Chain drive
principle · 1880 · Electric age
Transmitting rotation between shafts by an endless chain looped around sprockets.
What it is made of
- Roller chain — has part. The chain is the flexible link of the drive.
- Sprocket — has part. The sprockets engage the chain’s rollers.
Where it is used
- Bicycle drivetrain — is used in. A bicycle drivetrain is a classic chain drive.
- Sprocket — is used in. A sprocket meshes with the chain.
Things built in a similar way
- Gear — works like. Like a gear train, a chain drive transmits rotation at a set ratio, but between distant shafts.
- Belt drive — works like. A belt and a chain are both flexible links between shafts; the chain does not slip.