Emergency belt kit and connector

A belt assembly comprising:

• a belt having a pair of tubular ends made of an elastomeric material,
• a connector having an elongate rigid body member with opposite end portions, and
• a pair of separate, axially spaced rigid barb members on each said end portion, said barb members being frusto-conical in shape with generally circular transverse cross sections and tapering radially inwardly and axially outwardly toward the remote ends of their respective said end portions,
• the axially outermost said barb members having greater maximum outer diameters than the respective axially innermost barb members, said axially innermost barb members having maximum outer diameters greater than the respective inner diameters of said tubular ends,
• said end portions being disposed in respective said tubular ends with said barb members frictionally engaging the inner surfaces of said tubular ends, thereby securely connecting said tubular ends together.

A continuous belt assembly comprising:

• a belt having a pair of tubular ends made of an elastomeric material;
• a connector including first and second elongate rigid body member with respective opposite end portion, said body members being pivotably connected together at a point intermediate said end portions such that said end portions face outwardly from each other;
• a plurality of individual rigid barb members circumferentially disposed on said end portions, said barb members being separate and axially spaced apart on their respective said end portions and having respective maximum outward transverse dimensions greater than respective inner diameters of said tubular ends, the respective maximum outer transverse dimensions of said barb members on each said end portion decreasing in dimension from the axially outermost one of said barb members to the axially innermost one of said barb members to facilitate insertion of said end portions into respective said tubular ends;
• and
• said end portions being disposed in respective said tubular ends with said barb members frictionally engaging the inner surfaces of said tubular ends to securely join said tubular ends together, whereby, when said belt runs about small radii objects, said connector can articulate to prevent said belt from parting at the juncture of said tubular ends.