Link or a conveyor chain, a conveyor chain made up of said links and a method for operation of said conveyor chain

1. A conveyor chain link adapted to be interconnected with other such links forming a conveyor chain, said link including:

a main body, a top plate on which a handling product or part thereof rests thereupon; said main body having a front portion and a rear portion; said front portion and rear portion having means to be interconnected such that one link can be connectable to another in order for the establishment of a multi-linked conveyor chain;

a first guide member arrangement including a pair of rotatably supported, laterally extending rollers on opposing sides of an underneath side of said top plate, adapted to roll in the direction of movement of said conveyor chain, wherein said rollers of the first guide member arrangement are adapted to rest and rotate along a corresponding top face of a wear strip as part of a conveyor assembly support structure for the conveyor chain;

a second guide member arrangement, including two rotatably supportable guide members on opposing sides of said main body, rotatably about a longitudinal axis, perpendicular to the top plate, wherein the peripheral edge of the respective guide members are adapted to engage a side edge of a wear strip face of the conveyor support assembly or a similar such configured structure arrangement of said conveyor support assembly;

a third guide member arrangement, including a roller member adapted to rest and rotate upon a conveyor bed of the conveyor assembly support or other similar structure of the conveyor support assembly, wherein said roller of the third guide member arrangement is laterally and rotatably supported by an axis substantially in parallel to the top plate;

wherein the first, second and third guide member arrangements can work independently or in combination to reduce frictional force between the contact positions of the conveyor chain with the conveyor chain support assembly, resulting in a reduced level of power required to drive the conveyor chain upon the conveyor support assembly during operation, along with reduced wear and tear of the link against the conveyor support assembly;

wherein the roller for the third guide member arrangement is a wheel or castor; and

wherein the wheel or castor is supported upon a moveable lateral axis so that the link, when interconnected from a conveyor chain is adapted to turn and rotate around as required.

2. The conveyor chain link of claim 1 wherein the first guide member arrangement including the pair of rotatably supported rollers are of a cylindrical configuration.

3. The conveyor chain link of claim 2 wherein the size of cylindrical rollers is comparable to the dimensions of the wear strip, which forms part of the conveyor chain support assembly, to which the pair of rollers of the first guide member arrangement will rest thereupon.

4. The conveyor chain link of claim 3 wherein each of the cylindrical rollers is rotatably supported in defined slots located on the underside top forward corners of the top plate of the conveyor link.

5. The conveyor chain link of claim 4 wherein the cylindrical rollers may be made of plastic, steel or of a suitable bearing arrangement or material.

6. The conveyor chain link of claim 1 wherein the second guide member arrangement, including the two rollers positioned on the respective sides of the main body, on which the top plate rests thereupon, are of a substantial wheel or castor configuration.

7. The conveyor chain link of claim 6 wherein each wheel is rotatable about a longitudinal axis, such that the peripheral edge of the wheel can engage with the corresponding wear strip and/or guide of the conveyor support assembly.

8. The conveyor chain link of claim 7 wherein the breadth or thickness of the wheel or castor of the roller for the second guide member arrangement is of a dimension relative to the degree of control required during curvature or rotating movement of the conveyor chain during operation.

9. The conveyor chain link of claim 8 wherein the main body includes two slots located centrally to the front and rear portions of the main body for the conveyor link, wherein the external slots in this central position of the main body on respective sides allows a portion of each of the wheels or castors to protrude therefrom.

10. The conveyor chain link of claim 1 wherein the top plate includes an upper surface, wherein one side across the breadth of the top plate is at a higher elevation.

11. The conveyor chain link of claim 10 wherein there is a central fold or incline between a dividable side of the top plate.

12. The conveyor chain link of claim 11 wherein the divide is an incline wherein one side is raised higher or lower relative to the other.

13. The conveyor chain of claim 12 wherein the top plate has a lower forward side elevation relative to the back or rear side of the top plate.

14. A conveyor chain link adapted to be interconnected with other such links forming a conveyor chain, said link including:

a main body, a top plate on which a handling product or part thereof rests thereupon; said main body having a front portion and a rear portion; said front portion and rear portion having means to be interconnected such that one link can be connectable to another in order for the establishment of a multi-linked conveyor chain;

a first guide member arrangement including a pair of rotatably supported, laterally extending rollers on opposing sides of an underneath side of said top plate, adapted to roll in the direction of movement of said conveyor chain, wherein said rollers of the first guide member arrangement are adapted to rest and rotate along a corresponding top face of a wear strip as part of a conveyor assembly support structure for the conveyor chain;

a second guide member arrangement, including two rotatably supportable guide members on opposing sides of said main body, rotatably about a longitudinal axis, perpendicular to the top plate, wherein the peripheral edge of the respective guide members are adapted to engage a side edge of a wear strip face of the conveyor support assembly or a similar such configured structure arrangement of said conveyor support assembly;

a third guide member arrangement, including a roller member adapted to rest and rotate upon a conveyor bed of the conveyor assembly support or other similar structure of the conveyor support assembly, wherein said roller of the third guide member arrangement is laterally and rotatably supported by an axis substantially in parallel to the top plate;

wherein the first, second and third guide member arrangements can work independently or in combination to reduce frictional force between the contact positions of the conveyor chain with the conveyor chain support assembly, resulting in a reduced level of power required to drive the conveyor chain upon the conveyor support assembly during operation, along with reduced wear and tear of the link against the conveyor support assembly; and

wherein the front end of the main body includes a closed-off slot, to which a rod can pass through to rotatably support the guide wheel of the third guide member arrangement, wherein the lateral configured slot will allow the wheel or castor to turn as required during curvature movement of the conveyor chain during operation.

15. The conveyor chain link of claim 14 wherein the rod insertable into the lateral slot of the front portion of the main body at its external distal ends is also adapted to rest and being enclosed in corresponding chambers that protrude out from respective sides at the rear portion of the main body.

16. A conveyor chain made up of interconnected links according to claim 14 .