Patent ID: 8740761

Claim:
A tool chain magazine for program-controlled milling machines or program-controlled machining centers, the tool chain magazine comprising guiding devices, chain wheels, a drive assembly as a rotary drive for at least one of the chain wheels, and a stationary supporting structure to which the guiding devices, the chain wheels, and the drive assembly as the rotary drive for the at least one of the chain wheels are mounted, the tool chain magazine further comprising: an endless magazine chain including a series of chain links connected in an articulated manner to one another, each chain link being held and guided on the guiding devices by guiding members; each chain link having a base body with a respective socket therein for receiving and holding a respective tool, wherein the sockets are each disposed centrally with respect to the respective base body; and each chain link is formed with a front and a rear connecting joint, each front connecting joint being located at a diametrically opposite location of the respective chain link as the respective rear connecting joint, each said front connecting joint and each said rear connecting joint including a molded rod eye, said connecting joints being arranged on a longitudinal center axis of the magazine chain; each base body being made of a metal or plastic material, each base body including a respective one of the sockets and including a respective molded rod eye of said front connecting joint and a respective molded rod eye of said rear connecting joint; each socket having a respective longitudinal center axis, and each base body including reinforcing portions in the form of ribs or ring segments, the ribs or ring segments connected to each other and disposed circumferentially of the respective socket, one of the ribs or ring segments above another of the ribs or ring segments, respectively, in the axial direction of the respective socket longitudinal center axis, the reinforcing portions being engaged by the chain wheels as the magazine chain is fed via actuation of the rotary drive.