General Signal Corporation

W Floyd Radcliff

John C Homer

J Ronald Walsh

The apparatus of the present invention includes a tube having locking apparatus at one end that is inserted into a hinge joint in a first direction. A lead wire is inserted into the tube in the opposite direction and locked in place within the tube. Then the tube is withdrawn from the joint with the lead wire still attached. The apparatus also includes a web shaped bib member having at least one opening therein for gripping by a human hand to assist in positioning the belt. The method of the invention has application to a method of securing the first end of a conveyor belt with respect to the second end of the conveyor belt wherein the first end and second end each include part of a hinged joint that includes a plurality of cylindrical section shaped members. This method includes the steps of (1) attaching a web shaped bib, having openings for gripping by an installer, to the cylindrical section shaped members attached to the first end and (2) manipulating the first end relative to the second end by gripping the web shaped body. The method includes the step of thereafter removing the web shaped bib. Other forms of the method in accordance with the invention include substantially aligning the cylindrical section shaped members connected to the first end and the cylindrical section shaped members connected to the second end, inserting in a first direction, a first end of a rigid hollow tube into the cylindrical section shaped members connected to both the first end and the second end, inserting in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, a first axial extremity of a lead wire having the other end thereof connected to an axial extremity of an aircraft cable, into the second end of the rigid hollow tube, clamping the first axial extremity of the lead wire at the second end of the rigid hollow tube, and withdrawing the rigid hollow tube from the cylindrical section shaped parts of the first and second ends.

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Streetsboro, OH, United States of America

W Floyd Radcliff