Clamp for flat belts
AssigneeThe Gates Corporation
InventorBinyamin Uslu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims11
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.
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.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.