Patent ID: 8066116

Claim:
A conveyor belt with opposite ends thereof interconnected by a connection assembly, comprising: first and second connection plates extending generally over the entire width of said conveyor belt, positioned on top and bottom sides of said conveyor belt, and having oppositely oriented leading and trailing regions with respect to the running direction of said conveyor belt; fasteners extending through said first and second connection plates and said opposite ends of said conveyor belt; and wherein said conveyor belt has a mono-ply construction including a flexible central fabric ply, a top cover layer and a bottom cover layer, with said top and bottom cover layers being completely removed from said conveyor belt at said opposite ends thereof to define recesses in which said first and second connection plates are received, and exposed fabric ply regions which are arranged in a mutually overlapping relationship, and permit said conveyor belt to readily flex at both said leading and said trailing regions of said first and second connection plates to reduce wear and noise as said conveyor belt passes over pulleys.