Patent ID: 8365906

Claim:
A conveyor belt defining a longitudinal axis and comprising: first and second conveyor belt portions; each one of said conveyor belt portions having a predetermined thickness and including top and bottom layers made of elastomer material; a reinforcement layer sandwiched between said top and bottom layers; said reinforcement layer including a plurality of steel cords arranged to be mutually parallel and running in the direction of said longitudinal axis; each of said conveyor belt portions further including an end section whereat said thickness of the conveyor belt portion is reduced as a consequence of said top and bottom layers being partially removed or removed so as to cause said steel cords to be exposed by said top and bottom layers whereby the end section becomes a thickness-reduced end section; each of said conveyor belt portions having top and bottom outer surfaces; each of said conveyor belt portions further including top and bottom clamping plates set into corresponding ones of said outer surfaces at the end section thereof; said reduced-thickness end section being clamped between said top and bottom clamping plates; at least one of the clamping plates of each of said conveyor belt portions having a free end facing toward the other one of said conveyor belt portions; said at least one clamping plate of each of said conveyor belt portions defining a part hinge; said part hinge of each of said conveyor belt portions being further defined by a plurality of crenellated projections at said free end thereof; the part hinge corresponding to said first conveyor belt portion being assembleable with the part hinge corresponding to said second conveyor belt portion to conjointly define a hinge connecting said first and second conveyor belt portions to each other; and, each of said part hinges having a bar defining said free end and said bar being disposed transversely to said longitudinal axis.