US 7,552,517 B2 · Belt clamp apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for clamping a belt with a quick clamping action. The apparatus and method employ an impact force applied to a clamping device that causes a clamping portion of the clamping device to be driven into clamping engagement with the belt received in a housing for the clamping device. In one form, the clamping device has a clamp actuator that includes an impact receiving end preferably disposed outside the housing and a clamp member in the housing that is driven into clamping engagement with the belt by the actuator. The preferred belt clamp has the actuator and clamp member configured so that during belt pulling operations, the clamp also self-locks onto the belt to increase the clamping force applied thereto. In another aspect, the housing preferably has wall portions of varying thickness to provide increased strength where needed while keeping the weight thereof to a minimum.

Claims23

Dependent claims

An apparatus for clamping a belt, the apparatus comprising:

an elongate housing having opposite longitudinal ends, a predetermined length therebetween, opposite sides extending along the housing length including a side wall portion at one of the housing sides extending between the opposite longitudinal ends, and an elongate opening at the other housing side for receiving a side edge of a belt in the housing;
opposite longitudinal end openings of the housing at the corresponding longitudinal ends thereof for allowing the belt to extend therethrough;
a clamping device having a clamping portion that is operable to clamp the belt in the housing;
and
an impact portion of the clamping device adjacent one of the opposite longitudinal ends and the corresponding end opening of the housing and adapted to receive an impact force generally directed in a lengthwise direction from the one longitudinal end of the housing toward the other longitudinal end thereof for driving the clamping portion against the belt for quick clamping thereof in the housing,
wherein the clamping device comprises a clamp member including the clamping portion and a separate actuator member including the impact portion at an end thereof, the impact end is adapted to receive an impact blow in a direction generally parallel to the belt, and the clamp member and actuator member include ramp surfaces that cooperate to cammingly drive the clamp member in a clamping direction in the housing that is transverse to the direction of the impact blow.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Belt clamp apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Belt clamp apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23