A cutting member of a saw chain has a cutting tooth and a cutting surface having at least one cutting edge. In a side view, looking in a sharpening direction, a first line connects an intersection between an upper edge of a roof section and the cutting surface to an intersection between an imaginary line, which extends parallel to the upper edge, and the cutting surface. A second line connects an intersection between the upper edge and an imaginary displacement of the cutting surface parallel to the contact surface at a position in which a tooth tip of the cutting tooth lies perpendicular to the running direction above a longitudinal center axis of the rearward bearing point, to a point of intersection between the imaginary line and the imaginary displacement of the cutting surface. The contact surface is aligned such that the first and second line extend in parallel.

Improved chain saws, components for chain saws, methods of making chain saws and components, and methods of using chain saws and components are disclosed. In some embodiments, a chain saw comprises a saw bar and a plurality of links, wherein a first link has a hook that engages a recess of a second link, thereby coupling the first link and the second link and allowing them to articulate without decoupling. The saw bar may have a rail, and the links may have grooves such that the links straddle and ride over the rail. The rail may have a projection and the grooves of the links may have notches accommodating the projection such that the projection prevents dislocation of the links. The links may have conical or pyramidal cutting teeth. The chain may be bidirectional. Robotic and automated operation of saws and other instruments are also disclosed.

A method for producing at least one cutting strand segment of a cutting strand comprises punching at least one cutting strand segment out of a band material. The at least one cutting strand segment includes at least one cutting element and at least one cutter carrier element having at least one connecting element.

A diamond segment may include a steel weld pad that is configured to be coupled with a drive link of a cutting chain. The diamond segment may further include a diamond layer that is coupled with the steel weld pad such that the diamond layer extends along a height of the steel weld pad at a peripheral portion of the steel weld pad. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

A saw chain includes connecting links and drive links that are mutually connected by rivets in an articulated manner about rivet axes. The rivets project through at least one rivet opening of one connecting link and through a rivet opening of a drive link. At least one rivet has, on one end face thereof, a depression having a depression edge and a depression base surrounded by the depression edge. The distance of the depression edge from a central plane of the saw chain increases at an increasing radial distance from the rivet axis. The distance (e) of the base from the central plane does not increase at any point of the base at an increasing radial distance from the rivet axis. A greatest distance (a) of the base from the rivet axis corresponds to 50% to 100% of half the core diameter (d) of the rivet.

A cutting chain (300) for a chainsaw (100) may include a plurality of drive links (310) and a plurality of side links (320). The drive links (310) are arranged to lie in a plane parallel to a plane in which a guide bar (120) about which the chain (300) is rotatable lies. The side links (320) are operably coupled to respective ones of the drive links (310) and are oriented to lie in respective planes substantially parallel to the plane. At least some of the side links (320) include cutting portions. The drive links (310) and side links (320) are attached to each other by rivets (360), and the rivets (360) have a longitudinal length that is less than or equal to a width of the side links (320) in a transverse direction.

A method of modifying a cutter link (240) of cutting chain for a chainsaw may include forming the cutter link (240) to include a base portion (280) and a cutting portion (270) extending away from the base portion (280). The cutting portion (270) may include a side plate (300) and a top plate (310). The top plate (310) may include a top face (316) and a bottom face (314). The side plate (300) may include an outer face and an inside face (304). The method may further include determining a maximum non-homogeneous material hardness expected to be encountered during cutting operations, selecting a coating material having a hardness at least 1.3 times the maximum non-homogeneous material hardness, and coating a treated surface of the top plate (310) and/or the side plate (300).

A method of modifying a cutter link (240) of cutting chain (200) for a chainsaw (100) may include forming the cutter link (240) to include a base portion (280) and a cutting portion (270) extending away from the base portion (280). The cutting portion (240) may include a side plate (300) and a top plate (310). The top plate (310) may include a top face (316) and a bottom face (314). The side plate (300) may include an outer face (305) and an inside face (304). The method may further include diffusing a diffusion agent into material of the top plate (310) and/or the side plate (300) at a treated surface of the top plate (310) and/or side plate (300).

A cutting chain 200 for a chainsaw 100 may include a plurality of drive links 210, and a plurality of cutter links 240. Each of the drive links 210 includes a top portion and a bottom portion that interfaces with a guide bar 120 of the chainsaw 100. The cutter links 240 are operably coupled to respective ones of the drive links 210 at the top portion thereof. At least one of the cutter links 240 includes a base portion 280 and a cutting portion 270 extending away from the base portion 280. The cutting portion 270 includes a side plate 300 and a top plate 310, the top plate 310 including a top face 316 and a bottom face 314. The side plate 300 includes an outer face and an inside face 304. Multiple coating materials are provided on respective different surfaces of the drive links 210 or cutter links 240 such that different coating materials are applied based on a wear context of the respective different surfaces.

A method of modifying a cutter link (240) of cutting chain (200) for a chainsaw (100) may include forming the cutter link (240) to include a base portion (280) and a cutting portion (270) extending away from the base portion (280). The cutting portion (270) may include a side plate (300/500) and a top plate (310/510). The top plate (310/510) may include a top plate leading edge (312/412/512) and a bottom face (314/414/514). The side plate (300/500) may include a side plate leading edge (302/402/502) and an inside face (304/404/504). The method may further include removing at least a portion of material forming the bottom face (314/414/514). The portion of material forming the bottom face (314/414/514) that is removed decreases as distance from the top plate leading edge (312/412/512) increases.