The Martin bronze bushing idler sprocket is suitable for use with the series 40/41 chain, and 1/2” pitch. It offers a wide range of mounting options and deployment flexibility, and an oil-impregnated, sintered bronze bushing mounted on steel journals. Made from high carbon steel, this sprocket has high strength and durability.

The idler sprocket has the following options: 15 teeth; an outer diameter encompassing the entire idler sprocket of 2.65”; stock bore size of 1/2”; and a weight of 0.50 lb. This sprocket is suitable for speeds up to 2,500 RPM, with radial loads less than 50 pounds. All Martin sprockets meet or exceed ANSI standards.

As chains wear, they elongate, which can cause issues that affect performance and wear characteristics. Idler sprockets can be used to take up slack caused by elongation, to change the direction of rotation of a driven shaft, to guide chain around an obstruction, or to help provide more wrap (more teeth engaged with the chain) on another sprocket. Bronze bushings allow lubricants to flow through or remain captured within them, acting as self-lubricating bearings that reduce wear on the bushings and the workpiece.

A sprocket is a wheel with teeth around the perimeter that meshes with a chain, track, or other perforated or indented material. Unlike gears that mesh with another gear, sprockets mesh with a chain, which then interacts with another sprocket. Gears can be used to transmit power around a corner, based on how they fit together. Sprockets with chains only work in straight lines. Some common benefits of chain-drive systems include minimal slippage, a fixed ratio between rotating shafts, and versatility with many different chain attachments and sprocket material selections. An example of a power transmission system is a standard bicycle, which has a sprocket and a chain to deliver power from the rider’s legs to the wheels making the bike move.

Martin Sprocket & Gear manufactures power transmission and conveying products. The company was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in Arlington, TX. Martin provides tools that meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI), National Aerospace Standard (NAS), and Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) standards.