A bit of chain history.

[GuyBoden]

A bit of chain history.

"In 1885, Hans Renold, a skilled Swiss-born engineer who was working in Salford, achieved a significant technical breakthrough when he patented the bush roller chain. With this revolutionary invention bike design change forever."

It looks very, very similar to a modern chain, so not much has changed since 1885.

Displayed at the Manchester Science Museum.

 

[matticus]

My memory's terrible, but I think I read that he failed to mass manufacture them so it wasn't a very useful design; the tech for that only arrived decades later, which was the last major piece in the bike mass production jigsaw as we now know it.

Or something ...

 

[matticus]

p.s. why are we still riding around on 19thC tech? It should be carbon fibre, and bluetooth!

 

[Blue Hills]

there was also the much hyped Simpson chain, also British.

Promoted by a mega event in Catford south east London and with Toulouse Lautrec artwork.

 

[GuyBoden]

My memory's terrible, but I think I read that he failed to mass manufacture them so it wasn't a very useful design; the tech for that only arrived decades later, which was the last major piece in the bike mass production jigsaw as we now know it.

Or something ...

Renold chains had a huge factory in Burnage, Manchester, mainly for industrial chains. Maybe, cycle chains wasn't their main business.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

why are we still riding around on 19thC tech?

It can't be improved on (can it?)

 

[DRM]

Renold chains had a huge factory in Burnage, Manchester, mainly for industrial chains. Maybe, cycle chains wasn't their main business.

https://www.renold.com/products/leaf-chain/
Looks like they’re in Wythenshaw now, still going strong, industrial leaf chain will be a bigger money maker as on fork trucks, it should be changed at 2% elongation, the truck is pulled out of service at 3% elongation, and those used on cold store freezer trucks get changed every 2 years no matter what condition it’s in, sooner if worn
https://www.renold.com/products/velo-ct-cycle-chain/
It seems the only make single speed track bike chain now

 

[PpPete]

It can't be improved on (can it?)

I read that Team GB were using a 3/8" pitch (but still 1/8" wide) for the 'lympics ?