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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
[[Image:Chain.gif|frame|right|Roller chain and [[sprocket]]]]
[[Image:The sketch (drawing) of roller chain, Leonardo da Vinci.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[sketch (drawing)|sketch]] of roller chain, [[Leonardo da Vinci]], [[Codex Atlanticus]]]]
'''Roller chain''' or '''bush roller chain''' is the type of [[chain drive]] most commonly used for transmission of [[power transmission#Mechanical power|mechanical power]] on many kinds of domestic, [[Industrial sector|industrial]] and agricultural machinery, including [[conveyor]]s, [[wire]]- and [[tube (fluid conveyance)|tube]]-[[drawing (manufacturing)|drawing]] machines, [[printing press]]es, [[car]]s, [[motorcycle]]s, and [[bicycle]]s. It consists of a series of short cylindrical rollers held together by side links. It is driven by a toothed wheel called a [[sprocket]]. It is a simple,
Sketches by [[Leonardo da Vinci]] in the 16th century show a chain with a [[rolling-element bearing#Roller bearings|roller bearing]].<ref> In the 16th century, [[Leonardo da Vinci]] made sketches of what appears to be the first steel chain. These chains were probably designed to transmit pulling, not wrapping, power because they consist only of plates and pins and have metal fittings. However, da Vinci's sketch does show a roller bearing.{{cite book | title=The Complete Guide to Chain | editor=Tsubakimoto Chain Co. | editor-link=Tsubakimoto Chain Co. | publisher=Kogyo Chosaki Publishing Co., Ltd. | isbn=0-9658932-0-0 | year=1997 | pages=240 | id=p. 211 | url=http://chain-guide.com/breaks/brief-history-of-chain.html | access-date = 17 May 2006}}</ref> In 1800, [[James Fussell IV|James Fussell]] patented a roller chain on development of his [[balance lock]]<ref name="Fussell patent">{{cite web |title=The Repertory of Patent Inventions, and Other Discoveries and Improvements in Arts, Manufactures, and Agriculture: Being a Continuation, on an Enlarged Plan, of the Repertory of Arts and Manufactures ... |url=https://
==Construction==
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There are two types of [[link (chain)|link]]s alternating in the [[bushing (bearing)|bush]] roller chain. The first type is inner links, having two inner plates held together by two sleeves or bushings upon which rotate two rollers. Inner links alternate with the second type, the outer links, consisting of two outer plates held together by pins passing through the bushings of the inner links. The "bushingless" roller chain is similar in operation though not in construction; instead of separate bushings or sleeves holding the inner plates together, the plate has a tube stamped into it protruding from the hole which serves the same purpose. This has the advantage of removing one step in assembly of the chain.
The roller chain design reduces friction compared to simpler designs, resulting in higher efficiency and less wear. The original power transmission chain varieties lacked rollers and bushings, with both the inner and outer plates held by pins which directly contacted the [[sprocket]] teeth; however this configuration exhibited extremely rapid wear of both the sprocket teeth
==Lubrication==
Many driving chains (for example, in factory equipment, or driving a camshaft inside an internal combustion engine) operate in clean environments, and thus the wearing surfaces (that is, the pins and bushings) are safe from precipitation and airborne grit, many even in a sealed environment such as an oil bath. Some roller chains are designed to have o-rings built into the space between the outside link plate and the inside roller link plates. Chain manufacturers began to include this feature in 1971 after the application was invented by Joseph Montano while working for Whitney Chain of Hartford, Connecticut. O-rings were included as a way to improve lubrication to the links of power transmission chains, a service that is vitally important to extending their working life. These rubber fixtures form a barrier that holds factory applied lubricating grease inside the pin and bushing wear areas. Further, the rubber o-rings prevent dirt and other contaminants from entering inside the chain linkages, where such particles would otherwise cause significant wear. <ref>{{Cite web|last=Henning|first=Ari|date=2019-05-30|title=Motorcycle Chains 101: The Sealed Deal {{!}} Rider Magazine|url=https://ridermagazine.com/2019/05/30/motorcycle-chains-101-the-sealed-deal/,%20https://ridermagazine.com/2019/05/30/motorcycle-chains-101-the-sealed-deal/|access-date=2021-11-24|website=ridermagazine.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
There are also many chains that have to operate in dirty conditions, and for size or operational reasons cannot be sealed. Examples include chains on [[list of agricultural machinery|farm equipment]], bicycles, and [[chain saw]]s. These chains will necessarily have relatively high rates of wear
Many oil-based lubricants attract dirt and other particles, eventually forming an abrasive paste that will compound wear on chains. This problem can be
===Motorcycle chain lubrication===
Chains operating at high speeds comparable to those on motorcycles should be used in conjunction with an oil bath.<ref>Chains operating at high speeds comparable to those on motorcycles should be used in conjunction with an oil bath, according to: Lubrecht, A. and Dalmaz, G., (eds.) Transients Processes in Tribology, Proc 30th Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology. 30th Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology, 2–5 September 2003, Lyon. Tribology and Interface Engineering Series (43). Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 291–298.</ref> For modern motorcycles this is not possible, and most motorcycle chains run unprotected. Thus, motorcycle chains tend to wear very quickly relative to other applications. They are subject to extreme forces and are exposed to rain, dirt, sand and road salt.
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*Oil drip feed systems continuously lubricate the chain and use light oil that does not stick to the chain. Research has shown that oil drip feed systems provide the greatest wear protection and greatest power saving.<ref>Oil drip feed provided the greatest wear protection between chain roller and pin, Oil drip feed provided the greatest power saving over unlubricated chains and sprockets, according to Lee, P.M. and Priest, M. (2004) An innovation integrated approach to testing motorcycle drive chain lubricants. In: Lubrecht, A. and Dalmaz, G., (eds.) Transients Processes in Tribology, Proc 30th Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology. 30th Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology, 2–5 September 2003, Lyon. Tribology and Interface Engineering Series (43). Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 291–298.</ref>
==Variants
[[File:Roller Chain Render (with numbers).png|thumb|right|Layout of a roller chain: 1. Outer plate, 2. Inner plate, 3. Pin, 4. Bushing, 5. Roller]]
If the chain is not being used for a high wear application (for instance if it is just transmitting motion from a hand-operated lever to a control shaft on a machine, or a sliding door on an oven), then one of the simpler types of chain may still be used. Conversely, where extra strength but the smooth drive of a smaller pitch is required, the chain may be "siamesed"; instead of just two rows of plates on the outer sides of the chain, there may be three ("duplex"), four ("triplex"), or more rows of plates running parallel, with bushings and rollers between each adjacent pair, and the same number of rows of teeth running in parallel on the sprockets to match. Timing chains on automotive engines, for example, typically have multiple rows of plates called strands.
Roller chain is made in several sizes, the most common [[American National Standards Institute]] (ANSI) standards being 40, 50, 60, and 80. The first
Roller chain is ordinarily hooked up using a master link (also known as a "connecting link"), which typically has one pin held by a [[horseshoe clip]] rather than friction fit, allowing it to be inserted or removed with simple tools. Chain with a removable link or pin is also known as "cottered chain", which allows the length of the chain to be adjusted. Half links (also known as "offsets") are available and are used to increase the length of the chain by a single roller. Riveted roller chain has the master link (also known as a "connecting link") "riveted" or mashed on the ends. These pins are made to be durable and are not removable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://panzit.com/library/chain/riveted-vs-cottered-chain/|title=Riveted vs Cottered Chain - Panzit Library|work=panzit.com|access-date=17 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426080753/http://panzit.com/library/chain/riveted-vs-cottered-chain/|archive-date=26 April 2012}}</ref>
===Horseshoe clip===
A ''
Common on older [[motorcycle]]s and older [[bicycles]] (e.g. those with [[hub gears]]) this clip method cannot be used on bicycles fitted with derailleur gears, as the clip will tend to catch on the gear-changers.
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[[File:ROLL-RING im Triplexkettentrieb.gif|thumb|An example of two 'ghost' sprockets tensioning a triplex roller chain system]]
* Roller chains are used in low- to mid-speed drives at around 600 to 800 feet per minute; however, at higher speeds, around 2,000 to 3,000 feet per minute, [[
* A [[bicycle chain]] is a form of roller chain. Bicycle chains may have a master link, or may require a [[chain tool]] for removal and installation. A similar but larger and thus stronger chain is used on most [[motorcycle]]s although it is sometimes replaced by either a [[toothed belt]] or a [[shaft drive]], which offer lower noise level and fewer maintenance requirements.
*
* Chains are also used in [[forklift]]s using hydraulic rams as a pulley to raise and lower the carriage; however, these chains are not considered roller chains, but are classified as lift or [[leaf chain]]s.
* [[Chainsaw]] [[saw chain|cutting chains]] superficially resemble roller chains but are more closely related to leaf chains. They are driven by projecting drive links which also serve to locate the chain onto the bar.
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[[Image:Vector-nozzle-sea-harrier-jet-common.jpg|thumb|[[Sea Harrier]] FA.2 ''[[Serial number|ZA195]]'' front (cold) vector thrust nozzle - the nozzle is rotated by a chain drive from an air motor]]
*A perhaps unusual use of a pair of motorcycle chains is in the [[Harrier
==Wear==
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===Bicycle chain wear===
{{Main|Bicycle chain}}
The lightweight chain of a bicycle with [[derailleur gears]] can snap (or rather, come apart at the side-plates, since it is normal for the "riveting" to fail first) because the pins inside are not cylindrical, they are barrel-shaped. Contact between the pin and the bushing is not the regular line, but a point which allows the chain's pins to work its way through the bushing, and finally the roller, ultimately causing the chain to snap. This form of construction is necessary because the gear-changing action of this form of transmission requires the chain to both bend sideways and to twist, but this can occur with the flexibility of such a narrow chain and relatively large free lengths on a bicycle.
Chain failure is much less of a problem on hub-geared systems
== Chain strength ==
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==Chain standards==
[[Standards organization]]s (such as [[ANSI]] and [https://www.iso.org/committee/50982/x/catalogue/ ISO]) maintain standards for design, dimensions, and [[interchangeable parts|interchangeability]] of transmission chains. For example, the following
{| border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0"
|- style="background:#232e6d;font-weight:bold; color:white; "
|colspan="8" |ASME/ANSI B29.1-2011 Roller
|- style="background:#336ead;font-weight:bold; color:white; "
!Size
!Pitch
!Maximum
!Minimum
!Measuring
|-style="background:#eaeaea;" align=right
!align=center|25
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| 1 || {{frac|'''8'''|8}} || '''8'''0 || {{frac|5|8}}
|-
| colspan="4" | Notes:<br />
|}
A typical bicycle chain (for [[derailleur gears]]) uses narrow {{frac|1|2}}-inch-pitch chain. The width of the chain is variable, and does not affect the load capacity. The more sprockets at the rear wheel (historically 3–6, nowadays 7–12 sprockets), the narrower the chain. Chains are sold according to the number of speeds they are designed to work with, for example, "10 speed chain". Hub gear or single speed bicycles use 1/2
Typically chains with parallel shaped links have an even number of links, with each narrow link followed by a broad one. Chains built up with a uniform type of link, narrow at one and broad at the other end, can be made with an odd number of links, which can be an advantage to adapt to a special chainwheel-distance; on the other side such a chain tends to be not so strong.
Roller chains made using ISO standard are sometimes called
==See also==
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==External links==
{{Commons category|Roller chains}}https://www.leonardodigitale.com/en/browse/Codex-atlanticus/0987-r/
* [http://chain-guide.com/ The Complete Guide to Chain]
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