Chain cutter

A chain cutter comprising:

• a flexible, endless chain body having inner and outer sides and including a plurality of generally planar flaps connected to each other for angular movement in a common plane, each of the flaps having an end face on the inner side of the chain body;
• the chain body further including a plurality of cutting devices, each of the cutting devices being releasably connected to the end faces of selected ones of the flaps;
• each of the cutting devices including a mounting projection;
• the end faces of each of the selected ones of the flaps forming a mounting recess receiving the mounting projection of the cutting devices connected to the flap;
• and
• each of the mounting recesses including an elastically movable section to selectively engage and release the mounting projection received in the mounting recess.

A chain cutter comprising:

• a flexible, endless chain body having inner and outer edges, and including a plurality of generally planar flaps, each of the flaps having first and second opposite ends and a pair of side stop faces facing toward adjacent flaps;
• the first end of each flap forming a first connecting portion having a first pair of peripheral surfaces having circular shapes, the second end of each flap forming a second connecting portion having a second pair of peripheral recesses having shapes matching the shapes of the first pair of peripheral surfaces of the flap, the first connecting portion of each one of the flaps being fitted into the second connecting portion of an adjacent flap, with the first pair of peripheral surfaces of said one flap abutted against the second pair of peripheral surfaces of said adjacent flap, to connect said one flap thereto, the first and second connecting portions of said plurality of flaps connecting the plurality of flaps to each other for angular movement in a common plane while preventing disengagement of the flaps from each other in a direction perpendicular to the common plane;
• each of the flaps having an end face on the inner edge of the chain body, each of at lest selected ones of the plurality of the flaps having a cutting device located at the end face of the flap;
• and
• each flap having an area forming a driving throughhole, the driving throughhole of the flaps that are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the chain body being disposed at regular intervals;
• wherein when the chain body bends inwardly to form an arc having a radius of curvature and the side stop faces of adjacent flaps in said arc abut against each other, the side stop faces of the adjacent flaps maintain the radius of curvature of said arc at a substantially fixed, predetermined minimum value.

A chain cutter comprising:

• a flexible endless chain body having inner and outer edges, and including a plurality of generally planar flaps, each of the flaps having first and second opposite ends and a pair of side stop faces facing toward adjacent flaps;
• the first end of each flap forming a connecting protrusion having a disk shape, and the second end of each flap forming a connecting recess having a shape complementary with the shape of the connecting protrusion of the flap;
• the connecting protrusion of each flap being fitted into the connecting recess of an adjacent flap to connect said each flap thereto, the connecting protrusions and the connecting recesses of the flaps connecting the plurality of flaps together for angular movement in a common plane while inhibiting disengagement of the flaps from each other in a direction perpendicular to the common plane;
• each of the flaps having an end face on the inner edge of the chain body, each of at least selected ones of the plurality of the flaps having a cutting device located at the end face of the flap;
• and
• each flap having an area forming a driving throughhole, the driving throughhole of the flaps that are disposed in a longitudinal direction of the chain body being disposes at regular intervals;
• wherein when the chain body bends inwardly to form an arc having a radius of curvature and the side stop faces of adjacent flaps in said arc abut against each other, the side stop faces of the adjacent flaps maintain the radius of curvature of said arc at a substantially fixed, predetermined minimum value.

A chain cutter comprising:

• a flexible endless chain body having inner and outer edges, and including a plurality of generally planar flaps, each of the flaps having first and second opposite ends and a pair of side stop faces facing toward adjacent flaps;
• the first end of each flap forming a connecting protrusion having a semi-circular shape having a first pair of peripheral surfaces, the second end of each flap forming a connecting recess having a second pair of peripheral surfaces having shape complementary with the shape of each of the first pair of peripheral surfaces of the connecting protrusion of the flap;
• and
• the connecting protrusion of each one of the flaps being fitted into the connecting recess of the adjacent flap with the first pair of peripheral surfaces of said one of the flaps abutting against the second pair of peripheral surfaces of the adjacent flap, the connecting protrusions and the connecting recesses connecting the plurality of flaps for angular movement in the common plane;
• each of the flaps having an end face on the inner edge of the chain body, each of at least selected ones of the plurality of the flaps having a cutting device located at the end face of the flap;
• wherein when the chain body bends inwardly to form an arc having a radius of curvature and the side stop faces of adjacent flaps in said arc abut against each other, the side stop faces of the adjacent flaps maintain the radius of curvature of said arc at a substantially fixed, predetermined minimum value.

A chain cutter comprising:

• a flexible endless chain body having inner and outer edges and including a plurality of generally planar flaps, each of the flaps having a center plate having two sides, and a pair of side plates bonded to the sides of the center plate;
• each of the flaps having first and second opposite ends, the first end of the flap forming a connecting protrusion having at least a first engaging portion formed with the center plate on a peripheral surface thereof;
• the second end of each flap forming a connecting recess having a shape complementary with the shape of the connecting protrusion of the flap, the connecting recess of each flap including at least a second engaging portion formed with the center plate on an inner peripheral surface thereof;
• the connecting protrusion of each one of the flaps being fitted into the connecting recess of an adjacent flap with the first engaging portion of said one of the flaps engaged with the second engaging portion of said adjacent flap, the connecting protrusions and the connecting recesses of the plurality of flaps connecting the plurality of flaps together for an angular movement in a common plane while inhibiting disengagement of the flaps from each other in a direction perpendicular to the common plane;
• each of the flaps having an end face on the inner edge of the chain body, each of at least selected ones of the plurality of the flaps having a cutting device located at the end face of the flap;
• wherein the center plate and the side plates of each flap contact with the center plate and the side plates of the adjacent flap respectively, between the connecting protrusion and the connecting recess when a tensile force is applied to the chain body.

A chain cutter comprising:

• a flexible endless chain body having inner and outer edges, and including a plurality of generally planar flaps, each of the flaps having first and second opposite ends;
• the first end of each flap forming a connecting protrusion having a disk shape, the second end of each flap forming a connecting recess having a shape complementary with the shape of the connecting protrusion of the flap, and the connecting protrusion of each flap fitting in the connecting recess of an adjacent flap to connect said each flap thereto, the connecting protrusions and the connecting recesses of the plurality of flaps connecting the plurality of flaps together for angular movement in a common plane;
• the connecting recess having a groove and an engaging protrusion on an inner peripheral surface thereof, the groove and the engaging protrusion extending parallel along the inner peripheral surface of the connecting recess, a fixing means mounted on the groove in a detachable manner, and the fixing means and the engaging protrusion holding the connecting protrusion therebetween to prevent disengagement of the flaps from each other in a direction perpendicular to the common plane;
• each of the flaps having an end face on the inner edge of the chain body, each of at least selected ones of the plurality of the flaps having a cutting device located at the end face of the flap;
• wherein the connecting protrusion of each flap becomes detachable from the connecting recess in the direction perpendicular to the common plane when the fixing means is detached from the groove of the connecting recess.