Conveyor belt fastener

A conveyor belt fastener for being secured to an end of a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt fastener comprising:

• a body;
• an upper plate portion of the body;
• a lower plate portion of the body;
• apertures of the upper and lower plate portions to receive an attachment member for securing the upper and lower plate portions to the end of the conveyor belt;
• loop portions of the body connecting the upper plate portion and the lower plate portion, the loop portions configured to extend about a laterally extending hinge pin;
• a lateral spacing of the body between the loop portions, the lateral spacing configured to receive a loop portion of a fastener secured to another end of the conveyor belt;
• proximal portions of each of the loop portions adjacent the upper and lower plate portions, the proximal portions each having a proximal lateral width;
• and
• a laterally enlarged distal portion of each of the loop portions extending arcuately intermediate the proximal portions along the loop portion for contacting the hinge pin, the laterally enlarged distal portion having a distal lateral width larger than the proximal lateral width to provide a wide contact area between the loop portion and the hinge pin,
• wherein each of the loop portions has a maximum lateral width at a midpoint of the loop portion, and the laterally enlarged distal portions each have laterally spaced side surface portions that taper toward one another as the side surface portions extend away from the midpoint along the loop portion.