Tension link for a belt splicer
AssigneeShaw-Almex Industries Limited
InventorTimothy Glen Shaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is a need for a tension-link for belt-splicer that is lighter and where damage to the link is more easily detected. The solution is a tension-link (30) for a belt-splicer with an engagement length that is based on a rope-loop (45) of high-strength synthetic fiber, wound around bosses, where the bosses and the loop are encapsulated in molded plastic (56). The link connects cross-beams of the splicer. Additional features of the link include couplings which permit rotation (52) when the beams deflect in bending. The links can be stored inside the hollow interior of the beams. The couplings include eccentrically mounted blocks (43) that can be orientated to adjust the length of the link.
Claims15
A tension-link for a belt-splicer, wherein:
- the tension-link has the capability to be used with an associated machine, being a machine that:
- (a) has upper and lower force-transmitting surfaces;
- and
- (b) is so arranged as to urge those two surfaces forcefully apart, during operation;
- the tension-link includes an upper boss and a lower boss;
- the bosses are made of metal;
- the tension-link includes a tension-member with a fixed operational length;
- the two bosses are linked together by the tension-member, and are prevented from moving apart along the operational length, during operation, by the tension-member;
- the upper boss has an upper load-receiving metal surface, which, in operation, receives force at least indirectly from the upper force-transmitting surface of the machine;
- the lower boss has a lower load-receiving metal surface, which, in operation, receives force at least indirectly from the lower force-transmitting surface of the machine;
- the tension-link includes a pliable plastic covering;
- the plastic covering is molded over and encapsulates the two bosses and the tension member;
- the plastic covering is so configured that:
- (a) substantially all of the tension-member is covered;
- (b) substantially none of the plastic covering lies in the load-line of the tension member;
- (c) the upper load-receiving metal surface is uncovered;
- and
- (d) the lower load-receiving metal surface is uncovered.
A tension-link for a belt-splicer machine, wherein:
- the tension-link unit combines a tension-link with upper and lower couplings;
- the tension-link unit includes a tension-member and upper and lower bosses;
- the tension-member is attached to both bosses, and is effective to prevent the two bosses from moving apart relatively, when loaded in operation;
- in the tension-link unit, the upper coupling is attached to the upper boss;
- the lower coupling is attached to the lower boss;
- the attached upper coupling includes an upper pivot, which enables rotation of the tension-link relative to the machine, about an axis that is orthogonal to the length of the tension-link;
- the attached lower coupling includes a lower pivot, which enables rotation of the tension-link relative to the machine, about an axis that is orthogonal to the length of the tension-link;
- the upper coupling includes an upper engagement-face separate from the upper pivot, which is arranged for operative engagement with an upper-force-transmitting surface of the machine;
- the lower coupling includes a lower engagement-face separate from the lower pivot, which is arranged for operative engagement with a lower-force-transmitting surface of the machine;
- the tension-link unit, in which the tension-link and the two couplings are integrated together, can be picked up and handled as a robust self-contained unitary whole structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.