Patent ID: 8485351

Claim:
A multi-link conveyor chain, comprising: a. a plurality of conveyor links interconnected in a lengthwise direction and a widthwise direction, each link having a pair of non-circular bores; b. a plurality of laterally-extending pairs of elongate link pins passing through the respective pairs of non-circular bores of the plurality of conveyor links and having an enlarged head at each end of the respective pin; and c. a plurality of end protector links for capturing and retaining the plurality of link pins and for being engaged by wearing surfaces past which the conveyor moves and protecting the enlarged heads of the link pins from exposure to the wearing surfaces, the end protector links comprising: i. a first link segment having an outer wall in a first vertical plane, a non-circular bore having a bore cross-section larger than a cross-section of one of the link pins, a circular counterbore connected to the non-circular bore and having a diameter larger than the enlarged head of one of the link pins, and a circular countersink connected to the counterbore and having a first diameter that equals the diameter of the counterbore and a second diameter, flush with the outer wall, having a diameter larger than the first diameter; and ii. a second link segment integrally-formed with the first link segment, adapted to nest with the first link segment of another one of the plurality of end protector links, having an outer wall in a second vertical plane and a flush non-circular bore extending perpendicularly through the outer wall.