Conveyor belt zipper
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsJames W. Stone, Paul Tilman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A conveyor belt zipper has complementary connectable halves disposed on each end of the conveyor belt. Those halves have a plurality of teeth and recesses thereon, with the teeth being insertable into the recesses. The teeth are of different sizes, are supported by either a thick or a thin section of the half, or are constructed of either a flexible, or a inflexible material. Also, a reinforcing member can be attached to the halves in order to achieve the desired relative flexibility. In this manner, the zipper has sufficient strength to withstand tension due to a load on the belt, while also having sufficient flexibility to rotate easily around an end roller of the conveyor assembly.
Claims9
A fastener for flexibly connecting two ends of a conveyor belt of predetermined thickness comprising:
- complementary connectable halves respectively connectable with the ends:
- the complementary connectable halves having one end portion connectible with an end of the conveyor belt and an opposite end portion having a first tooth, a second tooth, and a flange positionable adjacent an end of the belt and having a thickness similar to that of the belt;
- the first tooth being smaller than the second tooth in size;
- the second tooth being disposed between the first tooth and the flange;
- a first recess being disposed between the first and second teeth, and a second recess being disposed between the second tooth and the flange;
- the first recess being constructed so as to accept the second tooth of the other complementary connectable half;
- and the second recess being constructed so as to accept the first tooth of the other complementary connectable half.
A conveyor belt structure comprising a belt of predetermined thickness and a zipper connected to opposite ends of the belt and having a thickness substantially equal to the predetermined thickness, the zipper comprising;
- first and second complementary connectable halves, respectively attached to opposite ends of a belt;
- each half comprising a base portion having a first end portion thinner than the predetermined thickness and secured to the belt, and only a first endmost tooth, and a second tooth extending from the base portion;
- the second tooth of each base portion being relatively strong and inflexible as compared with the other tooth of each base portion;
- and the relatively strong and inflexible tooth of each base portion being releasably interconnected with the other tooth of the other base portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.