Patent ID: 8246498

Claim:
A chain transmission comprising a chain and a sprocket in mesh with the chain; the chain comprising outer links and inner links in alternating, overlapping relationship; each said outer link comprising a pair of outer link plates in laterally spaced relationship, the outer link plates of each said pair being connected by a pair of connecting pins secured respectively in front and rear pin holes in said pair of outer link plates; each said inner link comprising a pair of inner link plates in laterally spaced relationship, the inner link plates of each said pair being connected by a pair of bushings secured respectively in front and rear bushing holes in said pair of inner link plates; and each said connecting pin of each said outer link extending through and being rotatable in one of said bushings of an inner link overlapping the last-mentioned outer link; in which each of said outer link plates and each of said inner link plates are formed with front and rear link plate teeth, each of said front and rear link plate teeth having an inner flank and an outer flank; in which said sprocket has central sprocket teeth which engage with said bushings or with rollers rotatable on said bushings; in which said sprocket also has side sprocket teeth which engage with said front and rear link plate teeth; in which the central sprocket teeth, and the side sprocket teeth have the same angular pitch, and each of the side sprocket teeth is laterally aligned with one of the central sprocket teeth; and in which said front and rear link plate teeth, the central sprocket teeth, and the side sprocket teeth are shaped so that, as the chain is wound around the sprocket, each of said outer and inner link plates bends relative to a preceding and overlapping one of said outer and inner link plates, said inner flank of the front link plate tooth of each of said outer and inner link plates first comes into contact with one of said side sprocket teeth, thereafter, as each of said outer and inner link plates is bending relative to a preceding and overlapping one of said outer and inner link plates, one of said bushings or rollers adjacent said front link plate tooth of said bending one of said inner and outer link plates comes into contact with one of said central sprocket teeth, and thereafter, as said one of said outer and inner link plates continues to bend relative to a preceding and overlapping one of said outer and inner link plates, when one of said bushings or rollers adjacent the rear link plate tooth of said bending one of said outer and inner link plates is seated on a tooth gap bottom of said sprocket, the outer flank of said front link plate tooth and the outer flank of said rear link plate tooth come into contact with said side sprocket teeth.