Belt construction and method of making same

Claim 1

In a method of making a belt construction having opposed sides and comprising a tensile member intermediate said opposed sides, a plurality of teeth defining one of said opposed sides of said belt construction and being mainly formed of a first polymeric material that has reinforcing fibers therein, each tooth having opposed sides that are disposed in spaced relation to adjacent sides of adjacent teeth, said belt construction having a land area between adjacent teeth, and a backing member defining the other of said opposed sides of said belt construction, said backing member being mainly formed from a second polymeric material that is initially separate from said material of said teeth and is substantially free of fibers therein, said material of said backing member having a surface that joins with a surface of each tooth whereby said joining surfaces define an interface line therebetween, said interface line for each tooth extending from said tensile member at a point inboard of one of said opposed sides of the respective tooth into the medial portion of said respective tooth and then back to said tensile member at a point inboard of the other of said opposed sides of said respective tooth whereby part of said material of said backing member defines part of the medial portion of each tooth, said surface of said backing member joining with a surface of said first material in each land area whereby said joining surfaces in each land area define an interface line therebetween, the improvement comprising the steps of providing a grooved drum, disposing said tensile member about said drum, then disposing said first polymeric material about said tensile member, then disposing said second polymeric material about said first polymeric material whereby said second polymeric material is still separate from said first polymeric material, and then subjecting said drum to heat and pressure to cause said first and second material to be forced toward said drum whereby said first material exudes through said tensile member adjacent said grooves and into said grooves and said second material exudes through said tensile member adjacent said grooves and into said grooves to define said interface line for each tooth and whereby said first and second materials form said interface line in each land area to have a portion thereof disposed spaced from said tensile member on the side thereof opposite to the side thereof that faces toward said teeth.