Patent ID: 7472731

Claim:
A snow chain ( 2 ) comprising: an inner ring ( 3 ), designed to be closed on the side of the wheel destined to face towards the inside of the vehicle, an outer ring, designed to be closed on the side of the wheel destined to face toward the outside of the vehicle, and a series of portions of anti-skid chain ( 10 ), disposed on the tread of the tyre ( 1 ) of the wheel, which join the outer ring and the inner ring ( 3 ), said portions of chain ( 10 ), are chains with twisted links, connected to each other by means of joining elements ( 4 ) shaped as triangular links, said portions of chain ( 10 ) being connected to said inner ring ( 3 ) by means of a U-bolt connecting system ( 5 ) comprising: a U-bolt element ( 50 ) hinged to an end link ( 11 ) of a respective portion of chain ( 10 ), said U-bolt element comprising a plate bent in U-shape around a core ( 31 ) of said inner ring ( 3 ), so as to form a substantially semi-cylindrical portion ( 51 ) which surrounds the core ( 31 ) of the inner ring, so as to be able to rotate around said core ( 31 ), and in that said U-bolt element ( 5 ) is hinged to the end link ( 11 ) by means of a pivot or pin ( 55 ) mounted in said U-bolt element ( 50 ) in a transverse direction with respect to the axis of said semi-cylindrical portion ( 51 ), and of a joining element ( 60 ) mounted rotatably around said transverse pin ( 55 ) of the U-bolt element and interlinked with the twisted end link ( 11 ) of said portion of chain with twisted links ( 10 ); wherein said joining element ( 60 ) comprises a flattened part provided with a hole ( 63 ) designed to be engaged by said pin ( 55 ) of the U-bolt element ( 50 ) and a U-shaped curved portion ( 61 ) on said flattened part to interlink said twisted end link ( 11 ) of said portion of chain with twisted links ( 10 ) with said joining element ( 60 ), and wherein said joining element ( 60 ) is obtained from a plate bent in U-shape around the twisted end link ( 11 ) of said portion of chain with twisted links ( 10 ), and said flattened part comprises flattened edges ( 62 ) that are overlapping such that said hole ( 63 ) extends through each said flattened edge.