Fasteners for conveyor belts and the like

Claim 1

A HINGE FASTENER FOR CONVEYOR BELTS AND THE LIKE COMPRISING TWO U-SHAPED MEMBERS ADAPTED TO BE RESPECTIVELY CLAMPED ON THE BELT END TO BE CONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER, EACH OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBERS COMPRISING AN UPPER PLATE AND A LOWER PLATE, SAID UPPER PLATE SAID LOWER PLATE BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE RESPECTIVE OPPOSITE FACES OF THE ENDS OF SAID BELT, SAID UPPER PLATE AND SAID LOWER PLATE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AND BEING CONNECTED BY AT LEAST TWO U-SHAPED PORTIONS INTEGRAL WITH SAID UPPER PLATE AND SAID LOWER PLATE, RESPECTIVE TIVELY, AND DEFINING A FREE SPACE BETWEEN SAID USHAPED PORTIONS, EACH OF SAID U-SHAPED PORTIONS FORMING A HOUSING, SAID U-SHAPED PORTION OF ONE OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBERS ENTERING SAID FREE SPACE OF THE OTHER OF SAID USHAPED MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBERS HAVING THE SAME NUMBER OF U-SHAPED PORTIONS AND THE SAME NUMBER OF FREE SPACES AS THAT OF THE OPPOSITE AND COMPLEMENTARY OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBERS, AND SAID U-SHAPED MEMBERS BEING EXCHANGEABLE, A HINGE PIN PASSING THROUGH SAID HOUSING OF SAID RESPECTIVE U-SHAPED MEMBERS TO PIVOTALLY CONNECT ONE OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBERS WITH THE OTHER OF SAID USHAPED MEMBERS, SAID U-SHAPED MEMBERS INCLUDING INTEGRAL MEANS PREVENTING THE CLOSING OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBERS IN ORDER TO ASSUME A DIAMETER OF SAID HOUSING SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID HINGE PIN, SAID PLATE AND SAID LOWER PLATE HAVING A PLURALITY OF ORIFICES ALIGNED BETWEEN SAID UPPER PLATE AND SAID LOWER PLATE, A RIVET RECEIVED IN EACH OF SAID ORIFICES OF SAID UPPER PLATE AND IN THE CORRESPONDING ALIGNED ORIFICE OF SAID LOWER PLATE AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND THROUGH SAID BELT FOR CONNECTION OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER PLATES WITH SAID BELT, EACH OF SAID RIVETS HAVING A HEAD RECEIVED IN SAID UPPER AND LOWER PLATES AND FLUSH WITH THE OUTER FACES OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER PLATES, SAID HINGE PIN COMPRISING A STEEL CABLE, ONE END OF SAID STEEL CABLE BEING POINTED FOR EASY INSERTION OF SAID STEEL CABLE THROUGH SAID HOUSINGS, THE OTHER END OF SAID STEEL CABLE HAVING AN ENLARGED HEAD PORTION ADAPTED TO OPERATE AS ABUTMENT MEANS DURING THE INSERTION OF SAID STEEL CABLE THROUGH SAID HOUSINGS, AND ONE OF SAID U-SHAPED PORTIONS HAVING AN INCLINED PART PROJECTING FROM SAID UPPER PLATE, PERMITTING THE INSERTION OF ONE OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBERS RELATIVE TO THE OPPOSITE OF SAID U-SHAPED MEMBERS FROM BENEATH, WHEREBY NO OPEN SPACE REMAINS UPON CONNECTION OF THE CORRESPONDING U-SHAPED MEMBERS AND ANY ESCAPE OF THE CONVEYED MATERIAL IS PREVENTED.