Patent ID: 8016706

Claim:
A plate-link chain, said chain comprising: a plurality of link plates that form link plate sets that are connected by hinge pins to adjacent link plate sets, wherein at least a portion of the link plates include a stopping means that limits bending of the plate-link chain in a first bending direction that is opposite to a second bending direction that the chain undergoes when the chain passes around a circular component, at least one laterally outwardly mounted guide plate carried by the chain, the at least one guide plate including an upwardly-facing guide plate opening that faces the first chain bending direction, wherein the upwardly-facing guide plate opening is positioned between a pair of spaced hinge-pin-receiving openings in the at least one guide plate, wherein the stopping means includes on at least one inner link plate adjacent to the at least one guide plate at least one laterally-outwardly-extending lug that extends outwardly from a longitudinally-extending side surface of the at least one inner plate link, wherein the outwardly-extending lug is adjacent to a longitudinally outer end of the at least one inner link plate and is spaced outwardly from hinge-pin-receiving openings formed in the at least one inner link plate, wherein when the chain bends in the first bending direction the at least one laterally-outwardly-extending lug of the at least one inner link plates contacts the upwardly-facing guide plate opening of the at least one adjacent laterally-outwardly-mounted guide ,plate to limit further pivotal movement between the at least one guide plate and the at least one inner link plate in the first movement direction by contact of a surface of the at least one laterally-extending lug with a surface of the upwardly-facing guide plate opening of the at least one laterally-adjacent guide plate to limit bending of the chain in the first bending direction to thereby reduce chain strand vibrations.