Guide bar for a saw chain having a reduced-wear direction-reversing section

A guide bar for a saw chain, the guide bar defining a plane and a longitudinal center axis and comprising:

• an elongated, flat base body extending along said longitudinal center axis and having first and second outer flat sides;
• said base body having an outer periphery and having a guide track formed on said outer periphery for the saw chain;
• said guide track including a running surface and a guide groove having a groove base;
• a direction-reversing section for the saw chain configured on one end of said base body;
• said direction-reversing section being configured as an add-on component;
• said running surface, said guide groove of said base body and said groove base being continued in said add-on component so as to cause said running surface and said guide groove together with said groove base to continue in said add-on component;
• said base body being made of a first material and said add-on component being made of a second material having a wear resistance greater than said first material;
• said first and second flat sides having respective projections formed thereon in the region of said add-on component;
• said projections being configured to extend in the direction of said longitudinal center axis and overlap said add-on component;
• said add-on component having respective outer surfaces formed as support surfaces parallel to corresponding ones of said first and second flat sides of said base body and positioned in between said projections;
• said projections being in contact engagement with corresponding ones of said support surfaces so as to hold said add-on component therebetween;
• said add-on component being fixed to said base body by a first weld seam on an edge of said first outer flat side of said base body and a second weld seam on an edge of said second outer flat side of said base body;
• said first and second weld seams running between said add-on component and said base body and lying over their respective lengths (S) spatially below said groove base of the guide bar;
• and,
• at least one of said weld seams extending in depth perpendicularly to said first and second flat sides so as to cause one of said support surfaces of said add-on component to be welded with a corresponding one of said projections.