends in spaced relation from each other;
orienting an elongate ribbon heating element to be exposed in an air gap between the spaced belt ends so that opposite side faces of the elongate ribbon heating element face corresponding belt ends with only air therebetween with the elongate ribbon heating element operable to generate thermal radiation therefrom;
melting material of the belt ends by operation of the exposed, elongate ribbon heating element to emit thermal radiation in the air gap for welding the belt ends together; and
shifting the melted belt ends toward each other and shifting the elongate ribbon heating element out from the air gap for welding the conveyor belt ends together.

15. The method of claim 14 including applying tension to the elongate ribbon heating element for keeping the ribbon heating element under tension despite thermal expansion of the ribbon heating element as the ribbon heating element generates thermal radiation.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein tension is applied at either one end or both ends of the elongate ribbon heating element.

17. The method of claim 14 including supporting the elongate ribbon heating element at opposite ends thereof, and at a location intermediate the opposite ends thereof.

18. The method of claim 14 including directing airflow through and out from a frame for a belt support and the elongate ribbon heating element during operation thereof in directions parallel to and away from the elongate ribbon heating element.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein shifting the elongate ribbon heating element out from the air gap and orienting the elongate ribbon heating element to be exposed in the air gap includes shifting the elongate ribbon heating element between a lowered, stowed position and a raised, heating position to be exposed in the gap between the spaced belt ends, and automatically disabling operation of the elongate ribbon heating element when the elongate ribbon heating element is shifted to the lowered, stowed position thereof.

20. The method of claim 14 including preheating the belt ends by operation of the exposed, elongate ribbon heating element to remove moisture from the belt ends prior to the step of melting material of the belt ends wherein pr

Assignees

• Flexible Steel Lacing Co

Inventors

• Zieger Andrew J
• Van 'T Schip Joannes Stefanus

Classifications

• F16G3/006

  Traction devices to bring together belts, cables or chains · CPC title

• B29C66/8322

  Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis · CPC title

• B29C65/782

  by setting the gap between the parts to be joined (controlling or regulating the gap between the joining tools B29C66/92611) · CPC title

• B29C65/1412

  Infrared [IR] radiation · CPC title

• B29C65/1432

  direct heating of the surfaces to be joined · CPC title