Tsubakimoto Chain Company

Takahisa Andoh

Takashi Nakagawa

Hiroki Ishida

Toshihiro Hosokawa

Sachihiko Maeda

Takeshi Kondo

Toshihiko Takashima

Ikutaro Nakagawa

Masahide Komeda

The oil-free chain is obtained by connecting a pair of inner link plates which are connected by oil-impregnated bushings and a pair of outer link plates, which are connected by pins inserted into adjacent oil-impregnated bushings of adjacent inner link plates alternately. The oil-impregnated bushing is obtained by impregnating a bushing made of a metal sintered body with perfluoropolyether having a kinematic viscosity at 40&#xb0; C. equal to or higher than 350 mm/s. The bushing is impregnated with perfluoropolyether having a kinematic viscosity corresponding to the operating temperature of the oil-free chain.

Oil-impregnated bushing, oil-free chain and method for manufacturing oil-impregnated bushing

A barrel-shaped coil spring roller is formed by closely winding spring wire rods having fine crepe-like concave-convex surfaces on the surface of the barrel-shaped coil spring roller. The fine crepe-like concave-convex surfaces serve as a lubricating oil reservoir and are formed by a shotpeening process. Lubricating oil is retained on the fine crepe-like concave-convex surfaces formed by the shot-peening process. Sliding noises between the spring wire rods adjacent to each other, which noises are generated by elastic deformation of the barrel-like coil spring roller when in engagement with the toothed surface of the sprocket, are reduced by the lubricating oil. The wear on both of the barrel-shaped coil spring roller and the sprocket is lessened and the power loss is reduced. The low noise chain is capable of retaining a lubricating oil on the surface of spring wire rods of a barrel-shaped coil spring roller for long periods of time, while still maintaining a noise reduction effect.

Low noise chain

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takahisa Andoh