Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means to drive self-piercing work part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-25
2001-11-06
Hughes, S. Thomas (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means to drive self-piercing work part
C029S243510
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311393
ABSTRACT:
REFERENCE TO PENDING APPLICATIONS
This application is not related to any pending United States or international patent application.
REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
This application is not referenced in any Microfiche Appendix.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A primary application of the invention herein is for use in repairing belts on farm equipment and, particularly, for repairing belts used on hay balers. A common type of hay baler in use today employs a number of paralleled, spaced apart belts onto which hay is moved and rotated until a large round bale is formed. After a bale is formed it is dumped from the baler and a new bale is started. The typical round hay baler uses from six to eight belts and the belts can vary in width from about 6 to about 12 inches.
The belts used on a round hay baler are subject to substantial stress and wear. A problem encountered by farmers or others that use round hay balers is that of repairing a belt when it breaks. If a farmer is operating a round hay baler and a belt breaks, the belt must be repaired before baling of hay can be resumed. If the farmer is required to take the broken belt to a repair shop, substantial delay can be expected since a repair shop may be many miles from the hayfield where the baler is in use at the time the belt breaks. If the farmer has facilities and equipment at his home or base of operation he can take the belt there for repair but even this may occasion substantial delay in that frequently farmers have hay baling operations that are not immediately adjacent to their home or workshop where belt repair facilities may be readily available.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,688 entitled, “PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING A LACER TO A BELT”, James M. Garner, inventor, that issued on Oct. 28, 1997 discloses a portable apparatus for use in repairing belts, and more specifically, provides a portable apparatus for affixing a lacer assembly to one end of a belt. U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,688 is incorporated herein by reference.
Belts of the type used in hay balers typically are formed of a long length of flexible material having opposed ends. At each opposed end of the long length of belt a lacer assembly is attached. A lacer assembly is formed of a plurality of paralleled metal belt fasteners. The typical belt fastener hook is a unitaly length of metal in a generally U-shaped configuration with a loop or bight portion between opposed legs. When a lacer assembly made up of a plurality of belt fasteners is attached to the end of a belt, the belt fasteners function as a way to secure the ends of the belt together. That is, with a belt fastener assembly at each end of a belt, the fasteners are aligned so that the hooks or bight portions of each of the belt fasteners interweave with each other. A rod extended through the interweaved bight portions secures the belt end to end.
The present invention provides an improved alignment member and an improved anvil for use in portable belt lacers.
For background information relating to belt lacing machines that are useable for repairing wide, flat belts, reference may be had to the following United States Patents:
PAT. NO.
INVENTOR
TITLE
D328,749
Womack
Belt Lacer
1,740,180
Larson
Belt Lacing Machine
1,853,928
Purple
Belt Fastener Applying
Machine
2,899,680
Potter
Belt-Fastening Machines
2,908,008
Potter
Belt-Fastening Machines
3,044,074
Tebb et al
Belt Lacing Machines
3,962,754
Stolz
Plate Connectors for Belts
4,023,239
Stolz
Coupling Rod for Connecting
the Ends of a Conveyor Belt
4,050,138
Stolz
Apparatus for Attaching
Connectors to the Ends of a
Conveyor Belt
4,151,634
Stolz
Plate Connector for Conveyor
Belts and Method for Securing
Such Plate Connector to
Conveyor Belts
4,315,349
Stolz
Connecting Strip for Conveyor
Belts
4,427,190
Stolz
Apparatus for Pressure
Attaching Conveyor Belt
Connectors
4,517,737
Sulzle
Apparatus for Securing
Connectors to a Fabric
4,522,329
Stolz
Apparatus for Pressing-In Belt
Connectors
4,653,156
Stolz et al.
Convector for Conveyor Belting
4,681,359
Stolz
Belt Gripping Device
5,018,262
Wheatcroft
Belt Splicing Apparatus
5,020,209
Fullard
Belt Lacing and Cutter
Assembly
5,038,442
Stolz et al.
Coupling Device Including a
Hinge Pin for Interconnecting
Conveyor Belt Ends
5,236,079
Herold
Belt Fastener Arrangement
5,238,169
Herold
Apparatus for Fastening Belt
Ends
5,341,545
Herold
Belt Fastening Arrangement
5,415,913
Clevenger, Jr.
Method of Splicing Round
Baler Belts
5,553,359
Herold
Fastener for Conveyor Belts
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides an assembly for attaching U-shaped belt fasteners to the end of an elongated flat belt. An apparatus for affixing a lacer to a belt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,688 entitled, “PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR A AFFIXING A LACER TO A BELT” by James M. Garner, inventor, that issued on Oct. 28, 1997. This patent teaches a system for attaching a lacer to a belt in which jaws are positioned in a vice-like apparatus so that the jaws can be moved together to secure the lacer to the end of a flat belt. The patent utilizes a mechanical system for forcing jaws together and the present invention provides improved jaws for holding belt attachment members and for closing the attachment members on a belt in the process of repairing the belt. The present invention is particularly useful for new and improved types of U-shaped belt fasteners that are attached to the end of an elongated flat belt in which each of the belt fasteners has a first and an opposed second leg portion with an integral bight portion therebetween. Each of the first leg portions has extending from it at least one fastening wire and each second leg portion has at least one opening at the outer end thereof for receiving the fastener wire or wires.
The assembly forming this invention includes an elongated alignment member having a vertical forward face having a plurality of closely spaced fastening wire openings. The first leg portion of each of the belt fastener is detachably supported in juxtaposed relationship on the alignment member forward face with at least one fastening wire of each belt fastener extending in a fastening wire opening. The second leg portion of each of the plurality of belt fasteners extend outwardly and upwardly from the alignment member forward face to permit the end of a flat belt to be inserted therein.
An elongated anvil member is positioned adjacent the alignment member. The anvil member has a vertical forward face that is parallel to the alignment member forward face. The alignment member and the anvil member are movable towards each other meaning that either one or both of the alignment member and anvil member are movable with respect to the other. In a preferred arrangement of practicing the invention, the alignment member and anvil member are positioned in a vice-like apparatus so that they can be forced together using mechanical force such as supplied by a hydraulic jack as disclosed in the previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,688.
A punch that has a forward portion telescopically receivable within the fastening wire opening of the alignment member is used to drive the fastening wires through a belt and through the opening in the second leg portion of each of the belt fasteners. In one embodiment the outer end of each of the fastening wires is, after passing through the opening in the second leg portion, bradded by engagement with the anvil member so as to securely retain a belt captured between the first and second leg portions of each belt fastener. In another embodiment the fastening wires are longer and extend for a length through the opening in the second leg portion of each of the belt fasteners. By means of a punch that telescopically is positionable through vertical openings formed in the anvil member, the fastening wires are bent to securely retain the end portion of a belt between the opposed legs of each fastener member.
A better and more complete understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following description of the preferred embodiments and the claims, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.
Head Johnson & Kachigian
Hughes S. Thomas
Jimenez Marc
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