A bonder and a method for bonding corrugated sidewalls to a thermoplastic belt at a splice joint. Two heating jaw assemblies with complementary and confronting corrugated vertical faces clamp a thermoplastic belt to a base of the bonder with a corrugated sidewall section separated from the belt across a splice joint received in a corrugated slot formed between the confronting vertical faces. Corrugated bonding strips at the bottoms of the corrugated vertical faces apply heat to melt the bottom of the sidewall section on opposite sides to bond the corrugated sidewall section to the base.

A variety of transmission mechanisms are provided that include split pulleys nested within each other in order to reduce the size of the transmissions, to provide infinitely variable transmission ratios that include forward and reverse ratios, or to provide some other benefits. These transmissions includeW-shaped belts, having both contact surfaces that are directed outward from the belt and inward, toward a center-line of the belt, to contact the pulleys with respective different inward- and outward-directed contact surfaces. Accordingly, the surfaces at which the belt contacts the different pulleys may be substantially the same with respect to a hinge or other structure of the belt. This improvement may permit higher levels of power transmission, increased efficiency, and increased transmission lifetime. Additionally, variable-eccentricity variable transmissions are provided wherein the eccentricity of rotation of an inner, nested pulley varies with changes in the transmission ratio of the transmission.

In an aspect there is disclosed examples of a clamp (10, 110) for measuring a tension of a conveyor belt (12). The clamp (10, 110) including a clamping portion (18, 118) arranged to engage with opposing faces of the conveyor belt (12) in a clamped condition to hold the conveyor belt (12) relative to an anchor, and a load sensing arrangement (22, 122) associated with the clamping portion (18, 118) configured to provide a signal indicative of the tension in the conveyor belt (12) in the clamped condition. A system and related method are also disclosed.

A method for pulling a modular conveyor belt and a belt puller for performing the method. The belt puller has eyelets on one end that interleave with hinge elements on an end of a modular conveyor belt. A rod through the eyelets and the hinge elements connects the belt to the puller, which can then be used to pull the belt. Two ends of an unconnected belt can be pulled together by connecting a belt puller to each end, joining the belt pullers with a ratchet strap or other pulling tool, and tightening the strap to pull the ends together.

A manufacturing process converts a standard flat belt conveyor belt into a new, positively driven, pitch differential belt. A strip of thermoplastic material having a physical characteristic, such as melting temperature, that differs from the physical characteristic of the thermoplastic material comprising the conveyor belt, is applied to the drive side of a commercially available conveyor belt and machined to create a plurality of teeth, or drive bars, of any desired geometry that is configured to engage with the with sprockets or drums of the drive mechanism on the conveyor. The strip and/or drive bars can also be made by additive manufacturing, such as by 3D printing. Two ends of the resulting belt segment are cut to length and spliced, preferably with finger joints, to make a continuous loop using an industry standard hot-plate vulcanizer with a custom fitting called an alignment mold. The melting temperature of the belt and the strip/teeth are chosen to be far enough apart so that the belt may be spliced without melting the teeth. The alignment mold is a silicon pad that has recesses shaped to conform to the geometry/pitch of teeth so that the teeth retain their integrity and shape during the splicing process.

What is described is a portable multifunctional tool having a handle portion and a tool accommodating portion having a tool function element arranged thereon configured to actuate a quick release chain fastener having two chain link plates and two chain link plate connection members. The tool function element has a first force exertion unit configured to exert a force on the first chain link plate connection member of the quick release chain fastener, and a second force exertion unit configured to exert a force on the second chain link plate connection member of the quick release chain fastener. The first force exertion unit and the second force exertion unit are translationally movable in relation to each other so as to actuate the quick release chain fastener by means of said translational movement. Moreover, the tool function element has a linear guide having a stationary first linear guide element and a second linear guide element movably arranged within the former, only one of the two force exertion units being arranged on the second linear guide element.

In one aspect, a conveyor belt fastener is provided having a rigid body made from a strip of cold-rolled or cold-drawn material such as steel. The body has an upper plate portion, a lower plate portion, and loop portions connecting the upper and lower plate portions. The upper and lower plate portions each have a variable cross-sectional thickness laterally thereacross including raised walls projecting outwardly and ribs projecting inwardly. The fastener has at least one attachment member, such as a staple, for connecting the plate portions to a conveyor belt end and the raised walls protect the staple once driven into the conveyor belt end.

A ball retainer includes a chain belt, a hook, and a slot portion. The hook is arranged on the first end of the chain belt. The hook includes a neck portion, a hook body, two leaning protrusions, and a limiting protrusion. The hook body is connected to the neck portion. The two leaning protrusions extend outward along the short side direction of the chain belt toward two sides of the hook body, respectively. The slot portion is arranged on the second end of the chain belt. The slot portion includes a slot, two abutting portions, a connecting portion, and a receiving portion. After the hook is correspondingly engaged with the slot portion, the hook body is accommodated in the slot, the two leaning protrusions correspondingly lean against the two abutting portions, the neck portion leans against the connecting portion, and the limiting protrusion is correspondingly accommodated in the receiving portion.

A ball retainer includes a chain belt, a hook, and a slot portion. The hook is arranged on the first end of the chain belt. The hook includes a neck portion, a hook body, two leaning protrusions, and a limiting protrusion. The hook body is connected to the neck portion. The two leaning protrusions extend outward along the short side direction of the chain belt toward two sides of the hook body, respectively. The slot portion is arranged on the second end of the chain belt. The slot portion includes a slot, two abutting portions, a connecting portion, and a receiving portion. After the hook is correspondingly engaged with the slot portion, the hook body is accommodated in the slot, the two leaning protrusions correspondingly lean against the two abutting portions, the neck portion leans against the connecting portion, and the limiting protrusion is correspondingly accommodated in the receiving portion.

A variety of transmission mechanisms are provided that include split pulleys nested within each other in order to reduce the size of the transmissions, to provide infinitely variable transmission ratios that include forward and reverse ratios, or to provide some other benefits. These transmissions include W-shaped belts, having both contact surfaces that are directed outward from the belt and inward, toward a center-line of the belt, to contact the pulleys with respective different inward- and outward-directed contact surfaces. Accordingly, the surfaces at which the belt contacts the different pulleys may be substantially the same with respect to a hinge or other structure of the belt. This improvement may permit higher levels of power transmission, increased efficiency, and increased transmission lifetime. Additionally, variable-eccentricity variable transmissions are provided wherein the eccentricity of rotation of an inner, nested pulley varies with changes in the transmission ratio of the transmission.