Editing Roller chain (section)

{{Short description|Type of chain drive}}
{{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, reliable, and efficient<ref name="hw.ac.uk">As much as 98% efficient under ideal conditions, according to {{cite web | last = Kidd | first = Matt D. |author2=N. E. Loch |author3=R. L. Reuben  | year = 1998 | url = http://www.hw.ac.uk/mecWWW/research/mdk/res.htm | title = Bicycle Chain Efficiency | work = The Engineering of Sport conference | publisher = Heriot-Watt University | access-date = 16 May 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060206210227/http://www.hw.ac.uk/mecWWW/research/mdk/res.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 6 February 2006}}</ref> means of power transmission.

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://books.google.com/books?id=aSY1AAAAMAAJ |publisher=G. and T. Wilkie |access-date=7 January 2021 |page=303 |language=en |date=1800}}</ref> and in 1880 [[Hans Renold]] patented a bush roller chain.<ref name="Reid 2015 196">{{cite book |last1=Reid |first1=Carlton |title=Roads were not built for cars : How cyclists were the first to push for good roads & became the pioneers of motoring |date=2015 |publisher=Island Press |location=Washington, DC |isbn=9781610916899 |page=196 }}</ref>