
Roller chain drives a sprocket at a fixed ratio with no slip, which is why it is used where a belt would creep and where the center distance is too long for gears. A chain is defined first by its pitch, then by how many strands run side by side, and then by how its pins are retained. Two families are stocked side by side here: the ANSI series numbered 35, 40, 50 and 60, and the ISO B-series numbered 06B through 20B. They overlap in pitch but are built to different dimensions, and that is the distinction worth getting right before ordering.
Also known as: roller chains, drive chain, transmission chain, ansi roller chain
Series in this category
Related guides: Cross-reference help
| Specification | What it means |
|---|---|
| Chain number | The size designation, such as 40 or 08B, which fixes the pitch and the standard the chain is built to. |
| Pitch | Distance between adjacent pin centers. It must match the sprocket exactly, and it is the primary sizing dimension. |
| Standard | ANSI or ISO B-series. The two are dimensionally different and their sprockets do not interchange. |
| Number of strands | Single, duplex or triplex. It has to equal the number of tooth rows on the sprockets in the drive. |
| Pin retention | Riveted for a permanent assembly, or cottered so the chain can be separated and re-linked on the machine. |
| Box length | The supplied length, commonly 10 or 25 feet, since chain is sold by the box rather than cut to order. |
For the ANSI series, drop the last digit and read what is left as eighths of an inch: 40 and 41 are both 4/8 or half an inch, 50 is 5/8, and 60 is 6/8 or three quarters. The B-series does not follow that rule, so on 06B through 20B the pitch has to be taken from a dimension table instead.
No, although both have a half-inch pitch, which is exactly why they get confused. Their roller diameters and inner widths differ, so an 08B chain will not seat correctly on a sprocket cut for ANSI 40. Match the standard as well as the pitch when replacing either the chain or the sprocket.
They describe how the pins are retained. R is riveted, the standard permanent construction. C is cottered, where split cotters hold the pins so the chain can be dismantled and rejoined without pressing pins, which is useful on long or hard-to-reach runs.
An odd count cannot be closed with a plain connecting link and needs an offset link instead, which is the weakest element in the chain and the usual place a drive fails. Adjusting the center distance slightly to reach an even number of pitches is normally the better answer.