Integrally driven linkage for industrial/commercial equipment

An integrally driven linkage comprising:

• a plurality of links arranged in a series, each link having a pivotal connection to at least one adjacent link, whereby the linkage is capable of articulating at said pivot connections;
• a plurality of rotating elements supported by said links, each of said rotating elements being supported at a fixed distance from at least one adjacent rotating element;
• and
• a plurality of drive elements operatively coupling adjacent rotating elements, wherein at least one rotating element receives power from an adjacent rotating element by an input drive element and transmits power to an adjacent rotating element by an output drive element.

A integrally driven linkage comprising:

• a chain including a plurality of links arranged in a series;
• a plurality of axles support by the links;
• a plurality of rotating elements, each of said rotating elements being rotatably supported on a corresponding one of said axles, each of said rotating elements configured to receive a first drive element operatively coupling said rotating element to an adjacent upstream rotating element and a second drive element operatively coupling said rotating element to an adjacent downstream rotating element;
• an input transition assembly having a rotating element operatively coupled to a drive source and operatively coupled to an adjacent downstream rotating element;
• and
• an output transition assembly having a rotating element operatively coupled to a target destination and operatively coupled to an adjacent upstream rotating element.