Abstract: A pair of similar U-section clips each have a pair of legs secured to a respective belt end and a plurality of spaced knuckles that are interleaved to form a transversely extending passage. A coupling rod extending through the passage and interconnecting the clips has a relatively soft and bendable core pin and a helicoidal wrap of a wear-resistant hard material surrounding and directly engaging the pin and engaging the clip knuckles. The wrap can be made of an austenitic manganese steel and the pin can be a length of highly flexible steel cable.

Abstract: A connector for securing together two belt ends has a pair of similar U-section clips each having a pair of legs secured to the respective belt end and a plurality of spaced knuckles. The knuckles are interleaved to form a transversely extending passage, and a connector rod extends through the passage and interconnects the clips. The rod is made of a hard austenitic manganese steel.

Abstract: Disclosed is an integral one piece plastic fastener for securing belt ends together. The fastener has upper and lower plastic plates clasped to a belt end with integral, hollow rivets projecting from the upper plate through openings in the bottom plate and with hollowed ends of the rivets deformed to form rivet heads for maintaining clasping of the plastic plates on the belt end. Also disclosed is a rivet head forming tool which smoothly forms rivet heads by a spinning process in which a rotating tool is forced against the hollow end of the rivet and spun with sufficient velocity and applied with a high force to create a sufficient heat and pressure to cause the end wall of the rivet to curl and turn over radially outwardly to form a rivet head tightly pushing against the lower plate of the fastener.

Abstract: A hinge-pin for coupling two rows of belt-fasteners mounted to the ends of a belt-conveyor or the like is constituted by a series of metallic elements fitted in succession around a flexible axial core. Each element has the approximate shape of a semi-cylindrical rod and carries two projecting lugs at each end. These elements are placed on each side of the flexible core in two inverted rows and in staggered relation from one row to the next. The projecting lugs of both ends of each element are engaged in corresponding cavities of the opposite elements of the other row. The different elements disposed in succession are thus interengaged in the axial direction with a possibility of limited displacement of the elements in the other directions, thus endowing the hinge-pin with the requisite flexibility.

Abstract: A device for coupling the hinge-knuckles of two complementary series of belt-fasteners fixed respectively on each edge of a conveyor belt is constituted by a series of independent rod segments. The maximum length of each segment corresponds to the length of the hinge-knuckles of two opposite belt-fasteners. The rod segments have relatively displaced portions each corresponding to the width of one hinge-knuckle and are thus stationarily fixed in the longitudinal direction after positioning. The different segments are initially joined together by means of at least one temporary coupling member which is readily shearable at the time of initial use and troughing of the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A hook keeper is provided to protect and reinforce belt lacings of the type having a plurality of hooks clenched in opposite ends of a belt, with the loop ends of the hooks meshed together and interconnected by a pin. The hook keeper has a rigid body with at least two side-by-side slots therethrough. The hook keeper is positioned between the connecting pin and an associated end of the belt, and preferably reinforces one of the two outermost hooks in the lacing. The selected outermost lacing hook is closely received in one of the keeper slots, and another one of the lacing hooks is closely received in the second keeper slot. Forces acting on the outermost hook are transmitted to and resisted at least partially by the second hook to improve the strength and longevity of the lacing.

Abstract: A hinge pin construction for connecting the free ends of a conveyor belt. The hinge pin includes a plurality of bushings arranged end to end and having aligned bores through each. A cable extends through the bores and is connected at opposite ends to a termination bushing. The bushings are free to rotate relative to the cable. This construction extends through aligned eyes in a mechanical splice connected to each of the free ends of the conveyor belt. A hinge pin tool is provided to assemble and disassemble the hinge pin.

Abstract: The use of a spiral seam construction to join together the ends of a flat woven papermaker's felt having flat monofilament lengthwise yarns of a synthetic, polymeric resin improves the resistance of the seam to flex fatigue.