Chain conveyor for workpieces and workpiece carriers

Claim 1

A chain conveyor for workpieces and workpiece carriers, comprising: guiding means; a roller chain guidable by said guiding means and including a plurality of rollers spaced apart from one another, a plurality of side and intermediate hinge pins arranged so that two of said side hinge pins rotatable support two of said rollers located between said neighboring two rollers, and a plurality of link joints each connecting two of said side hinge pins neighboring each other, said rollers being arranged so that a free space remains between said neighboring two rollers, said roller chain having a side facing toward said workpieces and workpiece carriers to be transported; and means for preventing chips, screws and other small parts from entering said free space from said side and including an insert element arranged between said neigboring two rollers and engagably supported by said one of said intermediate hinge pins located between said neighboring two rollers, said insert element being composed of resilient material so as to form at least one spring element, said spring element being catchable around said one of said intermediate hinge pins because of said resilient material, said spring element having a flat web portion and two side portions resilient relative to each other, each of said side portions extending from said flat web portion and arranged between said two neighboring rollers such that each of said side portions is closest to a respective one of said two neighboring rollers, each of said side portions having a first part extending tangentially relative to said respective one of said two neighboring rollers and having a second part extending from said first part, said second part of each of said side portions being formed and arranged so that said one of said intermediate hinge pins is catchable and embracable between both of said second parts, said second part having a respective pressing surface which is pressable against said one of said intermediate hinge pins when in a catch position, each of said side portions of said spring element also having a free end part extending from said respective pressing surface, said free end parts being formed to resiliently exert a restoring force which returns said spring element to said catch position when a predetermined distance between said two neighboring rollers is restored after having been shortened when said roller chain experiences a curvature such that said two neighboring rollers are pressed against said spring element to move said spring element out of said catch position.