| Installation and Maintenance of Chain Drives |
| Installation |
| Careful and accurate installation is very
essential for trouble free operation and long life. The following
instructions should therefore be carefully observed. |
| a) Shaft Alignment |
| Make sure that all shafts are parallel and level.
Check alignment with a spirit level. The shafts should be supported by
sufficiently strong bearings to avoid any displacement during operation. |
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| b) Installation of Sprockets |
| Align the sprockets exactly on the shafts. Check
with a straight edge of a string held against the sides of the sprocket
face. Improper alignment of sprockets will cause abnormal wear on the
chain link plates and on the sides of the sprocket teeth. Check
occasionally during operation for such wear. |
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| c) Mounting of Chain |
| Wrap the chain around the sprockets and bring the
two ends together on one sprocket to connect them with a connecting link. |
| d) Chain Tension |
| The chain should never run with both sides tight.
To check tension, turn one sprocket to tighten the lower span of the
chain. Then measure the sag of the lower strand which should be about 2 to
3% of the tangent to the sprockets. In an inclined drive the sag should be
less. In vertical drives a chain tensioner must be provided for. |
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