Saw chain

A cutter for an endless cutting device movable along an endless path in a forward direction for cutting a kerf in material such as wood, said cutter in an upright position comprising:

• a body portion disposed in a predetermined vertical plane,
• a side plate portion joined to said body portion and extending upwardly from and positioned to one side of said body portion, said side plate portion from the forward end to the rearward end thereof sloping inwardly with respect to said plane, said side plate portion adjacent its forward end having an outer face and an inner face, and an outwardly directed, sharpenable work engaging forward end surface between the outer face and the inner face, said inner face intersecting said end surface of said side plate portion at an angle, because of the inward sloping of said side plate portion, to define a substantial side cutting edge where it intersects said end surface of said side plate portion, and
• a top plate portion integral with said side plate portion and extending inwardly from the upper part of said side plate portion, said top plate portion from the forward end to the rearward end thereof sloping downwardly, said top plate portion having an upper face and a lower face, and an upwardly directed, sharpenable forward end surface between the upper face and the lower face, said lower face intersecting said end surface of said top plate portion at an angle, because of the downward sloping of said top plate portion, to define a substantial top cutting edge where it intersects said end surface of said top plate portion, said top cutting edge functioning to cut and lift the material from the kerf being cut.

In a cutter link adapted to be assembled into a saw chain adapted to be driven in a forward direction for cutting a kerf in material such as wood,

• a base portion,
• and a cutter portion integral with the base portion,
• the cutter portion having a shank portion extending laterally outwardly from the base portion,
• a cutter side plate portion extending upwardly from the shank portion, and a cutter top plate portion extending inwardly from the cutter side plate portion back over the base portion,
• the shank portion, the cutter side plate portion and the cutter top plate portion combined being generally C-shaped in transverse cross section and having a concave inner surface,
• the cutter side plate portion, from the forward end to the rearward end thereof, sloping inwardly,
• the cutter top plate portion, from the forward end to the rearward end thereof and outwardly from the inner edge thereof, sloping downwardly,
• the cutter side plate portion having an outwardly facing forward end surface which intersects said concave inner surface at an acute angle to form a side cutting edge substantially outermost on said cutter side plate portion, and
• the cutter top plate portion having an upwardly facing forward end surface which intersects said concave inner surface at an acute angle to form a top cutting edge, said cutting edge functioning to cut and lift material from the kerf being cut.

In a cutter for an endless cutting device movable along an endless path in a predetermined vertical plane and direction,

• a side plate portion positioned to one side of said plane, said side plate portion having an outer face and an inner face, the forward end of said side plate portion between the outer face and the inner face being outwardly directed making an acute angle with the inner face of the side plate portion to provide a sharpenable side cutting edge where it intersects said inner face of the side plate portion, said side plate portion extending inwardly and rearwardly at an angle to said plane for defining said side cutting edge between said inner face and said forward end of said side plate portion, and for positioning said sharpenable side cutting edge substantially outermost on said side plate portion, and
• a top plate portion integral with and extending inwardly from the upper part of said side plate portion, said top plate portion having an upper face and a lower face, the forward end of said top plate portion between the upper face the the lower face being upwardly directed making an acute angle with the lower face of the top plate portion to provide a top cutting edge where it intersects said lower face of the top plate portion, said top plate portion extending downwardly and rearwardly at an acute angle to the path of said cutting device, said top plate portion also extending downwardly and outwardly said inner face of said side plate portion and said lower face of said top plate being concave.

In a completely outside sharpenable cutter adapted to be assembled into a saw chain and driven in a predetermined direction,

• a body portion having a centerline,
• a side plate portion joined to said body portion and located laterally outwardly and upwardly with respect to one side of said body portion, said side plate portion being angled inwardly from front to back and having an inside surface and an outer side which near the front of said side plate portion faces away from said centerline, said side plate portion having a predetermined thickness between said inside surface and said outer side,
• a top plate portion extending from the upper part of said side plate portion back over said one side of the body portion, said top plate portion being angled downwardly from front to back and having an inside surface and an upper side facing away from said centerline,
• a portion of the cutter above said body portion being generally a C-shaped in transverse cross section portion defining a concave inner surface including the inside surface of said side plate portion and the inside surface of said top plate portion,
• said side plate portion having an outwardly facing forward end surface intersecting said concave inner surface to provide an outermost side cutting edge on said side plate portion, and
• said top plate portion having an upwardly facing forward end surface intersecting said concave inner surface to provide a top cutting edge for said top plate portion.

In a saw chain movable along an endless path in a predetermined direction, said saw chain having a centerline,

• a completely outside sharpenable cutter comprising a substantially flat body portion having opposite side surfaces extending substantially parallel to said centerline,
• a side plate portion extending to one side of the said centerline, said side plate portion having an outer side surface and an inside surface in parallel relation to said outer side surface, and an outwardly facing, forward end surface,
• said inside surface of said side plate portion extending rearwardly and inwardly at an acute angle from said end surface,
• said inside surface intersecting said end surface to define an outermost, forward, side cutting edge on said side plate portion,
• a top plate portion integral with the side plate portion and extending from the side plate portion across said centerline,
• the top plate portion having an upper side surface, a bottom surface, and an upwardly facing forward end surface,
• said top plate portion extending rearwardly and downwardly at an acute angle toward said body portion from the forward end surface of said top plate portion,
• said bottom surface intersecting said upwardly facing forward end surface to define an uppermost, forward, top cutting edge for said top plate portion, and
• an offsetting shank portion joining the body portion and the side plate portion said top plate portion, said side plate portion and said shank portion in transverse cross-section being concave.

A saw chain tooth comprising:

• a substantially flat body portion having a longitudinal centerline,
• a side plate portion,
• a shank portion joining the body portion and the side plate portion, the side plate portion extending rearwardly at an acute angle relative to the body portion and having parallel inner and outer surfaces,
• the side plate portion having an outwardly facing forward end surface, said inner surface of said side plate portion angularly intersecting said outwardly facing forward end surface of said side plate portion to form a side cutting edge, and
• a top plate portion joined at one side edge to the side plate portion, said top plate portion having an inner surface and an upwardly facing forward end surface forming a top cutting edge with the inner surface of the top plate portion said inner surfaces define a continuous concave surface.