Applicator for conveyor belt fasteners

• US 10,844,930 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Issued: 11/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flexible Steel Lacing Company
• Original Assignee: Flexible Steel Lacing Company
• Inventors: van't Schip, Joannes Stefanus, Kuiper, Daniel J., Carr, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Lee D
• Application Number:
  US15/713,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20180087601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 2924351, 2924356, 2924357, 292435
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 5/11 operated by manual or foot power
• CPC Class Codes: B27F 7/32 operated by manual power
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 3/003 Apparatus or tools for joining belts stapler B25C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 3/006 Traction devices to bring together belts, cables or chains
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 3/04 in which the ends of separate U-shaped or like eyes are attached to the belt by parts penetrating into it
• CPC Class Codes: F16G 3/16 Devices or machines for connecting driving-belts or the like

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect, an applicator is provided for applying staple fasteners to an end of a conveyor belt. The applicator provides advancing, clenching, staple driving, and final set operations that are coordinated by a drive of the applicator. In one form, the drive includes a cam plate and the applicator includes a handle that may be pivoted to turn the cam plate through a range of motion. Turning of the cam plate causes cam followers received in cam paths of the cam plate to shift and operate the mechanisms of the applicator. A method of using an applicator to apply conveyor belt fasteners is also provided.

Claims

1. An applicator for securing fasteners to a conveyor belt, the applicator comprising:

a body;

an advancing assembly movably mounted to the body and operable so that a portion thereof engages a fastener bed to shift the body along the fastener bed to a fastener location therealong;

at least one anvil and a pusher movably mounted to the body and operable so that the anvil contacts an upper plate of a fastener received in the fastener bed at the fastener location to move the fastener upper plate toward a conveyor belt and the pusher drives legs of at least one staple of the fastener through the conveyor belt;

at least one swiper moveably mounted to the body and operable to move the swiper along the upper plate of the fastener at the fastener location to bend end portions of the driven legs of the fastener; and

a common rotary drive shaft mounted to the body so that rotation thereof operates the advancing assembly, the at least one anvil, the pusher, and the at least one swiper.

2. The applicator of claim 1 further comprising a handle movable relative to the body and connected to the drive shaft so that the advancing assembly, the at least one anvil, the pusher, and the at least one swiper are operated by movement of the handle.

3. The applicator of claim 1 further comprising a cam plate that is rotated by rotation of the drive shaft, the cam plate being connected to the at least one anvil, the pusher, and the at least one swiper so that rotation of the drive shaft causes rotation of the cam plate and movement of the at least one anvil, pusher, and at least one swiper.

4. The applicator of claim 1 further comprising a cam member that is rotated by rotation of the drive shaft;

and

cam followers associated with each of the at least one anvil, the pusher, and the at least one swiper that are engaged with cam paths of the cam member so that rotation of the cam member causes movement of the at least one anvil, the pusher, and the at least one swiper.

5. The applicator of claim 4 further comprising a bell crank arm pivotally mounted to the body and connecting the pusher and the cam follower associated therewith.

6. The applicator of claim 4 further comprising a bell crank arm pivotally mounted to the body and connecting the at least one swiper and the cam follower associated therewith.

7. The applicator of claim 1 further comprising a pilot coupled to the pusher and shiftable by rotation of the drive shaft so that the pilot engages the fastener bed to fix the body at the fastener location.

8. The applicator of claim 7 wherein the pilot is coupled to the pusher by a coupling member, the coupling member being pivotal between first and second positions to couple and decouple the pilot and the pusher.

9. The applicator of claim 1 wherein the least one anvil includes a center anvil arranged to move the fastener upper plate toward the conveyor belt and the at least one swiper includes a pair of swipers on opposite sides of the center anvil that are movable to swipe the staple leg end portions of the fastener.

10. The applicator of claim 1 wherein the advancing assembly includes an advancing arm pivotally mounted to the body and coupled to the pusher so that movement of the pusher causes pivoting of the advancing arm and shifting of the body along the fastener bed.

11. The applicator of claim 10 wherein the advancing arm is connected to the pusher by a plurality of pivotally connected members.

12. The applicator of claim 1 further comprising a locking member shiftable between an unlocked position wherein the locking member permits rotation of drive shaft relative to the body and a locked position wherein the locking member resists turning of the drive shaft relative to the body.

13. The applicator of claim 1 further comprising a pair of arms connecting the at least one anvil and the body;

and

a seal having a resilient portion extending into the gap between the arms to resist ingress of debris into the gap.

14. The applicator of claim 1 further comprising a resilient drive assist connected to at least one of the advancing assembly, the at least one anvil, the pusher, and the at least one swiper and configured to be resiliently loaded with movement thereof in a first direction and configured to be unloaded to provide a bias-assist during movement of the at least one of the advancing assembly, at least one anvil, pusher, and at least one swiper in a second direction.

15. A manually-powered applicator for securing fasteners to a conveyor belt via a fastener bed, the applicator comprising:

a body;

a pilot mounted to the body and operable so that a portion of the pilot engages the fastener bed to fix the body at a fastener location along the fastener bed;

at least one anvil, a pusher, and at least one swiper mounted to the body that are movable relative to the fastener while the pilot keeps the body fixed to the fastener bed at the fastener location therealong; and

a handle movably mounted to the body and configured to be operated manually so that the at least one anvil, the pusher, and the at least one swiper are driven by movement of the handle to move an upper plate of the fastener toward a conveyor belt, drive staple legs of the fastener through the conveyor belt, and bend end portions of the staple legs while the pilot fixes the body at the fastener location.

16. The applicator of claim 15 further comprising a cam member connected to the handle so that manual movement of the handle causes turning of the cam member;

and

cam followers associated with each of the at least one anvil, the pusher, and the at least one swiper that are engaged with cam paths of the cam member so that turning of the cam member causes movement of the at least one anvil, pusher, and at least one swiper.

17. The applicator of claim 15 further comprising a drive shaft rotatably mounted to the body and connected to the handle, the at least one anvil, the pusher, and the at least one swiper so that movement of the handle turns the drive shaft and causes movement of the at least one anvil, pusher, and at least one swiper.

18. The applicator of claim 15 wherein the handle is pivotally mounted to the body;

and

a drive operably connects the handle, at least one anvil, pusher, and at least one swiper to cause movement of the at least one anvil, pusher, and at least one swiper with pivoting of the handle, the drive limiting pivoting of the handle to a range of motion that is less than 270 degrees.

19. The applicator of claim 15 further comprising a coupler configured to couple and decouple the pilot and the pusher so that the pilot has a shorter stroke than the pusher.

20. The applicator of claim 15 further comprising a coupling member pivotally connected to one of the pusher and the pilot and configured to contact the other of the pusher and pilot and permit movement of the pusher to drive the pilot.

21. The applicator of claim 20 wherein the body includes a wall having a non-linear groove and the coupling member includes a pin extending into the groove, the groove having a portion configured to cause the coupling member to pivot away from the other of the pusher and the pilot and permit the pusher to shift relative to the pilot while the pilot remains at a predetermined position relative to the body.

22. The applicator of claim 15 further comprising an advancing member mounted to the body and operated by movement of the pilot so that the advancing member engages the fastener bed to shift the body along the fastener bed.

23. The applicator of claim 22 wherein the advancing member includes:

an advancing finger configured to engage the fastener bed;

an advancing arm pivotally connected to the body and connected to the advancing finger; and

at least one link connecting the advancing arm and the pilot to transfer movement of the pilot into movement of the advancing arm.

24. The applicator of claim 23 wherein the at least one link includes a pair of pivotally connected links.