Belt with capped edges

Claim 2

IN AN ELONGATED, MATERIAL CARRYING BELT COMPRISING A COVER IMPERVIOUS TO FOOD, MOISTURE AND THE LIKE HAVING A PREDETERMINED THICKNESS, SIDE EDGES, AND OPPOSING SURFACES, A BACKING HAVING AT LEAST ONE LAYER OF FABRIC MATERIAL, ONE SURFACE SECURED TO ONE OF SAID SURFACES OF SAID COVER AND A SECOND SURFACE GENERALLY OPPOSITE SAID COVER, AND A CAP EXTENDING ALONG THE EDGE OF SAID BACKING, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING: SAID BACKING HAVING CUTOUT PORTIONS EXTENDING ALONG THE OUTERMOST EDGES THEREOF AND EXTENDING INWARDLY OF THE OUTERMOST EDGES OF SAID COVER AND THROUGH THE THICKNESS OF SAID BACKING FROM SAID SECOND SURFACE TO SAID ONE SURFACE OF SAID BACKING WHEREBY A PORTION OF SAID ONE

Claim 3

The belt of claim 1 in which said cutout portions are terraced.

Claim 4

The belt of claim 1 in which said backing is at least one layer of fabric material impregnated with and bonded to said one cover surface with vulcanizable material, the capping material being bonded to said cover and fabric material by being vulcanized.

Claim 5

The belt of claim 1 in which said backing is at least one layer of fabric material impregnated with and bonded to said one cover surface with a vulcanizable material, the capping material being preformed to correspond with the configuration of said cutout portions and being bonded to said cover and fabric material.

Claim 6

An elongated, composite, material carrying belt comprising a cover impervious to food, moisture and the like having a predetermined thickness, side edges and opposing surfaces, a backing having at least one layer of fabric material, a predetermined thickness and a first surface secured to one of said surfaces of said cover and a second surface generally opposite said cover, and at least one edge capped with capping material which is joined to said cover to provide a continuous protective surface extending along and around the said one edge of said belt, said one edge of said belt formed by scoring a groove in the fabric backing of said belt, said groove extending lengthwise along said belt and through the thickness of said backing from said second surface to said first surface of said backing whereby a portion of said one cover surface is exposed, said groove being filled with capping material which is impervious to food, moisture and the like, said capping material being secured to the surfaces of said groove and said one surface of said cover, the exposed side surface of said edge being a severed portion through said capping material to provide surfaces at said side and at a portion of the bottom which are impervious to food, moisture and the like.

Claim 7

An elongated, composite, material carrying belt comprising a cover impervious to food, moisture and the like having a predetermined thickness, side edges and opposing surfaces, a backing having at least one layer of fabric material, a predetermined thickness and a first surface secured to one of said surfaces of said cover and a second surface generally opposite said cover, and at least one edge capped with capping material which is joined to said cover to provide a continuous protective surface extending along and around the said one edge of said belt, said one edge of said belt formed by scoring a groove in the fabric backing of said belt, said groove extending lengthwise along said belt and through the thickness of said backing from said second surface to said first surface of said backing whereby a portion of said one cover surface is exposed, said groove being filled with capping material which is impervious to food, moisture and the like, said capping material being secured to the surfaces of said groove and said one surface of said cover, the exposed side surface of said edge being a severed portion through said capping material to provide surfaces at said side and at a portion of the bottom which are impervious to food, moisture and the like.

Claim 8

An elongated, material carrying belt in accordance with claim 5 wherein said backing comprises at least one layer of rubber impregnated fabric selected from a group including cotton duck, polyester fabric and rayon fabric.

Claim 9

An elongated, material carrying belt in accordance with claim 5 wherein the material used to fill in said groove is selected from a group including uncured rubber, neoprene rubber, nitrile rubber, and silicone rubber.

Claim 10

An elongated, material carrying belt is accordance with claim 5 wherein said capping material is vulcanized such that said material is bonded to the surfaces of said groove.

Claim 11

The belt of claim 1 wherein said cutout portions each are stepped and include a series of successively narrower step portions progressing from said second surface of said backing toward said cover, the step portion closest to said second surface being the widest while the step portion extending to said one sUrface of said cover is the narrowest.

Claim 12

The elongated, material carrying belt of claim 5 wherein said groove includes sides which are terraced.

Claim 13

The elongated, material carrying belt of claim 5 wherein said groove includes at least one side portion which is stepped outwardly from a narrow portion adjacent said one surface of said cover to a widest portion at said second surface of said backing.

Claim 14

The elongated, material carrying belt of claim 5 wherein said groove includes a plurality of successively narrower troughs within one another progressing from said second surface of said backing toward said cover, said trough closest to said second surface being the widest while the narrowest trough extends to said one surface of said cover.

Claim 15

The belt of claim 1 in which said capping material is a flowable, spreadable capping material, said material being flowed into said cutout portions to fill the same and bonded to said cover and fabric material.

Claim 16

The belt of claim 5 in which said capping material is a flowable, spreadable capping material, said material being flowed into said groove to fill the same and bonded to said cover and fabric material.