Patent ID: 7565757

Claim:
In a chain excavator including an excavation chain with a plurality of links connected together, each of the links having an inner portion including rollers adapted to contact teeth on a drive sprocket and an outer portion, the excavation chain being trained around the drive sprocket and an end idler, a first base plate having an inner part and an outer part, said first base plate being mounted on an outer portion of a first one of the links and a tooth support being operatively attached to an outer portion of the first base plate for supporting at least one excavation tooth, a second base plate operatively connected to an outer portion of a second one of the links following the first link, the improvement comprising: (a) a gusset operatively attached to the outer part of the first base plate and extending radially outwardly from the base plate as the chain wraps around the end idler, said gusset being disposed directly behind at least a portion of the tooth support and operatively attached to the at least a portion of the tooth support; and (b) said gusset extending radially outwardly with respect to the second base plate as the chain wraps around the end idler, whereby forces on the tooth in use of the excavation chain are transmitted through the gusset to the second base plate.