A chain for supporting energy conveying means, especially power lines and hoses, and a chain link therefor, according to which the chain links are of H-shape having two oppositely located laterally elastically yieldable arms interconnected by a transverse wall while two oppositely located arm sections of each link are provided with holes and the other two oppositely located arm sections of the same link are provided with studs having a diameter corresponding to a slide fit in said holes, the arrangement being such that the studs of one chain link pivotally engage the holes of the next following chain link.
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1. A power-line supporting chain for supporting energy conveying means, especially power lines and hoses, which includes a plurality of chain links pivotally connected to each other, each of said links being H-shaped and having two oppositely located and substantially parallel plate-shaped arms and a transverse integrally formed with wall transverse means extending transversely to the longitudinal extension of said arms and interconnecting the same at an area between the ends of said arms, said transverse wall means defining at least one transverse opening in each link adapted to receive energy conveying means for retention between said arms, each of said arms being laterally elastically yieldable relative to the other arm in a direction transverse to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the respective link and having two sections connected to each other at the region of said transverse wall while means, one of said sections of each arm is being provided with a bore and the pertaining other section of the same arm is being provided with a stud having an outer diameter corresponding to a slide fit for said bore, said chain links being arranged so that the studs of one chain link pivotally engage the bores of the respective next following link while the bores of said one chain link are pivotally engaged by the studs of the respective next preceding link, the end portion of each side plate which bears the stud being offset from the end portion of the side plate which contains the hole bore.
2. A chain according to
3. A chain according to
4. A chain according to
5. A chain according to
6. A chain according to
one opening through which power lines can be passed. 7. A chain according to claim 1, in which the two sections of each arm are offset from each other where the transverse wall means adjoins the side plate. 8. A chain according to claim 1, in which stops for limiting the swiveling angle between the links are mounted on those ends of the arms which carry the studs. 9. A chain according to claim 1, in which the chain links are made of synthetic material. 10. A chain according to
for cooperation with abutment means of the respective adjacent link. 12. A chain for supporting energy conveying means, especially power lines and hoses, which includes a plurality of chain links pivotally connected to each other, each of said links being H-shaped and having two oppositely located and substantially parallel plate-shaped arms and a transverse wall transverse means extending transversely to the longitudinal extension of said arms and interconnecting the same at an area between the ends of said arms, said transverse wall means defining at least one transverse opening in each link adapted to receive energy conveying means for retention between said arms, each of said arms being laterally elastically yieldable relative to the other arm in a direction transverse to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the respective link and having two sections connected to each other at the region of said transverse wall while means, one of said sections of each arm is being provided with a bore and the pertaining other section of the same arm is being provided with a stud having an outer diameter corresponding to a slide fit for said bore, said chain links being arranged so that the studs of one chain link pivotally engage the bores of the respective next following link while the bores of said one chain link are pivotally engaged by the studs of the respective next preceding link, those end portions of the arms which contain the bores also containing cut-away portions each of which extends between the respective bore and the adjacent edge of the pertaining arm and provides a guide passage for guiding a stud into the respective bore, the width of a cut-away tapering towards the corresponding adjacent bore. 13. A chain for supporting energy conveying means, especially power lines and hoses, which includes a plurality of chain links pivotally connected to each other, each of said links being H-shaped and having two oppositely located and substantially parallel plate-shaped arms and a transverse wall transverse means extending transversely to the longitudinal extension of said arms and interconnecting the same at an area between the ends of said arms, said transverse wall means defining at least one transverse opening in each link adapted to receive energy conveying means for retention between said arms, each of said arms being laterally elastically yieldable relative to the other arm in a direction transverse to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the respective link and having two sections connected to each other at the region of said transverse wall while means, one of said sections of each arm is being provided with a bore and the pertaining other section of the same arm is being provided with a stud having an outer diameter corresponding to a slide fit for said bore, said chain links being arranged so that the studs of one chain link pivotally engage the bores of the respective next following link while the bores of said one chain link are pivotally engaged by the studs of the respective next preceding link, those end portions of the arms which contain the bores also containing cut-away portions each of which extends between the respective bore and the adjacent edge of the pertaining arm and provides a guide passage for guiding a stud into the respective bore, the depth of a cut-away decreasing with decreasing distance from the edge of the pertaining bore. 4. A chain according to claim 13, in which each cut-away terminates at the edge of the adjacent bore. 15. A power-line supporting chain for supporting energy conveying means, especially power lines and hoses, which includes a plurality of chain links pivotally connected to each other, each of said links being H-shaped and having two oppositely located and substantially parallel plate-shaped arms and a transverse wall transverse means extending transversely to the longitudinal extension of said arms and interconnecting the same at an area between the ends of said arms, said transverse wall means defining at least one transverse opening in each link adapted to receive energy conveying means for retention between said arms, each of said arms being laterally elastically yieldable relative to the other arm in a direction transverse to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the respective link and having two sections connected to each other at the region of said transverse wall while means, one of said sections of each arm is being provided with a bore and the pertaining other section of the same arm is being provided with a stud having an outer diameter corresponding to a slide fit for said bore, said chain links being arranged so that the studs of one chain link pivotally engage the bores of the respective next following link while the bores of said one chain link are pivotally engaged by the studs of the respective next preceding link, the transverse wall means of a chain link serving as a stop-face for the edge face of an adjacent chain link so as to limit the swiveling angle between the links. 16. A chain for supporting energy conveying means, especially power lines and hoses, which includes a plurality of chain links pivotally connected to each other, each of said links being H-shaped and having two oppositely located and substantially parallel plate-shaped arms and a transverse wall transverse to the longitudinal extension of said arms and interconnecting the same at an area between the ends of said arms, each of said arms being laterally elastically yieldable relative to the other arm in a direction transverse to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the respective link and having two sections connected to each other at the region of said transverse wall, while one of said sections of each arm is provided with a bore and the pertaining other section of the same arm is provided with a stud having an outer diameter corresponding to a slide fit for said bore, said chain links being arranged so that the studs of one chain link pivotally engage the bores of the respective next following link while the bores of said one chain link are pivotally engaged by the studs of the respective next preceding link, the studs being made of a material different from the material of the chain links and being inserted into the latter.
17. A chain for supporting energy conveying means, especially power lines and hoses, which includes a plurality of chain links pivotally connected to each other, each of said links being H-shaped and having two oppositely located and substantially parallel plate-shaped arms and a transverse wall transverse to the longitudinal extension of said arms and interconnecting the same at an area between the ends of said arms, each of said arms being laterally elastically yieldable relative to the other arm in a direction transverse to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the respective link and having two sections connected to each other at the region of said transverse wall, while one of said sections of each arm is provided with a bore and the pertaining other section of the same arm is provided with a stud having an outer diameter corresponding to a slide fit for said bore, said chain links being arranged so that the studs of one chain link pivotally engage the bores of the respective next following link while the bores of said one chain link are pivotally engaged by the studs of the respective next preceding link, and bushes made of a material other than that used for the studs and set into the bores of the respective link arm
sections. 18. A chain link for a power-line supporting chain for supporting energy conveying means, especially power lines and hoses, which includes two oppositely located substantially parallel and laterally elastically yieldable plate-shaped arms and a transverse wall transverse means extending transversely to the longitudinal extension of said arms, said transverse wall means interconnecting said arms at an area between the ends of said arms and defining at least one transverse opening in said link adapted to receive energy conveying means for retention between said arms, each of said arms having two sections offset with regard to each other where said transverse wall adjoins said two sections and in a direction transverse to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the chain link, so that the distance between one pair of opposite arm sections is less than the distance between the other pair of opposite arm sections, one pair of opposite arm sections being provided with axially aligned holes and the other pair of opposite arm sections being provided with studs corresponding in diameter to a slide fit in said holes. 19. The link of the bores of the respective link arm sections. 22. A power-line supporting chain for supporting energy conveying means, especially power lines and hoses, which includes a plurality of chain links pivotally connected to each other, each of said links being H-shaped and having two oppositely located and substantially parallel plate-shaped arms and wall means extending transversely to the longitudinal extension of said arms and interconnecting the same at an area between the ends of said arms, said transverse wall means defining at least one transverse opening in each link adapted to receive energy conveying means for retention between said arms, each of said arms having two sections connected to each other at the region of said transverse wall means, one of said sections of each arm being provided with a bore and the pertaining other section of the same arm being provided with a stud having an outer diameter corresponding to a slide fit for said bore, each of said sections of said arms being laterally elastically yieldable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the respective link to an extent such that the said sections of the arms provided with bores on one link and the said sections of the arms provided with studs on a following link may be flexed relative to each other to enable entry of the studs into the bores, said chain links being arranged so that the studs of one chain link pivotally engage the bores of the respective next following link while the bores of said one chain link are pivotally engaged by the studs of the respective next preceding link, the end portion of each side plate which bears the stud being offset from the end portion of the side plate which contains the bore. 23. The chain of claim 22 in which each of the sections of the arms provided with a bore also includes a cut-away portion extending between the bore and the adjacent edge of the arm section which provides a guide passage for guiding a stud into the respective bore. 24. The chain of claim 23 in which the width of said cut-away portion tapers inwardly from the edge of the arm sections toward the bore. 25. The chain of claim 23 in which the depth of the cut-away portion decreases with decreasing distance from the edge of the bore. |
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The invention relates to supporting means in the form of a chain for conveying energy, fluid, and other substances to units moving along a track, in which the energy or the like conveying means are accommodated within spaces in a load-bearing chain. This chain comprises a number of links pivotally connected to each other and provided with stops for limiting the extent to which each link can swivel in relation to the adjacent links, each link comprising two side plates tied by a cross-piece or web.
Power-line supporting chains of this type are used, for example, with traveling machine tools, when electric, hydraulic or pneumatic power has to be fed to the tool. The power-line supporting chain is then usually supplied in the form of a self-supporting chain with links bearing stops to limit the relative pivotal movement between adjacent links. In most cases, the arrangement of the stops is such that the radius of curvature of the chain is infinitely great in one direction, so that the chain remains rigid when stretched out. In contrast thereto, the radius of curvature in the other direction has a finite value, so that the links of the chain can swivel to a chosen limited angle to one another, determined by the permissible radius of curvature of the least robust power line.
Various types of such power-line supporting chains are known, in which the individual links are joined together by hinge pins or by pivot sleeves. The hinge pins are secured in the plates by clips, clamps, or screw connections.
The design of the links for the known power-line supporting chains entails fairly heavy expenditure on precision work and production time. These links are invariably of a locked type such that whenever two adjacent links need to be taken apart, this can be done only with special tools. For large-sized supporting chains, such links are essential wherever long self-supporting spans are required. Hitherto, they have also been used for power-line supporting chains employed on lighter duties. With chains of this type, the precision work required has hitherto hindered production and prevented the chains from being freely used.
It is an object of the invention to provide a power-line supporting chain in which the links are joined together in such a way that the pivot connections can be made and released at any time, easily and without the use of special tools.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a supporting chain as set forth in the preceding paragraph which can be realized at a considerably lower cost in material and assembly work for the chain-link pivots than was heretofore possible.
Another object of the invention is to eliminate the difficulties and drawbacks inherent in the present state of the art.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of part of a power-line supporting chain according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of one type of link according to the invention.
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of another type of link according to the invention.
Such an arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein the arm 11a of FIG. 2 or 20a of FIG. 3 is provided with a separate stud 30, made of steel, for example, which is secured to the arm by conventional means such as a press fit, adhesive, threads or clips.
It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the specific showing in the drawing, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.
It may furthermore be added that while the chain links may be made of various types of synthetic material, thermoplastic synthetic material on an ethylene basis has proved very successful. If the cam or stud 12 is made of such thermoplastic synthetic material, the bores 13 may be provided with a bushing of steel. Inversely, if the link is made of steel, the bushing in bore 13 may be made of thermoplastic synthetic material on an ethylene basis.
Such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 5 in which the bore 13 of FIG. 2 or 25 of FIG. 3 carries a bushing 32, made of steel, for example, retained in the corresponding arm of the link by conventional means such as a press fit, adhesive or threads.
Loos, Kurt, Heidrich, Klaus, Krewitt, Alfred, Ipithan, Fritz
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| Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
| May 27 1980 | Kabelschlepp Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
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