Silent chain

A silent chain adapted to be engaged with a tooth sprocket, said chain including a plurality of links which are serially pivotally connected throughout the endless length of the chain, each link being defined by a plurality of meshing link plates disposed in sidewardly aligned relationship with at least some of the link plates being in sidewardly spaced relationship, the link plates of adjacent links having end portions which sidewardly overlap, the meshing link plates being substantially identical and including a pair of inwardly projecting teeth adjacent opposite ends thereof which are spaced apart by an intermediate recess adapted to receive a sprocket tooth, a connecting pin arrangement projecting through transversely aligned openings formed in the overlapping end portions of adjacent link plates for pivotally connecting adjacent links together, a pair of guide plates associated with and defining opposite sides of some of said links and disposed on opposite sides of the respective plurality of link plates, said connecting pin arrangement being coupled to the guide plates, and a spring plate link positioned between a sidewardly adjacent pair of said plates for exerting a sideward spring biasing force thereon, said spring plate link having openings through opposite end portions thereof for respectively accommodating therein the adjacent connecting pin arrangements, the improvement wherein said spring plate link has an exterior edge surface profile such that no portion of the plate spring link extends into the pitch circle of the sprocket which meshes with the chain.