A chain intended to be used in a machine for forming sausages or the like starting from a sausage meat tube (15), the chain having in use a portion arranged adjacent to a corresponding portion of a second chain of the device with the sausage meat tube interposed between the two adjacent portions of the two chains, the chain comprising a plurality of links (17, 18, 117, 118, 217, 218, 317, 417, 517) interconnected in sequence and having pinching elements (28, 128, 228) of the sausage meat tube suitable for corresponding to pairs with respective pinching elements (40) of the second chain of the device, the chain also comprising positioning elements (19, 20, 119, 120, 219, 220, 319, 320, 419, 420, 519, 520) suitable for grasping at least partially the sausage meat tube (15) along said portion adjacent to the second chain. The positioning elements are made as one piece with the links of the chain.