US 12,234,097 B2
Reinforced food grade belts and manufacturing method
Mark William Scharr, Deerfield, NH (US); and Gerhard Hans Fickenwirth, Beverly, MA (US)
Assigned to Gates Corporation, Denver, CO (US)
Appl. No. 17/910,397
Filed by GATES CORPORATION, Denver, CO (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 18, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/022893
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 9, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/188760, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 23, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/992,273, filed on Mar. 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0122335 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 15/34 (2006.01); B65G 15/42 (2006.01); F16G 1/08 (2006.01); F16G 1/28 (2006.01); F16G 3/10 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 15/34 (2013.01) [B65G 15/42 (2013.01); F16G 1/08 (2013.01); F16G 1/28 (2013.01); F16G 3/10 (2013.01); B65G 2207/26 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of manufacturing a reinforced, food-grade belt, comprising:
providing a plurality of thermoplastic synthetic filaments;
providing a thermoplastic elastomeric belt body material;
embedding the filaments in the belt body material; and
forming the body material into a desired belt profile;
wherein the method is continuous resulting in open-ended belting; and
further comprising cutting the belting to a predetermined length, and fusing the ends together to form an endless belt; wherein the plurality of filaments are melted during said fusing step.