1. Ropes furnish smooth, continuous action.

2. Rope Drives are low in cost of installation and high in

efficiency.
3. The ratio of revolutions can easily be changed by a new
small pulley.
4. Changes of pulley alignment which are so destructive to
gears or belts do not affect ropes.
5. Freedom from shut downs by accidents is assured.
6. The breaking of a tooth is serious; a temporary overstraining
of ropes does very little harm.
7. Rope Drives are noiseless.
8. The engine or motor may be located away from the grit and
dust of the mill.
9. Freedom from shocks is obtained, as ropes are elastic.
A chain is a reliable machine component, which transmits power by means of tensile forces,
and is used primarily for power transmission and conveyance systems. The function and uses
of chain are similar to a belt. There are many kinds of chain. It is convenient to sort types of
chain by either material of composition or method of construction.
1. Cast iron chain
2. Cast steel chain
3. Forged chain
4. Steel chain
5. Plastic chain
Demand for the first three chain types is now decreasing; they are
only used in some special situations. For example, cast iron chain is
part of water-treatment equipment; forged chain is used in overhead
conveyors for automobile factories.
Depending upon uses, chains are classified as
Power transmission chain
Small pitch conveyor chain
Precision conveyor chain
Top chain
Free flow chain
Large pitch conveyor chain
CHAIN DRIVE
Introduction
Chain is used to transmit motion from one shaft to another shaft with the help of
sprockets. Chain drives maintain a positive speed ratio between driving and driven
components, so tension on the slack side is considered is as zero. They are
generally used for the transmission of power in cycles, motor vehicles, agricultural
machinery, road rollers etc.
Merits and demerits of chain drives Merits
1. Chain drives are positive drives and can have high efficiency when operating
under ideal conditions.
2. It can de used for both relatively long centre distances.
3. Less load on shafts and compact in size as compared to belt drive.
Demerits
1. Relatively high production cost and noisy operation.
2. Chain drives require more amounts of servicing and maintenance as compared
to belt drives.
Velocity ratio in chain drive
Let n
1
= speed of driver sprocket in rpm
n
2
= speed of driven sprocket in rpm
z
1
= number of teeth on drivers sprocket
z
2
= number of teeth on driven sprocket
Therefore Velocity ratio n
1
/n
2
= z
1
/z
2
Chains for power transmission
The different types of chain used for
power transmission are:
i. Block chain
ii. Roller chain
iii. Inverted-tooth chain or silent chain.
Basic Structure of Power Transmission Chain
Basic Structure of Large Pitch Conveyor Chain
ROLLER CHAIN
It consists of two rows of outer and inner plates. The outer row of plates in known as
pin link or coupling link whereas the inner row of plates is called roller link. A Pin
passes through the bush which is secured in the holes of the inner pair of links and
is riveted to the outer pair of links as shown in Fig. Each bush is surrounded by a
roller. The rollers run freely on the bushes and the bushes turn freely on the pins.
A roller chain is extremely strong and simple in construction. It gives good service
under severe conditions. To avoid longer sprocket diameter, multi-row-roller chains
or chains with multiple strand width are used. Theoretically, the power capacity
multi-strand chain is equal to the capacity of the single chain multiplied by the
number of strand, but actually it is reduced by 10 percent.
Inverted tooth chain or silent chain
It is as shown Fig. these chains are not exactly silent but these are much
smoother and quieter in action than a roller chain. These chains are made up of
flat steel stamping, which make it easy to built up any width desired. The links are
so shaped that they engage directly with sprocket teeth. In design, the silent
chains are more complex than brush roller types, more expensive and require
more careful maintenance.
The Engagement Between a Sprocket and an Elongated Chain
An Endless Chain Rotating Around Two Sprockets
Chordal Action
The Height of Engagement
Ratio of speed change = (V
max

V
min
) / V
max
= 1 cos (180/N)
Wear Resistance Capability of Chain Drives
p
F
P
F
Pk
p
d

A chain drive may fail due to the wear of joints and sprocket teeth; the plates are
destroyed rarely. In particular, the wear may increase the pitch so much that the chain
will not correctly engage the teeth of the sprocket and will leave it. Therefore, wear
resistance of the joints is the primary object in the deign calculations. The required
wear resistance will be obtained if the average pressure in the joint does not exceed
the following allowable value.
where,
p = average pressure in the joint
P
d
= Design Load
P = Nominal Load
[p] = Allowable pressure in the joint
K = coefficient describing the operating conditions and depending on the dynamic
nature of the load, lubrication, chain length and duration of the drive operation = 1-3,
the larger values being taken for unfavorable conditions of operations.
F = projection of the supporting surface of the joint (For Roller Chains F = d l
b
, where
d is the pin diameter and l
b
is the bush length; For silent chains F = 0.76bd, where b
is the chain length).
Allowable pressure in Joints [p]
Angular velocity of smaller
sprocket , rad/s
[p] in Mpa with chain pitch in mm
12-15.7 19.05-25.4 30-38.1 40-50.8
a b a b a b a
5 34.3 19.6 34.3 19.6 34.3 19.6 34.3
20 30.9 17.6 29.4 16.7 28.1 16.1 25.7
40 28.1 16.1 25.7 14.7 23.7 13.7 20.6
80 23.7 13.7 20.6 11.8 18.1 10.3 14.7
120 20.6 11.8 17.2 9.81 14.7 8.43 --
Note: a For Roller and Bush Chains, b For Silent Chains
/
2
2 / tz
M
D
M
P
d
o
d
d

M
d
= Design Torque; t= pitch; z = no. of teeth in smaller sprocket; D
o
= diameter of
smaller sprocket
Problem 1: Select a roller chain drive to transmit power of 10 kw from a shaft
rotating at 750 rpm to another shaft to run at 450 rpm. The distance between the
shaft centers could be taken as 35 pitches.
Data: N= 10 kw; n1 = 750 rpm; n2 = 450 rpm; C = 35 pitches
Margin of Safety [n] for Driving Chains
Values of [n] with angular velocity of smaller sprocket, rad/s
Chain pitch, mm upto 5 20 40 80 120 160 200
Silent Chains
12.7 - 15.88 20 22 24 29 33 37 42
19 - 25.4 20 23 26 33 40 46 53
31.75 20 25 32 41 51
Bush and Roller Chains
12 - 15.88 7 7.8 8.5 10.2 11.7 13.2 14.3
19 - 25.4 7 8.2 9.3 11.7 14 16.3
30 - 38 7 8.5 10.2 14.8 19.5
Limit Angular Velocities of Smaller Sprocket
rad/s with chain pitch t, mm
Number of teeth z 12 20 30 40 50
Bush and Roller Chains
15 230 135 100 75 60
23 250 150 110 80 65
30 260 155 110 85 70
Silent Chains
17-35 330 220 130 -- --
Table :Service Factor
Type of Impact Machines
Source of Power
Electric Motor or
Turbine
Internal Combustion Engine
With Hydraulic Drive
Without Hydraulic
Drive
Smooth
Belt conveyors with
small load fluctuation,
chain conveyors,
centrifugal blowers,
ordinary textile
machines, ordinary
machines with small
load fluctuation.
1.0 1.0 1.2
Some impact
Centrifugal
compressors, marine
engines, conveyors with
some load fluctuation,
automatic furnaces,
dryers, pulverizers,
general machine tools,
compressors, general
work machines, general
paper mills.
1.3 1.2 1.4
High impact
Press, construction or
mining machines,
vibration machines, oil-
well rigs, rubber mixers,
rolls, general machines
with reverse or high-
impact loads.
1.5 1.4 1.7
ANSI Chain
No.
Pitch (P
(mm))
Roller
Diamet
er ( D1
max) in
mm
Width
Betwee
n Inner
Plates in
mm (b1
min)
Pin
Diameter
in mm (d2
max)
Pin Length in mm
Inner
Plate
depth in
mm (h2,
max)
Plate
thickness
in mm (T,
max)

Transvers
e in mm
(Pt)
Ultimate
Tensile
Strength
in kN (Q
min)
Average
Tensile
Strength
in kN
(Q0)
Weight
Per Meter
Kg/m (q)
L max Lc max
40-4 12.7 7.92 7.85 3.98 59.8 61 12 1.2 14.38 56.4 62.04 2.57
50-4 15.875 10.16 9.4 5.09 75.1 76.6 15.09 2.03 18.11 88.8 97.68 4.3
60-4 19.05 11.91 12.57 5.96 94.4 96.1 18 2.42 22.78 127.2 19.92 6.21
80-4 25.4 15.88 15.75 7.94 121 124.4 24 3.25 29.29 226.8 249.48 10.37
100-4 31.75 19.05 18.9 9.54 147.8 152.1 30 4 35.76 354 389.4 15.6
120-4 38.1 22.23 25.22 11.11 187 190.8 35.7 4.8 45.44 508 558.8 23.56
40-5 12.7 7.92 7.85 3.98 74.2 75.4 12 1.2 14.38 70.5 77.55 3.19
50-5 15.875 10.16 9.4 5.09 93.2 94.7 15.09 2.03 18.11 111 122.1 5.37
60-5 19.05 11.91 12.57 5.96 117 118.8 18 2.42 22.78 159 174.9 7.75
80-5 25.4 15.88 15.75 7.94 149.9 153.7 24 3.25 29.29 283.5 311.85 12.96
100-5 31.75 19.05 18.9 9.54 183.6 187.9 30 4 35.76 442.5 486.75 19.46
120-5 38.1 22.23 25.22 11.11 232.3 236.1 35.7 4.8 45.44 635 698.5 29.4
40-6 12.7 7.92 7.85 3.98 88.5 89.8 12 1.2 14.38 84.6 93.06 3.83
50-6 15.875 10.16 9.4 5.09 111.3 112.8 15.09 2.03 18.11 133.2 146.52 6.43
60-6 19.05 11.91 12.57 5.96 139.8 141.8 18 2.42 22.78 190.8 209.8 9.31
80-6 25.4 15.88 15.75 7.94 179.2 183 24 3.25 29.29 340.2 374.22 15.5
100-6 31.75 19.05 18.9 9.54 219.4 223.7 30 4 35.76 531 584.1 23.36
120-6 38.1 22.23 25.22 11.11 278 282 35.7 4.8 45.44 762 838.2 35.3
40-8 12.7 7.92 7.85 3.98 117.3 118.5 12 1.2 14.38 112.8 124.08 5.11
50-8 15.875 10.16 9.4 5.09 147.5 149 15.09 2.03 18.11 177.6 195.36 8.59
60-8 19.05 11.91 12.57 5.96 185.8 187.6 18 2.42 22.78 254.4 279.84 12.37
80-8 25.4 15.88 15.75 7.94 237.8 241.6 24 3.25 29.29 453.6 498.96 20.67
100-8 31.75 19.05 18.9 9.54 290.8 295.1 30 4 35.76 708 778.8 31.14
120-8 38.1 22.23 25.22 11.11 368.8 372.8 35.7 4.8 45.44 1016 1176 47.07
ANSI/ISO Roller Chain with Pins
ASME/ANSI B29.1-2011 Roller Chain Standard Sizes
Size Pitch (mm)
Maximum
Roller
Diameter
(mm)
Minimum
Ultimate
Tensile
Strength (N)
Measuring Load
(N)
25 6.35 3.30 3469.613 80.068
35 9.53 5.08 7828.870 80.068
41 12.70 7.77 6672.332 80.068
40 12.70 7.92 13900.693 137.895
50 15.88 10.16 21707.321 217.963
60 19.05 11.91 31270.998 311.376
80 25.40 15.88 55602.770 556.028
100 31.75 19.05 86878.216 867.403
120 38.10 22.23 125106.233 1249.950
140 44.45 25.40 170277.923 1703.669
160 50.80 28.58 222411.081 2224.111
180 57.15 37.08 281483.464 2815.724
200 63.50 39.67 347739.725 3474.061
240 76.20 47.63 500424.932 4448.222