Anti-sifting belt fastener assembly

An anti-sifting arrangement for plate and wire-type belt fasteners with hinge loops. A block of flexible material, such as an open-cell reticulated foam, is disposed in the hinge loop area and spans adjacent belt fasteners. A hinge pin inserted into the meshed hinge loops compresses the foam block which also expands to fill the voids between the belt ends, hinge loops and hinge pin to prevent sifting of particulate matter through the splice. The foam block is retained in position by the belt stops or the end of the belt and may be readily inserted or removed from the belt fastener assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an improved conveyor belt fastener and 
more particularly to a strip or aligned row of a plurality of preformed 
individual fasteners with an anti-sifting means for conveyor belts. 
Hinge belt fasteners are generally secured in a juxtaposed array or 
alignment at one belt end, intermeshed with similar fasteners at the 
second belt end and secured in this mated arrangement by a rod or hinge 
pin. These intermeshed belt fasteners and hinge pin form a belt splice for 
a continuous belt. 
Conveyor belts are frequently provided in predetermined lengths, with belt 
fasteners securing the two ends of the belt lengths together to form a 
continuous belt. The belt fasteners are stapled, riveted or otherwise 
fastened to one of the belt ends and thereafter joined together by this 
hinge pin or hinge rod. 
Goods transported on the assembled conveyor belts often are or contain 
particulate matter with entrained, small sieve size particles, as well as 
fine, powdery products, which may be dust laden. For example, when 
transporting grain small fines may sift through the belt splice. A 
particular problem is the sifting of coal dust through the splice. The 
sifted coal dust may build up as a cake. Dust is a problem in coal mines 
as it maybe a source of an explosion; or when accumulated beneath a 
conveyor, the trail of the coal dust may serve as a wick or fuse along 
which fire could travel from one location to another location. Thus, 
sifting grain dust or coal dust may provide a large volume of airborne 
particulate matter, which provides a large surface area for rapid 
oxidation and thus a potentially explosive environment. Consequently, it 
is desirable to minimize dust flowing through a traveling splice on a 
conveyor belt. 
Stated differently, a typical belt splice has a gap separation and a 
considerable volume of "dust" or particulate matter may sift through the 
coupling assembly joining the belt ends in a continuous belt transport 
system. Although there have been efforts to minimize the sifting of fine 
particles through the belt to reduce the entrained particulates, these 
anti-sifting devices have not met with wide spread commercial success. 
A problem with anti-sifting devices heretofore developed is that they often 
interfered with the sliding insertion of a hinge pin making it difficult 
to insert or remove the hinge pin. People doing the splicing may use a 
hinge pin of a size that will not slide readily through these anti-sifting 
devices. Other users want anti-sifting devices that are easily added or 
removed from the splice; and these prior art devices often are molded or 
stapled in position and are not readily added or removed in the field, as 
desired by the users. Additionally, these molded inserts are relatively 
expensive and a more cost effective anti-sifting device is needed. 
Indicative of the earlier efforts at the formation of anti-sifting joints 
in continuous belt arrangements is U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,156, wherein a 
conveyor fastener with a plurality of elements couples the belt ends. A 
preformed molded body of solid rubber with eye lug grooves and fin 
elements is aligned in the fastener with the respective eye lugs of the 
connecting strip of plural fastener elements, which solid molded body at 
least partly encompasses the coupling rod. The fin elements and eye 
grooves form pockets to receive the mating outer parts of the alternative 
interlocking conveyor belt fastener strips. Often, the size of the hinge 
pin is varied to join the belt ends together and for smaller diameter pins 
there will be spaces into which and through which dust or fines may 
travel. If a larger size hinge pin is used, the solid rubber may grab and 
hold the pin making it difficult to slide into position. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,389 to Ramsey utilizes a planar spacer and two outer 
planar belt clamping elements. Each of the belt ends is clamped between a 
belt clamping element and the planar surface and secured by at least one 
through-bolt and nut. This provides an extending bar of the planar spacer, 
clamping elements and retained belt ends, which bar is generally 
perpendicular to the plane of the belt and extends outwardly from its 
upper surface. Thus, the belt ends are joined and sifting may be minimized 
but the belt ends are not provided in the belt longitudinal operating 
plane of the belt; there is a discontinuity in the belt surface, and there 
is the potential for an increase in the noise level as the belt traverses 
the sprockets and rollers. 
Belt splicing devices with overlapping plates and/or belt ends are noted in 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,080 (Smith); 1,918,257 (Forsyth); 2,330,434 (Lazzeu); 
2,446,311 (Traxler); 3,093,005 (Dean); and, 3,327,359 (Wiese). However, 
these devices are clamping and securing devices which are stiff and 
relatively inflexible apparatus. Although these assemblies will in some 
manner and to some degree prevent the filtering of material through the 
belt joint, they are not operable with a plurality of individual and 
intermeshed fasteners joined by a pin or other connection. The illustrated 
clamps or brackets are relatively inflexible and not applicable to 
multiple fastener assemblies, particularly thin-armed fasteners with 
looped ends extending from each belt end. 
French Patent No. 2,593,872 to Jean F. Schick illustrates a conveyor belt 
junction with two sets of U-shaped clasps wrapped around a hinge pin 
fastened by staples against removal and enclosing shaped filler profiles 
of a generally compressible material. A V-shaped continuous-profile 
element of a compressible material is formable to fill voids, and is 
provided with a preformed semicircular end. The preformed semi-circular 
ends are aimed and sized to receive a given diameter for a hinge pin. The 
insertable element conforms to the faces of the extending arms and is a 
compressible material that is displaced to fill voids between the fingers 
of the clasps at final assembly. The filler profiles are not removable and 
will engage and make difficult the insertion of a large diameter hinge 
pin. 
Another anti-sifting device of the prior art is a strip swellable material 
which has an adhesive for attaching to the cut belt end. In coal mines, 
the ends of a belt may be coated with coal dust, and the adhesive on the 
strip often cannot be made to stick to the cut belt end. Also, the strip 
is small in size until water is applied to the strip. The water causes the 
strip to swell and to increase in size. There are often wet, dripping 
areas or other sources of water in a mine and the strip may be wetted in 
an accidental or incidental manner prior to being properly positioned 
adjacent the belt fasteners and the untimely subsequent swelling of the 
strip makes it difficult or impossible to use the strip. Such strips of 
swellable material have serious shortcomings. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides an improved belt fastener for the contacting 
conveyor belt end including an anti-sifting structure for use with a hinge 
pin at the belt splice. The anti-sifting member does not interfere with 
either the assembly or operation of the belt fasteners. 
A plurality of the individual belt fasteners, either the plate or wire 
type, are arranged in an aligned, juxtaposed arrangement having a space 
between adjacent hinge loops on the belt fasteners. A length of the loop 
section of each fastener of the plurality of fasteners. The preferred 
anti-sifting means comprises an elongated block of soft open cell, easily 
compressed, foam which can be easily inserted or removed from the hinge 
loops. The belt ends are pressed against the belt stops of a set of 
connectors, which are as far back as possible in the gap or mouth defined 
between the upper and lower surfaces of the connection arms. The 
individual connector elements or loop sections of one belt end are 
intermeshed or mated with the connector elements of the opposite end of 
the conveyor belt, and in this mated arrangement the connector elements 
cooperate to define a hinge pin passage between their opposing, meshed 
hinge loops. In the mated arrangement, the opposed hinge loops, which are 
nested in the separation distance between the adjacent loops of each 
opposed set of connectors contacts, compresses and displaces the flexible 
material to fill the voids between and around the belt ends, individual 
connectors and the coupling hinge pin. The intermeshing assembly is not 
impeded in its ability to rotate about the hinge pin as the flexible 
material is very easily deformed; it does not move into the hinge pin 
aperture and thus does not impede hinge pin insertion; it is inexpensive; 
it can be easily replaced by removal of the hinge pin and separation of 
the mated loops, and reassembly of the mating loops and hinge pin; and, it 
will prevent sifting of fine particulate material through the hinge joint 
at a minimal cost; and, as it is flexible and interchangeable, a large 
inventory of preformed or premolded inserts for the different size 
fasteners is not required, which reduces inventory carrying costs. In this 
fastener configuration with a belt stop, the outer or furthest extending 
radius of each intermeshed connector element is generally in relative 
alignment or spatial relationship between the inner and outer extremities 
of the aligned positive belt stops. Therefore, the positive stops are more 
deeply recessed in the fastener gap and the belt end is consequently 
positioned as deeply as possible in the separation or mouth of each 
individual connector element. 
The individual preformed connector elements of the connector strip of the 
present invention can be interconnected and maintained in an aligned 
fashion by a connecting means, such as a wire secured to and extending 
between the inside surface of an arm of each connector, without being 
hindered or impeded by the anti-sifting structure. The anti-sifting 
material is easily severed to conform its length to the requirements of 
the belt and fastener.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Conveyor belts 12 are utilized to transfer products and packages. These 
belts are generally provided in predetermined lengths requiring assembly 
or joining of their ends 14,16 to form a continuous belt length. A variety 
of clamping or fastener assemblies 10 are utilized to clasp and couple 
these belt ends, whether in a new assembly or in the repair of a ruptured 
or torn belt. Other systems provide a plurality of plate clamps or 
staple-like individual fasteners extending from a belt end to form a loop, 
which belt end loops are intermeshed to receive a coupling device, that is 
usually a pin. Most earlier belt fasteners with multiple components, 
especially the wire coupling type fasteners, did not provide means for 
preventing particulate matter from sifting through the coupling joints. 
There were attempts at the prevention of sifting through the joint by 
inserting preformed and/or molded inserts in the loop between the loop 
separations and in the gap between the extending arm of the wire fastener. 
Some of the inserts included semicircular ends opposing each other to 
define a cylindrical bore to receive the hinge pin. 
In the illustrated embodiment, the present invention provides a relatively 
narrow belt fasteners 22 which are U-shaped and relatively thin in width 
in the transverse direction of the belt, as opposed to the plate-type 
fasteners. The fasteners are connected by a joining means, such as a wire 
90, to maintain the assembly in an aligned array for positioning in an 
automatic fastening device which secures the staples 72 to the belts. 
After the fasteners are secured to the belt ends by staples 72, a hinge 
pin 26 is inserted between intermeshed hinge loops 34 to couple the belt 
ends together to form a belt splice. 
In accordance with the present invention, dust or fines are prevented or 
limited from sifting through the splice by elongated strips or blocks 15 
of a compressible material which is easily compressed by the hinge pin 26 
and/or the hinge loops 34 on the fasteners. The elongated blocks are 
preferably formed of a soft, compressible, open cell foam material of 
urethane or the like which are readily pushed inward by the hinge pin with 
little frictional resistance to the sliding of the hinge pin through the 
aligned hinge pin loops. Because these elongated blocks are soft and 
compressible they readily conform to the arcuate sides of the hinge pin 
and to the hinge loops thereby closing most holes through fines or dust 
may flow. When the blocks are used with belt fasteners having belt stops 
38, the blocks are retained in position within the hinge loops by the belt 
stops 38. When the belt fasteners lack belt stops, end walls 87 on the 
belts will act as a retaining means to hold the blocks within the hinge 
loops during the stapling operation and during the insertion of the hinge 
pin through the intermeshed loops of the respective strips of belt 
fasteners. 
The preferred elongated block is made of open cell, light weight urethane 
foam which is readily compressible with light pressures such as when being 
pushed by a hinge pin 24 being inserted into the intermeshed hinge loops 
34. The legs and hinge loops 34 on the belt fasteners also will readily 
displace the foam body which will conform to and assume the shape of these 
metal surfaces. The illustrated elongated blocks are square in 
cross-section and are very soft and very lightweight, and are positioned 
in the space between the belt stops 38 and the hinge loops 34. The 
illustrated elongated blocks are 0.75 inch on a side for the illustrated 
fasteners, but obviously this dimension may be varied. 
Because the elongated blocks are so soft and deformable, they may be 
readily pushed into position over top ends 38a of the belt stops 38 in the 
space 39 between these ends 38a and the undersides of the opposite legs 30 
of the belt fasteners. Likewise, the elongated blocks may be pulled 
through the space 39 for removal if the user does not want this 
anti-sifting feature for the splice. In the illustrated embodiment, the 
fasteners are packaged in eighteen inch long strips and likewise the 
blocks 15 are of the same length. All of the strips are provided with a 
block 15 and the person making the splice may remove the blocks 15 if he 
does not want to use them. The blocks are inexpensive enough to be a 
disposable item. 
Referring now in greater detail to a specific description of the invention, 
the assembly 10 has the belt 12, which may be a conveyor belt, with 
opposed first end 14 and second end 16; and, the first set 18 and a second 
set 20 of individual connectors or fasteners 22, which are mounted on 
first end 14 and second end 16, respectively. The individual connectors 22 
of first set 18 mate or intermesh between the individual connectors 22 of 
second set 20. The intermeshed connectors 22 illustrated in FIG. 3 
cooperate to define the hinge passage or aperture 24 for the hinge or 
connector pin 26 to couple first belt end 14 and second belt end 16, thus 
forming a continuous belt. The flexible, pliable blocks 15 in each of sets 
18 and 20 is compressed between the intermeshed loops of connectors 22 of 
each set 18, 20 and each belt end 14, 16, respectively, and deformed or 
reformed to fill any voids or spaces between connectors 22, hinge pin 26 
and belt ends 14, 16, thus preventing sifting of any fine particulate 
material through the coupling for subsequent air entrainment. The first 
and second connector sets 18 and 20 securing belt 12 are coupled by the 
hinge pin 26 along longitudinal axis 28 of belt 12, as illustrated in FIG. 
4. It is appreciated that the individual connectors at the outer edge of 
the assembled sets will only be in contact with one of the opposed belt 
end connectors 22. 
The individual connectors 22 have similar structures and thus a single 
connector will be described in detail. A side view of an individual 
preformed connector body 22 is illustrated in an open or unassembled 
condition in FIG. 2, and includes upper or first arm 30 and lower or 
second arm 32. Preformed connector body 22 may be shaped by any means 
known in the art, such as extruding, drawing or roll forming, for example. 
A connecting or bridging means 34, shown as an arcuate loop, connects 
upper arm 30 and lower arm 32, which arms 30, 32 and loop 34 cooperate to 
define individual connector 22 as a U-shaped or forked member with a gap 
36 between the upper and lower arms 30 and 32. A positive stop 38 for a 
belt end, which is shown as a pin, is mounted on inner surface or face 40 
of lower arm 32 and protrudes into gap 36 in a normal or vertical manner 
from inner surface 40. It is appreciated that stop 38 with a longitudinal 
axis could have been mounted on inner surface or face 42 of upper arm 30 
in a normal or perpendicular manner. The utilization of a pin or 
cylindrical shape is a preferred embodiment and not a limitation, as it 
can be appreciated that a stop with a rectangular or other cross section 
could also have been utilized as a stop means. 
In FIG. 2, upper arm 30 has a pair of openings or apertures 46 and 48 with 
countersunk or tapered portions 47 and 49, respectively, for receiving 
staple legs, which apertures extend through arm 30 and perpendicular to 
inner surface 42. Similarly, lower arm 32 has a pair of apertures 50, 52 
extending through arm 32 and perpendicular to surface 40. Apertures 46, 48 
and 50, 52 are in vertical alignment after insertion, final assembly and 
securing of the belt in the gap 36, as shown in FIG. 4. 
Arm 30 has an end-forming groove 54 at outer surface 58 and arm 32 has a 
staple head groove 56, for receiving the head of a staple along the outer 
surface or face 60 of lower arm 32. Each of arms 30, 32 have a terminus or 
free end 62 and 64, respectively, opposite the loop 34. As shown, grooves 
54, 56 extend along connector arms 30, 32 in a direction generally 
parallel to belt longitudinal axis 28 in the as-assembled state in FIG. 4. 
Affixed to terminus or outer free ends 62, 64 are inwardly inclined 
protuberances or gripper lips 66 and 68, respectively, which, as shown in 
FIG. 4, are inclined toward axis 28 from the inner surfaces 40 and 42. 
Arms 30 and 32 can generally be characterized as approximately mirror 
images or symmetrical arms, on either side of shoulder 34. However, upper 
groove 54 is or may be longer than groove 56 to receive the formed staple 
ends of a staple 72. 
FIG. 2 illustrates a connector element 22 in the open or unassembled 
condition prior to final securing of belt ends 14 and 16. Positive belt 
stops 38, relative to hinge loop 34 and gap 36, have outwardly directed 
surfaces 67 and inwardly directed surfaces 70, that is, inward toward loop 
34 and the closed portion of gap 36. Each loop 34 includes an outer 
rounded extremity surface 84, which at fastener assembly almost abuts an 
end wall of the opposite belt end, as shown in FIG. 3. As best seen in 
FIG. 2, belt end 14 has an end wall 87 to abut the surface 67 of stops 38 
of the right hand set of belt fasteners 18 of FIG. 1. Similarly, belt end 
16 has an end wall 85 to abut surface 67 of stops 38 of the left-hand set 
of belt fasteners 20. Also, the extremity surfaces 84 of hinge loops 34 of 
sets 18 and 20 are in close proximity to the opposite belt ends 85 or 87, 
as shown in FIG. 3. This deep penetration by hinge loop extremities 84 in 
proximity to the opposite belt allows stops 38 to be positioned as deeply 
as possible in gap 36 and ensures maximum belt reach-back. In this maximum 
reach-back position, the innermost leg 76 of a staple 72, as well as leg 
74, (cf. FIGS. 2 and 3) is located at the greatest possible distance from 
the belt end wall 14 or 16, and the greater this distance the greater the 
belt mass that must be torn before a belt end can be pulled from the 
fastener 22. Therefore, the grip by connector elements 22 of belt ends 14 
and 16 is increased. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the cross-sectional area of 
stop 38 is less than the width of loop body 34 or arms 30, 32, which 
minimizes the risk of contact from the opposed, intermeshed connectors 22. 
Thus, any anti-sifting structure must be compatible with the enhanced 
connector structure to enjoy the benefits of this improved connector as 
well as other connectors with hinge loop arrangements. As shown in FIG. 2, 
the flexible material 15 is inserted between positive stop 38 and loop 34 
and generally occupies the volume therebetween. However, it is not 
required that the flexible material component 15 be preformed to conform 
to either the finished or prefinished fastener structure. The illustrated 
flexible material 15 in FIG. 2 has a rectangular cross-section but this 
shape is merely exemplary and not a limitation. 
Securing means 72 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 as U-shaped staples having 
first leg 74 with staple end 80, second leg 76 with staple end 82, and 
connecting means or shoulder 78 coupling first and second legs 74, 76. 
Unassembled connectors 22 are illustrated with belt ends 14, 16 contacting 
posts 38. Belt 12 has a lower surface 75 and an upper surface 77. Belt 
lower surface 75 contacts staple ends 80 and 82 of securing means 72, 
which ends 80, 82, and first and second legs 74, 76 extend through lower 
arm passages 52 and 50, respectively. In the final or as-assembled state 
of FIG. 4, securing means 72 extends through belt 12, with staple ends 80 
and 82 protruding through upper arm passages 48, 46, respectively, which 
are aligned with passages 50, 52. The staple ends are more easily directed 
into passages 48, 46 by the countersunk tapers 49, 47, respectively. The 
lower surface 75 of belt 12 contacts and is gripped or engaged by inner 
surface 40 of lower arm 32. Similarly, upper surface 77 of belt 12 
contacts and grips inner surface 42 of upper arm 30. Thereafter, staple 
shoulder or coupling shoulder 78 is nested into groove 56 of lower arm 32 
and staple ends 82 and 80 are deformed or bent to nest into groove 54, 
thus fastening staple 72. 
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, opposing ends 14, 16 of belt 12 are similarly 
secured by connector strips or sets 18 and 20, which are a plurality of 
individual connectors 22, and the opposed connector strips are intermeshed 
to define passage 24 to receive hinge pin 26. As illustrated in the 
Figures, hinge pin 26 is approximately equal to the thickness of belt 12, 
but may be any size selected for the connectors. Hinge pin 26 may be 
secured in passage 24 by means known in the art. The intermeshed ends 84 
of loops 34 nest in the separation distance 89 between the juxtaposed 
connections of the adjacent connectors of each set 18, 20 as shown in FIG. 
5. In this nested or meshed arrangement the ends 84 of one of sets 18 and 
20 contact flexible material 15 of the other of the sets 18. 20; the 
material 15 is compressed against the respective belt end walls 85, 87 and 
deflects to fill the voids or spaces between connectors 22, hinge pin 26 
and belt ends 14 and 16. In this example, the belt end walls 85 and 87 are 
maintained in location against positive stops 38 and the elongated blocks 
of compressible or elastic material, which generally is a resilient 
material having an elastic characteristic allowing it to recover its 
unstressed shape after removal of the compressive or deforming load. As 
the block is not a rigid solid material, it freely deforms to fill the 
available spaces as depicted in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 In the void-filling 
deformation, the material is generally confined to the area between one of 
end walls 85, 87 and hinge pin 26. Thus the material 15 has filled the 
areas between the end walls 85, 87, hinge pin 26 and connectors 22, and 
consequently sifting therethrough is prevented or severely inhibited. 
There is no appreciable wearing load on compressed material 15, as all the 
loadbearing or wearing conditions are only vertically applied on very 
small cross-sectional areas of compressed material 15. In addition, there 
is a nil horizontal load, as the loadbearing components are hinge pin 26, 
connectors 22, belt 12 and staples 72. In coal mines, the coal dust builds 
up within the open pores of the foamed plastic block and cakes about the 
block so that after running for a while the caked coal dust itself will 
prevent sifting of coal dust through the splice. 
Multiple combinations or sets of individual connectors 22 are frequently 
utilized to secure conveyor belt ends, as the conveyor belts for most 
applications are of significant width and require more than one connector 
22 on each belt end. Therefore, these individual connectors appear in 
ganged arrays or sets 18 and 20 as noted above, which is also the general 
case with plate-type fasteners. In the arrangement of these sets, the 
several extending stops 38 of connectors 22 of each set 18, 20 will have 
their longitudinal axes 44 generally parallel and in an aligned array 
along a single plane 86, as shown in FIG. 4. It can be seen that the 
individual positive stops 38 are recessed deeply in gap 36 for the belt. 
This gap depth; the relationship between extremity 84 and the belt ends; 
and, the position of stops 38 and the belt ends provides the maximum 
reach-back for each belt end, that is the depth of penetration into gap 36 
by the conveyor belt ends from gripper lips 66, 68 of the fastener arms. 
Although the belt stops 38 are illustrated as mounted on each fastener 22, 
these stops 38 may also be mounted at spaced intervals, such as every 
second, third or fourth fastener. This arrangement is adequate to maintain 
resilient material 15 in position for assembly of the connectors, but it 
does not limit the use of the anti-sifting arrangement. 
The maximum reach-back for belt ends 14 and 1 is shown in FIG. 4. Second 
belt end wall 85 nearly abuts exterior extremity surfaces 84 of the first 
set of hinge loops 18 and abuts surfaces 67 on belt stops 38 of the second 
set of fasteners 20. The second set of hinge loops have an interior 
surface abutting the hinge pin 26 on its right side. The hinge pin left 
side, as shown in FIG. 4, abuts the interior surface of the first set of 
loops, and the exterior extremity surface 84 of the first strip fastener 
loops nearly abuts the second belt end 16, which has end wall 85 abutting 
the second belt stop 38 on the second belt fastener. Thus, no substantial 
gaps or spaces are provided by the thickness of the belt stop as in the 
fasteners disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,369, and the minimal gaps that 
remain, which would still allow fine particle sifting, are filled by 
resilient material 15 to prevent particle sifting therethrough. 
The various arrays or sets 18 and 20 of connectors 22 in the Figures are 
maintained in their ranked or aligned positions, especially as illustrated 
by the maintenance of stops 38 in the aligned fashion, by a connecting 
means which is, in this instance, in the form of a rod or wire 90 secured 
to one of inner surfaces 40 or 42 of connector arms 30 and 32. In FIG. 3, 
the connecting wire 90 is illustrated between apertures 50 and 52 of lower 
arm 32 on inner surface 40, which is only an illustration and not a 
limitation. Wire or rod 90, which stretches across and is affixed to the 
faces of the aligned array of several connectors 22 to maintain them in an 
aligned position, is stiff enough to maintain them in their relative 
alignment, but may be readily broken to provide the number of belt 
fasteners needed for a particular belt width. In addition, it is noted 
that the wire or rod 90 may similarly be positioned in proximity to stop 
38, such as between belt stop 38 and aperture 50, as illustrated in FIG. 
2. Thus wire 90 may be affixed along the inner surfaces 40, 42 in any 
location which does not interfere with the structure and operation of the 
connectors 22. After assembly, rod 90 provides a further interference to 
movement of belt 12 and assists in maintaining belt 12 in its secured 
position. Wire or rod 90 can be secured to the faces 40, 42 by any means 
known in the art, such as welding, brazing or adhesive compound. Thus, the 
position of rod 90 is not compromised by resilient material 15, which does 
not interfere with nor inhibit either the structure or function of rod 90. 
The illustrated belt fasteners 22 are formed from shaped pieces of wire 
that have been die formed to provide the wider staple-receiving ends on 
the arms. The staple receiving grooves 54 and 56 are also formed in a 
progressive die as are the apertures 46, 48, 50 and 52 in the respective 
arms. While in some other fasteners made of plates the belt stop is 
integral with the plate, the wire fasteners described herein have a 
non-integral belt stop 38, which is welded to the lower arm, but the stop 
could also be made integral with the arm. The preferred connecting means 
90 is the above-noted wire, but could also be an integral piece 
interconnecting adjacent fasteners when the arms are plates, such as 
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,369. The present invention is described 
in connection with wire fasteners but it is intended to also be applicable 
to plate fasteners with end loops. 
Although the above-noted description has been provided with respect to wire 
loop fasteners and plate-type fasteners with end loops and positive stops, 
it is appreciated that the resilient material can be used in any loop 
portion of intermeshed fasteners. Further, the resilient material in the 
above-noted structures is easily removed and replaced in the loop 
apertures during repair, disassembly and reassembly of belt end 
connectors. Thus, this structure is not limited to new assemblies as in 
the above-noted example. 
The flexible material may be any material with an elastic characteristic 
indicative of a material that is compressible and expansible. As an 
example, the material may be a foamed, open or closed cell urethane with 
the above-noted compression-expansion characteristic. Further examples of 
flexible materials include but are not limited to: open or closed-cell 
polyester foam; a flexible isocyanate-derived polymer foamed cellular 
structure; reticulated organopolymeric foams including nylon and urethane 
foams with backbone carbon groups; and polymers from the group of 
polysiloxanes having pendant carbon groups. The particular material 
elected may require properties commensurate with the operating 
environment, such as operability with water or in ultraviolet light 
exposed areas. 
While only specific embodiments of the invention have been described and 
shown, it is apparent that various alternatives and modifications can be 
made thereto. It is therefore, the intention in the appended claims to 
cover all such modifications and alternatives as may fall within the true 
scope of the invention.