Cutting and splicing apparatus for conveyor belts and method

A conveyor belt cutting and splicing apparatus for joining the ends of one or more conveyor belts together, the conveyor belt cutting and splicing apparatus comprising:

• a frame assembly including a belt support for supporting conveyor belt ends generally adjacent to each other;
• a cutting mechanism operatively mounted to the frame assembly for cutting an end portion of at least one of the conveyor belt ends with the at least one conveyor belt end supported by the belt support;
• and
• a splicing mechanism for joining the cut belt end to the other belt end with the belt ends supported on the belt support, wherein the cutting device includes a carriage for sliding in a longitudinal direction along the frame assembly and a blade that extends upwardly from the carriage for cutting the end portion of the at least one conveyor belt end, the belt support includes a pair of spaced platen devices with a gap therebetween, the carriage is slidably mounted to a support channel mounted below one of the platen devices and extending longitudinally therealong, and the blade extends upwardly through the gap between the platen devices so that the carriage is operable to be advanced along the support channel and the blade cuts a conveyor belt end portion extending over the gap.

A conveyor belt welding apparatus for joining monolithic conveyor belt ends together, the conveyor belt welding apparatus comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• a pair of belt supports operatively mounted to the frame assembly and extending in a longitudinal direction thereacross for supporting conveyor belt ends to be joined together, the pair of belt supports having a gap therebetween;
• a non-contact heating device configured to be positioned in the gap between the pair of belt supports and the belt ends supported thereon to be spaced from the belt ends for melting material of the belt ends for joining the conveyor belt ends together;
• and
• a cutting mechanism including a cutting device that is configured to travel in the longitudinal direction in the gap between and guided by the belt supports with one of the belt ends supported by one of the belt supports so that the cutting device cuts belt material from an end portion of the one belt end across a lateral width thereof.

A conveyor belt welding apparatus for joining monolithic conveyor belt ends together, the conveyor belt welding apparatus comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• a pair of belt supports operatively mounted to the frame assembly and extending in a longitudinal direction thereacross for supporting conveyor belt ends to be joined together;
• a non-contact heating device configured to be positioned between and the belt ends to be spaced therefrom for melting material of the belt ends for joining the conveyor belt ends together;
• a cutting mechanism including a cutting device that is configured to travel in the longitudinal direction between and guided by the belt supports with one of the belt ends supported by one of the belt supports so that the cutting device cuts belt material from an end portion of the one belt end across a lateral width thereof, wherein the belt supports include a pair of elongate platen devices and one of the platen devices includes a movable mount, and
• an actuator operable to shift the one platen device in a belt shifting direction between at least a belt cutting position and a belt joining position, with the platen devices being spaced more closely together in the belt joining position to join the belt ends together, wherein the belt cutting position is the same as a belt loading position of the platen devices with the platen devices spaced in the belt loading position so that the cut belt ends supported by the platen devices are in abutment with each other along lateral cut edges thereof.

A conveyor belt welding apparatus for joining monolithic conveyor belt ends together, the conveyor belt welding apparatus comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• a pair of belt supports operatively mounted to the frame assembly and extending in a longitudinal direction thereacross for supporting conveyor belt ends to be joined together;
• a non-contact heating device configured to be positioned between the belt ends to be spaced therefrom for melting material of the belt ends for joining the conveyor belt ends together;
• and
• a cutting mechanism including a cutting device that is configured to travel in the longitudinal direction between and guided by the belt supports with one of the belt ends supported by one of the belt supports so that the cutting device cuts belt material from an end portion of the one belt end across a lateral width thereof wherein the belt supports include a pair of elongate platen devices and one of the platen devices includes a movable mount, and
• an actuator operable to shift the one platen device in a belt shifting direction between at least a belt cutting position and a belt joining position, with the platen devices being spaced more closely together in the belt joining position to join the belt ends together, wherein the other one of the platen devices is substantially fixedly mounted to the frame assembly, and the cutting mechanism is mounted to the fixedly mounted platen device.

A conveyor belt welding apparatus for joining monolithic conveyor belt ends together, the conveyor belt welding apparatus comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• a pair of belt supports operatively mounted to the frame assembly and extending in a longitudinal direction thereacross for supporting conveyor belt ends to be joined together;
• a non-contact heating device configured to be positioned between the belt ends to be spaced therefrom for melting material of the belt ends for joining the conveyor belt ends together;
• a cutting mechanism including a cutting device that is configured to travel in the longitudinal direction between and guided by the belt supports with one of the belt ends supported by one of the belt supports so that the cutting device cuts belt material from an end portion of the one belt end across a lateral width thereof, wherein the heating device is movably mounted to the frame assembly, and
• an actuator for shifting the heating device between a stowed position in which the heating device is removed from a travel path of the cutting device to avoid interference therewith when the cutting device is shifted in the longitudinal direction and a heating position in which the heating device is positioned between the belt ends.

A conveyor belt welding apparatus for joining monolithic conveyor belt ends together, the conveyor belt welding apparatus comprising:

• a frame assembly;
• a pair of belt supports operatively mounted to the frame assembly and extending in a longitudinal direction thereacross for supporting conveyor belt ends to be joined together;
• a non-contact heating device configured to be positioned between the belt ends to be spaced therefrom for melting material of the belt ends for joining the conveyor belt ends together;
• and
• a cutting mechanism including a cutting device that is configured to travel in the longitudinal direction between and guided by the belt supports with one of the belt ends supported by one of the belt supports so that the cutting device cuts belt material from an end portion of the one belt end across a lateral width thereof, wherein the pair of belt supports comprise a pair of platen devices with each platen device including a platen member having clearance grooves therein and an insert receiving groove, and a plurality of elongate strip inserts each having a drive bar groove therein that is narrower than the clearance grooves and which is differently configured from the drive bar grooves of other strip inserts to allow for differently configured positive drive conveyor belts having drive bars to be supported on the platen devices with the drive bars received loosely in the clearance grooves and more tightly in the groove of the strip insert.