Sprocket
part · 1880 · Electric age
A toothed wheel that engages a chain or a track.
Principles and materials it uses
- Steel — is made of. Sprockets are steel.
- Chain drive — uses. A sprocket meshes with the chain.
Where it is used
- Bicycle drivetrain — is part of. The front and rear sprockets set the gear ratio.
- Chain drive — is part of. The sprockets engage the chain’s rollers.
- Continuous track — is part of. The drive sprocket engages the track and pulls it round — just as a bicycle sprocket pulls the chain.
- Chainsaw — is part of. A sprocket drives the chain.
Things built in a similar way
- Gear — works like. A sprocket resembles a gear, but its teeth engage a chain rather than another wheel.