Patent ID: 7325580

Claim:
A belt splicer apparatus for splicing a splice-area of a conveyor belt, at which overlapping ends of the belt are spliced together, wherein: the apparatus includes crossbeams, including over-crossbeams disposed above the splice-area and under-crossbeams disposed below the splice-area; each crossbeam straddles across the splice-area of the belt; the apparatus includes an operable pressure-pad, which is so arranged in relation to the splice-area as to exert, when operated, a force tending to compress the splice-area, such force being supported against the crossbeams; the apparatus includes tie-bars, comprising left tie-bars and right tie-bars, which are so arranged in the apparatus as to react forces in the crossbeams arising from the operation of the pressure-pad, and to prevent the over-crossbeams from moving apart from the under-crossbeams; the apparatus includes link-spacers; the link-spacers are positioned in intercalated relationship between the crossbeams, whereby each link-spacer is located between adjacent crossbeams, and each crossbeam is located between adjacent link-spacers; and each link-spacer has a profile that is complementary to the profiles of the adjacent crossbeams, the profiles being so structured that the presence of the link-spacers constrains the adjacent crossbeams against movement relative to each other in the up/down direction.