Patent ID: 9701063
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: B29C,B29K,B29L,B30B,F16G

Claim:
1. Belt-splicer, for making splices in conveyor belts, which includes: top and bottom housings, structured to have the capability: (a) to be assembled over the belt-ends to be spliced, the maximum-belt-width that can be accommodated by the splicer being MBW meters; (b) during splicing, to enable heat and pressure to be applied to the splice; (c) after splicing, to be separated and removed from the belt; a top platen assembly, which includes: (a) a top pressure surface, being the surface of the splicer that presses downwards against the top of the belt splice during a splicing operation; (b) an operable top heater, which is effective when operated to heat the top pressure surface; (c) a top cooling assembly, which draws heat from the top pressure surface, and thus cools the belt; and the top cooling assembly includes: (c)(i) a top cooler, comprising a top base-plate having top cooling fins; (c)(ii) an operable top air-blower, which is effective when operated to blow cooling air through top spaces between the top fins of the top cooler; a bottom platen assembly, which includes: (a) a bottom pressure surface, being the surface of the splicer that presses upwards against the bottom of the splice during a splicing operation; (b) an operable bottom heater, which is effective when operated to heat the bottom pressure surface; (c) a bottom cooling assembly, which draws heat from the bottom pressure surface, and thus cools the belt; and the bottom cooling assembly includes: (c)(i) a bottom cooler, comprising a bottom base-plate having bottom cooling fins; (c)(ii) an operable bottom air-blower, which is effective when operated to blow cooling air through bottom spaces between the bottom fins of the bottom cooler; an inflatable pressure-bag, and structure for inflating same with a fluid under pressure; the splicer is so structured that, when the pressure-bag is inflated, the top and bottom pressure surfaces are urged together, to apply compression to the splice; a controller, which is effective to enable: first a heat-up phase, in which the pressure-bag is inflated and the top and bottom heaters are operated to raise the belt to a hot temperature; second a timed heat-soak phase, in which the pressure-bag remains inflated and the top and bottom heaters are operated to maintain the belt at the hot temperature; third a cool-down phase, in which the heaters are switched-off, the pressure-bag remains inflated, and the top and bottom air-blowers are operated to cool the belt to a cool temperature; fourth a switch-off phase, when the belt is cool, in which the heaters and the coolers are switched off, the pressure-bag is deflated, and the controller enables the housings to be separated and the splicer to be removed from the now-spliced belt.