Patent ID: 7780805

Claim:
A concurrent welding and severing belt forming method, the method comprising providing a material supply comprising a length of belt material, the belt material having a width, a first side and a second side; providing a mandrel; securing and wrapping part of the belt material supply on the mandrel to form a first material portion in direct contact with the mandrel and a second material portion overlapping part of the first material portion in a material overlap region at which the first side of first material portion is in contact with the second side of the second material portion, the second material portion being connected to a remaining material portion of the material supply; applying a tension to the material supply to form a material supply tensioned portion; and welding the material overlap region to form a belt having a single seam traversing the width, the tension causing the remaining material portion of the belt material supply to concurrently sever from the seam as the seam is formed.