Cable carriers of this type are described in German Patent 35 16 448, in utility model specification G 85 24 845 and in European patent application 0 308 958. Common to these known cable carriers is that the top and bottom edges of the sidebars are provided with mounts into which the ends of the crosslinks can be inserted so as to make a connection with the sidebars which gives both frictional and form fit. The specific shape of the attachment between the sidebars and the crosslinks is intended to facilitate the assembly of the links in this cable carrier without need of bolts, pins, nuts or the like and it is to be possible to separate the connections again without tools or in any case with only a simple tool such as a screwdriver. To achieve this, the ends of the crosslinks for the cable carrier chain as described in German Patent 35 16 488 terminate in insertion parts which are T-shaped in cross section, featuring at the outside faces of the crosslinks grooves, the one side of such grooves being formed by the detent springs running parallel to the direction in which the crosslinks are inserted. The sidebars are mirror images one of the other, i.e. the designs for the right and left sidebars differ. The crosslinks are inserted into the mounts from above and locked in place. In the cable carrier described in utility model specification G 85 24 845 the crosslinks exhibit a C-shaped cross section at the ends and are also positioned from above on the catches protruding from the 0 sidebars and locked in place. In this cable carrier, too, the sidebars are mirror images one of the other, i.e. different parts are used for the left and right sidebars.
The sidebars of the cable carrier chain described in European publication of unexamined patent 0 308 958 are identical whereby those on the right-hand side are rotated through 180.degree. in relation to those on the left-hand side. The sidebars are also joined by crosslinks which are C-shaped in cross section, which are positioned from above on the catches protruding from the sidebars and which are locked in place.
Although in the three known cable carrier chains the connection between the sidebars and the crosslinks can essentially be characterized as being form-fitting, the locking in all cases is based on the compression or extension of catch tabs with retaining ledges which under severe loading can deviate from the normal position so that the attachment between the sidebars and the crosslinks can be unintentionally separated. The danger is all the greater since in all three known cable carriers the release direction for the crosslinks is identical with the direction in which the greatest forces which may be encountered are exerted. These forces can arise inside the box-like profile formed by the sidebars and the crosslinks due to buckling and bunching of the hoses or cables laid inside the cable carrier chain.
Further of disadvantage in these known cable carriers is that the ends of the crosslinks are injection moulded parts with complex geometry so that a different crosslink must be manufactured for each carrier width, using different injection moulding dies in each case. An exception is represented only by the design of the crosslinks in European patent application 0 308 958 in which a crosslink comprising two halves is used whereby the one half is made up of one of the mating ends and a very long center section shot-moulded onto that end and the other half is made up of the other mating end and a section designed to receive the center section. Cutting the center section of the one half to length and then inserting it in the mount in the other half makes it possible to fabricate assembled chain links of any desired width with the assistance of such crosslinks so that costly, differing moulds and sizes need not be kept on hand for the various cable carrier widths; differing injection moulding dies are nonetheless required for each half.