Conveyor belt fastener and method of manufacture

Abstract

In one aspect, a conveyor belt fastener is provided having a rigid body made from a strip of cold-rolled or cold-drawn material such as steel. The body has an upper plate portion, a lower plate portion, and loop portions connecting the upper and lower plate portions. The upper and lower plate portions each have a variable cross-sectional thickness laterally thereacross including raised walls projecting outwardly and ribs projecting inwardly. The fastener has at least one attachment member, such as a staple, for connecting the plate portions to a conveyor belt end and the raised walls protect the staple once driven into the conveyor belt end.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A conveyor belt fastener comprising:
 a fastener body of rolled stock material having a predetermined hardness level; 
 rolled upper and lower plate portions of the fastener body each having a variable thickness extending thereacross; 
 a rolled outer raised portion of each of the upper and lower plate portions extending longitudinally along the plate portion; 
 a pair of staples on opposite lateral sides of the outer raised portion for securing the upper and lower plate portions to a conveyor belt; and 
 a rolled arcuate loop portion of the body laterally offset from the staples and connecting the upper and lower plate portions, the arcuate loop portion having the predetermined hardness level of the rolled stock material used to form the fastener body. 
 
     
     
       2. The conveyor belt fastener of  claim 1  wherein the upper and lower plate portions each include a second rolled outer raised portion extending longitudinally along the plate portion on an opposite side of one of the staples from the other outer raised portion. 
     
     
       3. The conveyor belt fastener of  claim 1  wherein the upper and lower plate portions include rolled inner raised portions extending longitudinally for gripping the belt. 
     
     
       4. The conveyor belt fastener of  claim 3  wherein the outer and inner raised portions are vertically aligned. 
     
     
       5. The conveyor belt fastener of  claim 1  wherein the rolled arcuate loop portion is aligned with and extends continuously with the outer raised portions of the upper and lower plate portions. 
     
     
       6. The conveyor belt fastener of  claim 1  further comprising another rolled arcuate loop portion of the body laterally offset from the staples and connecting the upper and lower plate portions. 
     
     
       7. The conveyor belt fastener of  claim 1  wherein the predetermined hardness level of the rolled loop portions is in the range of approximately 95 to approximately 105 on the Rockwell B scale.