CN116438036A - Fastener Mounts for Conveyor Belt Fastener Applicators - Google Patents

Abstract

In one aspect, a system for securing a fastener to a conveyor belt end is provided. The system includes a fastener base for supporting a fastener, the fastener base including a plurality of aligned fastener holes configured to receive staples of a lower plate of the fastener. The system also includes an applicator including a plurality of operating members operable to cooperate with the fastener apertures of the fastener base to advance the applicator along the fastener base, secure the applicator relative to the fastener base, and drive the legs of the staples through the conveyor belt and into the apertures of the upper plate of the fastener. The applicator is operable to press the upper plate of the fastener against the conveyor belt end and bend the staple leg ends against the upper plate of the fastener to secure the fastener to the conveyor belt end.

Description

Fastener Mounts for Conveyor Belt Fastener Applicators

technical field

The present disclosure relates to tools for connecting conveyor belt ends, and more particularly, to tools for connecting fasteners to conveyor belt ends.

Background technique

Conveyor belt fasteners are used to attach the ends of conveyor belts, for example during the installation of conveyor belts or to repair damaged conveyor belts. In some approaches, each conveyor belt fastener has upper and lower plates connected by one or more arcuate hinge loops. Each fastener has one or more staples preinstalled or preset in holes in one of the fastener's plates.

To attach the ends of the belt, one end of the belt is positioned between the upper and lower plates of the fastener and a machine is used to secure the plates of the fastener to the belt. UK Patent No. 2 202 605B discloses a prior apparatus for securing fasteners to conveyor belts. The apparatus has an upper die section and a lower punch section which are moved relative to each other and contact three fasteners on the conveyor belt by extension of the apparatus' pneumatic ram. The upper die section has an alignment head, a staple folding die, and a staple flattening head each contacting a different one of the three fasteners. The device operates by moving the upper die section and the lower punch section together so that the alignment head clamps the plate of the first of the fasteners to the strip and presses the staple through the upper and lower plates and the bands between them. The movement of the upper die portion and the lower punch portion together causes the staple folding die to bend the end of the staple of the second of the fasteners that have previously undergone the clamping step. Further, the upper die portion and the lower punch portion are moved together such that the staple flattening head depresses the staple associated with the third of the fasteners that have previously undergone the clamping and staple folding steps. Bend the ends.

The apparatus of the '605 patent then moves along the conveyor belt and the upper die section and lower punch section are brought together again. This causes the apparatus to subject the first fastener to a staple folding step, the second fastener to a pressing step, and the third fastener to a clamping step. Repeat this sequence along the strap until all fasteners have been secured to the strap. Because the device of the '605 patent performs one step of the fastener securing process each time the device advances along the conveyor belt, the device of the '605 patent starts on one side of the conveyor belt and moves across the conveyor belt until it reaches the other. side. This sequential operation prohibits the user from activating the device of the '605 patent at locations other than one side of the conveyor belt, such as in the middle of the conveyor belt.

Contents of the invention

According to one aspect, there is provided an applicator for securing fasteners to a conveyor belt comprising a body and an advancer assembly movably mounted to the body, at least one anvil, an advancer and at least one slider . The advancement assembly is operable such that a portion thereof engages the fastener seat to move the body along the fastener seat to a fastener position along the fastener seat. at least one anvil and the pusher are operable to cause the anvil to contact an upper plate of a fastener received in the fastener seat at the fastener location to move the fastener upper plate toward the conveyor belt, And the pusher drives the at least one staple leg of the fastener through the conveyor belt. At least one slider is operable to move the slider along the upper plate of the fastener at the fastener location to bend the end of the drive leg of the fastener. The applicator also includes a common rotatable drive shaft mounted to the body such that rotation thereof operates the advance assembly, the at least one anvil, the advancer, and the at least one slider. In this way, rotation of the drive shaft operates the advance assembly, at least one anvil, pusher, and at least one slider, which makes the applicator intuitive and easy to use. Further, the applicator performs upboard movement, staple leg actuation, and staple leg sliding on the fastener at the fastener location such that the applicator can move to any fastener location along the fastener base, and Rotation of the drive shaft causes the applicator to secure the fastener to the belt at the fastener location. This provides the user with improved flexibility in securing one or more fasteners to the conveyor belt, and is in contrast to the apparatus of the '605 patent, which advances sequentially along several fasteners to place the fasteners One of them is fixed to the conveyor belt.

In one form, the applicator includes a cam plate rotated by rotation of the drive shaft. The cam plate is connected to the at least one anvil, the pusher and the at least one slider such that rotation of the drive shaft causes rotation of the cam plate and movement of the at least one anvil, the pusher and the at least one slider. The cam plate provides a compact and efficient way to transmit torque applied by the actuator to the drive shaft to at least one of the anvil, pusher and slider.

According to another aspect, there is provided a manual applicator for securing fasteners to a conveyor belt comprising a body, a guide mounted to the body, and the guide is operable such that a portion of the guide engages the fastening fastener mounts to secure the body at the fastener locations along the fastener mounts. The applicator includes at least one anvil, a pusher, and at least one slider mounted on the body, which are movable relative to the fastener, while the guide holds the body fixed at the fastener location along the base of the guide. piece base. The applicator includes a handle movably mounted to the body and configured for manual operation such that the at least one anvil, the pusher and at least one slider are driven by movement of the handle to move the upper plate of the fastener toward the delivery belt, drives the staple legs of the fastener through the conveyor belt and bends the ends of the staple legs while the guide holds the body in place on the fastener. Because the guide secures the body at the fastener location, the applicator operates at least one anvil, the guide, and at least one slider to secure the fastener during the fastening before the guide is retracted and the applicator is advanced to the next fastener location. perform their operations on fasteners at their location. If the applicator is not securing the fastener to the belt, for example because the staple leg is not inserted into the hole in the upper plate of the fastener, the user can simply move the handle to retract the guide and move the applicator to the next fastener. firmware location. This allows the user to easily skip the fouled fastener and finish securing the remaining fasteners to the end of the belt. Thus, this applicator provides an advantage over the device of the '605 patent that performs different operations on three fasteners at a time. For example, if one of the operations of the apparatus of the '605 patent causes a fastener to foul, the faulty fastener must be replaced and the sequence of operations repeated on the replaced fastener. The presence of two other fasteners that were previously successfully secured to the strap may interfere with the sequence of operations performed by the apparatus of the '605 patent on the replaced fasteners.

Also provided is a method of securing a fastener to a conveyor belt, the method comprising rotating a drive shaft of an applicator to advance the applicator along the fastener seat to a first fastener location. Rotation of the drive shaft also causes the applicator to secure a first fastener having at least one staple to the conveyor belt while the applicator remains in the first fastener position. In this manner, the applicator is easy to use because rotating the drive shaft advances the applicator along the fastener seat to the first fastener location and secures the first fastener to the conveyor belt. Furthermore, by securing the first fastener to the end of the belt while the applicator remains in the first fastener position, the first fastener is secured before the applicator is moved to a different fastener position. This allows the user to not have to fasten the fasteners to the conveyor belt in a particular order of the fasteners along the belt, and allows the user to skip out-of-character fasteners and continue fastening the fasteners to the conveyor belt.

In one form, operating the actuator to rotate the drive shaft of the applicator includes pivoting the handle of the applicator in a downward direction from an upper starting position to a lower end position. This allows the user to use both hands, their arms, core and back muscles to pull down on the handle, giving the user a biomechanical advantage. This is particularly advantageous in confined spaces such as mines.

In another aspect, a manual applicator for securing conveyor belt fasteners to a conveyor belt is provided that includes a body configured to connect to a fastener mount, a handle manually movable relative to the body, and an opposite At least one anvil and a pusher movable relative to the body. The handle has a mode of operation in which at least one anvil and pusher are driven from their initial positions by movement of the handle to move the upper plate of the fastener towards the conveyor belt and drive the staple legs of the fastener through the conveyor belt . The handle also has a return mode in which at least one of the anvil and the pusher are returned to their original positions. The applicator also includes resilient drive assist means that is spring loaded during movement of the handle in its return mode and unloaded to provide biasing assistance during movement of the handle in its operating mode. The resilient drive assist supplements the force applied by the user to the handle and assists in moving at least one anvil, pusher and/or one or more other components of the applicator. This force from the resilient drive assist may assist the user in overcoming resistance to movement of at least one anvil, pusher, and/or one or more other components of the applicator due to friction or inertia. For example, the applicator may include an advancing member configured to engage the fastener mount, and the resilient drive assist may be unloaded to assist movement of the advancing member when the handle is in the operational mode.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system for securing a fastener to an end of a conveyor belt is provided. The system includes a fastener mount for supporting the fastener, the fastener mount including a plurality of aligned fastener holes configured to receive staples of a lower plate of the fastener. The system also includes an applicator including a plurality of operating members operable to engage the fastener bores of the fastener base to advance the applicator along the fastener base, positioning the applicator relative to the The fastener base secures and drives the end of the staple leg through the conveyor belt and into the hole in the upper plate of the fastener. The applicator is operable to press the upper plate of the fastener against the end of the belt and bend the ends of the staple legs against the upper plate of the fastener to secure the fastener to the end of the belt. In this manner, the applicator is configured to move along the fastener base, position itself at the fastener location along the base, and engage the fastener by engaging the fastener hole of the fastener base. Fastened to the end of the conveyor belt.

The present disclosure also provides a system for securing a fastener to an end of a conveyor belt. The system includes an applicator and a fastener base having a plurality of aligned fastener holes configured to receive staples of the fastener. The applicator includes an advancing member, at least a portion of which is configured to extend into the fastener bore, the advancing member being operable to move the applicator along the fastener seat. The applicator includes a guide configured to extend into the fastener hole and secure the applicator along the fastener seat and an upper plate configured to contact the fastener and move the upper plate toward a conveyor belt received in the fastener end anvil. The applicator also includes a pusher operable to advance into the fastener hole to drive the end of the leg of the fastener staple through the end of the conveyor belt and into the hole in the upper plate of the fastener. The applicator has a slider operable to bend the staple leg ends against the upper plate of the fastener and secure the fastener to the end of the belt. The advancing member, guide and pusher cooperate with the fastener holes and allow the applicator to move to any fastener location along the fastener base and secure the fastener to the end of the belt at the fastener location. This approach is in contrast to some existing applicators which must be advanced sequentially along the entire strap end due to the sequence of fastener clamping, staple driving and sliding operations performed by existing applicators.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a fastener mount is provided for facilitating securing a fastener to an end of a conveyor belt. The fastener base includes a lower base member having a plurality of lower apertures and an upper base member having a plurality of upper apertures. The upper base member is configured to be detachably coupled to the lower base member. With the upper base member coupled to the lower base member, the lower hole portion of the lower base member cooperates with the upper hole portion of the upper base member to form a plurality of fastener holes configured to receive fasteners for securing to the end of the conveyor belt. Staples for the firmware. Each fastener hole includes wall portions spaced apart from each other across the fastener hole, the wall portions configured to be engaged by the guide of the applicator to secure the applicator relative to the fastener hole. The wall portion of the fastener hole is configured to guide the staples of the fastener and the pusher of the applicator through the fastener hole as the pusher drives the staple into the end of the belt. The upper base member may wear over time due to the movement of the staples and pusher through the upper aperture. A worn upper base member may be replaced by detaching the upper base member and coupling a new upper base member to the lower base member.

Description of drawings

Figure 1A is a perspective view of a conveyor belt fastener applicator system showing the applicator and fastener mount for securing conveyor belt fasteners to conveyor belt ends;

Figure 1B is a perspective view of the applicator and fastener base, showing the applicator slidably mounted to the fastener base;

2 is a left side elevational view of the applicator of FIG. 1A showing the applicator removed from the fastener base and the housing of the applicator removed;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the applicator frame plate removed to show the internal components of the applicator, including the pivot head and the body of the applicator;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the applicator of Figure 3 with portions removed to show the pusher arm, guide and staple pusher of the applicator;

Figure 5 is a front view of the cam plate of the applicator of Figure 3, showing the cam path that controls the operation of the applicator;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the head of the applicator and the height adjustment mechanism for the head;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the anvil and slider assembly of the head of Figure 6, showing the anvil and slider assembly slidably received in the rails of the height adjustment mechanism;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, with the anvil and slider assembly removed from the rail, showing the slider of the assembly in an outboard position;

Figure 9 is a front view of the anvil and slider assembly of Figure 8, showing the anvil sandwiched between the right, left and center anvils;

10 is a left side elevation view of the right anvil showing the recessed area of the right anvil including a rocker pocket for forming a rocking pivot joint with the right slider;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the left and right sliders on opposite sides of the central anvil, showing pins extending through the arcuate slots of each slider;

12 is a right side elevation view of the right slider showing the upper rocker portion received in the rocker pocket of the right anvil of FIG. 10;

Figure 13 is a left side elevational view of the center anvil showing the inner and outer lugs at the lower end of the center anvil;

Figure 14 is a bottom plan view of the center anvil of Figure 13, showing the inner lug laterally offset from the outer lug;

15A is a perspective view of a fastener usable with the applicator system of FIG. 1;

15B is a perspective view of a strap of the fastener of FIG. 15A;

16 is a bottom plan view of the upper plate of the fastener taken along line 16-16 in FIG. 15A, showing the inboard and outboard lugs of the center anvil of FIG. 14, respectively located on the inside of the upper plate of the fastener and the outer edge portion;

Figure 17 is a bottom plan view of an alternative embodiment of the center anvil, showing a single inner lug laterally offset from the outer lug;

Figure 18 is a front elevational view of the pusher, guide and pusher arm of Figure 4, showing the linkage connecting the pusher arm to the guide;

Figure 19 is a perspective view of the pusher and guide of Figure 18, showing the pivotal coupling member for connecting and disconnecting the pusher to and from the guide;

20 is a left side elevational view of the pusher of FIG. 19 showing the recesses of the pusher housing the teeth of the coupling member of FIG. 19 and the elongated channels below the recesses;

21 is an elevational view of the front guide wall of the applicator of FIG. 2 showing the control slot receiving the pin of the coupling member and the dog-eared portion of the control slot for use when the guide moves vertically upward to a predetermined vertical position When pivoting the connecting member;

22 is an elevational view of the rear guide wall of the applicator of FIG. 2 showing a mating control slot receiving a pin of the coupling member on the side of the coupling member opposite the front guide wall;

Figure 23 shows a perspective view of the pin of the coupling member in the angled portion of the control slot of the rear guide wall for pivoting the coupling member away from the pusher and moving the guide after the guide has reached its predetermined vertical position. Disconnect from thruster;

Figure 24 is a left side elevation view similar to Figure 3 with portions of the applicator removed to show the applicator head, pusher and applicator in the corresponding cam paths of the cam plate in the initial, starting position of the applicator. slider cam follower;

Figure 25 shows the clockwise rotation of the cam plate from angular position A in Figure 24 to angular position C, which causes the pusher and guide to advance upward;

Figure 26 shows the cam plate rotated clockwise to angular position F which causes the head of the applicator tool to move the upper plate of the fastener down to the lower plate;

Figure 27 shows the cam plate rotated clockwise to angular position H which causes the pusher to move up and drive the staple of the fastener;

Figure 28 shows the cam plate rotated clockwise to angular position I which causes the slider to bend the protruding ends of the staple legs and pivot the head slightly upward during the sliding operation;

Figure 29 shows the cam plate rotated clockwise to angular position J which pivots the head down and ultimately clamps the staple legs against the upper plate of the fastener;

Figure 30 shows the cam plate rotated clockwise to the terminal angular position K, which positions the head, pusher and slider cam followers at the ends of their respective cam paths;

Figure 31 is a front elevational view of the pusher, guide and pusher arm of the applicator of Figure 4, showing the pusher, guide and pusher arm in their initial positions when the cam plate is in angular position A.

Figure 32 shows that when the cam plate is moved to angular position B, the pusher moves up and the guide moves up with the pusher due to the pivotal coupling member of the guide extending into the recess of the pusher;

Figure 33 shows that when the cam plate is moved to angular position C, the pusher and guide continue to move upward together;

Figure 34 shows that when the cam plate is moved to angular position D, the coupling member pivots away from the pusher;

Figure 35 shows that when the cam plate is moved to angular position E, the guide is disengaged from the pusher and the pusher continues to move vertically upward;

Figure 36 shows that when the cam plate is moved to the angular position G, the pusher moves up to drive the staple of the fastener while the guide remains stationary;

Figure 37 shows that when the cam plate is moved to the angular position H, the pusher moves fully vertically upward to drive the staples through the conveyor belt, while the guide remains stationary;

38 is a perspective view of a seal that can be used to seal the front opening of the applicator facing the fastener and the fastener base;

Figure 39 is an elevational view of the seal showing the through opening of the applicator receiving portion of the seal;

Fig. 40 is a left side elevational view of the seal of Fig. 38, showing the recess where the seal is mounted on the bushing of the applicator;

Figure 41 is a view similar to Figure 6, showing the seal connected to the bushing of the applicator and covering the front opening of the applicator;

Figure 42 is a view similar to Figure 41, showing the head of the applicator pivoted downward, the seal continuing to cover the opening of the applicator, and the deflected portion of the seal due to contact with a portion of the head (dotted line );

43 is a left side elevational view of one end of the fastener base of FIG. 1B, showing a generally inverted T-shaped configuration, including an enlarged lower portion of the fastener base;

44 is a top view of the fastener base of FIG. 43, illustrating the generally H-shaped fastener staple receiving aperture of the fastener base;

Figure 45 is a bottom view of the fastener base showing the enlarged lower portion of the hole;

Figure 46 is a bottom perspective view of the fastener base showing the oblong sidewall of the lower portion of the fastener hole;

Figure 47 is a side elevational view of one of the pusher arms of the applicator of Figure 3;

Figure 48 is a side elevational view of one of the slider arms of the applicator of Figure 3;

Figure 49 is a side elevational view of one of the head arms of the applicator of Figure 3; and

Figure 50 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the pusher showing the two-piece construction of the pusher.

Figure 51 is a left side elevation view of another applicator showing the handle of the applicator in an upper starting position and the lower end position of the handle shown in dashed lines;

Figure 52 is a view similar to Figure 51, showing the applicator with the side panels removed to reveal the internal components of the applicator, including the cam plate of the applicator in the home position;

Figure 53 is a view similar to Figure 52 showing the cam plate of the applicator rotated to the end position of the driven applicator head, slider and pusher;

54 is an elevational view of the cam plate of the applicator of FIG. 51 showing the cam path controlling the operation of the applicator;

Figure 55 is a side elevational view of the cam plate, pusher, pusher arm, and resilient drive assist of the applicator of Figure 51;

Figure 56 is a view similar to Figure 55, showing the cam plate rotated to the end position and the spring of the resilient drive assist assisting in pivoting the pusher arm has been unloaded;

Figure 57 is an elevational view of the pusher, guide and pusher assembly of the applicator of Figure 51 when the handle is in the home position;

Figure 58 is a view similar to Figure 57 showing the pusher, guide and pusher assembly when the handle has been pivoted to the end position;

59 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the applicator head of FIG. 51 showing the upper rocker of one of the sliders received in the rocker pocket of the central anvil of the applicator head;

Figure 60 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the applicator of Figure 51 with another elastically driven auxiliary assembly;

Figure 61 is a partial schematic view of the applicator of Figure 51 with an additional resiliently driven auxiliary assembly;

62 is a perspective view of a portion of an alternative fastener base, including a lower base member and a plurality of upper base sections secured together such that the fastener base has a plurality of fastener holes;

Figure 63 is a partial exploded view of a portion of the fastener base of Figure 62;

Fig. 64 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the fastener base of Fig. 62, showing the H-shaped hole upper portion of each fastener hole;

65 is a top view of a portion of the fastener base of FIG. 62 showing the H-shaped hole upper portion of each fastener hole and the enlarged lower portion of each fastener hole extending beyond the end of the upper base section;

Fig. 66 is a bottom view of a portion of the fastener base of Fig. 62, showing the equal width arrangement of the enlarged lower portion and the H-shaped upper portion such that their corresponding sides are aligned;

Figure 67 is a perspective view similar to Figure 64, showing the fastener with staples disposed in the fastener holes of the fastener base;

68 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 67 with one fastener body removed to show the U of the staple of the fastener disposed in the corner pocket portion of the upper portion of the H-shaped hole and along the side surface of the fastener hole. shaped nail legs;

Figure 69 is a perspective view from below the fastener base of Figure 67, showing the staple legs extending through the upper portion of the H-shaped hole and the lower portion of the enlarged hole for a snug sliding fit with opposing surface portions thereof;

Figure 70 is a perspective view of a portion of an alternative fastener base including a lower base member, a first upper guide bar segment, and a second upper guide bar segment secured together such that the fastener base has a plurality of fastener holes ;

Figure 71 is a partial exploded view of a portion of the fastener base of Figure 70;

72 is a top view of a portion of the fastener base of FIG. 70, showing the H-shaped hole upper portion of each fastener hole formed by the first upper guide bar segment and the second upper guide bar segment; and

73 is a bottom view of a portion of the fastener base of FIG. 70 showing the equal width enlarged hole lower portion and H-shaped hole upper portion of each fastener hole such that their corresponding sides are aligned.

Detailed ways

Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B , a system 10 for applying fasteners 12 to conveyor belt ends 13 is provided. The system 10 includes a securing device 11 for securing a conveyor belt end 13 and an elongated fastener mount 14 for receiving a strip 12A of fasteners 12 (see FIGS. 15A and 15B ). The fastener base 14 has a hole 16 at each fastener location 17 along the fastener base 14 . Each hole 16 receives one or more staples 412 of the fastener 12 at the fastener location. The system 10 also includes an applicator 18 that is slidably mounted to the fastener base 14 and that is linearly movable in directions 20, 22 to position the applicator 18 at any one of the holes 16 and the associated Fasteners 12 are secured to belt ends 13 . Applicator 18 has an actuator 24 that is operated to perform applicator advancement, fastener clamping, staple driving, staple leg sliding, and final setting operations, as discussed in more detail below . In use, the applicator 18 may be positioned on the fastener mount 14 towards the first side 19 of the belt end 13 and the actuator 24 is operated to move the applicator 18 in a direction 20 along the fastener mount 14 And the fasteners 12 are sequentially applied to the belt end 13 until the second side 21 thereof is reached, so that all fasteners 12 in the strip 12A are secured to the belt end 13 . In one form, the applicator 18 performs all operations required to secure a fastener 12 to the end of the belt 13 before advancing to the next fastener 12 .

The applicator 18 has a driver 31 configured to transmit input from the actuator 24 to the applicator advancing, fastener clamping, staple Driving and staple leg sliding and final fixing operations. In one form, the driver 31 includes a drive shaft 32 and the actuator 24 includes a handle 30 connected to the drive shaft 32 by a mount 36 . Mount 36 may be adjustable to allow a user to change the position of handle 30 relative to drive shaft 32 . The handle 30 has an operating mode in which movement of the handle 30 effectuates the operations involved in securing the fastener 12 to the end 13 of the conveyor belt and a return mode in which movement of the handle 30 causes the execution of the fastener securing operation. The components return to their initial positions and are ready for the next operating mode.

To operate the applicator 18 , the handle 30 is generally pivoted downward in direction 40 from an upper initial position 33 to a lower end position 42 . In one approach, the driver 31 is configured to cause all applicator advancement, fastener clamping, staple driving, staple Leg sliding and final set operation. Thus, when the handle 30 has reached the lower end position 42, the applicator 18 has performed all operations involved in securing the fastener 12 to the belt end 13, and the user simply returns the handle in direction 44 to its upper initial position. position 33 so the applicator 18 is ready to advance to the next adjacent fastener 12 . Because all operations are performed by pivoting the single handle 30 downward in direction 40, the applicator 18 is intuitive and simple to use. The one-way motion of the handle 30 in the pivot-down direction 40 also allows the user to use their arm, core and back muscles to pull the handle 30 downward, thereby providing a biomechanical advantage to the user. This biomechanical advantage is evident in confined spaces, such as mine shafts, where a user may kneel to use system 10 to secure fastener 12 to conveyor belt end 13 . In another form, the actuator 24 comprises a motor, such as an electric or hydraulic motor, connected to the drive shaft 32 and operable to rotate the drive shaft 32 in directions 40, 44 to secure the fastener 12 to the conveyor belt. end 13 and drives applicator 18 along fastener base 14 . In yet another form, the actuator 24 may comprise a hand-held power tool, such as a drill.

The applicator 18 may secure only one fastener 12 to the belt end 13 with each movement of the handle from the upper initial position 33 to the lower position 42 . If the applicator 18 fails to secure the fastener 12 to the end of the belt 13, for example because the legs 460, 462 of the staple 412 of the fastener 12 (see FIG. Through hole 464 , the user can simply return handle 30 to upper initial position 33 in pivotal upward direction 44 . The user then pivots handle 30 in direction 40 , which causes applicator 18 to move in direction 20 and moves applicator 18 to the next fastener 12 . In this manner, the applicator 18 can be moved from an unsecured fastener 12 to the next fastener 12 .

Another advantage of the applicator 18 is that the advancing operation is controlled by the first part of the downward travel of the handle 30 in direction 40, eg ten to fifteen degrees. This allows the user to move the applicator 18 in the direction 20 to the next hole 16 along the fastener base 14 by pivoting the handle 30 fifteen degrees in the direction 40 and back up in the direction 44 . Because the handle 30 only pivots through a short arc, the applicator 18 can be advanced along the belt end 13 to a particular fastener 12 without pivoting the handle 30 to the lower end position 42 and causing the applicator 18 to perform the fastening. clamping, staple driving, staple sliding and final setting operations. This is particularly advantageous if there are fasteners 12 secured to the belt ends 13, since the fastener clamping, staple driving and staple sliding operations may interfere with those fasteners 12.

Referring to FIGS. 1B and 2 , the applicator 18 has a head 50 that pivots relative to a body 52 . Body 52 includes a fastener mount interface, such as a pair of side guide bearings, such as female wedges 54, 56, having a generally U-shaped configuration to define recesses 58 that open toward each other. The recess 58 of the female wedges 54 , 56 receives the lower enlarged base 60 of the fastener seat 14 . The main body 52 includes a frame plate 62 and the applicator 18 includes a pair of head arms 64 that support the head 50 and are pivotally connected to the frame plate 62 at pivotal connections formed, for example, by bushings 94 (see FIG. 3 ). The applicator 18 includes a housing 51 to protect the internal components of the applicator 18 . Housing 51 may include a handle 53 . The handle 53 is secured to the frame plate 62 to allow a user to carry the applicator 18 by the handle 53 .

In operation, pivoting the handle 30 in direction 40 to the down position 42 causes the head 50 to pivot in direction 102 , pushing the upper plate 414 of the fastener 12 downward to clamp the fastener 12 against the end of the conveyor belt 13 and when the protruding ends 415 of the staple legs 460, 462 (see FIG. 27 ) are threaded over the plate 414 and slid, maintain downward pressure on the fastener upper plate 414 to keep the fastener 12 secure. And clamped on the end 13 of the conveyor belt. Fastener 12 may be clamped to belt end 13 by pressing upper plate 414 through head 50 against lower plate 416 and belt end 13 therebetween. In another approach, the upper plate 414 can be pressed against the lower plate 416 by the head 50 until the upper plate is nominally above the end 13 of the conveyor belt so that the end 13 of the conveyor belt is not pressed against the upper plate 414 and the lower plate 416 between, thereby clamping the fastener 12 on the end 13 of the conveyor belt.

Sliding and clamping the staple leg ends 415 into the recesses or channels 454, 456 of the upper plate 414 (see FIG. 15A ) keeps the upper and lower fastener plates 414, 416 firmly clamped to the belt end 13 , as described below.

Pivoting the handle 30 in direction 44 back to the upper initial position 33 causes the head 50 to pivot in direction 104 and release the clamping pressure on the fastener 12 so that the applicator 18 can advance to the next fastener in direction 20 12.

The drive 31 of the applicator controls the movement of the various components of the applicator 18 to perform operations on the fastener 12 . In one form, the driver 31 includes at least one cam member, such as a cam plate 72, with a cam path 74 formed therein. The cam plate 72 is fixed relative to the drive shaft 32 for rotation therewith such that pivoting of the handle 30 in the direction 40 produces a corresponding rotation of the cam plate 72 in the direction 40 . Pivoting of the handle 30 in direction 40 from the starting position 33 to the end position 42 rotates the cam plate 72 through angular positions A-K, where angular position A is the starting angular position of the cam plate 72 and angular position K is the 72 end corner position. Although the cam member is shown as a single cam plate 72 in FIG. 5 , in other forms the cam member may comprise multiple cam members, each having one or more cam paths thereon, secured to the drive shaft 32 and moved along with it. rotate.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the operative components of the applicator 18 controlled by the driver 31 may include an advance mechanism 80 , a guide mechanism 82 and a pusher mechanism 84 , portions of which may be disposed below the fastener base 14 . The cam plate 72 can also control the operation of a slider mechanism 86 configured to flex the ends 415 of the staple legs 460 , 462 after the staples 412 have been driven through the conveyor belt ends 13 .

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 , the head arm 64 is connected to a head cam follower 90 that travels in a head cam path 92 of the cam plate 72 . Radial movement of the head cam follower 90 relative to the drive shaft 32 causes the head arm 64 to pivot about a bushing 94 that pivotally connects the head arm 64 to the frame plate 62 . To clamp the fastener 12 to the end 13 of the conveyor belt, the head 50 includes one or more anvils 100 that contact the upper plate 414 (see FIG. 15A ) of the fastener 12 . The one or more anvils 100 may be fixed relative to the head arm 64 during operation such that pivoting of the head arm 64 in directions 102 , 104 produces a corresponding pivoting of the one or more anvils 100 .

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the pusher mechanism 84 includes a pusher 124 and a pusher arm 110 for moving the pusher 124 in directions 122 , 126 in response to rotation of the cam plate 72 . The pusher 124 has a drive portion 125 with a pair of grooves that receive the crown 463 of the fastener 12 (see FIG. 15A ). The pusher arm 110 may have a V-shaped or bellcrank type configuration and is pivotally connected to the frame plate 62 by a pivot connection (eg, formed by bushing 112 ) generally at the junction between the lateral arm portions 110A, 110B. The transverse arm portion 110B is connected to a pusher cam follower 116 , which sits in a pusher cam path 118 of the cam plate 72 . Radial outward movement of pusher cam follower 116 away from shaft 32 produces pivoting of pusher arm 110 in direction 124 and corresponding upward movement of pusher 124 . Conversely, radially inward movement of pusher cam follower 116 toward shaft 32 produces pivoting of pusher arm 110 in direction 120 and downward movement of pusher 124 in direction 126 . To convert the pivoting of the arm 110 into vertical motion of the pusher 124 , the end of the arm portion 110A of the pusher arm 110 is connected to a pusher ball 612 which is received in a socket 610 of the pusher 124 (See Figure 20 and Figure 24).

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6 , the slider mechanism 86 includes a pair of sliders 130 , 132 connected to the slider arm 134 by a link 374 (see FIG. 6 ). Pin 376 extends through opening 380 of slider 130 , 132 (see FIGS. 11 and 12 ) and connects slider 130 , 132 to link 374 . Likewise, a pin 378 connects the link 374 to the slider arm 134 . Slider arm 134 is in turn pivotally connected to frame plate 62 (see FIG. 3 ) by a pivot connection (eg, formed by bushing 140 ), and is also connected to slider cam follower 142 . A slider cam follower 142 is seated in a slider cam path 144 of the cam plate 72 . Radially outward movement of slider cam follower 142 away from shaft 32 pivots slider arm 134 in direction 150 and sliders 130 , 132 via link 374 in direction 152 . Conversely, radially inward movement of slider cam follower 142 toward shaft 32 causes slider arm 134 to pivot in direction 154 and sliders 130 , 132 to pivot in direction 156 .

When handle 30 is pivoted in direction 40 from initial or upper starting position 33, slider cam path 144 is configured such that sliders 130, 132 pivot in direction 152 from an outboard position (see FIG. 3 ) to an inboard position (see FIG. 3 ). FIG. 28 ) to bend the protruding ends 415 of the staple legs 460 , 462 . As the handle 30 pivots back in direction 44 toward the upper home position 33 , the cam plate 72 rotates in direction 44 and pivots the sliders 130 , 132 back in direction 156 to the outboard position, thereby returning the sliders 130 , 132 to the outboard position. their initial positions. Preferably, when the handle 30 is pivoted back in direction 44 to the upper starting position 33, the head 50 is pivoted upward so that the sliders 130, 132 avoid contact with the staple legs when the sliders 130, 132 are returned to their outboard positions. 460, 462 contacts.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 18 , the advancing mechanism 80 includes a guide 172 having a protruding finger portion 174 for advancing in the direction 122 into the enlarged lower portion 570 of the bore 16 (see FIG. 46 ), as will described more fully below. The pusher 124 and the guide 172 are positioned such that the pusher 124 and the guide 172 extend into the bore 16 immediately adjacent to each other. Alternatively, the apertures 16 through which the pusher 124 and guide 172 extend may be separated by one or more apertures 16 . The fingers 174 have sides 174A, 174B that contact straight side wall portions 930A, 930B of the side walls 930 of the enlarged lower portion 570 (see FIG. 45 ). The abutting contact of the sides 174A, 174B securely holds the applicator 18 in place along the fastener base 14 . To drive guide 124 into bore 16 in direction 122, applicator 18 includes coupling 85 that selectively couples guide 172 to pusher 124 such that pusher 124 moves from its lower position (see The upward movement of FIG. 24 ) also causes the upward movement of the guide 172 .

In one approach, pusher 124 has a longer travel in direction 122 to fully drive staple 412 than is required to fully engage finger 174 with lower portion 570 of aperture 16 . To provide different strokes for pusher 124 and guide 172 , coupler 85 decouples guide 172 from pusher 124 once guide 172 has moved vertically in direction 122 and reached a predetermined vertical position. The predetermined vertical position may be close to the start of rotation of the cam plate 72 , for example at an angular position E of the cam plate 72 . However, as the user continues to pivot the handle 30 in direction 40 toward the lower position 42, the pusher 124 continues vertically upward in direction 122 due to the continued rotation of the cam plate 72 in direction 40 and the continued pivoting of the pusher arm 110 in direction 124. move. When the guide 172 has been separated from the pusher 124, the guide 172 remains in a predetermined vertical position.

Once the user reverses handle 30 from down position 42 in direction 44 , cam plate 72 rotates in direction 44 and moves pusher 124 downward in direction 126 . When the pusher 124 reaches a predetermined position along its downward stroke in the direction 126, the coupling 85 recouples the guide 172 to the pusher 124 so that continued downward movement of the pusher 124 along the direction 126 causes the guide 172 to move in the direction 126. 126's downward movement. As handle 30 returns to upper starting position 33, pusher 124 and guide 172 continue to move together downward in direction 126 until returning to their original positions (see FIGS. 24 and 31 ). The operation of the coupler 85, the pusher 124, and the guide 172 is discussed in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 31-37.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 18 , the advancing mechanism 80 includes an advancing arm 216 connected to the guide 172 by a linkage 500 . The propulsion arm 216 is pivotally connected at one end to the propulsion finger 504 via a pivot link 506 and to a mount 524 of one of the frame plates 62 . The advancing finger 504 has a portion, such as a notch or edge 507 , for engaging a corner 510 (see FIG. 46 ) of one of the holes 16 . As guide 172 moves upward in direction 122 , link 500 pivots advance arm 216 in direction 502 and urges advance finger 504 against corner 510 of bore 16 . Once advancing finger 504 contacts corner 510 , continued pivoting of advancing arm 216 in direction 502 moves the applicator in direction 20 along fastener base 14 to a position at the next fastener 12 . Advancement finger 504 provides rough or approximate positioning of applicator 18 along fastener base 14 . The guide 172 provides fine or final positioning of the applicator 18 along the fastener seat 14 when the guide 172 is advanced into the region 922 of the associated bore 16 (see FIG. 45 ). Referring to FIG. 18 , once coupler 85 has disengaged guide 172 from pusher 124 , continued upward movement of pusher 124 in direction 122 may not produce further pivoting of pusher arm 216 . In this manner, the applicator 18 remains in place along the fastener mount 14 once the guide 172 has been disengaged from the pusher 124 . In addition, the guide fingers 174 of the guide 172 extend fully into the enlarged lower portion 570 of the hole 16 next to the hole 16 receiving the pusher 124 so that when the applicator 18 secures the fastener 12 to the end of the belt 13 , the applicator 18 is securely locked in place along the fastener base 14.

As the handle 30 pivots in direction 44 from the lower position 42 back to the upper starting position 33, the cam plate 72 rotates in direction 44, which causes the pusher arm 110 to pivot in direction 120 and pusher 124 downward in direction 126. move. As pusher 124 moves downward in direction 126 , coupler 85 recouples guide 172 to pusher 124 such that guide 172 moves downward in direction 126 with pusher 124 . In addition, downward movement of guide 172 in direction 126 pivots pusher arm 216 in direction 514 , which disengages notch 504 from corner 510 of hole 16 and moves notch 507 toward the next corner 510 of hole 16 . When the handle 30 is again pivoted in direction 40 from the upper starting position 33 to the lower position 42, the cam plate 72 again moves the pusher 124 and guide 172 upward in direction 122 and pivots the pusher arm 216 in direction 502 and in direction 502. Direction 20 moves the applicator 18 to the next fastener 12 .

In one form, the pivot connection 506 includes a torsion spring that biases the advancing finger 504 into contact with the fastener base 14 . To slide the applicator 18 to a desired position along the fastener base 14, the user pivots the pusher finger 504 in direction 522 against the bias of the torsion spring to align the pusher finger 504 with the fastener base 14. Disconnect. When the advancing fingers 504 have been disconnected from the fastener base 14 and the handle 30 is in the upper starting position 33 , the user can slide the applicator 18 in either direction 20 , 22 along the fastener base 14 .

Head cam path 92, pusher cam path 118, and slider cam path 144 of cam plate 72 are thus configured such that pivoting of handle 30 and rotation of cam plate 72 in direction 40 causes pivoting of head 50 in direction 102 , movement of pusher 124 and guide 172 in direction 122 , pivoting of pusher arm 216 in direction 502 , and pivoting of sliders 130 , 132 in direction 152 . As discussed in more detail below, the cam paths 92, 118, 144 are configured to move these components in a predetermined sequence. For example, an order may be chosen such that two or more movements occur simultaneously and one or more movements occur before or after the two or more movements. Additionally, pivoting of handle 30 in direction 44 and rotation of cam plate 72 in direction 44 cause pivoting of head 50 in direction 104 , movement of pusher 124 and guide 172 in direction 124 , movement of pusher arm 216 in direction 514 pivoting, and pivoting of sliders 130 , 132 in direction 156 . Return rotation of the cam plate 72 in direction 44 thereby returns these components to the initial configuration so that the applicator 18 is ready to apply the next tightening in response to the user pivoting the handle 30 in direction 40 from the upper starting position 33 to the lower position 42. Fasteners 12 are secured to belt ends 13 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the cam plate 72 has an opening 190 sized to receive the drive shaft 132 . In one approach, the cam plate 72 is secured relative to the drive shaft 32 by a key of the drive shaft 132 mating with a key hole 192 of the cam plate 72 . Head cam path 92 has ends 199 and 201 . When the handle 30 is in the upper home position 33 , the cam plate 72 is oriented such that the head cam follower 90 is positioned at the end 199 of the cam plate 72 . When handle 30 pivots in direction 40 from upper starting position 33 , cam plate rotates in direction 40 and head cam follower 90 passes fastener gripping portion 194 , which fastener gripping portion 194 moves in direction 102 The head 50 is pivoted so that the head 50 clamps the upper plate 414 of the fastener 12 against the end 13 of the conveyor belt. As cam plate 72 continues to rotate in direction 40 , head cam follower 90 passes idle portion 196 , which keeps head 50 relatively stable and cam follower 90 eventually reaches slider portion 198 . Slider portion 198 is configured to pivot head 50 slightly upward in direction 104 as sliders 130 , 132 pivot in direction 152 to bend staple leg end 415 . Continued rotation of cam plate 72 in direction 40 causes head cam follower 90 to reach final setting portion 200 , which pivots head 50 in direction 102 to provide final clamping of fastener 12 .

The driver 31 includes a detent that provides tactile feedback to the user when the handle 30 has reached the lower position 42 . In one form, the detent includes a compression release portion 202 of the head cam path 92 . Compression release portion 202 centers head cam follower 90 at radius 204 and final setting portion 200 centers head cam follower 90 at radius 206 that is greater than radius 204 . In this manner, the head cam follower 90 may move radially inward a small distance as the head cam follower 90 travels from the final setting portion 200 to the compression release portion 202 . As the head 50 clamps the fastener 12 onto the belt end 13, the belt end 13 is compressed. Release portion 202 allows belt end 13 to decompress slightly while fastener 12 remains secured to belt end 13 . The release of compression in belt end 13 may be communicated to the user through head 50 , head arm 64 , head cam follower 90 , cam plate 72 , shaft 32 and handle 30 .

Additionally, the compression release portion 202 provides a safety feature that prevents the cam plate 32 from quickly reversing into the direction 44 and causing the handle 30 to shock the user after the handle 30 reaches the down position 42 . Compression release portion 202 provides this safety feature because cam plate 72 must be rotated in direction 44 with sufficient force to recompress belt end 13 due to moving head cam follower 90 from smaller radius 204 to caused by the larger radius 202 . The compression release portion 202 thus provides an over-center lock to prevent inadvertent recoil of the cam plate 72 and handle 30 after the handle 30 has reached the lower position 42 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the pusher cam path 118 includes ends 210 , 212 and the pusher cam follower 116 is at the end 210 when the handle 30 is in the upper starting position 33 . Rotating the cam plate 72 in the direction 40 causes the pusher cam follower 116 to pass the pusher and guide portion 214 . Pusher and guide portion 214 moves pusher 124 and guide 172 upward in direction 122 and pivots pusher arm 216 in direction 502 .

Continued rotation of cam plate 72 in direction 40 causes pusher cam follower 116 to pass staple driving portion 220 of pusher cam path 118 . In one approach, the coupler 85 has decoupled the guide 172 from the pusher 124 as the pusher cam follower 116 passes the staple driving portion 220 . Staple driving portion 220 thereby continues to move pusher 124 upwardly in direction 122 to a maximum upper position (see FIG. 27 ), while guide 172 remains in the vertical position. Next, continued rotation of the cam plate 72 causes the pusher cam follower 116 to pass the idle portion 222 . The idle portion 222 holds the pusher 24 in the maximum up position until the pusher cam follower 116 reaches the end 212 of the pusher cam path 118 . In another embodiment, the cam path may be configured to lower the pusher 24 slightly during the staple bending phase and then raise the pusher 24 for final fastener clamping.

Head cam path 92 , pusher cam path 118 , and slider cam path 144 may be configured to operate the components of applicator 18 when cam plate 72 is rotated in direction 40 from angular position A to angular position K. Paths 92, 118, 144 may be configured to operate components according to predetermined scripts. For example, paths 92, 118, 144 may operate components of applicator 18 according to the following script:

With continued reference to FIG. 5 , slider cam path 144 includes ends 230 , 232 , and slider cam follower 142 begins at end 230 when applicator 18 is in its initial configuration. As the cam plate 72 rotates in the drive direction 40 , the slider cam follower 142 passes the idle portion 234 . The idle portion 234 has a curvature that maintains the sliders 130 , 132 in their initial upward position while the head 50 pivots downward due to the head cam follower 90 passing the folded plate portion 194 . Continued rotation of cam plate 72 and drive direction 40 causes slider cam follower 142 to pass slider portion 240 of slider cam path 144 . Slider portion 240 pivots and pivots slider arm 134 in direction 150 and pivots sliders 130 , 132 in direction 152 in an inboard direction.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the head 50 includes an anvil and slider assembly 300 and the applicator 18 includes a head height adjustment mechanism 302 for moving the anvil and slider assembly 300 in directions 304 , 306 . Anvil and slider assembly 300 includes one or more anvils 100 and sliders 130 , 132 . The anvil and slider assembly 300 has a dovetail groove 320 and the height adjustment mechanism 302 includes a shaft 322 having an enlarged head 324 received in the dovetail groove 320 . The dovetail groove 320 allows the enlarged head 324 of the shaft 322 to rotate within the groove 320 while the enlarged head 324 remains within the groove 320 . The height adjustment mechanism 302 includes a handle 326 connected to a shaft 322 and the shaft 322 includes threads that engage the threaded opening of the guide 310 . Due to the threaded engagement between shaft 322 and guide 310 , rotation of handle 326 moves shaft 322 and anvil and slider assembly 300 in directions 304 , 306 . In this way, the height of the head 50 can be adjusted to correspond to the thickness of the end 13 of the conveyor belt.

In one form, head height adjustment mechanism 302 includes a lock, such as collar 328, for securing shaft 322 and anvil and slider assembly 300 in a desired position. The collar 328 includes a handle 330 that can be pivoted from an unlocked position where the collar 328 allows movement of the shaft 322 in directions 304, 306 relative to the collar 328 to a locked position where the collar 328 is tightly Grasp shaft 322 and resist rotation of shaft 322 and movement of shaft 322 in directions 304 , 306 .

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 , an anvil and slider assembly 300 includes one or more anvils 100 and sliders 130 , 132 . The one or more anvils 100 may include a center anvil 314 , a left anvil 316 , and a right anvil 318 . Turning to FIG. 9 , sliders 130 , 132 are sandwiched between right anvil 318 , center anvil 314 , and left anvil 316 . The right anvil 318 has a lower portion 340 with clamping legs 342 that contact the upper plate 414 of the fastener 12 during the fastener clamping operation. The center anvil 314 also includes a lower portion 344 that contacts the upper plate 414 of the fastener 12 during the fastener clamping operation.

6 and 12, sliders 130, 132 have curved leading surfaces 341 that first contact and bend staple legs 460 (see FIG. 15A) toward upper plate 414, and then Direction 152 pivots to contact and bend staple legs 462 toward upper plate 414 . Referring to FIG. 9 , the sliders 130 , 132 have a first clamping surface 350 , a second clamping surface 352 and a transition 354 . During the final setting operation (see FIG. 29 ), the first slider surface 350 presses the staple legs 462 against the fastener upper plate 414 and the second slider surface 352 presses the staple legs 460 against them. On the fastener upper plate 414 . The first slider surface 350 and the second slider surface 352 may each extend at an angle 353 to ensure that the ends 415 of the staple legs 460, 462 are firmly pressed against the upper plate 414 and compensate for the deflection of the ends 415 after the sliding operation. rebound. The transition portion 354 connects the first and second clamping surfaces 350, 352 and provides a smooth transition therebetween.

Referring to FIG. 7 , sliders 130 , 132 pivot in medial direction 152 relative to center anvil 314 , left anvil 316 , and right anvil 318 to slide staple legs 460 , 462 . The anvil and slider assembly 300 includes one or more pivot connections (such as rocker joints 361 ) that allow the sliders 130, 132 to pivot, and guides that guide the sliders 130, 132 along a predetermined arcuate path ( eg pin 384).

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 12 , the right anvil 318 includes a recessed area 362 that receives the slider 130 , and the rocker joint 361 includes the rocker pocket 364 of the right anvil 318 . Slider 130 has a rocker protrusion 366 that extends into rocker pocket 364 and pivots therein as slider 130 pivots in directions 152 , 156 . The rocker pocket 364 includes a curved wall 370 and the rocker protrusion 366 includes a rounded end 368 that abuts the curved wall 370 . Curved wall 370 provides a large bearing surface for rocker projection 366 as slider 130 pivots, which in turn provides a large arcuate motion for slider 130 . In addition, the large bearing surface of the curved wall 370 provides a large contact area which reduces contact stress and associated wear rates by operating at lower pressures between the rocker rounded end 368 and the anvil curved wall 370 . The frictional force defined by F=μN is constant with respect to the area. As shown in FIG. 11 , the slider 132 also includes a rocker protrusion 366 having a rounded end 368 that mates with a rocker pocket 364 of the left anvil 316 . In another form, the anvil and slider assembly 300 may utilize pins extending through circular holes in the sliders 130, 132 to provide a pivotal connection for the sliders 130, 132.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12 , pins 384 extend through arcuate openings 382 of sliders 130 , 132 to constrain sliders 130 , 132 to a predetermined arcuate path as sliders 130 , 132 pivot in directions 152 , 156 . . The pin 384 extends through an opening 386 in the center, left and right anvils 314 , 316 , 318 such that the anvils 314 , 316 , 318 support the pin 384 . 6, when the sliders 130, 132 are pulled in the direction 379 by the link 374, the sliding motion of the arcuate openings 382 of the sliders 130, 132 along the pins 384 guide the sliders 130, 132 along the arcuate paths. .

Referring to FIG. 15A , the fastener 12 includes a fastener body 410 having one or more staples 412 pre-assembled thereto. The fastener body 410 includes an upper plate 414 , a lower plate 416 and one or more rings 418 connecting the upper plate 414 and the lower plate 416 . The upper plate 414 includes an outer alignment cutout 420 and a pair of inner recesses 422 , 424 . The upper plate 414 also includes a pair of longitudinally extending walls 450 , 452 and channels 454 , 456 . As pusher 124 drives staple 412 , legs 460 , 462 travel through belt end 13 , pass through hole 464 , and extend upwardly from upper plate 414 .

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14 , the center anvil 314 includes an upper end 390 having a channel portion 392 forming part of the dovetail groove 320 . The central anvil 314 includes a lower clamping portion 340 having one or more guide members, such as an outer lug 394 and an inner lug 392 . The lower clamping portion 340 includes a clamping surface 400 extending between the lugs 392, 394 for contacting the upper surface of the upper plate 414 of the fastener 12 and clamping the upper plate 414 to the end of the conveyor belt. The outer lugs 394 and inner lugs 392 are laterally offset from each other to engage complementary features of the fastener 12 . In one form, the outer lug 394 is configured to fit in the outer alignment notch 420, one inner lug 392 is configured to fit in the inner recess 422, and the other inner lug 392 is configured to fit in the inner recess. 424 in.

During the clamping operation, the clamping face 400 contacts the wall 452 of the upper plate 414 and the clamping leg 342 of the right anvil 318 contacts the wall 450 of the upper plate 414 . The clamping surface 400 and clamping legs 342 drive the upper plate 414 towards the end of the conveyor belt 13 . The inboard and outboard lugs 392, 394 engage the inboard and outboard edge portions 430, 432 of the upper plate 414 and resist movement of the upper plate 414 in the outboard and inboard directions such that the upper plate 414 follows the arc of the center and right anvils 314, 318 shaped path. The inboard and outboard lugs 392, 394 also prevent rolling of the upper plate 414 in direction 425 during clamping (see FIG. 15A). By reducing rolling of the upper plate 414 , the lugs 392 , 394 help keep the upper plate 414 and lower plate 416 aligned during the clamping operation so that the staple legs 460 , 462 can be driven through the aperture 464 .

The sliders 130 , 132 are aligned with the channels 454 , 456 of the upper plate 414 once the center anvil 314 and the right anvil 318 have clamped the upper plate 414 to the conveyor belt 13 . The sliders 130, 132 pivot along the channels 454, 456 in the medial direction 152 (see FIG. 6) to fold down the ends 415 of the staple legs 460, 462 extending outwardly from the holes 464 against them. plate 414 and within channels 454,456.

Referring to FIG. 16 , each inner lug 392 engages one of the inner edge portions 430 of the upper plate 414 . The underside of fastener upper plate 414 includes ribs 480 that align with ring 418 . Extending between the ribs 480 is a plate portion 482 of reduced thickness. In this manner, the outer lug 394 is longitudinally aligned with one of the ribs 480 and the associated ring 418 . Each inner lug 392 is laterally offset from the outer lug 394 and is longitudinally aligned with the reduced thickness plate portion 482 . The inboard and outboard lugs 392, 394 guide the upper plate 414 and resist inboard/outboard movement of the upper plate 414 during the clamping operation. The inboard and outboard lugs 392, 394 also resist rolling of the upper plate 414 (see direction 425 in FIG. 15A). Additionally, the inboard lugs 392 can securely engage the inboard edge portion 430 and the ring 418 to resist inboard movement and rolling of the upper plate 414 .

In FIG. 17, an alternative embodiment of a center anvil 314A is provided, wherein the center anvil 314A has only one inner lug 392A. Inboard lug 392A is configured to fit within recess 422 and contact one of inboard edge portions 430 . The inner ledge 392A is laterally offset from the outer ledge 394A.

Turning to FIG. 19 , pusher 124 has a body 530 proximate guide 172 , a head 532 shaped to drive staple 412 , and a neck 534 connecting head 532 to body 530 . As noted above, the applicator 18 includes a coupling 85 for coupling and uncoupling the guide 172 relative to the pusher 124 such that the guide 172 has a shorter stroke than the pusher 124 . In one form, the coupler 85 includes a pivotal coupling member 540 received in an opening 542 of the guide 172 . Pivot coupling member 540 includes a pin 544 that extends outwardly from an elongated opening 546 on an opposite side of guide 172 .

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 21 , the body 52 of the applicator 18 includes a front guide wall 550 having a control slot 552 facing the guide 172 housing the pin 544 . Referring to FIG. 22 , the main body 52 further includes a rear guide wall 554 on a side of the guide 172 opposite to the front guide wall 550 . The rear guide wall 554 includes a control slot 556 that receives the pin 544 of the pivot coupling member 540 . Referring to FIG. 23 , the coupling member 540 and the rear guide wall 554 are shown with the pin 544 received in the control slot 556 . The coupling member 540 also includes a pivot pin 560 received in an aperture 562 (see FIG. 19 ) on the opposite side of the guide 172 . Engagement of pin 560 in bore 562 limits pivotal movement of pivot coupling member 540 relative to guide 172 about pin 544 . In this manner, vertical movement of the pin 544 along the control slots 552 , 556 causes pivoting of the link member 540 relative to the guide 172 due to movement of the guide 172 in the directions 122 , 126 .

More specifically and with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22 , the control slots 552 , 556 include straight portions 564 , 566 and angled portions 568 , 570 . In FIG. 23 the coupling member 540 is shown in a vertical position in which the guide 172 has been disconnected from the pusher 124 . To reach this position, pin 544 originates at lower end 574 of control slot 556 and moves in direction 122 through straight portion 566 as guide 172 moves upward in direction 122 . Towards the end of the vertical movement of guide 172 in direction 122 , pin 544 contacts redirection surface 576 of angled portion 570 , which causes pin 544 and link member 540 to pivot about pivot pin 560 in direction 578 .

The coupling member has teeth 580 and pivoting of the coupling member 540 in direction 578 withdraws the teeth 580 from the recesses 582 of the pusher 124 and disconnects the guide 172 from the pusher 124 as shown in FIGS. 34 and 35 . Once tooth 580 has exited recess 582 , pusher 124 continues to move upward in direction 122 , which causes tooth 580 to be placed in sliding contact with surface 583 (see FIG. 20 ) of pusher 124 below recess 582 . This locks the coupling member 540 in place because the coupling member pin 544 is seated in the angled portions 568, 570 of the control slots 552, 556 on one side of the coupling member 540 and the coupling member teeth 580 on the other side of the coupling member 540. Slidingly against surface 583 of pusher 124 . Since the coupling member 540 is locked in place by the pusher surface 583 and the angled portions 568, 570, the coupling member 540 holds the guide 172 at a predetermined position by the coupling member pin 560 (see FIG. vertical position. Once the pusher 124 has moved down far enough in direction 126 so that recess 582 realigns with tooth 580 , coupling member 540 may pivot back in direction 592 and release guide 124 from the predetermined vertical position.

After securing the fastener to belt end 13 , handle 30 pivots in direction 44 back to initial, starting position 33 , which causes pusher 124 to move in direction 126 and causes guide 172 to recouple with pusher 124 . The recoupling of guide 172 and pusher 124 as pusher 124 moves downward in direction 126 will be discussed in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 36 and 37 .

As handle 30 continues to pivot upward in direction 44 , coupled pusher 124 and guide 172 move downward in direction 126 . Downward movement of guide 172 in direction 126 moves coupling member 540 in direction 126 and causes pin 544 to contact redirection surface 590 of angled portion 570 and causes coupling to Member 540 pivots in direction 592 . Pivoting of coupling member 540 in direction 592 advances tooth 580 back into recess 582 . When teeth 580 of coupling member 540 extend into recesses 582 , coupling member 540 may convert upward movement of pusher 124 in direction 122 to upward movement of guide 172 . On the opposite side of coupling member 540 , pin 544 and control slot 552 operate in a similar manner as pin 544 and control slot 556 when guide 172 is moved in directions 122 , 126 .

Referring to Figures 20 and 31, the coupler 85 includes an elongated channel 600 of the pusher 124 and a pin 608 of the guide 172 which cooperate to return the guide 172 when the handle 30 is pivoted back to the initial starting position 33. to its original lower position. More specifically, pusher body 530 includes an elongated channel 600 having an upper end 602 and a lower end 604 below recess 582 . Elongated channel 600 receives pin 608 of guide 172, as shown in FIG. 31 . Pin 608 is free to slide along channel 600 between its upper end 602 and lower end 604 . When pusher 124 is disconnected from guide 172 , movement of pusher 124 in directions 122 , 126 moves elongated channel 600 relative to pin 608 until one of upper end 602 and lower end 604 contacts pin 608 .

24 to 30, the operation of the applicator 18 will be described as the cam plate 72 in response to the user pivoting the handle 30 in the direction 40 from the initial starting position 33 to the lower position 42 (see FIG. Angular position A rotates to angular position K. Referring to FIG. 24 , the cam plate 72 is shown in angular position A. Referring to FIG. The head cam follower 90, the pusher cam follower 116 and the slider cam follower 142 are all located at the ends 199, 210, 199, 210, 230 places. When the cam plate 72 is in the angular position A, the head 50 is in an initial position with an angle 700 from the lower clamping portion 340 of the central anvil 314 to a plane parallel to the fastener base 14 . Angle 700 may be in the range of about 10 degrees to about 25 degrees, such as about 18 degrees. The center anvil 314 and the right anvil 318 are spaced apart from the upper plate 414 of the fastener 12 when the head 50 is in the initial position. Also, the pusher 124 and the guide 172 are in the initial lower position. When the applicator 18 is in this initial configuration, the applicator 18 can be moved in directions 20, 22 along the anvil 14 to position the head 50 and pusher 124 at the fastener 12 that the user wishes to secure to the end of the belt 13. place.

Referring to FIG. 25 , cam plate 72 has been rotated in direction 40 to angular position C. Referring now to FIG. The head cam follower 90 has moved past the idle portion 702 such that the head 50 remains in the initial upper position, the head 50 being spaced from the upper plate 414 of the fastener 12 . Pusher cam follower 116 has traveled past pusher and guide portion 214 , which causes pusher arm 110 to pivot about bushing 112 in direction 124 . Pivoting of pusher arm 110 in direction 124 moves pusher 124 and guide 172 upward in direction 122 because guide 172 is coupled to pusher 124 . The slider cam follower 142 has traveled through the idle portion 234 of the slider cam path 144 so that the slider arm 134 can remain stationary about the bushing 140 .

Referring to FIG. 26 , cam plate 72 has been rotated to angular position F in direction 40 . Head cam follower 90 has traveled through fastener gripping portion 194 of head cam path 92 , which causes head arm 64 to pivot about bushing 94 in direction 102 and pivot head 50 in direction 102 . Pivoting of the head 50 in direction 102 pivots the head 50 to a lowered position and clamps the upper plate 414 against the belt end 13, which holds and compresses the belt end 13 tightly against the upper plate 414 and the lower between plates 416 . More specifically, pivoting of head 50 in direction 102 causes clamping leg 342 of right anvil 318 to contact wall 450 and lower clamping portion 340 of center anvil 314 to contact wall 452 such that the center and right anvils 314 , 318 clamp upper plate 414 . Additionally, pivoting of the head 50 in direction 102 advances the inboard and outboard lugs 392, 394 into the recesses 422, 424 and alignment cutouts 420 so that when the upper plate 414 moves down onto the belt end 13, the inboard and outboard lugs 392, 394 The outer lugs 392 , 394 guide the upper plate 414 . However, as shown in FIG. 26 , when the head 50 is pivoted downward in the direction 102 , the sliders 130 , 132 are in an outboard position away from the upper plate 414 .

With continued reference to FIG. 26 , the pusher cam follower 116 has traveled through the pusher-only portion 706 of the pusher cam path 118 , with the pusher arm 110 continuing to pivot in direction 124 . In one form, when the cam plate 72 has been rotated in the direction 40 to the angular position E, the coupling member 540 has pivoted in the direction 578 (see FIG. 34 ) and uncouples the guide 172 from the pusher 124 . Thus, when the cam plate 72 is in the angular position F shown in FIG. The vertical position where the guide 172 is located.

When the cam plate 72 is rotated to the angular position F of FIG. 26 , the slider cam follower 142 travels through the idle portion 234 which holds the sliders 130 , 132 outside the upper plate 414 . To keep the sliders 130 , 132 outside the upper plate 414 , the idle portion 234 may have a curvature to compensate for downward pivoting in the direction 102 and clamping of the upper plate 414 .

Referring to FIG. 27 , cam plate 72 is shown having been rotated to angular position H in direction 40 . The head cam follower 90 has traveled through the idle portion 166 of the head cam path 92 such that the head 50 remains in the lowered position with the head 50 at a zero degree angle. Head 50 may hold upper plate 414 substantially parallel to lower plate 416 with belt end 13 compressed therebetween.

When the cam plate 72 has rotated to the angular position H shown in FIG. 27 , the pusher cam follower 116 has traveled through the staple driving portion 220 of the pusher cam path 118 . Staple driving portion 220 further pivots pusher arm 110 in direction 124 and continues to move pusher 124 upward in direction 122 . Since guide 172 is disconnected from pusher 124 , as pusher 124 continues to move in direction 122 , guide 172 remains in the vertical position in which guide 172 was disconnected from pusher 124 . 26 to 27 show the pusher 124 moving in the direction 122 driving the legs 460 , 462 of the staple 412 through the belt end 13 and into the hole 464 of the upper plate 414 .

Referring to FIG. 27 , rotation of cam plate 72 to angular position H also causes slider cam follower 142 to travel through additional idle portion 234A so that slider arm 134 can remain stationary about bushing 94 . This allows the sliders 130 , 132 to remain outboard of the upper plate 414 and out of the way of the staple legs 460 , 462 as the staple legs are driven through the holes 464 of the upper plate 414 .

Referring to FIG. 28 , cam plate 72 is shown as having been rotated in direction 40 to angular position I . This rotation causes head cam follower 90 to travel through slider portion 198, which causes head 50 to pivot upward in direction 104 to an angle 704 in the range of about zero degrees to about five degrees, for example about three degrees . Due to slider portion 198, head 50 pivots in direction 104, which causes curved leading surface 341 of slider 130, 132 to move along Channels 454, 456 travel. This provides a linear path for the curved leading surface 341 and produces a similar curvature of the legs 460 , 462 .

Referring to FIG. 12 , the head 50 can pivot upwards in the direction 104 during the sliding operation because the sliders 130 , 132 have a fixed distance 708 between the rounded end 368 and the curved leading surface 341 . When the rounded end 368 rocks against the curved wall 370 of the rocker pocket 364, if the head 50 is held stationary, the curved leading surface 341 will move along an arcuate path relative to the upper plate 414, in contact with the channel floor 454A, The distance of 456A is getting smaller and smaller. To compensate for the arcuate path of the curved leading surface 341, the slider portion 198 of the head cam path 92 pivots the head 50 upwardly, which lifts the sliders 130, 132 upward and counteracts the curvature of the curved leading surface 341 caused by the sliders 130, 132. The downward movement caused by the pivoting.

Slider portion 198 of head cam path 92 and slider portion 240 of slider cam path 144 may be configured to delay pivoting of head 50 in direction 104 until sliders 130, 132 have moved the outer staple legs The 460 is bent to an angle, such as about 45 degrees. By bending the outer staple legs 406 approximately 45 degrees, as the head 50 pivots in direction 104 , the bent staple legs 460 contact the upper plate 414 and prevent the upper plate 414 from moving upward away from the belt end 13 . This keeps the conveyor belt 13 compressed between the upper plate 414 and the lower plate 416 of the fastener 12 .

Referring to FIG. 28 , rotation of the cam plate 72 to angular position I also causes the pusher cam follower 116 to travel through the idle portion 222 of the pusher cam path 118 . The idle portion 222 allows the pusher arm 110 to remain stationary and maintain the pusher 124 in the extended upper position, which supports the staple 412 during the sliding operation. In an alternative embodiment, rotation of the cam plate 72 to angular position I causes the pusher 24 to lower slightly instead of staying in the extended upper position.

When the cam plate 72 is rotated to angular position I of FIG. 28 , the slider cam follower 142 travels through the slider portion 240 of the slider cam path 144 . Slider portion 240 pivots slider arm 134 about bushing 140 in direction 150 , which pulls link 374 in direction 379 and pivots sliders 130 , 132 in direction 152 . Pivoting of the sliders 130 , 132 causes the legs 460 , 462 to bend down into the channels 454 , 456 and against the floors 454A, 456A of the channels 454 , 456 .

Referring to FIG. 29 , the cam plate 72 is shown rotated in the direction 40 to an angular position J . This rotation causes the head cam follower 90 to travel through the final set portion 200 of the head cam path 92 . Final setting portion 200 pivots head arm 64 about bushing 94 in direction 102 and pivots head 50 in direction 102 back to the zero degree, lowered position. This pivoting of the head 50 in the direction 102 causes the first clamping surface 350 (see FIG. 9 ) and the second clamping surface 352 of the sliders 130, 132 to hold the now curved ends 415 of the staple legs 460, 462 Pressed against the channel floors 454A, 456A of the upper plate 414 . In one approach, the center and right anvils 314, 318 do not contact the upper plate 414 when the sliders 130, 132 press the ends 415 against the channel floor plates 454A, 456A and perform the final setting operation.

Rotation of cam plate 72 to angular position J of FIG. 29 also causes advancer cam follower 116 to travel through idle portion 222 of advancer cam path 118 . This allows the pusher 124 to remain in its extended, upper position. In the alternative embodiment mentioned above with respect to rotating the cam plate 72 to angular position I, the cam plate 72 is rotated to angular position J so that the pusher 24 moves upward for final fastener clamping rather than remaining stationary. .

Rotation of cam plate 72 to angular position J of FIG. 29 also causes slider cam follower 142 to travel past idle portion 720 whereby slider arm 134 and link 374 can remain stationary. The idle portion 720 causes the slider arm 134 and link 374 to hold the slider 130, 132 in position over the staple legs 460, 462 for pivoting of the head 50 in the direction 102 to perform final setting on the fastener 12. Flatten the legs of the U-shaped nail during the operation.

Referring to FIG. 30 , the cam plate 72 is shown having been rotated in the direction 40 to an angular position K . In one form, the angular position K is the maximum angular position of the cam plate 72 and occurs when the handle 30 has been pivoted to the lower position 42 . Rotation of cam plate 72 to angular position K of FIG. 30 causes head cam follower 90 to travel through compression relief portion 202 and to end 201 of head cam path 92 . Compression release portion 202 allows head cam follower 90 to move radially inward a small distance, which causes head arm 64 and head 50 to pivot in direction 104 a small distance, such as a fraction of a degree. This movement of the head 50 in direction 104 releases a portion of the clamping force exerted by the head 50 on the fastener upper plate 414 . This relieves some of the compression in the end 13 of the belt. The release of the compression of the belt end 13 is communicated to the user through the head 50, head arm 64, cam plate 72, drive shaft 32 and handle 30 and provides that the head cam follower 90 has reached the end 201 of the head cam path 92 tactile feedback. In the alternative embodiment mentioned above regarding the rotation of the cam plate 72 to the angular positions I and J, the cam plate 72 does not include a compression release portion so that the rotation of the cam plate 72 to the angular position K does not cause the head 50 to move in the direction 104 moves and releases some of the compression in the end 13 of the conveyor belt.

Compression release portion 202 may also provide a safety mechanism to prevent handle 30 from rebounding in direction 44 after cam plate 72 has reached angular position K and handle 30 is in down position 42 . Specifically, once head cam follower 90 is within compression release portion 202 , head cam follower 90 must travel into final set portion 200 to rotate cam plate 72 in direction 44 . Moving head cam follower 90 from compression release portion 202 to final set portion 200 involves moving head cam follower 90 radially outward, which causes head arm 64 and head 50 to pivot in direction 102 . Pivoting of the head 50 in direction 102 again applies the final set clamp to the upper plate 414 and recompresses the belt end 13 . Belt end 13 resists recompression and thus resists pivoting of head 50 in direction 102 , which in turn resists rotation of cam plate 72 and handle 30 in direction 44 . In this manner, the transition between compression release portion 202 and final setting portion 200 acts as a stop to prevent inadvertent pivoting of handle 30 in direction 44 from lower position 42 and impact of handle 30 to the user. However, if the user is ready to return the handle 30 from the lower position 42 to the upper starting position 33, the user simply applies sufficient force to the handle 30 to overcome the stop and release the head cam follower 90 from the compression release portion. 202 moves to final setup section 200 . As noted above, in some embodiments, the cam plate 72 does not include the compression relief portion 202 .

Referring to FIG. 30 , rotation of cam plate 72 to angular position K brings pusher cam follower 116 to end 212 of pusher cam path 118 . This rotation also brings the slider cam follower 142 to the end 232 of the slider cam path 144 . In this manner, rotation of cam plate 72 in direction 40 from angular position A (FIG. 24) to angular position K (FIG. 30) drives advancing, guiding, fastener clamping, staple driving, staple sliding, and Final setting operation. The user may then pivot the handle 30 in direction 44 from the lower position 42 (with the cam plate 72 at the angular position K) back to the initial upper position 42 .

Thus, the user pivots the handle in direction 40 from the initial upper position 33 to the lower position 42 to cause the applicator 18 to perform all advancing, guiding, fastener clamping, staple driving, staple sliding and final setting operations. Once the handle 30 has reached the lower position 42, all of these operations have been performed so that the user can pivot the handle in direction 44 from the lower position 42 with less effort than pivoting the handle 30 in direction 40 from the upper starting position 33 to the lower position 42. Go to upper starting position 33 . Once the user overcomes the stop created by the transition between compression release portion 202 and final setting portion 200 (as described above), less force is required to move handle 30 because of the pivoting of handle 30 in direction 44 Instead of advancing applicator 18 , clamping fastener 12 , driving staple 412 , and sliding staple 412 , all components of drive applicator 18 are returned to their original positions.

Referring to FIGS. 31-37 , the operation of pusher 124 , guide 172 and coupling member 540 as cam plate 72 is rotated from angular position A (see FIG. 24 ) to angular position H (see FIG. 27 ) is discussed.

Referring to FIG. 31 , the cam plate 72 is in an angular position A, such as when the handle 30 is in the upper starting position 33 . As noted above, guide 172 is initially coupled to pusher 124 such that guide 172 and pusher 124 may move upward together in direction 122 . Specifically, teeth 580 of coupling member 540 extend into recesses 582 of pusher 124 such that teeth 580 abut pusher 124 as pusher 124 moves in direction 122 .

Referring to FIG. 32 , cam plate 72 has been rotated to angular position B. Referring now to FIG. This rotation causes pusher arm 110 to move pusher 124 upward in direction 122 . Because teeth 580 of coupling member 540 abut wall 722 of recess 582 of pusher 124 (see also FIG. 20 ), coupling member 540 converts movement of pusher 124 in direction 122 to movement of guide 172 in direction 122 . Due to the pivotal connection between link 500 , pusher arm 216 , and guide 172 , upward movement of guide 172 in direction 122 also causes pusher arm 216 to pivot in direction 502 . Edge 507 of advancing finger 504 engages corner 510 of one of holes 516 such that pivoting of advancing arm 216 in direction 502 causes applicator 18 to move laterally along fastener base 14 in direction 20 .

Referring to FIG. 33 , cam plate 72 has been rotated in direction 40 to angular position C. Referring now to FIG. Pusher arm 110 has moved pusher 124 further upward in direction 122 . The teeth 580 of the coupling member 540 continue to abut the wall 722 of the recess 582 of the pusher 124 . In this way, coupling member 540 moves guide 172 upwardly in direction 122 with pusher 124 . Accordingly, guide finger 174 may begin to advance into enlarged lower portion 570 of hole 16 next to hole 16 aligned with pusher 124 .

Referring to FIG. 34 , cam plate 72 has been rotated to angular position D in direction 40 . Pusher arm 110 continues to move pusher 124 upward in direction 122 , and coupling member 540 keeps guide 172 moving upward in direction 122 with pusher 124 . However, the pin 544 of the coupling member 540 has entered the angled portions 568 , 570 of the control slots 552 , 556 of the front and rear guide walls 550 , 554 . Sliding engagement between link member pin 544 and angled portions 568, 570 initiates pivoting of link member 540 in direction 578 (see also FIG. 23). Pivoting of the coupling member 540 in direction 578 retracts the teeth 580 of the coupling member 540 from the recesses 582 of the pusher 124 .

Referring to FIG. 35 , cam plate 72 has been rotated in direction 40 to angular position E. Referring now to FIG. Pusher arm 110 continues to move pusher 124 upward in direction 122 . However, the pin 544 of the link member 540 has reached the ends of the knuckles 568 , 570 such that the link member 540 has fully pivoted in direction 578 . As shown in FIG. 35 , the teeth 580 of the coupling member 540 have withdrawn from the recess 582 of the pusher 124 and no longer abut the wall 722 of the recess 582 . Because the coupling member 540 is now clear of the pusher 124, the pusher 124 can move upward in the direction 122 without causing the guide finger 174 to move upward. In this way, pusher 124 has been disconnected from guide 172 .

Guide 172 is disconnected from pusher 124 at the upper end of travel of guide 172 when guide 172 is in its maximum upper position. Once the guide 172 has been disconnected from the pusher 124, the guide 172 remains in the maximum upper position because the coupling member 540 is locked in place by contacting the coupling member teeth 580 with the pusher surface 583 on one side, and when the coupling This is accomplished by receiving the pin 544 on the other side of the member 540 by the knuckle portions 568 , 570 . The locked coupling member 540 holds the guide 172 in its maximum upper position because the coupling member 540 is connected to the guide 172 via the pin 560 . With the guide 172 in its maximum upper position, the guide finger 174 remains fully engaged with the enlarged lower portion 570 of the hole 16 and keeps the applicator in place during plate clamping, staple driving, leg sliding and final setting operations. 18 is locked in place along the fastener base 14.

Referring to FIG. 36 , cam plate 72 has been rotated to angular position G in direction 40 . Because guide 172 is no longer coupled to pusher 124 , pusher 124 may move upward in direction 122 without corresponding upward movement of guide 172 . Furthermore, once guide 172 has been disconnected from pusher 124 , pusher 124 may move upward in direction 122 without causing pivoting of pusher arm 216 in direction 502 and associated movement of pusher finger 504 .

Referring to FIG. 36 , since the guide 172 has been disconnected from the pusher 124 , when the pusher 124 moves upward in the direction 122 , the elongated channel 600 of the pusher 124 moves relative to the pin 608 of the guide 172 . This causes the lower end 604 of the channel 600 to move towards the pin 608 and the upper end 602 of the channel 600 to move away from the pin 608 .

Referring to FIG. 37 , cam plate 72 has been rotated to angular position H in direction 40 . Pusher arm 110 has moved pusher 124 upward in direction 122 to a maximum upper position which fully drives staple legs 460 , 462 through conveyor belt 13 and through aperture 464 in upper plate 414 . As noted above, continued rotation of cam plate 72 in direction 40 to final angular position K may not result in any additional pivoting of pusher arm 110 because pusher cam follower 116 travels through idle portion 222 of cam path 118 . This idle portion 222 thus holds the pusher 124 in the maximum upper position until the cam plate 72 reaches the final angular position K (see FIG. 30 ). In another embodiment, the cam plate 72 may be configured to move the pusher 24 slightly downward when the cam plate 72 is rotated to the angular position H, and then move the pusher 24 back up when the cam plate 72 is rotated to the angular position K. .

After the user has pivoted the handle 30 to the down position 42 and rotated the cam plate 72 to the angular position K, the user pivots the handle 30 upward in direction 44 and through the corresponding head cam path 92, pusher cam path 118 and slide The pusher cam path 144 reverses the paths of the head cam follower 90 , the pusher cam follower 116 and the slider cam follower 142 . This reverses the operation discussed above. The reversal of these operations includes pivoting pusher arm 110 in direction 120 (see FIG. 30 ) and moving pusher 124 downward in direction 126 .

As pusher 124 moves downward in direction 126 due to the user pivoting handle 30 in direction 44 , upper end 602 of channel 600 moves back into contact with pin 608 of guide 172 . The abutting contact of the tip 602 against the pin 608 recouples the guide 172 to the pusher 124 . The recoupled guide 172 thereby moves downward in direction 126 with the pusher 124 .

As the user continues to pivot handle 30 in direction 44, downward movement of guide 172 in direction 126 moves recess 582 back into alignment with coupling member teeth 580 and in direction 126 along control slots 552, 556 (see FIG. 23 ) Link member pin 544 . This causes the pin 544 to move into the straight portions 564, 566, which in turn pivots the link member 540 in direction 592 (see FIG. 23). Pivoting of the coupling member in direction 592 advances the tooth 580 back into the recess 582 of the pusher 124 . In this manner, the guide 172 is disconnected from the pusher 124 at one point in the upward stroke of the pusher 124 and then reconnected to the pusher 124 as the pusher 124 travels on the downward stroke of the pusher 124 .

Once the pusher 124 has returned to its original lower position (see FIG. 31 ), the teeth 580 of the coupling member 540 will again overlap and interfere with the wall 722 of the recess 582 of the pusher 124 . When the user again pivots the handle 30 in direction 40 from the initial upper position 33 to the lower position 42 to secure the next fastener 12 to the end of the belt, the pusher 124 will again move upward in direction 122 and the teeth 580 will abut against Connecting to the wall 722 and causing the guide 172 to move in the direction 122 together with the pusher 124 .

Referring to FIG. 38 , the applicator 18 may include a seal 800 (see FIG. 4 ) to limit entry of debris into the opening 804 of the applicator 18 . Opening 804 may be at least partially defined by head arm 64 and slider arm 134 .

The seal 800 includes a body 810 having an opening such as a cutout 812 and an opening 814 that receives portions of the head arm 64 and the slider arm 134 . The seal 800 also includes a resilient upper portion 816 that can extend into the gap between the head arms 64 . The upper portion 816 includes an upper shield portion 818 (see FIG. 41 ) that extends into the gap between the head arms 64 . The body 810 also includes a wedge receiving portion 820 having a lip 822, a rear wall 824, and a seat 826 configured to engage the wedge 56 and prevent debris from entering therebetween. The upper shield portion 818 and lip 822 prevent material from entering the applicator 18 by filling the space between the head arms 64 and the pinch points between the concave wedge 56 and the frame plate 62 .

The wedge receiving portion 820 may also include mating features 830 for engaging opposing features on the wedge 56 and resisting lateral movement of the seal 800 relative to the wedge 56 . Referring to FIG. 39 , the body 18 may also include a lower portion 834 having an opening, such as a cutout 836 . Cutout 836 may be a continuation of the clearance provided by cutout 814 for slider arm 134 .

In one form, seal 800 may be integrally formed as one piece of material. For example, seal 800 may be formed from a single piece of polyurethane or rubber material. Upper portion 816 may be resilient to allow upper shield portion 818 to deflect to position 872 (see FIG. 42 ) when head 50 is pivoted in direction 102 to perform a fastener clamping operation. In another form, the upper shield portion 818 may be deflected by the head 50 when the height adjustment mechanism 302 is used to adjust the position of the head 50 .

Referring to FIG. 40 , seal 800 includes a pocket 840 sized to fit over bushing 94 and a pocket 842 sized to fit over bushing 140 . The pockets 840 , 842 include curved surfaces 844 , 846 having a curvature similar to the bushings 94 , 140 . The material of seal 800 may be selected such that the material of pockets 840 , 842 conforms to bushing 94 , 140 .

Referring to Figure 41, the seal 800 is shown in position between the female wedge 56 and the bushings 94, 140 when the head 50 is in its upper position. The lip 822 forms a debris-resistant interface 850 with the tapered portion 852 of the dimple 56 . Seal 800 may also include a central support portion 856 extending into the space between bushings 94 , 140 . Central support portion 856 may provide additional support for seal 800 by resting on the upper portion of bushing 140 .

Referring to Figure 42, the head 50 is shown pivoted in direction 102 to a lower position, such as during a fastener clamping operation. As shown, the head arm 64 pivots in direction 102 on either side of the upper shield portion 818 . However, whether the head 50 is in its upper or lower position, the upper shield portion 818 continues to extend between the head arms 64 and prevents debris from entering the opening 804 generally in the direction 570 . In some approaches, pivoting head 50 in direction 102 to its lower position or adjusting the height of head 50 may cause upper shield portion 818 to contact a component of applicator 18 and deflect to position 872 . However, upper shield portion 818 may be made of a resilient material such that when head 50 is pivoted in direction 104 or the height of head 50 is readjusted, upper shield portion 818 returns to undeflected position 874 .

Referring to Figure 43, the base 14 has a generally inverted T-shaped profile. Base 14 includes a narrow portion 899 having an upper surface 900 and an enlarged base 904 having a lower surface 902 .

Referring to Fig. 44, the aperture 16 extends through the base 14 and has a through hole or upper portion 906 which may have a generally H-shape and allow the staple 412 to extend therethrough. Upper portion 906 includes enlarged sides 908 , 910 and narrow center 912 . Each enlarged side 908 , 910 receives one of the staples 412 of the fastener 12 .

Turning to FIG. 45 , the aperture 16 also includes an enlarged lower portion 570 extending upwardly from the lower surface 902 and fully overlapping and extending longitudinally (with reference to the lower fastener plate 416 ) beyond the H-shaped aperture upper portion 906 . Enlarged lower portion 570 may be countersunk such that it is recessed from lower surface 902 and extends longitudinally away from either end of H-shaped upper portion 906 .

Pusher 124 travels through region 920 of bore 16A while guide finger 172 is received in region 922 of another bore (bore 16B). Furthermore, when the pusher 124 extends through the region 920 of the hole 16A and drives the staple 412 into the belt end 13, the edge 507 of the pusher finger 504 will contact the corner 510A of the hole 16C. As shown in FIG. 45, the fastener base 14 may include a blind hole, such as hole 16A, to provide a corner 510 for pushing in when the applicator 18 secures the fastener 12 to the belt end 13 near its side 19. Fingers 504 to engage.

Referring to FIG. 46 , each aperture 16 includes a side wall 930 extending around the enlarged lower portion 570 . Corner 510 connects lower surface 902 and side wall 930 . In some forms, advancing finger 504 may contact sidewall 930 instead of corner 510 to advance applicator 18 along anvil 12 . Aperture 16 may also have a transition wall extending upwardly from side wall 930 to H-shaped upper portion 906 of aperture 16 .

In one form, the various components of the applicator 18 may be made of various metallic materials, such as the cam plate 72 being made of steel. The head arm 64, pusher arm 110 and slider arm 134 may be made of steel and connected to the cam plate 72 by yoke type needle bearing steel cam followers.

Referring to FIGS. 47 , 48 and 49 , the pusher arm 110 , slider arm 134 and head arm 64 may have a bell crank configuration that translates radial motion of the followers 90 , 116 , 142 into the head 50 , non-radial movement of the sliders 130 , 132 and the pusher 124 . For example, each pusher arm 110 may have its arm portions 110A, 110B extending transversely to each other and connected together at a pivot portion 954 having a Opening 956. Arm portions 950 , 952 have ends 958 , 960 and lengths 962 , 964 for connection to pusher cam follower 116 and pusher ball 612 . The lengths 962, 964 can be selected to apply a mechanical advantage, if desired.

As shown in FIG. 48 , each slider arm 134 has a pair of arm portions 970 , 972 extending transversely to each other and connected together at a pivot portion 974 having an opening sized to receive the bushing 140 976. Arm portions 970 , 972 have ends 978 , 980 for connection to slider cam follower 142 and a link 374 . Arm portions 970 , 972 may also define lengths 981 , 982 . The lengths 981, 982 can be selected to provide a mechanical advantage if desired.

As shown in FIG. 49, each head arm 64 has a pair of arm portions 983, 984 extending transversely to each other and connected together at a pivot portion 986 having an opening 988 sized to receive the bushing 94. . Arm portions 983 , 984 have ends 990 , 992 for connection to head cam follower 90 and head 50 . Arm portions 983, 984 may define lengths 994, 996. In one form, length 994 is longer than length 996 . This difference in lengths 994 , 996 provides a mechanical advantage such that the head 50 can abut the fastener upper plate 414 with a greater force than the cam plate 72 exerts on the head cam follower 90 .

Referring to Figure 50, an alternative embodiment of a pusher 1000 is provided. Pusher 1000 includes a body 1002 and a drive portion 1004 releasably secured to body 1002 , such as by fasteners 1008 . The main body 1002 and the drive part 1004 may be of different materials, which allows optimization of their material properties. For example, the drive portion 1004 can be made of tungsten carbide, the body 1002 can be made of steel and the fastener 1008 can be a bolt. Another advantage of pusher 1000 is that fasteners 1008 can be released and drive portion 1004 replaced without having to remove frame plate 62 .

Referring to Figures 51-53, an applicator 1100 similar in many respects to the applicator 18 discussed above is provided such that the differences between the two will be highlighted. The applicator 1100 is shown in FIG. 51 with its housing removed to reveal the applicator 1100 components. Applicator 1100 includes a handle 1102 that is pivotable from an upper starting position 1104 to a lower end position 1106 . Pivoting the handle 1102 from the starting position 1104 to the end position 1106 advances the applicator 1100 along the fastener seat and secures the fastener to the conveyor belt. Applicator 1100 includes a body 1110 that includes side panels 1112 , a bottom 1114 , and a concave wedge 1116 . The female wedge 1116 has a recess 1118 that receives a fastener mount, such as the fastener mount 14 described above. The concave wedge 1116 forms a mating engagement with the fastener mount 14 such that the weight of the applicator 1110 is fully supported by the fastener mount 14 while allowing the applicator 1100 to slide along the fastener mount 14 .

Applicator 1100 includes cam plate 1120 connected to handle 1102 such that pivoting of handle 1102 in direction 1122 causes rotation of cam plate 1120 in drive direction 1124 . Applicator 1100 includes head 1130 , pusher 1132 , guide 1134 , and pusher assembly 1136 , which are operated by pivoting of handle 1102 in direction 1122 . 55 and 56, the applicator 1100 includes a resilient drive assist 1150 that includes a biasing member, such as a spring 1152, that responds when the user pivots the handle in direction 1304 from the end position 1106 to the start position 1104 (see Figure 51), the spring 1152 is loaded or compressed. When the user pivots the handle in direction 1122 from start position 1104 to end position 1106 , spring 1152 is unloaded or decompressed and provides a force to assist movement of pusher 1132 . In this manner, spring 1152 absorbs energy during the return mode of operation of handle 1102 and releases stored energy during the operational mode of operation of handle 1102 . Unloading of the spring 1152 is timed to occur at the beginning of the mode of operation of the handle 1152 to provide force to the pusher 1132 to overcome friction or other resistance to its movement.

Referring to FIGS. 51 and 54 , the applicator 1100 includes a lock 1160 having a handle 1162 and a dowel extending through an opening in one of the side plates 1112 and through the slider cam path 1184 of the cam plate 1120 . The locking dowel contacts wall 1170 of cam plate 1120 and prevents rotation of cam plate 1120 in direction 1124 . In another form, the dowel of lock 1160 may engage an opening of cam plate 1120 that is separate from cam path 1184 .

To use the applicator 1100, the user pulls the handle 1162 out of the page (when viewed in FIG. 51 ) to withdraw the dowel from the opening 1166 of the cam plate 1120 and move the dowel to its retracted position. The user turns the handle 1162 and the catch of the lock 1160 holds the dowel in the retracted position. With the dowel in the retracted position, the user can then turn the handle 1102 and cause rotation of the cam plate 1120 . To engage lock 1160 , the user turns handle 1162 to disengage the catch, and the spring of lock 1160 moves the dowel to the locked position, where the dowel extends through cam path 1184 of cam plate 1120 .

Referring to FIGS. 52 and 53 , the cam plate 1120 includes a head cam path 1180 , a pusher cam path 1182 and a slider cam path 1184 . The cam paths 1180, 1182, 1184 have respective starting ends 1190, 1192, 1194 at which the cam follower 1200 is positioned when the handle 1102 is in the starting position 1104 and the cam plate 1120 is in its initial position. place. Pivoting of handle 1102 in direction 1112 rotates cam plate 1120 in direction 1124 and cam followers 1200 travel along cam paths 1180, 1182, 1184 until they reach end ends 1202, 1204, 1206. In one form, the cam paths 1180 , 1182 , 1184 of the cam plate 1120 are in the form of openings elongated around the cam plate 1120 and closed at the ends. In another form, the cam paths 1180, 1182, 1184 are recesses in the plate rather than through openings. In yet another form, the cam path may be part of a continuous surface.

Referring to FIG. 52 , the head 1130 includes a head arm 1210 , a slider 1212 and an anvil 1214 . Head arm 1210 is pivotally connected to side plate 1112 by bushing 1220 and to cam plate 1120 by an associated cam follower 1200 .

Pusher 1132 is connected to cam plate 1120 by pusher arm 1224 . Pusher arm 1224 is pivotally connected to side plate 1112 by bushing 1226 . As shown in FIGS. 52 and 53 , rotation of cam plate 1120 in direction 1124 causes pivoting of pusher arm 1224 in direction 1230 and drives pusher 1132 upwardly. The pusher arm 1224 is connected to the cam plate 1120 by a cam follower 1200 that engages the pusher cam path 1182 . Slider 1212 is connected to cam plate 1120 by link member 1240 and slider arm 1242 . Slider arm 1242 is pivotally connected to side plate 1112 by bushing 1246 . 52 and 53, rotation of the cam plate 1120 in direction 1124 pivots the slider arm in direction 1250, which pivots slider 1212 in direction 1252 to slide the end of the staple leg of the fastener. .

Referring to FIGS. 55 and 56 , the resilient drive assist device 1150 includes a spring cage 1280 pivotally connected 1282 to a pusher plate 1284 of the pusher arm 1224 . Resilient drive assist 1150 includes a seat 1286 having supports 1288 secured to side panels 1112 . The spring cage 1280 includes a seat 1290 that compresses the spring 1152 against the seat 1286 when the cam plate 1120 is in its initial position and the handle 1102 is in the initial position 1104 , as shown in FIG. 58 . When the user pivots handle 1102 from start position 1104 to end position 1106, cam plate 1120 rotates in drive direction 1124, pusher arm 1224 pivots in direction 1230, and spring 1152 unloads and expands, which in direction 1300 A force is exerted on pusher plate 1284 and promotes pivoting of pusher arm 1224 in direction 1230 . Spring 1152 unloads at the beginning of the downward path of handle 1102 and the initial rotation of cam plate 1122 to push pusher 1132 rapidly upward in direction 1302 . The release of energy stored in the compression spring 1152 (see FIG. 55 ) assists the user in advancing the pusher 1152 . As discussed in more detail below, propeller 1132 drives propulsion assembly 1136 . Energy released from the compression spring 1152 is applied to the pusher arm 1224 in addition to the force from the user pulling the handle 1102 . This extra force facilitates moving the pusher 1132 quickly with greater force to advance the applicator 1100 along the fastener seat.

After the user has secured the fasteners to the conveyor belt, the user pivots handle 1102 from end position 1106 to start position 1104 in direction 1304 (see FIG. 51 ). This causes cam plate 1120 to rotate in return direction 1310 . Rotation of cam plate 1120 in return direction 1310 causes pusher arm to pivot in direction 1312 , which pulls seat 1290 of spring cage 1280 toward seat 1286 , thereby compressing spring 1152 . During return of handle 1102 in direction 1304, the components of applicator 1100 have reduced resistance to pivoting of handle 1102 because these components are not securing the fastener to the belt. Accordingly, it is generally easier to pivot the handle 1102 from the end position 1106 to the start position 1104 than vice versa due to the reduced resistance encountered by the components of the applicator 1100 . Spring 1152 is compressed by the movement of pusher arm 1224 during this easier return stroke of handle 1102 in direction 1304 . By using the easier return stroke of handle 1102 in direction 1304 to load spring 1152 , the user will hardly notice the work involved in loading spring 1152 .

Once the handle 1102 reaches the starting position 1104, the energy stored in the compression spring 1152 can be used. A user may pull handle 1102 in direction 1122 to advance applicator 1100 along the fastener base and secure the next fastener to the conveyor belt. Power assist assembly 1150 releases the energy stored in spring 1152 at the beginning of the downward stroke of handle 1102 in direction 1122 . Releasing the stored energy in spring 1152 at the beginning of the downstroke may be beneficial in overcoming the inertial and frictional resistance of applicator 1100 .

Referring to FIG. 56 , pusher arm 1224 includes a pusher ball 1320 received in socket 1322 of pusher 1132 . As pusher arm 1224 pivots in directions 1230 , 1312 in response to rotation of cam plate 1120 , the connection between ball 1320 and socket 1322 causes pusher 1132 to move in directions 1302 , 1303 .

Turning to FIG. 57 , propulsion assembly 1136 includes propulsion arm 1350 connected to mount 1352 of main body 1110 at pivotal connection 1353 and propulsion finger 1352 connected to propulsion finger 1352 at pivotal connection 1354 . Arm 1350. Advancement finger 1352 has portion 1356 that engages the fastener mount and moves applicator 1100 along the fastener mount in response to advancer arm 1350 pivoting in direction 1358 . One of the side panels 1112 includes a portion 1360 and an advancing assembly 1136 , and the resilient drive assist device 1150 includes a resilient drive assist assembly 1362 having a spring 1364 . Spring 1364 is retained between seating surface 1366 of side plate portion 1360 and seating surface 1368 of pusher arm 1350 . The ends of the spring 1364 are fixed to the side plate portion 1360 and the pusher arm 1350 .

Advancement assembly 1136 also includes one or more linkage members, such as a pair of linkage members 1370 , 1372 , for pivoting advancer arm 1350 as guide 1134 moves. Linkage member 1372 is pivotally connected 1374 to body 1110 , linkage member 1372 is pivotally connected 1376 to advancement arm 1350 , and linkage members 1370 , 1372 are pivotally connected to each other at pin 1380 . Pin 1380 extends through elongated opening 1382 of guide 1134 and seats in elongated opening 1382 during raising and lowering of guide 1134 . When the handle 1102 is in the starting position 1104 and the pusher 1132 is in the retracted position of FIG. 60 , the linkage members 1370 , 1372 are oriented to extend at an angle 1390 relative to each other.

57 and 58, when handle 1102 pivots in direction 1122, pusher arm 1224 pivots in direction 1230, which drives pusher 1132 upward in direction 1302 and drives guide 1134 upward with pusher 1132 until coupling Member 1390 pivots and disconnects guide 1134 from pusher 1132 in a predetermined vertical position. Pusher 1132 then continues upward to its fully extended position. Upward movement of guide 1134 in direction 1302 causes wall 1392 of guide 1134 extending around elongated opening 1382 to contact pin 1380 and lift pin 1380 with guide 1134 . The upward movement of the pin 1380 pivots the links 1370 , 1372 and increases the angle 1390 between the links 1370 , 1372 . This pivots advance arm 1350 outward in direction 1358 and causes advance finger 1352 to engage the fastener mount and move applicator 1100 therealong. As shown in FIGS. 60 and 61 , as pusher arm 1350 pivots in direction 1358 , spring 1364 expands and unloads. The unloading of spring 1364 applies a force to advancer arm 1350 in addition to the force exerted by link 1372 and helps advance applicator 1100 along the fastener mount.

Once handle 1104 has reached lower end position 1106 , the user then pivots handle 1102 back toward upper starting position 1104 in direction 1304 . This causes cam plate 1120 to rotate in return direction 1310 , which in turn causes pusher 1132 to move downward in direction 1303 . Pusher 1132 eventually reconnects with guide 1134 and pulls the guide downward in direction 1303 as pusher 1132 travels toward its retracted position. This moves pin 1380 generally downward in direction 1303 and returns links 1370 , 1372 to their original orientation in FIG. 60 . Returning links 1370 , 1372 to their original orientation pivots pusher arm 1350 in direction 1359 (see FIG. 58 ), which compresses spring 1364 between pusher arm 1350 and side plate portion 1360 . As with spring 1152 discussed above, spring 1364 is compressed when the user pivots handle 1102 from lower end position 1106 back to starting position 1104 . This configuration also uses the lower resistance return stroke of handle 1102 to compress spring 1364 and capture energy. This captured energy is then utilized when the user pivots handle 1102 from start position 1104 to end position 1106 and causes guide 1134 to move upward in direction 1302 and pivot advance arm 1350 in direction 1358 . When the handle 1102 is in the starting position 1104, the spring 1364 is fully compressed and applies full force to the pusher arm 1350 at the beginning of the downward stroke of the handle 1102.

Referring to Figure 59, the head 1130 includes a guide 1400 and the anvil 1212 includes a central anvil 1402 with clamping legs 1404 for contacting the upper plate of the fastener and pressing the upper plate against the conveyor belt . Head 1130 includes a height adjustment mechanism 1410 for moving anvil 1214 and slider 1212 up and down in directions 1412, 1414 to compensate for different belt thicknesses. Height adjustment mechanism 1410 includes an adjuster 1416 having a handle 1418 and a shaft 1420 . Shaft 1420 has threads 1422 . Shaft 1420 extends through opening 1423 of collar 1424 and opening 1426 of guide 1400 . The collar 1424 and the guide 1400 include threads 1430 , 1433 that engage the threads 1422 of the shaft 1420 . The user turns the handle 1418 which causes the rotation of the shaft 1410 and the up and down motion of the slider 1212 and anvil 1214 through the connection between the head 1440 of the shaft 1420 and the collar 1442 of the anvil 1214 .

To lock the slider 1212 and anvil 1214 in a particular vertical position, the user tightens the collar 1424 down. Collar 1424 acts as a lock nut to resist movement of shaft 1420 in directions 1412 , 1414 . The height adjustment mechanism 1410 may include a stop 1450 to prevent the collar 1450 from rotating and keep the collar 1450 in tight engagement with the guide 1400 . Stop 1450 may include a ball 1452 urged upward in direction 1412 by a spring in cavity 1454 of guide 1400 .

Referring to FIG. 60 , the elastically driven assist device 1150 of the applicator 1100 may have one or more elastically driven assist components that assist in movement of components of the applicator 1100 . For example, the applicator 1100 may include a resilient drive assist assembly 1500 having springs 1502 , 1504 positioned between the guide 1134 and a portion 1506 of the body 1110 . Springs 1502 , 1504 are resisted from lateral deflection by dowel 1508 and engage guide 1134 and seating surfaces 1510 , 1512 of body portion 1506 . As guide 1134 moves downward in direction 1303 in response to the user pivoting handle 1102 from end position 1106 in direction 1304 to start position 1122 , seating surfaces 1510 , 1512 come together compressing springs 1502 , 1504 . When the user pivots handle 1102 in direction 1112 from starting position 1104 , pusher 1132 drives guide 1134 upward in direction 1302 and springs 1502 , 1504 decompress. Decompression or unloading of springs 1502, 1504 exerts a force in direction 1302, which pushes guide 1134 upward. In this manner, springs 1502 , 1504 are loaded during the return mode of handle 1102 in direction 1304 and unloaded during the handle's operating mode in direction 1122 .

Referring to FIG. 61 , the elastically driven assist device 1150 of the applicator 1100 may have one or more elastically driven assist components that capture energy from various components of the applicator 1100 . For example, the applicator 1100 may have a compression spring 1600 connecting the pusher arm 1224 and the bottom 1114 of the body 1110 . Spring 1600 will be loaded or compressed by pivoting of pusher arm 1224 in direction 1312 and will be unloaded or decompressed by pivoting of pusher arm 1224 in direction 1230 .

The applicator 1100 may have a torsion spring 1602 between the pusher arm 1224 and the side plate 1112 . Torsion spring 1602 is loaded by pivoting of pusher arm 1224 in direction 1312 and unloaded by pivoting of pusher arm 1224 in direction 1230 .

The applicator 1100 may have a compression shaft 1606 connected to the pusher arm 1224 and a drive shaft 1608 on which the cam plate 1120 is mounted. Compression shaft 1606 is loaded as pusher arm 1224 pivots in direction 1312 and unloaded as pusher arm 1224 pivots in direction 1230 .

Applicator 1100 may include a portion, such as at least one tooth 1612 , that engages resiliently driven auxiliary assembly 1614 at a particular orientation of cam plate 1120 . The resilient drive assist assembly 1614 may include a torsion spring connected to a shaft on which the pinion is mounted. When the cam plate 1120 reaches an angular position that engages the at least one tooth 1612 with the pinion of the resiliently driven auxiliary assembly 1614 , the pinion engages the at least one tooth 1612 . Continued rotation of cam plate 1120 in direction 1310 causes rotation of the pinion gear meshed with at least one tooth 1612 and loading of a torsion spring connected to the pinion shaft. The at least one tooth 1612 is positioned around only a portion of the perimeter of the cam plate 1120 such that loading and unloading of the torsion spring of the elastic drive assist assembly 1614 occurs only in a portion of the range of motion of the cam plate 1120 .

In another form, resilient drive assist assembly 1614 includes a one-way drive mechanism, such as a ratchet, configured to engage teeth 1612 . The ratchet can engage at least one tooth 1612 and drive the tooth 1612 and cam plate 1120 in direction 1124 .

Applicator 1100 may also include a resilient drive assist assembly 1618 having a resilient member that engages the outer perimeter of cam plate 1120 (eg, pocket 1620 ). When the cam plate 1120 is rotated in the direction 1124, the elastic member 1618 captures energy from the rotation of the cam plate 1120 when the elastic member engages the recess 1620, and releases the captured energy to the cam plate when the cam plate 1120 is rotated in the direction 1310 1120.

The elastic drive assist device 1150 of the applicator 1100 may have various types of energy retention mechanisms. For example, springs including compression, tension, torsion and constant force springs may be used. Springs that can be used include coil springs, gas springs (such as nitrogen gas springs). Magnets can also be used as an energy retention mechanism.

Referring now to FIGS. 62-69 , an alternative fastener mount 1700 is shown that is similar in many respects to the fastener mount 14 discussed above, thereby highlighting the differences between the two mounts. Fastener base 1700 is configured for use with system 10 and the various applicators described above (eg, applicator 18, applicator 1100). In this regard, the fastener base 1700 has the same function as the fastener base 14 in terms of its operation with the applicator 18, 1100, for example with respect to its interaction with the fastener 12, the pusher 124, the guide fingers 174 and push finger 504 interaction. However, the fastener base 1700 has multiple components, as described below, so that if one of the components becomes damaged, that component can be removed for repair or replacement without having to repair or replace the entire base.

As shown, the elongated fastener base 1700 includes an upper base segment 1702 and a lower base member 1704 that form part of the assembled fastener base 1700 once the members 1702, 1704 are rigidly fastened or coupled together. Fastener base 1700 includes a plurality of fastener holes 1706 extending through base 1700 . Aperture 1706 includes an H-shaped aperture upper portion 1708 formed in upper base segment 1702 and an oblong, enlarged aperture lower portion 1710 formed in lower base member 1704 (as shown in FIGS. 63 and 66 ).

Referring to FIG. 63 , each upper base segment 1702 includes a plurality of holes 1730 configured to align with corresponding holes 1732 of the lower base member 1704 such that fasteners may be received therethrough. As shown, holes 1732 may be threaded such that the fastener may be a threaded bolt 1712 which may be received through and secured in hole 1732 to rigidly couple upper base section 1702 to lower base member 1704 . Additionally, lower base member 1704 may include one or more alignment posts 1734 configured to be received within secondary holes 1736 of upper base section 1702 for aligning holes 1730 and 1732 to secure upper base section 1702 using bolts 1712 . and the lower base member 1704 are fixed together.

Once upper base section 1702 is rigidly fastened or coupled to lower base member 1704 using bolts 1712, each H-shaped hole upper portion 1708 formed in upper base section 1702 will align with a corresponding enlarged hole lower portion 1710 formed in lower base member 1704. Align so that their corresponding side surface sections line up. In this manner, one of the hole upper portions 1708 and a corresponding one of the hole lower portions 1710 cooperate to form one of the holes 1706 . Apertures 1706 of assembled fastener base 1700 have substantially the same configuration as apertures 16 of fastener base 14 to function substantially similar thereto in terms of applicator positioning, staple driving, and applicator advancing operations.

Referring to FIGS. 62 and 63 , in the preferred and illustrated form, each upper base segment 1702 is of equal length, and the lower base member 1704 is longer in length than the upper base segment 1702 alone. In other versions, each upper base segment 1702 may have a different length. The length of the lower base member 1704 is sized such that a predetermined number of base segments 1702 are secured to the lower base member 1704 to extend across each enlarged hole lower portion 1710 of the lower base member 1704 and form the fastener base 1700 including its plurality of holes 1706 . So configured, if a single hole 1706 becomes unusable for any reason, the single upper base segment 1702 comprising the unusable hole can be removed from the lower base member 1704 and repaired or replaced while the remaining upper base segment 1702 remains In a fixed position fixed to the lower base member 1704 .

As shown in FIG. 64, the H-shaped upper hole portion 1708 includes a pair of spaced apart, enlarged or elongated side portions 1716 that are flat and extend linearly on either side of the upper hole portion 1708, and include The staple legs at the corners accommodate pocket portions 1717 . More specifically, the recess portion 1717 of each hole 1706 is formed at the end of each opposing side surface portion 1716, and is formed in a central plate-like protrusion extending toward each other and spaced apart from each other in the length direction of the hole upper portion 1708. on either side of section 1719. In this manner, in the illustrated form, aperture upper portion 1708 is configured to receive the legs of a pair of staples in pocket portions 1717 at the four corners of aperture upper portion 1708 . The pocket portion 1717 may have a generally arcuate or semi-circular configuration to correspond to the circular cross-sectional configuration of the staple legs of each staple.

The H-shaped aperture upper portion 1708 has a width 1709 (as shown in FIGS. 65 and 66 ) that extends across the aperture upper portion 1708 between opposing straight elongated side portions 1716 of the aperture upper portion 1708 . Likewise, enlarged bore lower portion 1710 formed in lower base member 1704 similarly includes enlarged or long side portions 1718 facing each other, extending linearly and having a flat configuration, and spaced apart from each other by width 1711 through bore lower portion 1710 . The dimensions of the width 1709 of the upper portion 1708 of the H-shaped hole and the width 1711 of the lower portion 1710 of the enlarged hole preferably correspond to each other and are the same as shown in FIG. 65 . Thus, once upper base segment 1702 has been rigidly fastened to lower base member 1704 to form fastener base 1700, corresponding side surface portions 1716 and 1718 of corresponding H-shaped hole upper portion 1708 and enlarged hole lower portion 1710 are aligned to provide approximately flush with each other.

Referring to FIGS. 67-69 , various views are shown showing the fastener 12 (see FIGS. 15A and 15B ) placed on the fastener base 1700 with its staple 412 extending into and through the hole 1706 . Similar to the fastener base 14, the staple legs 460, 462 of the staple 412 and the holes 1706 are sized such that the staple legs 460, 462 can be positioned in one of the holes 1706 to extend downwardly through the H The shaped upper portion 1708 and enlarged lower portion 1710 abut opposite surface portions of the aperture 1706 to have a snug sliding fit therewith. As shown in FIG. 69 , with the staple 412 received in the hole 1706 , the crown 463 of the staple 412 can be oriented below the lower surface 1705 of the lower base member 1704 of the fastener base 1700 .

As shown in FIG. 67, a pair of staples 412 received in each hole 1706 are spaced from each other on the lower plate 416 of the fastener 12 such that the corresponding legs 460, 462 of the pair of staples 412 are aligned with the The side surface portions 1716, 1718 (see FIG. 69 ) of 2 have a tight sliding fit. By way of example and not limitation, the width 1709 , 1711 of the aligned side surface portions 1716 , 1718 through the aperture 1706 may be only slightly greater than the distance measured from the surface portion of the staple leg 460 or 462 facing the side surface portion 1716 , 1718 , such that when positioned in the hole 1706, the staple legs 460 or 462 are spaced approximately 0.005 inches from the side surface portions 1716, 1718. In a similar manner, the dimensions of the staple legs 460, 462 and hole upper portion 1708 are designed so that the staple legs 460, 462 will snugly slide fit the curved surface of the pocket portion 1717 at the corners of the H-shaped hole upper portion 1708 (See Figure 68). With this dimension, the aligned side surface portions 1716, 1718 and the arcuate surfaces of the pocket portion 1717 are arranged to provide the desired effect when the staple legs 460, 462 of the staple 412 are driven through during the conveyor belt fastener application operation. Via hole 1706 and out of hole 1706 serves as a guide surface. The aligned side surface portions 1716, 1718 and central tab 1719 may have close tolerances with the staple legs and pusher 124 such that the aligned side surface portions 1716, 1718 and central tab 1719 may develop over time. Over time, the applicator 18 wears down with repeated use. An operator may remove the worn upper base segment 1702 and replace the upper base segment 1702 with a new upper base segment 1702 .

In a similar manner, an applicator pusher (such as pusher 124 of applicator 18 shown in FIG. 4 ) is sized to have a width such that it has a tight sliding fit with aligned side surface portions 1716, 1718 . During operation, when the pusher 124 of the applicator 18 was driven upwards, the side surfaces of the pusher 124 were adjacent to the side surface portions 1716, 1718 of the H-shaped hole upper portion 1708 and the enlarged hole bottom 1710 respectively, so that the groove of the pusher 124 The staple 412, including its legs 460, 462, engages and drives the staple 412, including its legs 460, 462, up through the hole 1706 and out of the hole 1706 and guided as it passes through the conveyor belt. So configured, the upper H-shaped hole portion 1708 and the lower enlarged hole portion 1710 of each hole 1706 (including their aligned side surface portions 1716, 1718) cooperate to facilitate effective alignment of the pusher and staple during staple driving operations.

Although the alternative fastener base 1700 is configured to be substantially similar to the fastener base 14 described herein in terms of applicator positioning, staple driving, and applicator advancing operations, since the upper base section 1702 is in contact with the lower base member With the separation of 1704 , fastener mount 1700 may be formed using less material than fastener mount 14 . So configured, upper base segment 1702 may require less raw material to manufacture than the portion of fastener base 14 that includes the upper portion of the H-shaped hole because upper base segment 1702 does not extend to completely overlap enlarged hole lower portion 1710 in lower base member 1704 , for example as shown in Figure 64. In some forms, upper base segment 1702 may be formed from a different material than lower base member 1704 . In one non-limiting example, upper base segment 1702 may be formed from one type of metal, such as A2 steel, while lower base member 1704 may be formed from a different type of metal. Alternatively, upper base segment 1702 and lower base member 1704 may be formed from the same material. So configured, different material configurations of the components forming fastener base 1700 are contemplated.

Referring now to FIGS. 70 to 73 , there is shown an alternative fastener base 1800 which is also similar in many respects to the fastener base 14 discussed above, so the differences between the two will be highlighted. . Fastener base 1800 is configured for use with system 10 and the various applicators described above (eg, applicator 18, applicator 1100). In this regard, the fastener base 1800, like the alternative fastener base 1700, has the same functionality as the fastener base 14 in terms of its operation with the applicators 18, 1100, such as with respect to its interaction with staples, staples, The pusher 124, the guide finger 174 and the pusher finger 504 interact. However, like fastener base 1700, fastener base 1800 has multiple components as described below so that if one of the components is damaged, that component can be removed for repair or replacement without having to repair or replace the entire base.

As shown, the elongated fastener base 1800 includes a first upper guide bar segment 1802, a second upper guide bar segment 1803, and a lower base member 1804 which, once rigidly fastened or coupled together, form the fastener base 1800's part. Fastener base 1800 includes a plurality of holes 1806 extending through base 1800, each hole 1806 including an H-shaped upper portion 1808 defined by upper guide strip segments 1802, 1803 and an enlarged lower portion 1810 formed in lower base member 1804 (eg, shown in Figure 71), as described in further detail below. The holes 1806 of the assembled fastener base 1800 are of substantially the same configuration as the holes 16 of the fastener base 14 and the holes 1706 of the alternative fastener base 1700 to allow the applicator to be positioned, the staples to be driven Functions substantially similarly to the applicator advancing operation.

Referring to FIG. 71 , each first upper guide bar segment 1802 includes a plurality of holes 1830 configured to align with corresponding holes 1832 of the lower base member 1804 such that fastening members may be received therethrough. As shown, the holes 1832 may be threaded such that the fastening member may be a threaded bolt 1812 which may be received through the holes 1830 and secured in the holes 1832 to rigidly couple the first upper guide bar segment 1802 to the Lower base member 1804 . Similarly, each second upper guide bar segment 1803 includes a plurality of holes 1831 configured to align with corresponding holes 1833 of the lower base member 1804 such that fastening members may be received therethrough. As shown, the holes 1833 may be threaded such that the fastening member may be a threaded bolt 1813 which may pass through the holes 1831 and be secured in the holes 1833 to rigidly couple the second upper guide bar segment 1803 to the Lower base member 1804 . Additionally, lower base member 1804 may include one or more alignment posts 1834 configured to be received within secondary holes 1835 of first guide bar segment 1802 for aligning holes 1830 and 1832 to secure the base member using bolts 1812. 1804 and guide bar segment 1802 are secured together.

The first upper guide bar segment 1802 and the second upper guide bar segment 1803 each include alternating small central tabs 1805, similar to the central tabs 1719 of the aperture upper portion 1708 previously described, and larger dividers. Protrusion 1807 configured to define a generally H-shaped hole upper portion 1808 of each hole 1806 . When assembled and rigidly coupled to the lower base member 1804, the upper guide bar segments 1802 and 1803 do not engage directly with each other, but are spaced apart from each other along the length of the enlarged bore lower portion 1810, thereby forming a gap between the upper guide bar segments 1802, 1803. A continuous gap 1820 extends between them. The larger dividing protrusions 1807 on each strip segment 1802, 1803 form substantially divided portions of the gap 1820 such that each portion comprises a surface portion of one of the aperture upper portions 1808, as described in more detail below.

The small central tab protrusion 1805 of the strip segments 1802, 1804 cooperates with the larger dividing protrusion 1807 such that the dividing portions of the gap 1820 have a generally "H" shaped profile with each portion over a corresponding enlarged hole lower portion 1810 align. So configured, each H-shaped hole upper portion 1808 does not have a completely closed perimeter. It is also contemplated that the larger separating tabs 1807 of each guide bar segment 1802, 1803 could extend such that when secured to the lower base member 1804, the flat ends of the respective oppositely extending tabs 1807 would abut or abut one another, to form a closed perimeter of the upper portion 1808 of the hole.

Referring to FIGS. 70 and 71 , in the preferred and illustrated form, the first and second guide bar segments 1802 , 1803 are each equal in length and the lower base member 1804 is longer in length than the base segments 1802 , 1803 alone. The length of the lower base member 1804 is dimensioned such that a predetermined number of guide strip segments 1802, 1803 are secured to the lower base member 1804 to extend over its multi-hole lower portion 1810 and form a fastener base including its plurality of holes 1806 1800. So configured, if a single guide strip segment 1802, 1803 becomes unusable for any reason, the unusable guide strip portion can be removed from the lower base member 1804 and repaired or replaced while the remaining guide strips 1802, 1803 1803 remains in place secured to lower base member 1804 .

Once fastener base 1800 is assembled by coupling upper guide strips 1802, 1803 to lower base member 1804, fastener base 1800 functions substantially similarly to fastener bases 14 and 1700, as previously described. While the H-shaped upper portion 1808 of each aperture 1806 does not have a closed perimeter, each small central tab 1805 cooperates with the larger dividing tabs 1807 on either side of it to form a mirrored "J" shaped opening 1817 . Each J-shaped opening 1817 has a side surface portion 1816 of the hole upper portion 1808, which is flat and extends linearly along the side of the partition protrusion 1807, and each J-shaped opening 1817 is formed in the central sheet-like protrusion 1805. One of the staple leg receiving openings between the spacer tab 1807 and the opening is configured as an arcuate surface portion having a generally semicircular configuration to correspond to the staple leg 460 of each staple 412 , 462 circular cross-sectional configuration (see FIG. 15A ).

Referring to FIGS. 72 and 73 , each H-shaped hole upper portion 1808 has an opening extending between opposite side surface portions 1816 of the large protrusion 1807 on either side of the central tab 1805 of the upper guide bar segments 1802, 1803. Width 1809. Likewise, enlarged bore lower portion 1810 formed in lower base member 1804 similarly includes enlarged or long side surface portions 1818 of enlarged bore lower portion 1810 that face each other, extend linearly and have a planar configuration, and extend along the The hole lower portions 1810 are spaced apart from each other by a width 1811 . As shown in FIG. 73, the dimensions of the width of the upper hole portion 1808 and the width 1811 of the lower hole portion 1810 preferably correspond to each other and are the same. Thus, once the upper guide strip segments 1802, 1803 are rigidly secured to the lower base member 1804 to form the fastener base 1800, the corresponding side surface portions 1816 and 1818 of the corresponding holes in the upper hole portion 1808 and the lower enlarged hole portion 1810 are aligned to approximately flush with each other.

Similar to fastener bases 14 and 1700, and similar to that described with respect to FIGS. 67-69, the staple legs 460, 462 (shown in FIG. Extending downwardly through the H-shaped upper portion 1808 and enlarged lower portion 1810 and in close proximity to the aligned side surface portions 1816, 1818 for a snug sliding fit therewith, even though each H-shaped hole upper portion 1808 does not have a closed perimeter. A pair of staples 412 received in each hole 1806 are spaced apart from each other on the lower plate 416 of the fastener 12 such that the corresponding leg 460 or 462 of the pair of staples 412 is aligned with the side surface portion 1816, 1818 has a tight sliding fit. By way of example and not limitation, the width 1809, 1811 of the aligned side surface portions 1816, 1818 through the aperture 1806 may be only slightly greater than the distance measured from the surface portion of the staple leg 460 or 462 facing the side surface portions 1816, 1818, Staple legs 460 or 462 are spaced approximately 0.005 inches from side surface portions 1816, 1818. In a similar manner, the dimensions of the staple legs 460, 462 and the hole upper portion 1808 are designed so that the staple legs 460, 462 will meet the J-shaped recess portion 1817 in its semicircular opening at the corner of the hole upper portion 1808. The curved surface provides a tight sliding fit.

With such dimensions, the aligned side surface portions 1816, 1818 are configured and arranged to act as staples when the staples are driven through and out of the holes 1806 during conveyor belt fastener application operations. The guiding surfaces of the two staple legs 460,462. In a similar manner, an applicator pusher (such as pusher 124 of applicator 18 shown in FIG. 4 ) is sized to have a width such that it has tight sliding contact with aligned side surface portions 1816, 1818. Cooperate. In operation, when the pusher 124 of the applicator 18 is driven upward, the side surfaces of the pusher 124 abut the side surface portions 1816, 1818 of the H-shaped hole upper portion 1808 and the enlarged hole lower portion 1810, respectively, so as to engage the staples at the pusher 124 and drive the staple including its legs up through the hole 1806 and out of the hole 1806 as it is guided. So configured, the H-shaped hole upper portion 1808 and enlarged hole lower portion 1810 (including their aligned side surface portions 1816, 1818) of each hole 1806 cooperate to facilitate effective alignment of the pusher and staple during staple driving operation .

Although the alternative fastener base 1800 is configured to be substantially similar to the fastener base 14 described herein in terms of applicator positioning, staple driving, and applicator advancing operations, based on the upper guide bar segments 1802, 1803 and With the separation of lower base member 1804 , fastener base 1800 may be formed using less material than fastener base 14 . So configured, the upper guide strip segments 1802, 1803 may require less raw material to manufacture than the portion of the fastener base 14 that includes the upper portion of the H-shaped hole because of the gap 1820 (shown in FIG. 70 ) formed therebetween. In some forms, the upper guide bar segments 1802, 1803 may be formed from a different material than the lower base member 1804. In one non-limiting example, the upper guide bar segments 1802, 1803 may be formed from one type of metal, such as A2 steel, while the lower base member 1804 may be formed from a different type of metal. Alternatively, upper guide bar segments 1802, 1803 and lower base member 1804 may be formed from the same material. So configured, different material configurations of the components forming fastener base 1800 are contemplated.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, changes, and combinations of the above-described embodiments can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and such Modifications, changes and combinations should be considered within the scope of the inventive concept. Furthermore, directional language such as up, down, upward, and downward is used to describe relative orientation and movement of components as viewed in the drawings and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. For example, although fastener plate 414 is described as an upper plate, fastener plate 414 would be below fastener plate 416 when installed on a running conveyor belt.

Claims (34)

CLAIMS 1. A fastener base for facilitating fastening of fasteners to the end of a conveyor belt, the fastener base comprising: a lower base member having a plurality of lower hole portions; an upper base member configured to be detachably coupled to a lower base member, the upper base member having a plurality of upper aperture portions; When the upper base member is coupled to the lower base member, the lower hole portion of the lower base member cooperates with the upper hole portion of the upper base member to form a plurality of fastener holes configured to receive fasteners for securing to the end of a conveyor belt. U-shaped nails for pieces; Spaced-apart wall portions of each fastener hole span the fastener hole, the wall portions being configured to be engaged by a guide of the applicator to secure the applicator relative to the fastener hole; and The wall portion of the fastener hole is configured to guide the staples of the fastener and the pusher of the applicator through the fastener hole as the pusher drives the staple into the end of the belt. 2. The fastener base of claim 1 , wherein the upper aperture portion of each upper base member includes two pairs of aligned pocket portions to accommodate the staple legs, and the pair of aligned pocket portions A central pair of tab-like protrusions in the middle, the upper base member is removable from the lower base member to facilitate replacement of the upper base member. 3. The fastener base of claim 1 , wherein, for each fastener hole, the wall portions include upper hole portion side wall portions of the upper base member spaced apart from each other across the fastener hole and lower hole portion sidewall portions of the lower base member spaced apart from each other across the fastener hole; and Wherein the upper and lower bore sidewall portions are aligned and configured to guide the pusher through the lower and upper bore portions of the fastener hole. 4. The fastener base of claim 1, wherein the upper base member includes a plurality of upper base segments each configured to be detachably coupled to a lower base member. 5. The fastener base of claim 1 , wherein said upper base member and said lower base member include a plurality of mating portions configured to oppose said upper and lower base members are positioned relative to each other such that the upper and lower fastener hole portions are aligned when the upper and lower base members are detachably coupled. 6. The fastener base of claim 1 , wherein the fastener holes are longitudinally aligned when the upper and lower base members are detachably coupled; and wherein the upper aperture portion has a first transverse distance therethrough; and Wherein the lower hole portion has a second lateral distance therethrough, the second lateral distance being greater than the first lateral distance. 7. The fastener base of claim 1, wherein the upper hole portion is H-shaped; and Wherein, the lower hole is oblong. 8. The fastening mount of claim 1, wherein the upper mount member includes first and second guide bar members configured to couple to the lower base member and forming a gap between the first guide bar member and the second guide bar member; Wherein the protrusion of the first guide bar member extending in the gap and the protrusion of the second guide bar member extending in the gap cooperate to define at least a portion of the upper hole portion of each fastener hole. 9. The fastener base of claim 1, wherein the upper hole portion of each fastener hole has a closed perimeter. 10. The fastener base of claim 1, wherein the upper base member is formed of a different material than the lower base member. 11. A system for securing fasteners to the end of a conveyor belt, the system comprising: A fastener base for supporting fasteners, the fastener base includes a lower base member having a plurality of lower hole portions and an upper base member having a plurality of upper hole portions, the upper base member being configured to be detachably coupled to the lower a base member such that the lower hole portion and the upper hole portion cooperate to form a plurality of aligned fastener holes configured to receive staples of the lower plate of the fasteners; and an applicator including a plurality of operating members operable to cooperate with the fastener holes of the fastener base to advance the applicator along the fastener base, secure the applicator relative to the fastener base, and drive the U the ends of the legs of the staples pass through the conveyor belt and into the holes in the upper plate of the fastener; and The applicator is operable to press the upper plate of the fastener against the end of the belt and bend the ends of the staple legs against the upper plate of the fastener to secure the fastener to the end of the belt. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the applicator is movable along the fastener mount to either fastener hole, and the applicator is operable to Fasteners are secured to the conveyor belt without having to move the applicator along the fastener mounts. 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the applicator is operable to push an upper plate of one of the fasteners against the end of the belt, driving a staple leg of one fastener The end passes through the end of the belt and into the through hole in the upper plate and bends the staple leg end against the upper plate of the fastener while the applicator remains fixed relative to the fastener base . 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the operating member comprises a staple pusher configured to advance into lower and upper hole portions of the fastener hole to drive the staple leg ends through the conveyor belt; and Wherein the operating member includes a guide configured to be advanced into the lower bore portion but not the upper bore portion to secure the applicator relative to the fastener mount. 15. The system of claim 11, wherein the operating member comprises at least two different operating members configured to be advanced into the fastener hole; and Wherein each fastener hole includes a pair of side wall portions spaced apart from each other across the fastener hole and configured to guide at least two operating members when the at least two operating members are advanced into the fastener hole. Two operating components. 16. The system of claim 11, wherein the fastener holes are aligned in a longitudinal direction, the upper hole portion has a first transverse width and the lower hole portion has a second transverse width, the second transverse width The width is greater than the first lateral width. 17. The system of claim 11, wherein the operating member includes a guide configured to extend into and engage the fastener hole. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operating member comprises a pusher operable to be advanced into the fastener hole and drive the staple leg end through end of the conveyor belt. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the operating member includes an advancing member operable to engage the fastener seat at the fastener hole and advance the applicator along the fastener seat. 20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the applicator includes an anvil operable to press the upper plate of the fastener against the end of the conveyor belt and operable to bend the staple leg ends The slider rests on the upper plate of the fastener. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the operating member includes a pusher operable to drive a staple of the fastener out of the fastener hole; and wherein the anvil and slider are aligned with the pusher such that the anvil is operable to push the upper plate of one of the fasteners against the end of the conveyor belt, and the pusher and slider are operable to drive the U-shape of the fastener The staple leg ends pass through the end of the belt and bend the staple leg ends against the upper plate of the fastener while the applicator remains secured to the fastener base. 22. A system for securing fasteners to the end of a conveyor belt, the system comprising: A fastener base comprising a lower base member and a plurality of upper base members, the fastener base having a plurality of aligned fastener holes comprising an upper hole portion of the upper base member and a lower hole portion of the lower base member , the fastener hole is configured to receive a staple of the fastener; and Applicators, including: an advancing member, at least a portion of which is configured to extend into the fastener bore, the advancing member being operable to move the applicator along the fastener seat; a guide configured to extend into the fastener hole and secure the applicator along the fastener base; an anvil configured to contact the upper plate of the fastener and move the upper plate toward the end of the conveyor belt received in the fastener; a pusher operable to advance into the fastener hole to drive the end of the fastener staple leg through the end of the conveyor belt and into the hole in the upper plate of the fastener; and A slider operable to bend the staple leg end against the upper plate of the fastener and secure the fastener to the end of the conveyor belt. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the pusher has an extended position and a retracted position, in the extended position the pusher extends in the upper and lower hole portions of the fastener hole; position where the pusher is outside the fastener hole; and wherein the guide has an extended position, wherein the guide extends in the lower hole portion of the fastener hole and does not extend in the upper hole portion of the fastener hole, and the guide has a retracted position, wherein the guide is the outside of the hole. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the lower hole portion of each fastener hole includes a pair of side wall portions spaced apart from each other across the fastener hole; and Wherein the guide has a side surface configured to engage a sidewall portion of a lower hole portion of the fastener hole to secure the applicator against movement along the fastener seat. 25. The system of claim 23, wherein the upper hole portion of each fastener hole includes a pair of side wall portions spaced from each other across the fastener hole for use in fastening support the ends of the staple legs in the hole in the component; and Wherein the pusher includes a side surface configured to slide along a sidewall portion of an upper hole portion of the fastener hole as the pusher drives the staple leg end through the end of the conveyor belt. 26. The system of claim 25, wherein the lower hole portion of each fastener hole includes a pair of side wall portions spaced from each other across the fastener hole, and wherein the upper hole The side wall portion of the hole portion and the side wall portion of the lower hole portion are flush with each other. 27. The system of claim 22, wherein the fastener holes are aligned longitudinally along the fastener mount; and wherein the upper aperture portion has a first transverse distance therethrough; and Wherein the lower hole portion has a second lateral distance therethrough, the second lateral distance being greater than the first lateral distance. 28. The system of claim 22, wherein the guides and pushers are configured to extend into adjacent fastener holes such that the guides and pushers are juxtaposed to each other. 29. The system of claim 22, wherein the fastener mount includes a rim extending around each fastener hole; and Wherein, the advancing member is configured to engage an edge of the fastener hole to move the applicator along the fastener seat. 30. The system of claim 22, wherein the applicator includes a pusher assembly including a pusher member and a pivotable pusher arm connecting the pusher member to the pusher such that advancement of the pusher causes the pusher arm to pivoting, movement of the advancing member and movement of the applicator along the fastener base. 31. The system of claim 22, wherein the pusher has a retracted position, wherein the pusher is located below the fastener seat and outside of the fastener hole, the pusher has an extended position, wherein the pusher extends within the fastener hole; and wherein the anvil and slider are above the fastener base and aligned with the pusher, wherein the anvil, slider and pusher are operable to perform plate movement, staple leg drive and U-turn on one of the fasteners The staple legs flex to operate while the guide holds the applicator along the fastener base. 32. The system of claim 22, wherein the applicator includes a coupling configured to selectively couple the guide and the pusher together such that when the pusher advances to the fastener When in the bore, the guide and pusher together advance at least a portion of the pusher's range of motion. 33. The system of claim 32, wherein the coupling is configured to decouple the guide and the pusher at a predetermined position of the pusher to facilitate advancement of the pusher to the The fastener hole is advanced farther into the fastener hole than the guide is advanced. 34. The system of claim 22, wherein the applicator includes a body configured to slidably couple to the fastener mount.

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