Belt splicing apparatus for conveyor belts

• US 9,090,022 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flexible Steel Lacing Company
• Original Assignee: Flexible Steel Lacing Company
• Inventors: van't Schip, Joannes Stefanus
• Primary Examiner(s): Osele, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US12/885,377
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 156/228, 156/583.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/18 using heated tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/30 Electrical means B29C65/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/7841 Holding or clamping means for handling purposes clamping means for the purpose of applying pressure on the parts to be joined, in the area to be joined B29C66/81; work holders in general B25B; devices for holding or positioning work for welding metal B23K37/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/0044 using a separating sheet, e.g. fixed on the joining tool
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/0242 Heating, or preheating, e.g. drying B29C66/3464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1142 Single butt to butt joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/223 being in the form of a triangle wave or of a sawtooth wave, e.g. zigzagged
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/3472 in the plane of the joint, e.g. along the joint line in the plane of the joint or perpendicular to the joint line in the plane of the joint
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/348 Avoiding melting or weakening of the zone directly next to the joint area, e.g. by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4322 by joining a single sheet to itself B29C66/4332 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/4324 for making closed loops, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7292 coated B29C66/72941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8122 characterised by the composition of the material constituting the pressing elements, e.g. constituting the welding jaws or clamps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8181 characterised by the cooling constructional aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8182 characterised by the thermal insulating constructional aspects
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/81821 of the welding jaws
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/82421 using an inflatable element positioned between the joining tool and a backing-up part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 : Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/855 : Belt splicing machines
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/861 : Hand-held tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91231 : of the joining tool
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91421 : of the joining tools
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91443 : following a temperature-time profile B29C65/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91445 : by steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/91951 : in explicit relation to time, e.g. temperature-time diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9221 : by measuring the pressure, the force or the mechanical power
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9241 : by controlling or regulating the pressure, the force or the mechanical power
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/95 : by measuring or controlling specific variables not covered by groups B29C66/91 - B29C66/94
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/961 : involving a feedback loop mechanism, e.g. comparison with a desired value
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9672 : involving special data inputs, e.g. involving barcodes, RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/9674 : involving special data outputs, e.g. special data display means B29C66/8748 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/06 : PVC, i.e. polyvinylchloride
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2883/00 : Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as mould material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7092 : Conveyor belts
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 3/003 : Apparatus or tools for joining belts stapler B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 3/10 : Joining belts by sewing, sticking, vulcanising, or the like; Constructional adaptations of the belt ends for this purpose
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 3/16 : Devices or machines for connecting driving-belts or the like

Abstract

A portable belt splicing apparatus is provided for joining the ends of one or more conveyor belts together. In one form, the belt splicing apparatus has upper and lower platens, with one formed of a metallic material that allows for operational deflection of the platens under elevated operation pressures while resisting permanent deformation upon being subjected to elevated operation temperatures. An elongate central region of the platens is heated by a heating element and the metallic material restricts the flow of heat from the elongate central region to elongate side edge portions so that the side edge portions remain cooler. In another form, a self-contained portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus is provided having an on-board fan device for rapid cooling of the clamped belt end and platens. An on-board control system is configured to receive power from different types of standard power supplies and supplies power to on-board components.

Claims

1. A self-contained, portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus for joining conveyor belt ends together, the portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus comprising:

a housing assembly including upper and lower housing frames having unclamped and clamped positions relative to the belt ends;

upper and lower platens of the upper and lower housing frames, respectively, each of a metallic material for being clamped on the belt ends with a clamping force with the upper and lower housing frames in the clamped position and without a substantially rigid heat absorbing member between the platens and the belt ends;

upper and lower heating elements for heating the upper and lower platens with the upper platen being between the upper heating element and the belt ends and the lower platen being between the lower heating element and the belt ends;

an on-board inflatable bladder mounted to the housing assembly;

an on-board air compressor mounted to the housing assembly for supplying the bladder with pressurized air to drive the clamped lower platen against the belt ends to increase clamping force applied thereto avoiding the need for an external pressurized air supply for supplying the pressurized air to the bladder; and

an on-board fan device mounted to the housing assembly operable to draw ambient air for generating high volume airflow along the clamped platens and belt ends avoiding the need for an external air supply for supplying the housing assembly with air for the clamped platens and belt ends;

an on-board control system mounted to the housing assembly having circuitry connected to the heating elements and being configured to receive power from different types of standard power supplies and supply the power to the heating elements, the on-board air compressor, and the on-board fan device; and

an on-board user operated control of the control system mounted to the housing assembly operable to control the heat applied by the heating elements to the respective platens.

2. The self-contained portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper housing frame has elongate upper wall portions, the fan device is mounted to the upper housing frame, and the upper wall portions include at least one vent opening that will not be covered by the belt ends extending out from either side of the housing frames to allow ambient air to be drawn unimpeded into the upper housing frame.

3. The self-contained portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inflatable bladder and air compressor are mounted to the lower housing frame to avoid increasing the size of the upper housing frame therewith.

4. The portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fan device is mounted only to the upper housing frame and the inflatable bladder comprises a hose only mounted to the lower housing frame to minimize the size of the housing assembly.

5. The portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the on-board control system includes an electrical connector, and

a plurality of different source specific detachable power cords, each including a common electrical connector at one end thereof that is the same for each power cord and is configured for connecting to the on-board control system electrical connector and a source specific connector at the other end thereof that is different for each power cord and configured for connecting to a specific type of standard power supply.

6. The portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower heating elements each include a pair of separate heating elements, and the control system is configured to independently supply power to the upper and lower pairs of heating elements to allow a power supply having a voltage rating greater than that of the heating elements to supply power thereto via the control system circuitry.

7. The portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the on-board control system includes a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of one of the upper and lower heating elements, and the on-board user operated control is configured to allow the user to select the power supplied to the other heating element as a percentage of the power supplied to the one heating element.

8. The portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower frame portions have outer surfaces and clamping devices each including a clamp actuator operable for generating the clamping force on the belt ends with the frame portions in the closed configuration, and

a pivot mount of each of the clamping devices disposed inwardly of the outer surfaces so that the clamping devices have operable and stowed positions with the clamp actuators closely adjacent the outer surfaces in both the operable and stowed positions of the clamping devices.

9. The portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly includes insulator plates arranged so that the on-board air compressor, the on-board control system, and the on-board fan device are insulated from heat generated by operation of the heating elements.

10. The portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower heating elements extend along elongate central portions of the upper and lower platens respectively, and the upper and lower platens are formed of a predetermined material having a low thermal conductivity to restrict the flow of heat from the elongate central portions to the elongate side edge portions so that the side edge portions are cooler than the central portions without requiring any substantially rigid heat absorbing members positioned between the upper and lower platens and the belt ends, and the predetermined material has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and a low Young'"'"'s modulus to avoid permanent deformation of the upper and lower platens despite temperature differences across the heated central portions and the cooler side portions.

11. A self-contained, portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus for joining conveyor belt ends together, the portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus comprising:

a housing assembly including upper and lower housing frames having unclamped and clamped positions relative to the belt ends;

upper and lower platens of the upper and lower housing frames, respectively, each of metallic material for being clamped on the belt ends with a clamping force with the upper and lower housing frames in the clamped position;

upper and lower heating elements for heating the upper and lower platens;

an on-board inflatable bladder mounted to the housing assembly;

an on-board air compressor mounted to the housing assembly for supplying the bladder with pressurized air to drive the clamped lower platen against the belt ends to increase clamping force applied thereto;

an on-board fan device mounted to the housing assembly operable to draw ambient air for generating high volume airflow along the clamped platens and belt ends;

an on-board control system mounted to the housing assembly having circuitry connected to the heating elements and being configured to receive power from different types of standard power supplies and supply the power to the heating elements, the on-board air compressor, and the on-board fan device;

an on-board user operated control of the control system mounted to the housing assembly operable to control the heat applied by the heating elements to the respective platens,

wherein the fan device is mounted to the upper housing frame and the inflatable bladder comprises a hose mounted to the lower housing frame to minimize the size of the housing assembly, and the hose has an elongate hose body and opposite end portions, with the hose body extending lengthwise therebetween, and

end clamps that extend across the end portions to seal the end portions, with the end clamps having a thin width configuration in the lengthwise direction of the hose body to maximize the effective length of the hose body applying pressure to the lower platen.

12. A self-contained, portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus for joining conveyor belt ends together, the portable conveyor belt splicing apparatus comprising:

a housing assembly including upper and lower housing frames having unclamped and clamped positions relative to the belt ends;

upper and lower platens of the upper and lower housing frames, respectively, each of metallic material for being clamped on the belt ends with a clamping force with the upper and lower housing frames in the clamped position;

upper and lower heating elements for heating the upper and lower platens;

an on-board inflatable bladder mounted to the housing assembly;

an on-board air compressor mounted to the housing assembly for supplying the bladder with pressurized air to drive the clamped lower platen against the belt ends to increase clamping force applied thereto;

an on-board fan device mounted to the housing assembly operable to draw ambient air for generating high volume airflow along the clamped platens and belt ends;

an on-board control system mounted to the housing assembly having circuitry connected to the heating elements and being configured to receive power from different types of standard power supplies and supply the power to the heating elements, the on-board air compressor, and the on-board fan device; and

an on-board user operated control of the control system mounted to the housing assembly operable to control the heat applied by the heating elements to the respective platens,

wherein the heating elements have a predetermined voltage rating and the control system is configured to supply power to the upper and lower heating elements in parallel when the power supply voltage is about the same as the predetermined voltage rating of the heating elements and to supply power to the heating elements in series when the power supply voltage is larger than the predetermined voltage rating of the heating elements.