We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Industry

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

How Are Sprocket Ratios Determined?

By Jean Marie Asta
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 4,418
Share

Correct functioning of sprockets in a machine depends on the sprocket ratios used. Specifically, these ratios involve the relationship between the teeth running along the sprocket and the places they fit into the chain as the machine is set in motion. If a precise ratio is not taken into account when the sprocket is made, the teeth will not line up with their corresponding links in the chain. In effect, the chain will slip off and the machine will cease to function.

Prior to computers and modern technology, some of the most complex machines operated with a series of sprockets fit together with a chain running through them, which is why they were called sprocket machines. Pulleys, as well as a number of other mechanisms operated with these parts. Today, perhaps the most readily available example of sprockets in action comes with bicycles. The sprocket itself is a flat, rounded wheel circumscribed with pointed notches, or teeth, which fit into and move with the chain wrapped around it. Chain parts include pin links, roller links, and link plate; the construction of a length of chain of this kind is quite different from that of the kind found in hardware stores.

Since sprocket machines require proper socket ratios, determining this measurement takes place prior to manufacture with a few simple mathematical steps. All teeth must be accounted for, so the first step is counting each individual tooth along each sprocket. Next, each link in the chain must be counted. It should be noted that some devices may have multiple chains. For a single sprocket, the total number of links in the chain that wraps around it should be divided by the total number of notches around that sprocket, and then the process is repeated with all additional sprockets and the chains that run through them.

Quotients obtained from such calculations are the sprocket ratios. It may be relevant to note that the same mathematical steps can be applied if gear ratios need to be found. As far as form goes, gears and sprockets are exactly the same, but whereas the sprocket rotates in conjunction with a chain, gears fit together and work off of each other — an example of this can be seen in the inner workings of a clock. In determining gear ratio, the notches in both sprockets are added up individually and then divided into each other; sprocket ratios involve only one sprocket and then the chain. The proper functioning of gears and sprockets in a machine requires precision in determining these gear and sprocket ratios.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/how-are-sprocket-ratios-determined.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.