# US 2014/0190622 A1 · Method of making open-ended thermoplastic belting > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190622 A1 - Document ID: US20140190622A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/203,561 - Filed: 2014-03-11 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-14 - Assignees: The Gates Corporation - Applicants: The Gates Corporation - Inventors: John Graeme Knox; Lambert Pasch - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190622A1 ## CPC - B29D 29/106: {Cogged driving belts} - B29C 43/222: {characterised by the shape of the surface} - B29C 43/265: {for making multilayered articles} - B29C 43/28: incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles - B29C 43/46: Rollers - B29C 43/48: Endless belts - B29D 29/00: Producing belts or bands - B29D 29/08: Toothed driving belts - B32B 37/04: characterised by the partial melting of at least one layer - B32B 37/1036: {Pressing between one press band and a cylinder} - B32B 37/15: with at least one layer being manufactured and immediately laminated before reaching its stable state, e.g. in which a layer is extruded and laminated while in semi-molten state - B32B 37/16: with all layers existing as coherent layers before laminating - B29C 2043/463: {corrugated, patterned or embossed surface} - B29C 2043/486: {cooperating with rollers or drums} - B29D 29/06: Conveyor belts - B29L 2029/00: Belts or bands {(conveyor belts B29L2031/7092; drive belts B29L2031/7094; fourdrinier belts B29L2031/733)} - B29L 2031/7092: {Conveyor belts} - B29L 2031/7094: {Driving belts} - Y10T 156/17: Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means - Y10T 156/1712: Indefinite or running length work - B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00) - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A system and method of making an open-ended, reinforced, layered belt having a profile layer, a top layer material, and tensile cords fully encapsulated there between. The method includes engaging portion of the profile layer on a rotatable cylindrical mandrel with an engaging roller, disengaging with a take-off roller, and applying and fusing the cords to the profile layer at a desired cord spacing there between. The cord may be fused by melting the profile layer surface with a heated plow and/or with heated cord. The cord is then covered with the top layer material in a lamination step involving heating to melt at least a portion of the top layer and pressing it to fuse it to the reinforced profile layer. Lamination may be done downstream or directly on the mandrel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for making an open-ended, reinforced, layered belt comprising; a profile layer having a top side and having a belt profile on the opposite side and; a supply of top layer material suitable for applying to said top side of said profile layer; a supply of tensile cords suitable for embedding between said profile layer and said top layer; and an apparatus comprising: a rotating cylindrical mandrel having a mandrel profile complementary to said belt profile; and an engaging roller positioned adjacent said mandrel for pressing said profile layer onto said mandrel inducing wrapped engagement of said profile layer on a wrap portion of the mandrel during rotation of the mandrel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a take-off roller positioned adjacent said mandrel opposite said engaging roller to disengage said profile layer from said wrap portion of the mandrel during rotation of the mandrel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising: a cord applicator positionable adjacent said mandrel to apply said tensile cords to said profile layer within said wrap portion at a predetermined cord spacing so that said cords are firmly attached to said profile layer before disengagement of the resulting reinforced carcass portion from the wrap portion of the mandrel; and a laminator to apply and attach said top layer material to said reinforced carcass to fully cover said cords and complete said belt. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein said laminator comprises: two laminating rollers downstream of said mandrel defining a nip there between to press said top layer onto said carcass therein; and a laminate heater positioned near the nip to provide melting energy to at least one surface of one or both of the top layer material and the carcass for fusing them together. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein said laminator comprises: a laminating roller adjacent said wrap portion defining a nip between said mandrel and said laminating roller; and a laminate heater positioned to provide melting energy to at least one surface of one or both of the top layer material and the carcass. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein said laminator comprises: a molding band adjacent said wrap portion defining a cavity between said mandrel and said molding band; and a laminate heater positioned to provide melting energy to at least one surface of one or both of the top layer material and the carcass before they enter the cavity to be pressed together therein. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3 wherein said cord applicator comprises: a heated plow adjacent said wrap portion for plowing at least one heated groove of predetermined depth in said profile layer; and a cord laying guide positioned to lay a cord into said heated groove to fuse said cord to said profile layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein said cord applicator embeds said cords less than fully into said profile layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein said cord applicator comprises: a multiple cord laying guide for laying down said cords side by side at said cord spacing across the entire width of said belt; and wherein the heated plow is adapted to form multiple grooves for simultaneously laying and fusing said cords onto said profile layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the belt is a toothed belt, the profile layer has a plurality of teeth, and the mandrel has grooves adapted to mate tightly with said teeth. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein said wrap portion occupies from 180 to 300 degrees of the mandrel circumference. ### Claim 12 A method of making an open-ended, reinforced, layered belt comprising; providing a length of profile layer having a top side and having a belt profile on the opposite side; engaging a wrap portion of said profile layer on a portion of a rotating cylindrical mandrel having a mandrel profile complementary to said belt profile by pressing said profile layer onto said mandrel with an engaging roller positioned adjacent said mandrel; and. providing a supply of tensile cords and fusing them to the top side of the profile layer in parallel, lengthwise arrangement, forming a reinforced carcass; providing a supply of top layer material and applying the top layer material to said top side of said carcass, thereby embedding the tensile cords between said profile layer and said top layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 further comprising: disengaging said profile layer from said wrap portion of the mandrel during rotation of the mandrel with a take-off roller positioned adjacent said mandrel opposite said engaging roller. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 further comprising: applying at a predetermined cord spacing said tensile cords to said profile layer with a cord applicator positioned adjacent said wrap portion of said mandrel so that said cords are firmly attached to said profile layer before disengagement of the carcass portion from the wrap portion of the mandrel; and attaching with a laminator said top layer material to said reinforced carcass to fully cover said cords and complete said belt. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said attaching comprises: heating to melt at least a surface of said top layer material; and pressing said top layer material onto said carcass with said laminator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said attaching comprises: applying heat to at least one surface of the top layer and the carcass in the vicinity of a nip between a first laminating roller and a second laminating roller which could be said mandrel; and pressing with said first laminating roller at said nip to fuse together said top layer and said carcass. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said attaching comprises: pressing said top layer onto said carcass in a nip between two laminating rollers downstream of said mandrel; and melting at least one surface of one or both of the top layer material and the carcass before fusing them together during said pressing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said attaching comprises: pressing said top layer onto said carcass in a nip between said mandrel and a laminating roller adjacent said wrap portion; and melting at least one surface of one or both of the top layer material and the carcass before fusing them together during said pressing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said attaching comprises: pressing said top layer onto said carcass in a cavity defined between said mandrel or a laminating roller and a molding band; and melting the top layer material and metering it into said cavity or melting at least one surface of one or both of the top layer material and the carcass before fusing them together during said pressing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said cord applicator comprises: a heated plow adjacent said wrap portion for plowing at least one heated groove of predetermined depth in said profile layer; and a cord laying guide positioned to lay a cord into said heated groove to fuse said cord to said profile layer. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said cord applicator presses said cords less than fully into said profile layer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said cord applicator comprises: a multiple cord laying guide for laying down said cords side by side at said cord spacing across the entire width of said belt; and wherein the profile blade is adapted to form multiple grooves for simultaneously laying and fusing said cords onto said profile layer. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the belt is a toothed belt, the profile layer has a plurality of teeth, and the mandrel has grooves adapted to mate tightly with said teeth. ### Claim 24 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein said wrap portion occupies from 180 to 300 degrees of the mandrel circumference measured from said engaging roller to said take-off roller. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein said cord applicator comprises: multiple pairs of rotating, grooved, electrode rollers for electrically heating the portion of each conductive tensile cord trained there between, and for laying down and fusing said conductive tensile cord at said cord spacing onto said profile layer across the whole belt width. ### Claim 26 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein said profile layer includes a plurality of belt teeth on one side, and said mandrel is grooved to engage with said teeth with a snug fit, and whereby said method a toothed belt is formed.