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I agree with all of this as it makes good sense. But I may be one of very few who has actually had a chain break on a Mall 2-man and y'all need to trust me.....................at WOT the chain is not moving fast enough to be slung into anybody. When mine broke, it stopped in a flash and never jumped from the sprocket more than a couple inches. Maybe someone else has had a different experience.
Igpoe
As Cliff posted it is referred to as a guard there. It is referred to as a kerf bar elsewhere. To be honest the difference is like splitting hairs. The piece serves both purposes. If the chain would throw it will slow or stop it before it hits the guy/gal on the helper handle end. It also serves to prevent some pinching that would be very harmful to both guys/gals.
Billl
I don't think splitting hairs has anything to do with it, but it's quite interesting to analyse what the real purpose of that guard was.
The french did call it the "protège chaîne" and the germans call it "Kettenschutz", which literally means 'chain protection', and imo it really was meant to protect the chain from foreign objects, whatever they may be.
The manuals clearly state that wedges should be used once the bar was buried in the kerf, so I doubt the guard was meant to protect the saw from being pinched. The guard is also designed on most saws for quick removal, which leads me to believe that this was somewhat necessary during logging operations. If you have cut cookies with a 2 man saw, you'll notice that even a slightly misaligned guard will cause more trouble than anything else to bury the bar. I also can imagine that loggers got rid pretty quickly of that guard for that particular reason, and it may explain why many saws are found today without the guard.
Since operator safety was really insignificant back then, I think it really was meant to protect the chain, not the operator. But truth to be told, a running chain without guard on a two man saw is a bit scary, as it can grab clothes or anything else pretty quickly at the top side. I always tell bystanders to stay clear from the bar when I am testing a saw for that reason.
Like Igpoe, my limited experience learned me also that the chain speed is probably too slow to really sling the chain end far away to cause damage (without guarantee
) I had a scratcher chain break twice on a Stihl BLK and was surprised that the chain just rolled off underneath the saw.
I have my flame suite ready for use..., so don't be afraid to comment.
