Chain drive
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chain drive was the main feature which differentiated the safety bicycle introduced in 1885, with its two equal-sized wheels, from the direct-drive penny-farthing or "high wheeler" type of bicycle which was then prevalent. Within just a few short years, the popularity of the chain-driven safety bicycle brought about the demise of the penny-farthing, and is still a basic feature of bicycle design today.
Chain drive was a popular power transmission system from the earliest days of the automobile. It gained prominence as an alternative to the Systeme Panhard with its rigid Hotchkiss driveshaft and universal joints.
A chain drive system uses one or more roller chain to transmit power from a differential to the rear axle. This system allowed for a great deal of vertical axle movement (for example, over bumps), and was simpler to design and build than a rigid driveshaft in a workable suspension. Also, it had less unsprung weight at the rear wheels than the Hotchkiss drive, which would have had the weight of the driveshaft to carry as well, which in turn meant that the tires would last longer.
Frazer Nash were strong proponents of this system, even adapting licensed Hotchkiss drive BMW designs to chain drive. The last popular chain drive vehicle was the Honda S800 of the 1960s. The NSU Prinz 1000 used timing chains instead of a belt to turn the overhead camshaft.
