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US 11,713,492 B2Granted
Offset link for roller chain with enhanced strength
AssigneeIwis Drive Systems, LLC
InventorAndrew J. Binford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A roller chain having at least one pair of offset links wherein the offset link plates are made with a steel having a high chromium content and are through-hardened using an austempering heat treatment (such as a salt bath quench). The resulting offset link plates may have a hardness in range of 44-50 HRC on the Rockwell hardness scale and a bainite metallurgical microstructure. The offset link plates may also have a greater fatigue strength than at least one of the inner link plates and the outer link plates. The inner and outer link plates may be formed out of a plain carbon steel which is heated, quenched and tempered to produce a martensite microstructure.
Claims19
A roller chain comprising:
- a plurality of inner link plate pairs and a plurality of outer link plate pairs wherein the plurality of inner link plate pairs and the plurality of outer link plate pairs alternate along the length of the roller chain and wherein the plurality of inner link plate pairs and the plurality of outer link plate pairs are all formed out of a first planar sheet material;
- a plurality of roller assemblies centrally positioned at regularly spaced intervals along the chain length and extending between individual link plates forming the plurality of inner link plate pairs;
- an offset link which includes a pair of offset link plates, the offset link having a first end connected to one inner link plate pair of the plurality of inner link plate pairs, the offset link having a second end connected to one outer link plate pair of the plurality of outer link plate pairs wherein the offset link plates are formed out of a second sheet material having an inner plate section disposed in a first plane at the first end, an outer plate section disposed in a second plane at the second end wherein the first plane is parallel with the second plane and a transition section connects the inner plate section and the outer plate section, and wherein the roller chain has only one offset link;
- and
- wherein the first planar sheet material and the second sheet material are formed out of different materials and the pair of offset link plates have a greater fatigue strength than at least one of the plurality of inner link plate pairs and the plurality of outer link plate pairs.
2 more elements
A roller chain comprising:
- a plurality of inner link plate pairs and a plurality of outer link plate pairs wherein the plurality of inner link plate pairs and the plurality of outer link plate pairs alternate along the length of the roller chain and wherein the plurality of inner link plate pairs and the plurality of outer link plate pairs are all formed out of a first planar sheet material;
- a plurality of roller assemblies centrally positioned at regularly spaced intervals along the chain length and extending between individual link plates forming the plurality of inner link plate pairs;
- an offset link which includes a pair of offset link plates, the offset link having a first end connected to one inner link plate pair of the plurality of inner link plate pairs, the offset link having a second end connected to one outer link plate pair of the plurality of outer link plate pairs wherein the offset link plates are formed out of a second sheet material having an inner plate section disposed in a first plane at the first end, an outer plate section disposed in a second plane at the second end wherein the first plane is parallel with the second plane and a transition section connects the inner plate section and the outer plate section, and wherein the roller chain has only one offset link;
- wherein individual plates of the plurality of inner link plate pairs, the plurality of outer link plate pairs and the pair of offset link plates all have a common thickness;
- the first planar sheet material and the second sheet material being formed out of different materials wherein the first planar sheet material is a hardened carbon steel material having a tempered martensite microstructure;
- and
- the second sheet material is an austempered steel material having a bainitic microstructure having a Rockwell hardness within a range extending from 44 to 50 HRC and has a chromium content within a range extending from 0.4% to 1.1% (by weight) and a carbon content within a range extending from 0.3% to 0.6% (by weight).
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.