HIGH STRENGTH INVERTED TOOTH CHAIN HAVING A PRESS-FIT MIDDLE PLATE
An inverted tooth chain assembly including outer links, middle links, inner links, and a chain pin having a diameter is provided. The inverted tooth chain assembly includes first and second packs of inner links. Each of the packs includes a predetermined number (N) of links. The inner links have a thickness (t), an outer surface depth (s 1 ) defined between an outer diameter of one of the third chain pin openings and an outer surface of the inner link, an outer flank depth (s 2 ) defined between the outer diameter of one of the third chain pin openings and an outer flank surface, and an inner flank depth (s 3 ) defined between the outer diameter of one of the third chain pin openings and an inner flank surface. The outer surface depth, outer flank depth, inner flank depth, thickness, and number of inner links are selected to satisfy certain relationships.
1 . An inverted tooth chain assembly configured to mesh with a sprocket, the inverted tooth chain assembly comprising:
first and second rows of outer links, each of the outer links including first chain pin openings;
at least one row of middle links, each of the middle links including second chain pin openings;
chain pins having a diameter (d) and extending through the first chain pin openings and the second chain pin openings, the outer links and the middle links are press-fitted onto respective ones of the chain pins; and
at least first and second packs of inner links, each of the packs of inner links including a predetermined number of inner links (N), the first pack of the inner links arranged between the first row of the outer links and the at least one row of middle links, the second pack of the inner links arranged between the second row of the outer links and the at least one row of middle links,
each of the inner links having two teeth with a pair of inner flanks, a pair of outer flanks, tips interconnecting respective ones of the inner and the outer flanks, and a radiused crotch located between the pair of inner flanks,
each of the inner links including third chain pin openings, and having a thickness (t), an outer surface depth (s 1 ) defined between an outer diameter of one of the third chain pin openings and an outer surface of the inner link, an outer flank depth (s 2 ) defined between the outer diameter of one of the third chain pin openings and an outer flank surface, and an inner flank depth (s 3 ) defined between the outer diameter of one of the third chain pin openings and an inner flank surface, the chain pins extending through respective ones of the third chain pin openings of each of the inner links so that the inner links are articulable relative to the links in adjacent rows, wherein the following relationships are satisfied:
8
≤
(
s
1
+
min
(
s
2
,
s
3
)
)
·
N
·
t
≤
9
and
(
1
)
0.2
≤
(
N
·
t
)
2
d
3
≤
0.4
(
2
)
2 . The inverted tooth chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thickness (t) of the inner links is greater than a thickness (t o ) of the outer links, and the thickness (t) of the inner links is less than a thickness (t m ) of the middle links.
3 . The inverted tooth chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first pack of inner links and the second pack of inner links have a same number of the inner links.
4 . The inverted tooth chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner flank depth (s 3 ) is greater than the outer flank depth (s 2 ).
5 . The inverted tooth chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner flank depth (s 3 ) is less than the outer flank depth (s 2 ).
6 . The inverted tooth chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface depth (s 1 ) is less than the outer flank depth (s 2 ) and less than the inner flank depth (s 3 ).
7 . The inverted tooth chain assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first pack of inner links and the second pack of inner links each include two rows of inner links.
8 . A chain and sprocket drive system comprising:
a sprocket including a plurality of teeth, each of the plurality of teeth having an engaging flank, a disengaging flank, a radiused tip interconnecting the engaging flank and the disengaging flank, and a root located between adjacent teeth of the plurality of teeth; and
an inverted tooth chain assembly configured to mesh with the sprocket, the inverted tooth chain assembly comprising:
first and second rows of outer links, each of the outer links including first chain pin openings;
at least one row of middle links, each one of the middle links including second chain pin openings;
chain pins having a diameter (d) and extending through the first and the second chain pin openings, the outer links and the middle links are press-fitted onto respective ones of the chain pins; and
at least first and second packs of inner links, each of the packs of inner links including a predetermined number of inner links (N), the first pack of the inner links arranged between the first row of the outer links and the at least one row of middle links, the second pack of the inner links arranged between the second row of the outer links and the at least one row of middle links,
each of the inner links having two teeth with a pair of inner flanks, a pair of outer flanks, tips interconnecting respective ones of the inner and the outer flanks, and a radiused crotch located between the pair of inner flanks,
each of the inner links including third chain pin openings, and having a thickness (t), an outer surface depth (s 1 ) defined between an outer diameter of one of the third chain pin openings and an outer surface of the inner link, an outer flank depth (s 2 ) defined between the outer diameter of one of the third chain pin openings and an outer flank surface, and an inner flank depth (s 3 ) defined between the outer diameter of one of the third chain pin openings and an inner flank surface, the chain pins extending through respective ones of the third chain pin openings of each of the inner links so that the inner links are articulable relative to the links in adjacent rows, wherein the following relationships are satisfied:
8
≤
(
s
1
+
min
(
s
2
,
s
3
)
)
·
N
·
t
≤
9
and
(
1
)
0.2
≤
(
N
·
t
)
2
d
3
≤
0.4
(
2
)