840 Series Aluminum Conveyor-Belt Cutters From Flexco Offer Lighter Weight Plus Improvements for Easier Use
25 March 2002
A redesigned series of aluminum conveyor-belt cutting tools from Flexco, designated the 840 Series, augments the company's earlier steel cutter line with 15% lighter-weight alternatives for easier handling, plus added features for better operation and maintenance.
Designed for heavy-duty applications such as mining, aggregate, grain, scrap and steel mill operations, the 840 Series adds extra-strength belt-clamping springs that prevent shifting during the cut. This assures the straight, smooth, perpendicular cut essential for proper installation of mechanical belt splicing, longer splice life and a truer-tracking belt. In addition, a 90E squaring attachment is offered as a time-saving option for use with new belts, an external take-up control allows convenient field adjustment of blade drive-chain tension, and aluminum construction keeps the tool free of corrosion.
The 840 Series also adds shorter and longer sizes, now offering five lengths to accommodate standard belt widths from 24" to 84" (610-2135mm).
Unlike conventional push/pull belt cutting tools, the crank-driven 840 Series assures single-pass cutting with virtually no resistance, through rubber and PVC belting up to 1" (25mm) thick.
Cutter operation is simple and designed for greatest possible safety, even in tight workspaces: after proper belt-squaring procedures, the user lifts the tool's clamp bar, positions the belt across the cutter-blade track, lowers the clamp bar and secures it with a detent pin. Two top-mounted spring clamps are then activated to hold the belt firmly in place. The user then turns a top-mounted double-handle crank to draw the tool's dual-edge blade through the conveyor belt in either direction; the unit's chain-drive crank system significantly reduces the effort and time required to make a cut.
For added convenience and safety, a crank socket is provided at each end of the cutter body to accommodate situations in which workspace is available only along one side of the tool. The hold-down bar can be secured in an open position to eliminate the need to manually hold it while aligning the belt over the cutter-blade track. For low-clearance situations, the hold-down bar can be completely detached. Steel pockets at both ends of the blade track provide guarded areas for parking the cutter blade while the tool is open. As an added safety feature, the top of the blade is flat and blunt.
