US4932925A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Link having a work-hardened area
Assignee: Ashworth Bros Inc
•
Filing: 1989-07-21
•
Granted: 1990-06-12
•
Expires: 2009-07-21
Abstract
Abstract A tractive link member for connecting adjacent rods of an endless conveyor belt and for assuming tractive load. The links include a substantially flat piece of metal formed into a general U-shape with a pair of spaced leg portions joined by a connecting portion. Each of the leg portions have at least one hole for receiving adjacent rods of a conveyor belt. The substantially flat piece of metal along the length of the connecting portion has both a first thickness area and a second, reduced thickness area. The reduced thickness area is a compressed work-hardened area of the metal. The reduced thickness area in the connecting portion can form a curved bearing surface against which a rod can bear. A middle section of the link leg can diverge outwardly from an inner section of the link leg to form a single offset between the slotted portions of the link.
Inventors
- 👤 Gerald C. Roinestad
- 👤 Michael R. Straight
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 01:18
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65G; B65G17/00; B65G17/06; B65G17/063; B65G17/064; B65G21/00; B65G21/16; B65G21/18; B65G2201/00; B65G2201/02; B65G2207/00; B65G2207/24
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A tractive link member for connecting adjacent rods of an endless conveyor belt and for assuming tractive load, the links comprising a substantially flat piece of metal formed into a general U-shape with a pair of spaced leg portions joined by a connecting portion, each of said leg portions having at least one hole for receiving adjacent rods of a conveyor belt, said substantially flat piece of metal along the length of said connecting portion having both a first thickness area and a second, reduced thickness area, said reduced thickness area being a compressed work-hardened area of said metal, said reduced thickness area in said connecting portion forming a curved bearing surface against which a rod can bear.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
A tractive link member for connecting adjacent rods of an endless conveyor belt and for assuming tractive load, the links comprising a substantially flat piece of metal formed into a general U-shape with a pair of spaced leg portions joined by a connecting portion, each of said leg portions having at least one hole for receiving adjacent rods of a conveyor belt, said substantially flat piece of metal along the length of said connecting portion having both a first thickness area and a second, reduced thickness area, said reduced thickness area being a compressed work-hardened area of said metal, said reduced thickness area in said connecting portion forming a curved bearing surface against which a rod can bear.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
A tractive link member in accordance with claim 1 wherein the second, reduced thickness of said work-hardened area of said connecting portion is reduced to at least 90% of the first thickness at the point of maximum reduction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A tractive link in accordance with claim 2, wherein said work-hardened area of said connecting portion has a substantially flat outer surface opposite said curved bearing surface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A tractive link member in accordance with claim 1 wherein said curved bearing surface has a curvature approximately the same as a rod to bear against said bearing surface.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A tractive link member in accordance with claim 1 wherein said link member is formed as a single integral U-shaped link.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
A tractive link in accordance with claim 1 wherein said work-hardened area of said connecting portion has a substantially flat outer surface opposite said curved bearing surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A tractive link member in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said leg portions comprise an outwardly diverging section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
73 words
A tractive link member in accordance with claim 7, wherein each of said leg portions further comprise: an inner section disposed between the connecting portion and the outwardly diverging section and having a hole for receiving the rods of a conveyor belt which can bear against the reduced thickness area in the connecting portion; and an outer section extending from the outwardly diverging section and having a hole for receiving an adjacent rod.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A tractive link member as in claim 8, wherein said outer section is generally parallel to said inner section and said outwardly diverging section forms a single offset between the generally parallel inner and outer sections of the legs.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
51 words
A tractive link member in accordance with claim 1, wherein each leg portion includes an inner section extending generally perpendicular from the connecting portion, a middle section diverging outwardly from said inner section, and an outer section extending from said middle section in a direction generally parallel to the inner section.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
69 words
A metal link comprising: two leg portions; and a connecting portion joined to each of said two leg portions; said connecting portion and each of said two leg portions define a generally U-shaped link member; and said connecting portion includes: a first thickness area; and a second, reduced thickness area, said reduced thickness area being a compressed work-hardened area which has a surface against which a rod can bear.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
69 words
A metal link comprising: two leg portions; and a connecting portion joined to each of said two leg portions; said connecting portion and each of said two leg portions define a generally U-shaped link member; and said connecting portion includes: a first thickness area; and a second, reduced thickness area, said reduced thickness area being a compressed work-hardened area which has a surface against which a rod can bear.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
79 words
A metal link comprising: two leg portions; and a connection portion joined to each of said two leg portions; said connecting portion and each of said two leg portions define a generally U-shaped link member; said connecting portion includes: a first thickness area; and a second, reduced thickness area, said reduced thickness area being a compressed work-hardened area which has a surface against which a rod can bear; and each of said leg portions include an outwardly diverging section.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
79 words
A metal link comprising: two leg portions; and a connection portion joined to each of said two leg portions; said connecting portion and each of said two leg portions define a generally U-shaped link member; said connecting portion includes: a first thickness area; and a second, reduced thickness area, said reduced thickness area being a compressed work-hardened area which has a surface against which a rod can bear; and each of said leg portions include an outwardly diverging section.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
A link as in claim 12, wherein each of said leg portions further comprise: an inner section disposed between the connecting portion and the outwardly diverging section and extending generally perpendicular from the connecting portion; and an outer section extending from the outwardly diverging section in a direction generally parallel to the inner section.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
A link as in claim 13, wherein each of said inner sections of each of said leg portions have a hole for receiving a rod of a conveyor belt to be disposed against the work-hardened area of the connecting portion and each of said leg portion outer sections have a hole for receiving an adjacent rod of a conveyor belt.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A link as in claim 14, wherein said outwardly diverging section forms a single offset between the generally parallel inner and outer section of the legs.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
55 words
A link as in claim 14, wherein said rod extending through said inner section of each of said legs contacts the link at the link connecting portion and link inner section only and the adjacent rod extending through the outer section of each of said legs contact the link of the link outer section only.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
A link as in claim 12, wherein said work-hardened area of said connecting portion has a substantially flat outer surface opposite said surface on which a rod can bear.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US27690A
Cited
DE34766C
Cited
US1634645A
Cited
US2272837A
Cited
US2872023A
Cited
GB830630A
Cited
US3054301A
Cited
US3225898A
Cited
US3270863A
Cited
US3261451A
Cited
US3359814A
Cited
GB1090530A
Cited
US3348659A
Cited
US3467239A
Cited
US3439795A
Cited
US3512424A
Cited
GB1301655A
Cited
USRE27690E
Cited
US3750859A
Cited
US3938651A
Cited
US3920117A
Cited
US4036352A
Cited
US4078655A
Cited
US4222483A
Cited
GB1575729A
Cited
US4448301A
Cited
US4440367A
Cited
US4603776A
Cited
US4565282A
Cited
FR2564810A1
Cited
FR2573053A1
Cited
US4662509A
Cited
US4741430A
Cited
US4679687A
Cited
GB2205545A
Cited
US4858750A
Cited
EP0293095B1
Cited
US4878362A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-06-11 | 1993-12-11 | 1994-06-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-06-11 | 1997-12-11 | 1998-06-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-06-11 | 2001-12-11 | 2002-06-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |