Manual belt skiver

A manual skiver for conveyor belts, comprising:

• a base having a generally planar bearing surface adapted for abutting engagement with an associated belt face;
• said base having a blade receiving opening extending through said bearing surface to an upper portion of said base;
• a handle connected with said base, and configured to facilitate manually shifting said skiver across the associated belt face;
• a clamping plate connected with the upper portion of said base, and extending to a location adjacent to said blade receiving opening;
• and
• a thin cutting blade mounted in said base at a predetermined angle, and including a cutting edge having a generally U-shaped front elevational configuration defining a generally flat central area disposed substantially parallel with said bearing surface and perpendicular to the direction of motion of said skiver across the associated belt face, and upstanding side areas disposed at opposite sides of said central area and oriented a predetermined angle thereto;
• said U-shaped cutting edge extending through said blade receiving opening in said base, and being disposed a predetermined distance below said bearing surface;
• said clamping plate pressing a central portion of said blade against the upper portion of said base to retain said blade at said predetermined angle to cut a groove in the associated belt face having a uniform depth.