Belt and connecting means therefor

Claim 2

An improved combination of a belt and connecting means for securing attachments thereto, said belt comprising a body of flexible resilient material extending throughout the length of said belt and having one or more grooves extending transversely across said body in one surface thereof, at least the innermost portion of the surface of said groove being of arcuate configuration, said connecting means being more rigid than said body and comprising a connector member extending through and projecting beyond the portion of said body adjacent the arcuate surface of said groove, and a bearing member attached to one end of said connector member and engaging said groove, said bearing member having an arcuate portion substantially conforming to at least a portion of the arcuate surface of said groove, said arcuate portion being aligned for engagement with substantially the entire said arcuate surface, and the radius of curvature of the surface of said arcuate portion which bears against the surface of said groove being equal to or greater than the depth of the arcuate portion of saId groove to provide for substantially uniform distribution of stresses over the arcuate surface of said groove as the belt flexes during use.

Claim 3

The improved combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein an accessory element is attached to the connector member of said connecting means and is carried by the belt as it travels around spaced pulleys.

Claim 4

The improved combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting means is a unitary member of integral structure in which said bearing member is affixed to said connector member.

Claim 5

The improved combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said groove and said bearing member are of semicircular configuration and said bearing member has a center of curvature which is disposed at or outwardly of the surface of the belt containing said groove and is not disposed within said groove.

Claim 6

The improved combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the maximum depth of said groove is from about 30 to about 70 percent of the thickness of said body.

Claim 7

The improved combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said body is of a trapezoidal cross-section.

Claim 8

The improved combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting means is comprised of metal.

Claim 9

The improved combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting means is comprised of nylon.

Claim 10

The improved combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said element is a cutting blade.

Claim 11

The improved combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said element is a metal band of a triangular configuration.

Claim 12

The improved combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said element is at least one slab of elastomeric material having a plurality of bristle members encased therein.

Claim 13

The improved combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said element is an elongated rod inserted through a hole in the projecting portion of said connector member, said rod having at least one hook member attached thereto.

Claim 14

The improved combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein two said belts are provided and said element is a bucket member having one side thereof attached to the surface of said belts opposite to that of the surface having said groove therein.

Claim 15

The improved combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said belt is not endless and the belt ends are aligned in an end-to-end relationship and said element is a pair of steel bands joined together to thereby connect the belt ends to provide an endless belt.

Claim 16

The improved combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least two said belts are provided in side-by-side relationship and said element is at least one channel member extending across two said belts and secured to each belt.

Claim 17

The improved combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein shock-absorbing means is disposed on the opposite surface of said belt from the surface having said grooves and in vertical alignment therewith and said connecting means is inserted through said shock-absorbing means with one surface of said shock-absorbing means engaging the opposite surface of said belt, said shock-absorbing means having a durometer hardness equal to or less than the durometer hardness of the elastomeric material of the body of the belt to thereby act to absorb shocks resulting from the element striking against hard objects.

Claim 18

The improved combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein said bearing member is of a semicircular configuration and is of a width in a direction transversely of the belt to contact at least a substantial portion of the width of the arcuate surface of said groove so that said member thereby conforms to the semicircular groove along a substantial portion of the area of the arcuate surface thereof.

Claim 19

The improved combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein said groove has a greater radius of curvature than the radius of curvature of said bearing member.

Claim 20

The improved combination as claimed in claim 16 wherein said body is a pad of elastomeric material having one surface which bears against the opPosite surface of the belt and another surface which is contacted by a portion of said element.

Claim 21

The improved combination as claimed in claim 16 wherein said belt further includes an elastomeric element into which the connector member is inserted and said shock-absorbing means is the base of said elastomeric element.

Claim 22

In an endless belt which travels around spaced pulleys including a combination of at least one belt and an accessory connecting device for securing attachments to the belt, said belt having a body of flexible resilient material and at least one connecting device attached to the body of the belt, said connecting device including a rigid projecting tang inserted through the body of the belt, the improvement wherein said body includes one or more grooves formed in and extending across one surface thereof, at least the innermost portion of the surface of each groove being of arcuate configuration with said tang extending through said body adjacent the arcuate surface of said groove and projecting beyond the belt surface opposite to that which contains the grooves, and said connecting device further including a rigid bearing plate engaging one end of said tang to maintain it in position with respect to one of said grooves, said bearing plate having at least a portion thereof conforming to the arcuate surface of said groove and aligned for engagement with substantially the entire said arcuate surface, said tang having a maximum cross-sectional dimension that is less than twice the radius of curvature of the surface of the portion of said bearing plate which bears against said arcuate surface of said groove and the radius of curvature of the surface of the portion of said bearing plate which bears against said arcuate surface being equal to or greater than the depth of said arcuate surface to substantially uniformly distribute the stresses over the arcuate surface of said groove as the belt flexes during use.

Claim 23

In an endless belt which travels around spaced pulleys including a combination of at least one belt and an accessory connecting device for securing attachments to the belt, said belt having a body of flexible resilient material and at least one connecting device attached to the body of the belt, said connecting device including a rigid projecting tang inserted through the body of the belt, the improvement wherein said body includes one or more grooves formed in and extending across one surface thereof, at least the innermost portion of the surface of each groove being of arcuate configuration with said tang extending through said body adjacent the arcuate surface of said groove and projecting beyond the belt surface opposite to that which contains the grooves, and said connecting device further including a rigid bearing plate engaging one end of said tang to maintain it in position with respect to one of said grooves, said bearing plate having at least a portion thereof conforming to the arcuate surface of said groove and aligned for engagement with substantially the entire said arcuate surface, said tang having a maximum cross-sectional dimension that is less than twice the radius of curvature of the surface of the portion of said bearing plate which bears against said arcuate surface of said groove and the radius of curvature of the surface of the portion of said bearing plate which bears against said arcuate surface being equal to or greater than the depth of said arcuate surface to substantially uniformly distribute the stresses over the arcuate surface of said groove as the belt flexes during use.

Claim 24

The improvement as claimed in claim 21 wherein said belt includes a plurality of transverse grooves disposed along the length of the belt and connecting devices attached thereto.