Patent ID: 7731021

Claim:
A conveyor link chain comprising: a plurality of links, wherein each link extends longitudinally from a first end to a second end; coupling means for connecting adjacent links together at universal joints into a conveyor link chain; wherein the coupling means comprises: first bearing structure molded unitarily with a link at the second end of the link and presenting a concave or a convex spherical bearing surface; second bearing structure formed separately from the link, but attachable to the first end of the link and presenting a complementary convex or concave bearing surface to engage the bearing surface of the first bearing structure of an adjacent link to form a universal coupling joint connecting adjacent links together into a conveyor link chain; wherein each link includes a platform extending longitudinally outward at the first end with a hole formed in the platform and wherein the first bearing structure includes an arm that extends outward at the second end and terminates in a ring having a concave spherical bearing surface that forms the spherical bearing surface of the first bearing element on the interior of the ring and wherein the second bearing structure includes a plate extending longitudinally outward at the first end of the link body, an axle extending from the plate perpendicularly toward the first side of the link and received at a distal end in the hole in the platform, and a thickened toroidal portion formed around the axle and sized to be received in the interior of the ring, the thickened toroidal portion defining an outer convex spherical bearing surface that forms the spherical bearing surface of the second bearing structure, wherein the thickened toroidal portion of the axle at the first end of a link is received in the interior of the ring at the second end of an adjacent link with the convex spherical bearing surface of the thickened toroidal portion received in the concave spherical bearing surface of the ring.