Lifting chain with outer link plates attached to pins with interference fit, and having less strength than inner relatively rotatable link plates

摘要

A chain such as these used in a fork lift truck carriage lifting mechanism has a plurality of interleaved link assemblies each having a pair of outer link plates (1) and a plurality of intermediate link plates (2). The outer link plate has strength less than that of any intermediate link plate when measured in an unassembled state. The reduced strength may be achieved by a reduction in thickness or head area of the link plate. The outer link plates may have a stiffness of 60% to 90% of the average stiffness across the chain and a first group of intermediate link plates of certain chain configurations have a stiffness of 70% to 90% of the average stiffness of the chain. The invention provides for a chain in which the load is more evenly shared between link plates and allows a single composite chain to be replaced by two smaller chains without loss of load capacity.